Free Information Technology Tips

Network Software

2008-02-17T01:49:00.001-08:00

Network software consists of programs that manage the network, provide srevices and allow computers to communicate and share information on the network.
Network Operating System

The Network Operating System (NOS) is the most important software on a network. The network operating system organizes and manages alla the activities on a network. On some networks, one central computer, called a server, is responsible for running the network operating system. Netware, Windows 2000 Server, Linux and LANtastic are examples of popular network operating systems.

Network Driver

A network driver is the software that allows the network inteface card in a computer to communicate with the network. The network driver must be compitable with the network interface card and the operating system on a computer.

Server Software

A server is a computer that makes information and resources available to other computers on a network. Server software enables a server to perform a specific task. For example, e-mail srver software allows a server to process and manage e-mail messages. the server software must be compatible with the network operating system.

Application Software

Application software consists of the programs that run on computers connected to a network. Application software includes productivity programs, such as word processors, spreadsheet and database programs, and customized software, such as programs used for inventory and accounting purposes. Application software can be stored on each computer connected to the network or on a server used only for storing application software.

Management Software

Networks that connect several computers often use management software, which allows network administrators to organize and manage a network more efficiently. Management software can help maintain network performance and alert the network administrator in case problems or errors occur on a network.

Network Hardware

2008-02-17T01:49:00.000-08:00

Network hardware includes the physical devices used on a network. All networks require network hardware to function.

Computers

The most important job of a network is to link computers together. When computers are linked, the people using the computers can be work more efficiently. Computers connected to a anetwrok do not have to be the same type. For Example, a network could conatain desktop computers, such as IBM-compatible & Macintosh computers, or portable computers, such as notebooks and Personal Digital Assistants(PDAs).

Resources

Anetwork resource is a device that computers on a network can use. The most common type of network resource is a printer. All of the users on a network can send documents to a printer that is connected to the network. Other examples of netwrok resources include fax machines, tape backup units and file storage devices, such as hard drives.

Cables

Cables are the wire that connect computers and resources on a network. Many different kinds of cables can be used, depending on the type and size of a network. The type of cable used often determines how quickly information will tarnsfer through a network. For some large networks, many miles of cable may be required.

Connectors

A connector is a device that joins network together. When two networks are connected, all of the computers on both networks are can exchange information. The most common types of connectors are bridges and routers.

Network Interface Cards

A Network Interface Card(NIC) is a device that physically connects to a network and controls the flow of information between the network and the computer. NICs are installed inside a computer. The edge of the network inteface card can be seen at the back of the computer. ANIC has a port where the network cable plugs in.

Written By : Ali Masood

Memory Upgrades for Vista Operating Systems

2008-02-15T22:37:00.000-08:00

Now that Vista is officially out, many of you are dying to run out and buy it. I know that many will upgrade without first checking system requirements or system compatibility. This article is for you. When you try to install Vista, you may quickly find out that something will need to be upgraded. Most likely it will be RAM, video or both.

First we will look at memory. I am talking about system memory or RAM. Before we go further, my associate says I need to write about something more important. That is the peripherals, things like mice, cameras, scanners, printers. For most of these, you will find that there are no Vista compatible drivers available. The chain stores are going to be pushing Vista systems, but be patient and wait for the hardware to catch up. Here is where you will do better talking with your small neighborhood tech shops to find out if your computer will work with Vista.

For those who want to upgrade for Vista, additional memory may have to be installed. RAM (Random Access Memory) is used by the system to run applications. You can never have enough RAM. The current standard has been 512megs. But as the software becomes larger, system resources really become an issue. This is true with the new security suites like Norton or McAfee. Today, I would not consider a system with less then 1gig of RAM. You can run Vista on 512megs, but you would not be able to enjoy all the features and your system may perform very poorly.

To speed up your system and upgrade your RAM, you need to know a few details. You need to find out how much RAM you have, what type/speed, and how much your system will support. To find out how much, go to your START button, right click on My Computer, then select Properties. After the dialog box opens, look down to the bottom right. You will see information for the type and speed of the processor. There will also be a number indicating the amount of RAM installed. It will read 265, 512 or 1024 gigs.

On many of the mass produced machines, there may be an odd number like 448. That is because system memory is shared with the video. To find out the type and how much the system will support, check the system documentation. Check the specs in either the printed materials or check online. Sometimes there are stickers on the front. Look for something that reads like DDR XXX, (DDR400 for example), or PCXXX (PC3200 as another example).

If you have never done this, or are not comfortable opening your computer, you may want to get a service technician to install the RAM. They will still need all the above information. Now we can open the computer and install the memory.

1) Unplug the power on the computer. Most motherboards still are powered, even with the power switch off. So remove the plug completely. Ok, pull the power and unplug everything that is attached to the tower. Mark them if you need to, so you can put them back.

2) Lay the tower on the right side and remove the left side cover. Inside you will see many colored wires and cables. Carefully part these until you can get to the memory slots. They are called DIMM slots. There can be two or more depending on the motherboard. They will be located close to the processor (big metal fins with the fan motor). You will also see the existing memory stick.

3) On each end of the DIMM slots there is a white clip. Make sure they are pushed back to the opened position. Look at your new stick of RAM. You will see 1 or 2 notches. These will match up with dimples in the memory slot. Carefully line up the stick and firmly press it into the slot until you hear it snap into place. Now, secure the two locking clips and you are done.

4) Stand the system back up (leaving the cover off at this point). Plug in the mouse, keyboard and monitor. Plug in the power and fire the system up. One of 2 things will happen. If everything is alright, the system will boot like normal and you can watch the new amount of RAM count up on the screen. If this happens, then you are finished installing the RAM.

The second thing that could happen is the machine starts beeping and will not boot. Do not panic, all this means is that the RAM is not seated correctly. Simply shut it down and unplug the power. Remove the new stick of RAM and reseat it again making sure it snaps firmly into place. You may need to press a little harder than you think. Test the system again by rebooting. Once you are done, replace the cover, put the tower back, and attach all the accessories.

Let me just say again, if you are not comfortable opening and working on your computer then you will be better off letting a technician help you.

By: Chris Kaminski

Article Source: http://www.articlecamp.com

Types of Networks

2008-01-04T08:21:00.000-08:00

There are many types of networks used by businesses and organizations. Since each business and organization has its own needs, each network is unique.

Network Size

The size of a network can often determine which type of network a business or organization should use. Different ways. For example, a network with over 1,000 users is organized differently and requires a variety of components not found on a network with only five users.

Network Cost

The Size and type of a network determine its cost. The larger the network, the more costly the network is to build, set up and maintain. In addition to needing extra hardware and cables, a larger network also requires specialized cabling and computers to link users and devices that are far apart.

Local Area Networks (LAN)

A Local Area Network (LAN) is the most common type of network found in businesses. Local Area Networks connect computers and devices located close to each other, such as in one building. Local Area Networks connect from as few as two computers to usually no more than 100 computers.

Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN)

A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is collection of LANs. Metropolitan Area Networks connect computers located in the same geographic area, such as a city or town. For example, a college may use a Metropolitan Area Network that connects the LAN on each campus throughout a city.

Wide Area Networks (WAN)

A Wide Area Network (WAN) connects Area Networks and Metropolitan Area Networks together. The networks that make up a Wide Area Network may be located throughout a country or even around the world. When a single company owns and controls a Wide Area Network, the Wide Area Network is often referred to as an enterprise network. The Internet is the largest Wide Area Network.

What is a Network?

2008-01-01T03:00:00.000-08:00

A network is a group of connected computers that allow users to share information and equipment.

Network Size
A network can be any size. For Example, connecting two home computers so they can share data creates a simple network. Companies can have networks consisting of a few dozen computers or hundreds of computers. The Internet is the world,s largest network and connects millions of computers all over the world.

Logging On

Network users are usually required to identify themselves before they can gain access to the information on a network. This is known as logging on. Each user must enter a personalized user name and password to access a network. By keeping this information secret, users can prevent unauthorized people from accessing the network.

Sharing Information
You can use a network to share information with other people. Information can be ant form of data, such as a document created in a word processing program, a picture drawn in an imaging application or information from a database. Before networks, people often used floppy disks or any other storage device to exchange information between computers, which was a slow and unreliable process. With networks, exchanging information between computers is quick and easy.

Sharing Resources

Computers connected to a network can share equipment and devices, called resources. The ability to share resources the cost of buying computer hardware. For example, instead of having to buy a printer for each person on a network, everyone can share one central printer.

Sharing Programs

Networks allow people to access programs stored on a central computer, such a s a spreadsheet or word processing program. Individuals can use their own computers to access and work with the programs. By sharing a program, a company can avoid having to install a copy of the program on each person's computer.

Searching For The Free Software Directory

2007-12-31T05:19:00.000-08:00

If you are constantly browsing the internet in order to find Download free software, you will have to take your time because its finding is not likely to be an easy task. Most business companies are likely to consider thus type of free payroll software as the perfect tool in order to increase their selling opportunities. This software should be regarded in a whole new light because it is not the perfect solution when there are some businesses involved along the process. The payroll software is used in order to process all the employee payrolls in an e3asier manner without having to worry about too many details. The software will also help the company in order to track the vacation time and tax withholding; there are plenty of benefits when it comes to using the Free software directory on a regular basis.

But if you are interested in finding a Download free software just for your personal use, you should be aware that this finding can be transformed into a daunting task in case that you do not provide yourself with all the available resource that are to be found on the internet. You will also have to make sure that you can rely on a particular program without being scared by the potential viruses that can be brought along when downloading a particular program.

For instance, you may search for the so called open source software that can provide you with all the programs you need for your personal computer; this software is normally free when it comes to its usage and all the source codes will also be available for you. These codes are available for every user who is interested in redistributing, modifying or using them for his personal needs. The user can also take advantage of the unlimited freedom when it comes to using these open sources; but they are plenty of people who remain quite reluctant to using the online open sources on a regular basis. The Free software directory is not to be regarded as a menace anymore; on the contrary, you should become fully aware of all its opportunities.

The traditional idea that states that a value of every piece of software is likely to depend on the price you pay in order to get it is totally wrong; this is simply not the case when it comes to the modern techniques that can be provided by the internet. The Download free software is to be use without having to worry about its value; it is going to work for sure because it is especially designed in order to provide quality services for every user who is confident enough in order to use it. The Free software directory is not likely to come along with inferior quality; on the contrary, the open source is to be trusted for its quality services because they can be even better than the ones being provided by the paid sources.

The open sources will allow the constant sharing of information as well; the computing community will be able to stay in close contact to everything that is likely to happen in the virtual world because it will take advantage of real freedom when it comes to customizing the already existing source codes. These changes will be performed according to the user’s preferences and every user should be aware that free does not stand for inferior. The Free software directory is to be used relied on because it can provide you with all the information you need.

The open source is also blamed for the opportunities that can be provided thanks to its services; people are not familiar with the concept of free usage. On the contrary, they are used to pay for all the intellectual rights n order to use a particular program. They are not likely to rely on an open source that is free because they do not trust this type of service that can actually spare their time and money if properly used. But sometimes the open source is not as free as you might think in the beginning; there are some cases when this source will have to advertise a certain company in order for the users to be able to take advantage of all its programs and source codes. The open source can also advertise a particular product in order to sell it to the visitors who are accessing the Free software directory on a regular basis.

Actually, nothing is likely to come completely free of any charge; even the simplest articles that are used in order to create the web content are not totally free because a company is likely to use them in order to advertise its services or products. However, you will have to learn to appreciate the quality things and you will not have to stay away from a particular directory that can be very helpful for you just because it is free of charge. You will have to learn how to trust the free directories that are offering downloads in order to enjoy things that are not likely to be available forever.

By: Ckint Jhonson
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

An Introduction To Storage Software

2007-12-27T03:17:00.000-08:00

All businesses face the challenge of storing their data easily, inexpensively and in a timely fashion. Initially, companies used tape-based systems to store data. There is now a rapid change to disk-based systems. At the same time, there has been a change in the software that supports this function and manages the stored data.

With rising numbers of branch offices, servers and amounts of data, storage needs are continually increasing. Organisations need to invest in systems that will save and back up data. This is where storage software comes in. It performs a threefold task:

• It simplifies control and management of hardware resources (devices and networks).

• It assures backup, archival and recovery of data.

• It takes care of replication and copying of data as it is created or downloaded.

While older systems of storage were more time intensive, the newer ones are more investment intensive. Many new storage software tools aim to reduce the cost of disk-based storage to encourage adoption of the newer technology by all sizes of organisation. Some providers also offer hosted services that are more scalable and affordable for small and medium-sized businesses.

Most storage software solutions rely heavily on hardware options. The ideal combination is a system where the software and hardware work together for an optimal performance and high level of flexibility. Many software storage providers partner with hardware manufacturers such as Dell, IBM, Fujitsu and HP to offer solutions like this. Larger players have acquired storage specialists such as Veritas and StorageTek so that they can offer these services.

This consolidation is not necessarily a bad thing. It means that more established players will offer bundled products that include additional features such as content management systems within the storage software to allow integrated retrieval and archival processes.
By: Paul Howe
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Wireless Networking: Do You Need It?

2007-12-25T23:19:00.000-08:00

There has been so much hype about wireless networking that it is sometimes hard to get to the important question: do you need it? To determine whether your notebook computer needs to have wireless networking capabilities, you need to understand what it is first.

WLAN

WLAN stands for Wireless Local Area Network or Wireless LAN. Wireless network cards use the IEEE 802.11 standard of wireless transmission. There are other wireless networking standards, such as Bluetooth, but the 802.11 standard is the preferred networking solution. The Wireless Network interface was developed originally for interfacing among computers connected through a local area network, but it is now also being used for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and internet access, just like the standard Local Area Network interface.

A Wireless Networking environment has no need for complicated wiring to accommodate data sharing and internet access. The wireless network uses one or more Wireless Access Points or Wireless Routers to transmit the signal. An Access Point has an antenna and an Ethernet port, which must be connected to a broadband modem for internet connectivity. A Wireless Router adds several more Ethernet ports to allow a combination of wired and wireless connections. The Access Point or Router acts as the radio frequency transmitter and receiver (radio frequency electromagnetic waves are the medium through which data packets are sent and received). This Access Point interfaces with devices (computers, PDAs, IP Phones, and other Access Points) which use 802.11 wireless adapters.

Wherever there is an 802.11 wireless access point, a wireless networking-capable device can access that network and, generally, the internet.

Do You Need Wireless Networking in Your Notebook Computer?

Whether you need wireless networking depends entirely on you. Wireless networking capability is always a wonderful feature to have in a notebook computer, but there are scenarios where wireless networking is definitely necessary.

If you want to have a tidy office or home network, wireless networking is for you. Moreover, if there are many users in your local network or if the number of users is expected to increase, a wireless router is not limited by the number of Ethernet ports on the router. Please note, however, that a wireless network connection is not as reliable as traditional Ethernet connections, and wireless connections are susceptible to radio wave and electromagnetic interference.

If you are a freelancer, a reporter, or in another position where you frequently travel, Wireless Networking is invaluable. Wireless Networking is the most widely used form of public internet access all over the world. With a wireless networking card, you are guaranteed an internet connection, as long as you can find a wireless hotspot.

For interfacing with personal devices like PDAs and cellular phones, Bluetooth is a more common option, but Wireless Networking is absolutely necessary for wireless internet connections.

This article may be republished freely as long as this copyright notice and box of resource links are included at the bottom.

By: Roberto Bell
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Wise Steps To Buy Laptops And Other Electronic Products

2007-12-23T21:40:00.000-08:00

In 2008, it will be very normal if you buy electronic products in the internet world. I think it’s not modern anymore if you go to a mall and review each product there. If you want to buy a new PC or notebook, try to find the review in the internet. There are plenty of full reviews there so I think you will learn much more than if you go to a mall or electronic dealers in real world. What more interesting is, you don’t need to go out from your home. You can read about different products, different brands in front of your computer.

I always went to electronic malls when I had time to check new products. I checked their prices and performances but I realized I was just wasting my precious time. Start from early 2007, I always buy everything online, start from games to new notebooks. Even if you do not want to buy electronic products online, you could at least try to find out what you want with your internet browser.

If five years ago new PCs or other electronic products are designed for children and nerds, these days it is easy to find new computers for your need. Many companies like HP or Dell produced their own business laptops. With cheap prices, you could get the best performance from new notebooks. It is the same with PCs. You do not need to search for old PCs if you have a tight budget, you can expect PCs which specially designed for people like you.

Computer companies know people have different objectives. There are people who buy new computers for games but there are also people who buy new computers for their jobs. However, there are too many products released every day so I think the best option for you is to search in the internet what suits you most. It will be pretty hard and very time consuming for you if you try “traditional way” (i.e.: go to mall and search for new computer, etc.). Buying new electronic products online is the most effective way at the moment.

By: Punkman
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Some Of The Latest Information On Fiber Cables

2007-12-17T01:54:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that there are countless cables in the world today and they all do different things. One cable that everyone can´t live without is the fiber cable. This is a super sweet cable because this type of cable is composed of one or more transparent optical fibers enclosed in a protective covering and strength members. I bet you didn´t know all that did you? Do you know what fiber cables do? Well if you said no, let me tell you what it is. Fiber cables are the awesome cables that transmit data by the mode of light. There are several different types of fiber cables so let me try and explain a few to you.
There is the duplex fiber cables, single mode simplex fiber cables, single mode duplex fiber cables, and the plastic optical fiber cables. Whatever you are looking for, whether it be a multi mode, simplex, duplex, or multi strand fiber cable, you can easily find it because so many manufacturers make fiber cables. Fiber cables come in a variety of types depending on there usage. Take for example the zip cord or the simplex fiber cable. These fiber cables are used for desktop connections. The distribution fiber cable is a small cable which is required for dry conduit run panel boxes. Another fiber cable is the aerial fiber cable which is usually used for outside installation. These are just to name a few of the fiber cables we use to improve our everyday lives.
You may not know it but cables are what run this world. Fiber cables are very important because they can be used in so many different ways. So the next time you think about cables, think about the fiber cable because it so cool and it does so much to help our lives.
By: Grant Foster
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

The Features And Benefits Of Pc Cables

2007-12-17T01:43:00.000-08:00

For all those individuals who have a personal computer, or what is called a PC, you know that you have to have cables for your computer to work. It seems like everything in this world is run off cables right? A PC is no different. When it comes to PC cables, is can get pretty complicated because technology is constantly changing and new cables are always popping up out of nowhere. Even though PC cables are changing at a rapid pace, there are still those cables that every PC needs.
Every personal computer is different. Some are newer than others and some are just simply better than others as well. Whatever personal computer you have, one thing that they all share in common is that they all use coaxial cables, twisted cables, and the optic fiber cables. Coaxial cables come in two forms. Regular coaxial cables and thick coaxial cables. The twisted cables usually connect your PC to a phone line. They come in different forms as well. Twisted cables come either in an unshielded or shielded form. The shielded cable protects the cable better than the unshielded. The optic fiber cable is probably the most important cable out of these three and it is the most expensive as well. This cable has the ability to send information at a 100 Mbps or 1 Gbps speed. This cable is vital to your computer working well and properly.
There are several cables that make your PC function at full capacity. The three explained above are just to name a few of the number of cables that connect your PC and make it work great. If you wan to know about other PC cables, look online and get all the information you need about the particular PC cable you are looking for.
By: Grant Foster
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

How Important Is A Cpu Fan

2007-12-15T02:03:00.000-08:00

The computer may look like a very powerful and intelligent device but without the help of the various parts, the computer is absolutely nothing. We all know about the hardware and software parts of a computer but among them also there are such minute things which do not comes in our notice easily but are something very indispensable. These are very small and useful objects which sometimes prove to be very important for even performing the major tasks. In this context, variety of things being used in the PC can be uttered like the RAM, hard disk, CD ROM, motherboard, CPU fan etc. Let us pick up one object from among these and discuss widely how important even the minute parts of the computer are.
The use of the CPU fan perhaps could have been denied but that is not possible. CPU is the most important organ of the computer without which the operating system can not be run. It is the CPU that makes the computer operator to write, store, send, download and make project etc. very easy. What does it take to make your tasks happen? Stating them is the first step towards its realisation, the realisation of the importance of the CPU. For the CPU to run what is vital is the CPU fan.The CPU fan is the most simple and ultimate thing that keeps the CPU cool and workable. Due to the excessive pressures and heat, the CPU becomes very hot and under such circumstances it is the CPU fan that makes the CPU capable of working properly. This small part is fixed in the inner part of the CPU and starts working as soon as the CPU is started.The CPU is a combination of a number of parts namely the motherboard, memory, the arithmetic and logical components etc. the task that is performed by these components of the CPU are no doubt the very important ones. Therefore when all these will work continuously and together, it is very natural that these will get a high temperature. Probability is also there of these components being burned due to extreme heat and work load. In order to keep them cool and to give them sufficient air to cope up with the situation, the CPU fan is a must. The price of the CPU fan, if bought alone and not altogether as a CPU, will be less. Based on the function and size though it is very important, but still there are facilities of availing these in reasonable prices. The used CPU fan is also another thing that can be had in very low prices and that too in workable conditions.For a computer user the importance of the CPU fan is not at all a new thing to describe and he also is well aware of the utilities of this hardware part. Therefore from now onwards you too can lower the price of your computer parts to make your computer purchase in a reasonable rate.
By: Victor Epand
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Cd Duplication - Way To Protect Your Valuable Data

2007-12-12T20:30:00.001-08:00

In this fast growing world, maintenance of data has become a necessity and a major concern. In order to protect your data conveniently, you need to ensure your data conservation method positively. CD duplication is known as the best data conservation solution. CD duplication refers to the method of copying of data from one CD to another. This method involves burning of large commercial quantities of CD in order to produce small runs of discs. CD duplication method involves burning of CD surface which is mainly carried out by CD Duplication Companies with a help of a device called CD burner. Being cheap in nature, CD Duplication is the perfect solution for replacing of data in small budgets.This process is a very popular way of producing small runs of discs. It gives the advantage including timescale and the ability to produce a sample print for approval before the full run commences. That is why, the prices of CD duplication very much depends upon the quality that the company providing your CD duplication services. So, the kind of services you are availing, you need to pay accordingly. Nowadays, the alternative of cheap CD duplication is also getting popularity and considered as a booming market in the market. CD duplication uk services can vary from high-resolution inkjet printing, to labels, thermal printing and thermal transfer print as well as screen printing.
Benefits of CD duplication:The concept of CD duplication has lots of added advantage over using a normal CD. Practically, if you consider CD duplication, you can gain an upper hand in CD duplication market. This easy process saves a lot of your precious time than the other method of data conservation. The system of duplication is able to use multiple recorders at the same time and therefore saves time spent in the process. One of the interesting criterions is that this process id really inexpensive and can be done for few dollars. People can be able to obtain large quantities for far less the expense over replication. One of the major advantages of CD duplication is the security it provides to your sensitive data.
By: Editor 123
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

What Is Ethical Hacking?

2007-12-12T01:19:00.000-08:00

An Ethical Hacker is an expert hired by a company to attempt to attack their network and computer system the same way a hacker would. Ethical Hackers use the same techniques and tactics as those used by illegal hackers to breach corporate security systems. The end result is the company’s ability to prevent an intrusion before it ever occurs. A company can’t know if their security system is solid unless they test it. It’s hard, though, for a company’s IT team to thoroughly ring out the system. Try as they might, the techs can’t go at the system with all the malicious or mischievous motives of a true illegal hacker. To thoroughly uncover vulnerabilities, the theory goes; you must examine your security system through the eyes of an illegal hacker.

The word hacking has strongly negative connotations, and, for the most part, rightly so. But ethical hacking is much different. It takes place with the explicit permission of the company whose system is being attacked. In fact, their “good guy” role is underscored by the nickname “white hat” Ethical Hackers have been given. The nickname is a throwback to old Westerns where the good cowboys could be identified by their white hats.The company and the Ethical Hacker enter into a legally binding contract. The contract, sometimes called a “get out of jail free card,” sets forth the parameters of the testing. It’s called the “get out of jail free card” because it’s what harbors the Ethical Hacker from prosecution. Hacking is a felony, and a serious one at that. The terms of the agreement are what transform illegal behavior into a legal and legitimate occupation. Once the hacker has exhausted his attempts, he reports back to the company with a list of the vulnerabilities he uncovered. The list in and of itself, however, is not particularly useful. What’s most valuable is the instructions for eliminating the vulnerabilities that the Ethical Hacker provides.An Ethical Hacker works to uncover three key pieces of information. First, he determines what information an illegal hacker can gain access to. Next, he explores what an illegal hacker could do with that information once gained. Last, the Ethical Hacker ascertains whether an employee or staff member would be alerted to the break-in, successful or not.At first it might sound strange that a company would pay someone to try to break into their system. Ethical hacking, though, makes a lot of sense, and it is a concept companies have been employing for years. To test the effectiveness and quality of product, we subject it to the worst case scenario. The safety testing performed by car manufacturers is a good example. Current regulatory requirements including HIPAA, Sarbanes Oxley, and SB-1386 and BS 799 require a trusted third party to check that systems are secure.In order to get the most out of the assessment, a company should decide in advance the nature of the vulnerabilities they’re most concerned with. Specifically, the company should determine which information they want to keep protected and what they’re concerned would happen if the information was retrieved by an illegal hacker.Companies should thoroughly assess the qualifications and background of any Ethical Hacker they are considering hiring. This individual will be privy to highly sensitive information. Total honesty and integrity is of the utmost importance.
By: Paul Walsh
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Broadband: What Next For Next-gen?

2007-12-12T01:16:00.000-08:00

Broadband has been a huge success in the UK, with half of all UK homes now with access to a connection.But with a consumer call for a faster and more reliable service, and connection speeds falling behind countries like Japan and Sweden, suggested changes raised in a recent summit in London to discuss the future of broadband in the UK are still dividing opinion.

Plans for a future download speed of 24Mbps may seem fast for us, but with other countries around the world offering broadband deals, with connection speeds ranging from 40Mbps to even 100Mbps, could a change in infrastructure prove a turning point for broadband in the UK?

With the current broadband network based mostly on ADSL - a copper wire network designed to handle telephone calls – the demand for an increase in broadband speed could push the hardware to its limits. Other issues include noise on the line and falling connection speeds – causes for such disruption can include distance from the exchange and an increase in traffic on the network.
One of the issues facing any future plans for a fibre network in the UK would be ensuring that it would be open to all ISPs in much the same way as with LLU (Local Loop Unbundling) – which allows other cheap broadband providers the chance to put their services in BT telephone exchanges. But even getting to that stage has been a long and complicated process, and with the demand for more cheap broadband increasing each year – a change in infrastructure could been seen as a way forward and ensure that the UK is compatible with the ever-changing Internet. A new method of unbundling – known as sub-loop unbundling – could be necessary to the introduction of a fibre network, but would require operators to share space in street cabinets, which some believe to be unfeasible. There are also concerns that fibre networks would create another digital divide - much like the current scenario when it comes to rural broadband technology.Wireless solutions such as Wimax could be seen to be a temporary solution, but there has been a widespread call for more government funding to help the progression of UK broadband, particularly to those in remote areas of the UK. Fibre connections would provide opportunities for a faster connection that would be welcomed by online gamers, networks which share video content, as well as the chance of delivering high-definition content – such as HDTV – via a broadband connection.But with a number of problems still to be sorted within the existing broadband network – such as complications with ISP migration and actual connection speeds promised in broadband deals – the future of broadband in the UK remains an area of uncertainty.

By: D Collins

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

The Magical Spyware Cleaner - A Useful Info

2007-12-08T10:30:00.000-08:00

In the age of computer when human work is entirely dependent on the Internet, we can't even step ahead without latest advancements. When computer is going to help us in every stream of our life, this is also true that even being a machine, it faces problems like Spyware and Adware. It ultimately affects us, and unknowingly we are sharing our privacy with the strangers. This entire problem not only makes our work suffer but also irritates us. Isn't it? If same, is the scenario with you then you must be aware of latest Spyware Cleaners available all over. Definitely these Spyware cleaner or rather we can call it as Spyware doctors will help us out.
A Spyware removal tool or Spyware cleaner can save our computer from number of ways like:

Protection From Pop Ups: Spyware may attack your system in various kinds: by disturbing, annoying and irritating pop-up ads. Every time you open web page, popup bombarded your screen with their useless information and pictures. You can also encounter with this problem when you are not surfing the Internet. From time to time, they emerge while you are surfing, but these pop ups advertisements are not connected to the websites you are browsing.

Effect On Your Homepage: It normally happens with you, when you detect that the properties of your home page setting is automatically changed in the internet browser and you attempt to correct it fails. This indicates the unwanted Spyware has captured your system. And after that whenever tries to surf or open some webpage, all unwanted Internet pages starts popping up. And as expected whenever you tend to change the settings, it slips back as you open the window of Internet browser. In that situation, you feel the need of any Spyware Adware remover, which helps you to get back in to the normal settings and also increase the speed of your PC.
The threat of Spyware programs is always on your pc until and unless you installed any Spyware cleaner on your computer. As the saying prevention is better than cure, don't think much and take precaution by installing any free anti-Spyware or free Spyware cleaner.
If you want to stop Spyware effects on your computer than go for any authentic anti-Spyware software like Spyware doctor or any other best recommended Spyware cleaner and make your system 100% from Spyware.
By: A Singh
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Dial-up Internet Versus Dsl Internet -- A No-brainer When The Facts Are Known

2007-12-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

Introducing The Twisted Pair

What's the difference between dial-up Internet service and DSL Internet service? While both systems use the telephone to access the Internet, that is where the similarities end. The differences include: utilization of capacity, speed and cost. Please continue reading as we explore in greater depth the differences between Dial-Up and DSL Internet.
To get a handle on the differences, it is important first to understand a little bit more about how the telephone system works. It all begins with a pair of copper wires or as is often called in the industry "twisted pairs", since the pair of wires are twisted around each other.

Each telephone connection requires one "twisted pair". The twisted pair handles all voice going out and coming into a handset. The twisted pair can also handle data, so long as the line is good and does not have any static or interference.

A standard dial-up Internet Service Provider (ISP) can provide their customers an access point to the Internet, but they have to rely on their customer's telephone service provider as the corridor to get the signal from the customer's computer to the ISP's modem (bridge to the Internet).

Most people who have ever used dial-up Internet have come to the conclusion that they can use their telephone for Voice as a telephone OR Data as a computer/fax line, but one cannot do both at the same time. A dial-up ISP can give their customers access to the Internet, but they do not have the equipment or capability to extend the use of the telephone line beyond this one kind of connection.

As a result, consumers who use dial-up Internet services have one line for the Internet connection, and if they are serious about keeping a line open for those who may wish to call them, they also have a second phone number installed to capture those incoming calls.

Introducing DSL Internet Services

DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line. This means that digital packets of information are sent over one single channel and the voice information is sent over another channel, both of which "share" a single pair of wires. With DSL Internet services, one can actually use the telephone while using the Internet!

The key difference here is that the DSL Internet companies utilize a different kind of modem to connect their users to the Internet. You may have heard that DSL is not available in all areas, and this is true. The service relies on clear and strong signals from the client's computer to the local phone company's main access point to the Internet.

Once inside a client's home or office, the telephone system is still using the standard twisted pairs to carry the voice and data signals. But, the line that is intended to carry data signals has a filter on the line to reduce static noise in the line. Then, the line is connected to a DSL modem that intuitively knows how to distinguish the voice and data signals from each other.

DSL modems actually employ a trick to get the job done and it is very effective. A standard copper twisted pair of wires can carry up to 100 megabytes of data per second, but in order to be able to access the full potential of the twisted pair, one must have the correct hardware attached to the phone line.

A twisted pair is also able to carry signals of multiple frequencies at the same time. This is the trick of DSL Internet services. DSL services actually send voice through one frequency and data through another frequency (or channel). It is through this manipulation of frequencies that DSL Internet services are able to send two kinds of content over the same single twisted pair, thereby "sharing" one phone line between two tasks.

Put The Petal To The Metal

Dial-Up Internet Service Providers have hit a technological ceiling, preventing them from giving their users access to high-speed Internet access.

Dial-Up ISP's are limited by their technology. They are using the telephone lines to push an analog signal from their client's computer to their computer to gain access to the Internet. Analog's final frontier is the 56-kilobyte per second connection.

DSL Internet connections begin at 768-kilobyte per second (21 times faster than dial-up) and climb from there based on the consumer's willingness to pay for more speed and bandwidth.

56-kbps versus 768-kbps could mean the difference of downloading a music file or video in two minutes as opposed to forty-two minutes or longer. In some cases, files that take 24 hours to download on dial-up can be downloaded in just over an hour on DSL (think NetFlix movie downloads).

In Conclusion

For the average person on dial-up, they will generally have two phone lines, plus the $10-$20 per month subscription fee to their local ISP. DSL providers can provide DSL Internet for as little as $14.99 per month, plus the cost of one phone line.

When one considers the speed factor, DSL is a no-brainer. But when one also looks at cost, one has to ask themselves why they have been throwing money away all of these years on dial-up ISP's.

By: Woody Biddle

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Beating Adware, The Sneakiest Software

2007-11-29T23:20:00.000-08:00

Promoters of adware, software that shows advertising on a user`s computer, use some cunning tricks to get you to install their software on your machine. Here`s what to look out for.Adware is, by definition, something reasonable people don`t want on their computers. That`s why malware can`t just come out and ask people to install it. Often, the computer owner is completely unaware of it being installed. But not always.When adware doesn`t want to sneak in through an open window, it will try to trick you into letting it in through the front door. Don`t think you could be tricked? Don`t be so sure until you`ve checked out these most common ways people have been tricked into allowing malware to be installed on their machines.Adware Installation Trick 1: Piggybacking• How it works: malware may come bundled with a legitimate piece of software the user actually wants, such as a game or emoticon. The malware is merely labeled `companion software,` without any indication of what it will do.• How to fight it: be very suspicious of any software that comes bundled with other software. Don`t installed software that comes bundled with other software unless you know everything that the bundled software does. After all, if the bundled program has anything to do with the program you actually want, why couldn`t the software developer just get both programs` functionalities into a single piece of software? Software developers are now very sensitive to malware concerns and will provide a lengthy explanation of just why the bundled software is necessary, in the cases when they actually do need to use bundled software.Adware Installation Trick 2: Bait and Switch• How it works: since people are getting more and more suspicious of bundled software, the malware`s developers may simply label it as valuable software, for instance, a browser plugin that supposedly accelerates web browsing (but in reality only shows ads).• How to fight it: again, a suspicious mind is useful in avoiding malware. Ask yourself some questions:o What will this software actually do? Malware often comes with very fuzzy claims attached. Sure, it says it will improve your browsing experience, but how? Often, this improved browsing experience just means a browsing experience with more advertising.o If the software is so great, why is it being given away free? Most commonly, software is only given out free in two cases: if it`s OpenSource (designed by a community of developers and not proprietary--OpenSource software is always clearly labeled as such); or simply a come-on for a fuller-featured version of the software. If neither case is true, there`s a real chance the software is financed by adware.Adware Installation Trick 3: Outright Lying• How it works: malware may even be labeled as something else entirely, such as a well-known piece of software or a crucial component of the computer operating system.• How to fight it: this is the trickiest malware of all, and requires extreme caution. You don`t want to start deleting any of your program files, much less your system registry entries, unless you`re absolutely sure it`s malware. Plenty of overzealous parasite hunters have shot their own machines to bits this way. This is one case where you want to be using an anti-spyware program, and preferably a second anti-spyware program to provide a second opinion.Getting Rid of AdwareAdware is so tricky that trying to uninstall it by yourself could be like a trip into the Matrix. Luckily, there are good anti-spyware programs that tackle adware as well--after all many adware programs are also spyware since they monitor your internet usage.True, it may feel like adding insult to injury to have to install more software to get rid of software you never meant to install in the first place. But sometimes you just have to fight fire with fire.
By: Joel Walsh
Source: http://www.spyware-refuge.com/?%20adware%20protection

Antivirus Software – Get The Bugs Before They Get You!

2007-11-28T03:48:00.000-08:00

You turn on your computer, and it doesn’t look quite right. Maybe your icons have changed, or the background picture is wrong. Some options are disabled. Even worse, you may not be able to boot your computer up at all. Guess what – it’s probably got a virus.In today’s online world, protecting your computer from all the nasty things online is vital. Viruses can cause obvious issues, as described above, but they can also run silently in the background, propagating themselves across your computer and transferring on to the computers of people you know. Mostly, you only know you have a virus when substantial damage has already been done.Some common signs of a virus include:-Programs working erratically-Computer locks up-Greyed out options-The browser home page has changed-Icons have changed-Difficulties starting up the computerThere is a solution! Antivirus software is readily available, and the good ones are very efficient at dealing with viruses in all their many and varied mutations. Basically, if you’re online, you need this type of software.So which one do you choose? For starters, be careful of using something free off the internet, particularly if it’s one you’ve never heard of. Sometimes these programs are a way of implanting more viruses on your computer. Some of the better known brands give you the option of doing a free scan online, which is useful, but not a long term solution.It’s really important to choose well-known antivirus software. Ask friends, or someone computer savvy, for their recommendations. It may be worth visiting a computer store and buying it there, rather than online – after all, if they’ve gone to the trouble of stocking it, it’s most likely an established and trusted product.There are plenty of good brands available, far too numerous to list here, but some of the best known are from McAfee, Norton and Trend. Check out the support available to you – can you contact someone if you have trouble installing the software?Most importantly, make sure there’s an easy way to update the software on a regular basis (preferably as part of the purchase cost!). For example, my antivirus software pops up a little box every time an upgrade is available. I click okay, and it’s automatically downloaded to my computer. Viruses change and develop at an alarming rate, so it’s vital to keep your antivirus software up to date.Finally, the all-important backup! The word “backup” tends to produce the same glassy eyed response as the word “budget”, but it really is an essential part of being online. Regularly backup your important files to CD or DVD. If you’re a business user, an automated and frequent backup process is vital. Once a virus has destroyed your computer, it’s too late.Being online is wonderful, but don’t let it become a nightmare. Antivirus software will play a vital role in keeping your online experience a positive one.
By : Felicity Walker
Source : http://www.media13.com/

Three Ways To Get Listed In Google

2007-11-28T02:29:00.000-08:00

In this article I show you three ways to get listed in Google, including one method that is virtually guaranteed to work.
I'm constantly surprised by what I find when dealing with search engine optimization clients.
One of those "surprises" is coming across sites that aren't listed by Google, even though they have been live for many months.
For most Web sites, Google refers more traffic than any other search engine. So it's imperative that your site is indexed in Google.
As of September 09, 2003, Google claims to index Searching 3,307,998,701 web pages. Yet somehow sites still fail to make it into the Google index!
There are three simple methods to getting listed in Google, but only one of these is guaranteed... well almost. ;o)

1. Submit Direct To Google

The first method is to submit your web site via Google's free submit your site form. Just submit your home page and Google's crawler, Googlebot, will crawl the rest.
However, Google does not add all submitted URLs to their index, and there is no guarantee as to when, or if, your site will be indexed.

2. Get Linked From A Site That Google Crawls

The second method is to get a site that Google already crawls to link to your site. So when Google recrawls the web site, it will find the link to your site and crawl and index it as well.
This is Google's preferred method of finding sites to index.
To get another site to link to yours, simply look for a site that links to your competitors and ask them to link to yours. You may have to offer a link back to their site in exchange.
You may like to read my link popularity article, "How To Quickly Improve Your Link Popularity." In this article I show you how to find link exchange partners.

3. Submit Your Site To The Yahoo! Directory & The Open Directory Project Index

The third method is to submit your web site to the Yahoo! Directory and/or Open Directory Project index, which is owned by Netscape.
As far as I know, this is the only guaranteed method of getting into the Google index.
Google has agreements with Yahoo! and Netscape to include the sites indexed in their directories in the Google index. So submit your site to either, or both (recommended), of these directories.
For more information, visit Yahoo!'s How to Suggest Your Site page and the Open Directory Project's How to add a site to the Open Directory page.
Once your site is included in either of these directories, it will appear in the Google index in about 4 to 8 weeks.
So now you have no excuse for not getting indexed by Google.
By : Michael Wong
Source : http://www.mikes-marketing-tools.com/

Top 12 Tips To Writing Effective Google AdWords Ads

2007-11-28T02:25:00.000-08:00

In this article I show you my top twelve tips for creating effective Google AdWords ads.
I've been testing the Google pay per click advertising system for a while, with much success. These tips will help you create ads that generate higher click through rates, and lower cost per click.

1. Target The Right Audience

Target the right audience by selecting the language and countries that you want to target. For example, I exclude all countries where English is not understood by a large percentage of the population.

2. Refine Your Keywords

Use square brackets "[...]" around your keyword/s.
For example:
[google][google adwords]
Your ad will only show when the search is for the exact keyword phrase you have included within the brackets.
The ad will not show for searches that include other keywords. In our example, this would be for searches such as "google search," or "google news."

3. Test Multiple Ads Simultaneously

Always test 2 (or more) ads simultaneously. This is what is known in the print industry as an A/B split test.
Find out which one produces the higher click through ratio. Then replace the weaker performing ad with a new one.
Continue this process in your never-ending quest to get the highest click through ratio possible.

4. Track The Return-On-Investment Of Each Ad

Google tracks the click through ratio of each ad. But it doesn't track the conversion ratio.
Use a special tracking link in each ad to track its conversion ratio. For example, you could attach each ad with an affiliate tracking system link. Make sure each ad produces a return-on-investment.

5. Include Targeted Keywords In Your Ad

Include the targeted keywords in the headline and the description of the ad. Google will highlight searched keywords in bold in the ad.
When people scan search results, they look for the keywords they have entered. Searched keywords highlighted in bold certainly help to catch the user's attention. For this reason, ads with searched keywords usually perform better than ones without.

6. Sell The Benefits

Spell out one or more major benefit in your ad. For example, make more money, stay younger looking, lose weight, get healthier, live happier, etc.

7. Include Attention Grabbing Words In Your Ad

Start your headline with an attention grabbing word. For example, "Free:, New:, Sale:, etc." Make sure you stay within Google's editorial guidelines.

8. Use Words That Provoke Emotion & Enthusiasm

Use power words or call-to-action phrases that provoke emotion, enthusiasm and a response.
Here are some examples of power words:
free, cheap, sale, special offer, time limited offer, tricks, you, tips, enhance, discover, fact, learn, at last, free shipping, etc.
Here are some examples of call-to-action phrases:* Buy Today - Save 50%* Download Free Trial Now* Sale Ends Tomorrow
Make sure the phrase specific to your business, otherwise Google may reject the phrase.

9. Sell Your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)

What makes your product or service better, or different, from the competition? Spell them out in your ad.
For example, one of Amazon.com's first taglines was "Earth's Biggest Bookstore." That's a powerful USP!

10. Link To Relevant Landing Pages

If an ad is for a specific product or service, create a landing page for the ad. Include relevant and useful information to convert the customer. Generally, a well designed landing page will almost always convert more visitors than if you simply sent the visitor to the home page.

11. Remove Common Words

Remove common words, such as "a, an, in, on, it, of, etc." Remove every word that does not absolutely need to be in the ad. Make every word count.

12. Deter Freebie Hunters

Deter freebie hunters by including the price of the product or service at the end of the ad. This will improve your overall conversion ratio and lower your average customer acquisition cost.
This may reduce your click through ratio, but that's OK. After all, you're not trying to target every body, only potential customers. In most cases, freebie hunters will never become paying customers.

Conclusion

Remember that advertising is a never-ending series of tests. Always track your ads. Never stop testing different keywords and ads to improve your conversion ratio and lower your customer acquisition cost.
Advertising in the Google AdWords advertising system works. It may not necessarily produce as many visitors as Overture, but the click through cost is usually lower.
Master the art of advertising in Google, and you could outsmart the competitor who's always outbidding you in Overture.
By: Michael Wong
Source : http://www.mikes-marketing-tools.com/

How to Remove Spyware

2007-11-27T04:38:00.000-08:00

Introduction to SpywareSpyware is a software program that stealthily collects information about the user’s activities on the computer and reports back to the spyware software creator. The most common sources of the spyware are files sharing programs, online gaming, screens savers and downloading software from insecure websites. Once spyware are enters the computer they change the behavior of the computer. A spyware can be installed in a computer by different ways. Sometimes it can be installed with the popular shareware programs. A spyware infected computer may show following changes.Symptoms of Spyware• Web browser’s home page is changed automatically.• New toolbars are installed.• Antivirus and Anti spyware programs frequently complains that your system is infected with the spyware, malware or Trojan horses.• It takes a long time to start or resume your computer programs.• Excessive pop-up ads are installed in the computer automatically.• Computer becomes very slow to response and internet connectivity also takes time.• Unwanted search results appear when you search something.• New desktop shortcuts are created.• If your system is infected with spyware then you may notice bounced back emails or emails being sent without your knowledge.• Keyboard loggers can capture the password and user name and send back to the spyware software creator.How to Remove SpywareA spyware program is very different in behavior and symptoms from the viruses. Following are some of the programs that help you manage detect, remove and protect your system from the spyware.Panda Security SuiteTrend Micro Anti spyware programZone Alarm ProMcAfee Antivirus + Anti spyware programPest PatrolSpyblockerSpycopAdditionally from the following spyware resources you can check if your system is infected with the spyware.http://www.spychecker.com/http://www.tom-cat.com/spybase/spylist.htmlhttp://www.infoforce.qc.ca/spyware/PreventionWith some preventive measures you can protect your system from being infected from the spyware, malware, adware and keyloggers. These safety tips include safe emailing, safe surfing, securing browser’s settings, using spyware detection and prevention software, blocking pop-up ads, blocking files sharing applications and regularly scanning your computer with the anti spyware and antivirus software programs.
By B Bashir
Article Source: http://www.free-articles-zone.com/author/11194

Network Administrator Tools

2007-11-27T04:36:00.001-08:00

Following is a list of the handy administrative tools and utilities for network administrators, system administrators and IT consultants.MY IP SuiteMY IP Suite combines domain to IP converters, Tracert, WHOIS, website scanner, batch ping and IP to country converter. With MY IP Suite you can lookup an IP address for single and group of domain names perform batch and pings on the multiple servers at the same time. You can also track IP addresses to their destination to find out the problems in the connections. You can also determine the last modified data, name, IP address and the operating system of the remote web server.Desktop AuthorityDesktop Authority utility manages the Windows Desktop lifecycle and reduces the total cost of the ownership by enabling the network and system administrators to manger, control inventory and secure the desktop computers from the central location. With the Desktop Authority you manage printer deployments, registry values, software deployments, drive mappings and perform diagnostic methods from the centralized location.HyenaHyena is designed to simply and manages the day to day network management and administrative tasks. Hyena uses Windows explore type interface to perform all the operations. The most common features of the Hyena are the management of the users, groups, shares, messages, sessions, open files, devices, events, domains, disk space, job scheduling and processes. Hyena is compatible with almost all the Windows based operating systems and it can manage a lot of administrative tasks in the Windows 2000 and Windows 2003 Servers.IP Sniffer & Web TracerIP Sniffer & Web Tracer is a domain and IP tool that combines, domain IP convert, tracert, PING, website scanner and connection monitor. The common features of IP Sniffer & Web Tracer are conversion of domain to IP address, IP to domain name, trace IP address and domain, find the country from IP address and you can obtain all the required information based on the IP address such as domain owner, email, postal address, city, state, country and contact phone.Remote Control PRORemote Control PRO is a handy tool for the network administrators that allow them to view and manage the remote computers without leaving their seats. With the Remote Control PRO a network administrator can launch programs, troubleshoot software applications and devices, install drivers, manage users, domains and change computer settings by using his/her keyword and mouse.
By B Bashir
Article Source: http://www.free-articles-zone.com/author/11194

10 Sensible Steps to Take When Choosing Your Domain Name

2007-11-25T23:53:00.000-08:00

With such a huge growth in the number of websites and the resulting difficulty in finding an available domain name, it is tempting to grab the first one that sounds like it might do the trick. However, a small amount of homework will pay big dividends â€“ follow the ten steps below to obtain the optimal domain:1. AVAILABILITYIf itâ€™s not available you canâ€™t have it â€“ simple!2. COPYRIGHTEnsure that you do not breach copyright or infringe trademarks with your choice of domain.3. EXTENSIONSItâ€™s widely acknowledged that the best TLD (top level domain) is .com. However, in the UK, web users are more than used to .co.uk so this is equally acceptable for UK websites. If .com isnâ€™t available and you use .net instead (for example), check that .com isnâ€™t either a competitor or that the .com site content is acceptable! Always try to get the .com, your country TLD or .net in that order. Web users are still not used to .biz or .info.4. BE GREEDY!If more than one TLD variant is available, buy as many as you can afford and set them all to point to your website. This is a form of brand protection and prevents unscrupulous competitors trying to cash in on your hard-earned web traffic.5. BE MEMORABLEMake sure that potential web users will remember your domain name and that they can spell it properly.6. BE PRONOUNCABLETry telling people your web address over the phone â€“ can they understand what you tell them? Or do they give up and try someone elseâ€™s website.7. BE DESCRIPTIVEIf you are a new business, very few people will remember or search for your domain name if it is your company name. Try choosing a domain name that is descriptive of your products instead e.g. cheap<>.com. Try testing it with a hyphen as well as using just one word.8. OFFLINE MARKETINGUse your domain name in your offline marketing literature and ensure that it is as visible as possible. However, if your domain name consists of more than one word, that isnâ€™t hyphenated, try using capital letters e.g. which is easier to read â€“ littlefishwebdesign.com or LittleFishWebDesign.com? Domain names are not case sensitive so your clients will find your site whichever version they use.9. BUY YOUR DOMAIN FOR LONGERSearch engines are now looking at less obvious information such as how long you have bought your domain name for. Domain names owned for less than two years are though to be penalised, so buy your domain for as long as possible.10. OWN YOUR DOMAIN NAMEIf you use a web designer or third party for your domain names, ensure they are registered in your name and that you have a signed agreement with the company that they will release all the details (including password) to you, quibble free, if you choose to move to another design or hosting company.
Author : Emma Kalson

How To Upgrade Your PC

2007-11-25T23:48:00.000-08:00

Before you upgrade your PC hardware itâ€™s best to search all options and ask for advice. Only after this you can go and buy a new component. Itâ€™s also useful to check if you really need an upgrade.Do not upgrade your very old PC because it would cost a lot of money. Itâ€™s cheaper to buy a new computer in such cases because they are easier to upgrade later.Upgrading the hard drive:The majority of people do not really need to upgrade their hard disk, unless they use it for playing a lot of music, movies, and games. A 20 GB hard drive is sufficient to keep new office and internet applications, and all your files and data.A medium sized hard drive would be around 40 GB and the maximum would be around 60 â€“ 80 GB.Before upgrading your hard disk itâ€™s best to do a complete disk checkup including disk scan, defragmentation, etc. If you happen to be an average user and need more storage you can add an additional drive to the existing one. Before an upgrade, be sure to back up your files.Upgrading the RAM:RAM or Random Access Memory is the short-term memory of the PC. It keeps data that is being worked on now and may or may not be transferred to the hard drive that represents the long-term memory of the computer.Current processors can perform an enormous number of operations per second. The hard drive, on the other hand, is significantly slower to handle so much information. This is where a high-speed RAM memory comes in. RAM needs a power supply to keep data. Once the power is turned off the data is lost.Almost all PCs have 64 MB RAM and often 128 MB. If you want to run newer applications on your PC then you must upgrade to 128/256 MB RAM.A lot of people who upgrade from 98 to Win 2000 discover that their computers lock up very often. This is because they don't have enough RAM.CPU upgrade:If you choose this upgrade, you will have faster execution of instructions but it leaves the RAM and hard drive capacity unchanged.This sis the most cost effective upgrade and can increase the efficiency of your computerconsiderably. Seek a professional help before you take a decision.Motherboard:Upgrading motherboard is not such a good proposition unless you replace the CPU and the RAM as well to achieve greater performance levels. You upgrade the motherboard either because the current one doesnâ€™t support a faster CPU or the CPU requires a different socket. It could be very expensive. Think about buying a new PC.Ports:Ports are sockets at the back of your computer where you plug in external devices. Older PCs work on â€œparallelâ€ ports. If you need to work a lot on peripherals such as digital cameras, digital camcorders, CD burners, and scanners then you need to upgrade to USB and Firewire ports if you are not using them already.Both tend to be cheaper than the â€œparallelâ€ and SCSI devices they replace. Always make sure that there are no compatibility problems with other devices in your PC when you plan to upgrade any hardware on your machine.
Author : Alex Fir
Source: http://www.isnare.com/

Do you know your Outlook Express?

2007-11-24T01:20:00.000-08:00

Do you know your Outlook Express?Outlook express is an email client that comes bundled with Windows 95 and higher and facilitates home users to access their e mails by dialing to an internet service provider.Outlook express is the primary e- mail client for most e mail needs. Every morning, office goers around the world begin their day with outlook express. They reach their workstations, sign into their account and download their emails. It’s business as usual. But some times everything doesn’t go as planned. The outlook express fails.Symptoms of Corruption?The performance of your outlook express may be sluggish, messages may take long hour for download or files and folders may just vanish. The files may be deleted or corrupted. The first clue of a damaged file or folder is the corruption of .dbx files.The .dbx and .mbx files are used by outlook express for storing files. All files in Outlook Express Folder list are stored on our hard drive with the same file name but with the extension of .dbx (eg inbox.dbx). Together these are saved on a folder named as store folder which is located deep within Documents and Settings folder. It is a hidden folder .The corruption of this folder crashes the outlook express. The DBX files chop each message into 512 byte pieces. What happens when an item is Deleted from Outlook Express?When a message is deleted from the deleted items folder, the Outlook Express removes the first 4 bytes of each piece, so it is not possible for outlook to recover a message in its has been deleted from the recycle bin OR permanently deleted using shift + del key.The following are the symptoms of file corruption in OE1) Outlook Express feels sluggish when starting and while switching folders.2) Simple tasks like marking a message as read might take several seconds.3) Inbox may not display incoming mails.4) Certain folders might be working improperly.Vulnerability of Outlook Express with Anti Virus Software!Virus can spell doom for any of our software’s. But our primary concern while dealing with OE is the anti virus software’s. Because it is well known that outlook is often corrupted by the very software’s believed to protect it. To eliminate the probability of this type of corruption you should disable the e-mail scanning module in your anti-virus program. In most cases, the corruption is due to damaged .dbx files, more precisely, folders.dbx files. This is the folder that indexes the entire store folder. Without its aid Outlook Express cannot do anything. The only solution in case is to delete the corrupt file from the Store Folder. If your OE appears sluggish or if the mails still take long to download, then the possible alternative is to compact all your Outlook Express folders, this may be suitable for correcting minor errors. But if the problem still persists, you must contact a reputed data recovery company like Stellar which offers Stellar Phoenix Mailbox Standard, Software which repairs damaged / corrupted Outlook Express folders and provides outlook express recoveryAll recovered / repaired messages are saved as .eml files at a location chosen by the user.In spite of the availability of data recovery and file repair software’s like above, it is best to observe certain Precautions while working with outlook express. These are • Always keep your inbox manageable and empty mails into relevant folders.• If you use windows XP sp2 (Service Pack 2), disable the automatic background compaction.• If the compaction is in progress, don’t use the computer till it is completed.• Maintain adequate back-ups of store folder.Never try to locate your store folder because one single corruption in that may wreck your outlook express. These basic precautions can be extremely useful if we use OE frequently or even if we have a large amount of correspondence on our OE inbox.
By Andrew Watson
Article Source: http://www.free-articles-zone.com/author/11485

Shift + Del?: You can recover them!!

2007-11-24T01:18:00.000-08:00

Human errors account for maximum percentage of data losses after hardware malfunction. During our life, we often come across lost, inaccessible, missing or deleted data. Ordinary recovery tactics can help us recover this data. However, there is some amount of data which even ordinary software recovery utilities can’t fetch for you. The data lost due to-- Shift + DEL keys. In a computer system, data is arranged in clusters on the disk. The above given command renders the data irretrievable since deleted files bypass the recycle bin and are placed in unspecified clusters. This accounts for lost, missing or inaccessible data since, files thus saved are neither actually saved nor recoverable.At this stage, Data Recovery Utilities can be helpful. For knowing more about this, we must first understand the difference between recovery utilities and repair utilities. While Recovery utilities recover your lost data without repairing your disk, repair utilities only repair the disk and DO NOT recover your data. Therefore, as soon as you get any hint of data loss, run for a software recovery utility. If we make a mistake here, the missing data may be permanently lost due to overwriting of clusters.Retrieval of data from the unspecified clusters is not possible without professional intervention. Half baked knowledge and improper choice of utility can further aggravate the problem. Therefore always seek professional help which is often, just a click away. Data recovery companies assess the damage to your data, and suggest recovery methods accordingly. These software’s are fast, easy to use and reliable. Software’s are available to undelete files from hard drives formatted on FAT 16, FAT 32, and NTFS & NTFS 5 file systems. Software’s can restore files from Hard Drives, Floppy disks, Zip Disks, Digital camera cards, USB Drives and Any other storage device whose drive letter is displayed in Windows "My computer". Stellar Phoenix Deleted File Recovery has a function that searches for deleted files on any version of Windows including -Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows 2003 Server and Windows XP. This File Recover software is one of the most easy-to-use data / file recovery software and undelete tools available on the market. It allows you to recover a file, undelete, unerase and restore data deleted on an NTFS or FAT partition.Shift + Del key are no longer a nightmare for computer users. Anybody from a normal school girl to a sophisticated engineer can now recover their accidentally deleted files. Thanks to the numerous data recovery and file recovery systems.
By Andrew Watson
Article Source: http://www.free-articles-zone.com/author/11485

Become your hard drive doctor?

2007-11-24T01:17:00.000-08:00

Hard drives are the main data storage areas of a computer. There are a lot of delicate electrical and magnetic instruments in a hard drive. For the purpose of maintaining these hard drives, it is important to understand their working. The hard drives contain a read/write head and a spindle motor. This head receives electrical impulses from the CPU and writes the information onto hard disk clusters through a magnetic field. Any kind of tampering with this equipment or with the computer in general can damage the head and cause it to crash. This damages the drive permanently. To prevent such type of damages, we must ensure that computers are packed neatly while transporting them from one location to another. Avoid installing your computer in a movable panel. Keep it away from dust and moisture. Electrical disturbances in the form of spikes and surges can cause interference to the electro- magnetic field around a read/write head. Keep the computer away from such disturbances. Switch off the computer and unplug it if there is lightning or other natural disaster.Always shut down the computer after selecting shut down from the start menu. Improper shutdown can also damage the hard disks since the hard disk floats on a cushion of air below the head. Accidental or abrupt shutdown can cause the two to collide. This can be fatal for a hard drive. Run Scan disk utility for countering this problem. Another major cause of disk failure is cluttered file system. This happens as new files saved onto the disks are often arranged in incongruous sectors. The problem can be solved by running DEFRAG application.Sudden temperature and humidity changes can spoil the hard disk beyond repair. The head may suffer from condensation and this leads to data loss. If disks have been redundant for a long time, high temperatures may lead to sudden evaporation of disk surface material. Much software is available to ensure drive safety. Many advanced packages like Stellar Shield, Stellar Backup and Stellar Smart are available to prevent hard disk failure and minimize the impact of crashes.The normal life span of a hard disk is believed to be 5 years to 20,000 working hours. Protection of hard disks is not always possible. In these cases, you can save your data to an external flash drive. Also maintain regular data backups and replace drives regularly. Since hard disks suffer maximum threats from read/write heads, ensure that these are in excellent condition always. In any case of data or disk failure, consult the concerned professionals. Never try to run any repair utility without professional guidance. In any case, always shut down the system if you feel confused or lost. Use the appropriate disk recovery software. If there are strange noises in your hard disk or if there is any evidence of physical damage, immediately pack your hard drive and send it to the nearest data recovery lab. Remove any stray piece of hardware and immediately uninstall any corrupt hardware or applications.The above precautions can help us to extract maximum output from the hard drive as well as ensure data protection. Advanced file systems and increasing need for space puts constant pressure on hard drives. We should ensure correct fragmentation for reducing this. Hard disk losses can be even more costly than data losses. Hence preventing them can alone ensure complete data protection. Anyone can be a disk doctor if we practice the above measures.
By Andrew Watson
Article Source: http://www.free-articles-zone.com/author/11485

FAT Data Recovery Software

2007-11-24T01:15:00.000-08:00

Windows generally use two type of file system FAT & NTFS file system to store the data on the hard drive. So first let us understand what FAT file system is? FAT stands for File Allocation Table. FAT contains an entry for every file stored on the hard drive. Hard drive is divided into two parts, ‘system area’ and ‘data area’. So system area acts as an index of the hard drive. Let us understand the FAT File system in detail. FAT file system is composed of five different sections. • Master Boot Record (MBR) – An MBR is created by FDISK program, it is the first partition sector. • Boot Record – It contains basic file system information, pointer to the location of the other section and operating system boot loader code• FAT Region – Contains two copies of File Allocation Table, these are the maps of the partition showing how clusters are allocated on the hard drive• Root Directory Region – It store information about files and directories in the root directory • Data Region – This is the place where actual file and directory are stored on the hard drive. So when the file system or FAT fails on the computer we experience a data loss. As these FAT systems contains all the information of the data which are stored on the computer system. Once corruption in FAT system occurs entries get deleted but data still reside on the hard drive. That’s why FAT Data recovery software has been developed to recover the deleted, damaged or lost partition on the FAT system. The most effective FAT Data recovery software used by the computer system business man is Stellar Phoenix FAT Data Recovery Software. Stellar Phoenix FAT Data Recovery Software supports three major type of File system, FAT 16, FAT32 and vFAT. And this FAT Data Recovery software can be used for Windows Vista partitions, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98 and older operating system hard drives. A free demo version is available for download. This demo version provides enough information about the chances of data recovery before deciding upon the purchase. The demo version of this FAT File recovery Utility has an interactive tree structure to view, select (tag) and recover files and directories to a safe location.
By Andrew Watson
Article Source: http://www.free-articles-zone.com/author/11485

How Networking Can be Defined

2007-11-23T06:05:00.002-08:00

Networking concept is widely used in various fields and technologies. Network is an arrangement of intersection horizontal and vertical lines like a structure of a net. A group of points are integrated for various reasons. This concept has been implemented in all technologies. The technologies such as computer systems, telecommunication, mobile cell, information, television, radio, internet, intranet, extranet are advanced because they adopted integration.
The computer systems are most powerful machines in the present world that can be networked in different environment in different situations. Networking in the field of computing is the practice of linking computers together to support digital communication among them. Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN), Wireless LAN, Intranet, Internet, and extranet. The client-to-client and server-to-client technology are the basic concept of advanced computer network. As a result, a chain of interconnected computers machines or operations are taken place. Computer networking companies manufacturing network devices for establishing robust networking. The research and development on the technologies create demand of network hardware and devices. Wireless networking and virtual networking is the latest network technologies are going to provide better services to the world.
Intranet runs under one server and many client computers for limited people with security control. For an example, employees of a company can access a network for the internal communications. Extranet is such kind of networking environment that can be shared between more than one group for sharing and communications. The extranet is also security controlled for certain groups. Internet is a world wide network that connects millions of computers around the world. The internet also runs under secure socket level (SSL). The finance, banking, shopping companies run in internet under security level for reliance.
Besides wireless, virtual networking is an advanced networking technology helps people. Virtual Private Network (VPN) is private network in excess public infrastructure. Generally, VPN set up in homes and workplaces of employees for safely log into company networks. VPN is one of the convenient ways to stay connected to the corporate intranet for telecommuters. This network can be found in workplaces, homes and mobile places. Telecommuters travel and find a VPN a more convenient way to stay connected to the corporate intranet. A VPN supplies network connectivity over a possibly long physical distance. In this respect, a VPN is a form of WAN. This VPN has interesting aspects of network protocol design, network service outsourcing, Internet security, and technology standards.
Mobile network provides mobile communications under Wire Less Program (WAP) technology. Certain networks control base transmission stations and links other networks for wide mobile services. Television or radio like wireless network is a group of broadcasting stations connected for a simultaneous broadcast of a program.
We are one of the solution providers for all on-demand networking sectors to meet demand in cutting edge technologies. We provide end to end networking solutions that customers need to build an infrastructure of their own. We offer consultancy, design and installation for networking based infrastructures.
Structured Cabling is our specialization in computer and other environments as well. Our extensive experience in voice and data networks i.e. Cat5e, Cat6 or fiber that means our ideally placed to deliver a solution to best meet your needs. We provide LAN, WAN and Wireless LAN with highly security provisions. We offer the latest in the field from wireless LAN to wireless WAN and personal area networks.

Network Training for Successful Network and System Management

2007-11-23T06:05:00.001-08:00

Big companies often have a large network that they need to manage and maintain. This type of system management requires staff that has a computer technical education as well as network training. Without this type of extensive system management large companies would be unable to function as a working whole. Network training gives someone the skills and training that they need to manage and control a large network, as well as make decisions regarding the network that can affect the entire company.
Many of the details pertaining to network management have to do with the security issues surrounding the computer network of a company. There are many issues that have to do with the security of a company that uses computers as one of their main forms of communication with the outside world. This communication via the Internet means that individual computers, as well as the entire network, are at risk when ports to the outside computer world are opened. Network training gives people the skills that they need to maintain a secure system and keep track of the computer network. With secure network management the communication network of a company can be managed and maintained.
The number of network management positions within a company will be determined by the size of the company. The larger the network of computers the more system administration will be needed to keep track of all the system tools and computers. Studies show that companies without any type of network management in place will soon be plagued with issues of down time as their computer system fails to run efficiently. Studies also show that hiring a computer technician without proper network training can lead to an inefficient system as well. As more companies rely on their computer system for communication with their clients and customers, the importance of adequate and superior network management will increase.
Source: Free Articles

Creating a Fool Proof Data Archive System with a Magnetic Tape Library

2007-11-23T06:03:00.002-08:00

Most businesses have laws and regulations for how long specific data must be stored, but still many companies don't have a tape drive, tape libraries, secondary storage or any plan for archiving data. Even if your industry doesn't have specific requirements, keeping a well documented business information library is a safe bet. Recently, the residential building company Urban Renaissance Agency realized that it had lost archived building plan data for 555 (31%) of its condos due to "insufficient storage measures."
The mistake not only made the news, but will cost the company millions to recover. Data storage tends to be one of those problems that many individuals and businesses don't act on until a loss happens. Most people agree that backing up data is important, but feel the process will be too difficult and the issue stays below the radar until a crisis occurs. On the contrary, it's surprisingly simple to back up, store, and recover data using a tape backup drive and magnetic tape libraries to build a foolproof information archive system.
A tape drive is a very reliable method of recording and archiving data. Using a magnetic tape cartridge, the tape drive scans all of your computer's files and copies them onto the tape. Businesses might choose to backup files daily, weekly, or monthly. The process can be set up to be manually run or to automatically update at a certain time of the day.
The most important functionality of a tape library is that you have a record of 'snapshots' as data appeared at regular intervals throughout history. This means if a customer has a dispute over a contract or a policy from last year, you can pull a tape from your tape library and find the piece of data exactly as it looked one year ago.
Another benefit to storing your data on tape is that cartridges can be stored off site and/or in fire and flood proof containers. More often than not, secondary storage is usually found in the same building as the original data, and often in the same location as the server. With a tape backup drive, once the tape is made the tape cartridge can then be stored anywhere. Because the tapes are there for reference and not part of daily use, they can easily be locked away and stored in disaster and theft resistant safes.
Tape drives come with a variety of options including file cataloging features; a comparison feature that will check the data on the drive against a current document, and are available in a variety of speeds. The tapes you'll use to build your tape libraries will vary as well. It's recommended to discuss your options with a data storage specialist who can help you build a system around your budget and your unique business needs.
Source: Free Articles

Computer Networking Fundamentals

2007-11-23T06:03:00.001-08:00

A computer network is a collection of two or more computers with communication between them through a medium. The communication medium can be through radio waves, wires, infrared, optical fibers etc.
Computer network is an integral part of our daily lives, with the most important reason being that of communication. The use of computer networking is to share resources like fax machines, printers, modems, files etc., and its other uses are database server, computer server, email, chat, internet etc. The computer to which the resources are attached is called the server and the other computers that access the resource are called clients. In peer-to-peer computer networks there are no servers.
The sharing of fax machines, printers, and modems amongst many computers and users reduce the operational cost. A database on a computer network is a very important application as it stores and runs many important data and jobs. Emails and chats can be used for instantaneous communication and sending of files on a computer network.
The computer networks are classified, depending upon the size, as Local Area Networks (LAN), Wide Area Networks (WAN), Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN) and Personal Area Networks (PAN). The topology (topology is the way the computer networks and network resources are connected) of the networking can be classified as Bus Network, Ring Network and Star Network.
The networking hardware basically consists of wiring, network cards and a hub. Computer network cards are required so that one computer can understand what the other computer is "talking". Network cards have a unique MAC address to identify computers on a computer network. Hubs connect all the computers in the network. Hubs can also be used to connect to other hubs to increase the size of the computer network. Two computers can be connected using Ethernet cards or phone lines or power lines for communication, with hardware kits available at roughly a cost of $100.
As the number of computers in an office or a home increases, so do the number of cables, so wireless networking is a viable solution. In wireless networking radio transreceivers or infrared signals are used to communicate between computers and devices. Examples of wireless networking include Wi-fi and Bluetooth technology, though there may be security issues involved in wireless networking. However there definitely is a stronger preference towards wireless networking nowadays among consumers.
Computer networks have added a new dimension to the 21st century. Today the cyber world is much faster and wider than the real world. This has all been made possible due to computer networks. Computer networks have revolutionized business, communication, travel, research, defense, society and almost all human endeavors. The evolution of computer networks has helped the technological revolution take a big leap forward.
Source: Free Articles

What is a Virtual Private Network?

2007-11-23T06:02:00.000-08:00

A Virtual Private Network, or VPN, is a way of using the Internet to provide remote users with secure access to their network. Data is scrambled as it's sent through the Internet ensuring privacy. In other words a business which may be located in New York can use the company's network to send encrypted information to different branches of the business located in other parts of the country.
Information doesn't have to be sent office to office either. An individual choosing to work at home can have all of the same amenities (programs, email, etc) as working in the office, thanks to a VPN. Because all data is scrambled prior to being sent, and decrypted once it reaches its destination, there's no fear of interception since only authorized users can view the information.
With a VPN, data is carried over the Internet through a process called tunneling. Tunneling is when a package is placed within another package before it's encrypted and sent to its destination. The path in which the packet travels is called a tunnel.
A firewall can be set up to prevent a barrier between a private network and the Internet. The firewall can be set up to only accept certain information and also reject packets containing unwanted information. For purposes of security, the firewall should be set up prior to installing a VPN.
The Benefits of a VPN are:
- Increased Productivity- Improved Security- Lower operational costs- Simplified Network Topology- Opportunities for Global Networking
While there are plenty of pros to setting up and using a Virtual Private Network, there's also a con or two. For instance, someone with in-depth knowledge of network security and dealing with VPNs will have to be on staff or specialized training will be required to ensure things run smoothly. Also, different vendors might provide different technologies so not all networks may be compatible. For sure there are kinks to be worked out. Once they are however, it would be worth it to look into Virtual Private Networking for your business - especially if the benefits outweigh the risks.
Source: Free Articles

Sell Your Used Cisco gear: Helpful tips

2007-11-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

San Francisco, California January 9th, 2006: Cisco Systems has become a name synonymous with high-quality networking hardware. It's no wonder that many companies build their network around this brand. In addition to their robust feature-set and useful product life, Cisco products also have great investment protection and can be resold to help recoup a portion of their cost.
There are many reasons companies get rid of hardware. Sometimes companies replace dead equipment that is no longer functioning properly. In this instance, equipment can be salvaged or recycled, which amounts to getting small amounts of money for the value of the raw materials. However, more often companies are either upgrading or downsizing, in which case the equipment they are selling on the secondary market is still functioning perfectly but is no longer an integral part of a network.
There are a number of ways to go about selling your equipment on the secondary market.
EBAY
eBay is the world's garage sale. Not only that, eBay is a great place to buy and sell used networking hardware. If you perform a search for terms like "cisco router" you will find a slew of models, both new and used to choose from. Often listed at low starting bids or "buy it now" prices, products can be acquired for a fraction of the cost of new. While these prices can sometimes be lower than what would be paid when sourcing from a reputable vendor, there are some risks that go hand in hand with buying and selling any network hardware on eBay.
For one, many eBay users post items that they may or may not currently have in stock. If an order comes in, they search the inventory of other brokers to find it at a lower cost than it was sold. This means that if they can't source it immediately, you may be forced to wait for more time than you expected, while they source one. If you are selling used equipment, you will have to deal with buyers who may be suspicious about your listing. You should use clear language in your description, assuring the prospective buyer that the item you listed is physically in stock.
Secondly, there may be significant costs associated with freight and shipping. A fully loaded Catalyst 6500 model weighs a lot. You may end up paying a large amount of money to ship it to the buyer. This can sometimes be an unexpected cost the buyer may not be comfortable with. If you are shipping a piece of networking gear, make sure to always require insurance. This prevents any liability for items that are damaged in shipping. Since the shipper is the one who has to file a claim, this can be a real headache. Conversely, you can avoid the whole issue of shipping by stipulating that your auction will be "local pick-up only." This means that you will not be required to complete the sale of your item if the winning bidder is not able to pick-up.
Lastly, you may be competing against vendors/members who offer a product guarantee. Most reputable vendors offer some sort of warranty for end-users, ranging from 90-days to 1-year. By not including a guarantee on your item, you may lose potential bidders who feel more comfortable having some kind of warranty on a large investment.
You can sometimes offload equipment quickly and easily on eBay; however, because of this fact, a number of established vendors utilize this service as well. In this instance, you are competing against a technology specialist who has the experience, inventory, and leverage to appeal to a large segment of buyers. In the end, your greatest weapon is price.
SECONDARY MARKET
The secondary market is a great, safe way to purchase used Cisco hardware. There are many vendors spread out across the country offering discounted gear and product guarantees. Because most companies actually house inventory, buyers stand a good chance of getting a required order filled quickly and packaged professionally. However, distance is still a factor when placing an order, as shipping charges can add substantial cost to an out of state transaction.
Finding the right company for you can be accomplished by performing specific searches in any of the major search engines. Instead of simply searching for "buy used cisco" or some other relatively general term, you can modify your search by adding a qualifying geo-specific keyword such as "San Francisco" or "sf." The search phrase "San Francisco used cisco" will return a number of companies that are located in your geographic region, and thus will minimize shipping costs and transit time. Also, by using Yahoo's local search filter, you can perform a general search like "buy used cisco" and then filter results to show only those companies that are physically located close by. All you need is to be logged into a Yahoo account to take advantage of this feature.
Specialized technology vendors may also offer full-service liquidation services to manage all aspects of the buying process, which minimizes the effort required on the part of the seller. Liquidation services make the most sense for companies with large amounts of hardware that they need to unload. Instead of finding buyers for individual pieces and sourcing a salvage company to recycle the unusable equipment, you can work with one point of contact who will manage all the logistics, transportation, and valuation of an entire lot of gear. This allows you to focus your energy on your core, revenue-producing activities.
The timeline from your initial communication and RFQ to an offer and full payment can depend on both the company and the size and type of the lot. Some companies offer a quote and deposit payment in as little as 48-hours of a RFQ, with the remaining balance paid upon receipt and inspection of all equipment. Your final offer will take into account the model/make, condition, and the current market demand for the used hardware. The entire process can take anywhere from 5 working days to 2 weeks. Make sure to find a company that you feel comfortable working with, as there a quite a few small brokers that do not have the capital or bandwidth to efficiently handle your business.
With adequate research and due diligence, you can find the appropriate marketplace to sell your used Cisco hardware and receive fair value for your surplus equipment.
Source: Free Articles

NetIron MLX fuels Foundry vs. Cisco Battle

2007-11-23T05:59:00.000-08:00

San Francisco, California January 30, 2007: With internet traffic increasing at unprecedented rates, service providers are ramping up their networks to support the bandwidth intensive applications of the ever-growing web. According to a recent Dell'Oro report, the worldwide market for service provider routers is projected to approach $9 billion by 2011. Targeted at Internet service providers (ISPs), cable network operators, as well as triple and quadruple play operators, Foundry Networks has made a power play for the metro network space with the NetIron MLX routers. Based on the flagship XMR series router, the MLX offers the highest 10GbE and GbE density available to address current and forthcoming service provider capacity requirements. With Foundry's compelling price of only $600/Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) port, industry leader Cisco Systems is starting to take notice.
After more than four years in development, the Carrier Routing System, or CRS-1 was released by Cisco in 2004 at a development cost of $500M. However due to changes in the IOS (Internetwork Operating System) and cost of almost $450,000 upon release, it only offered a rare glimpse of light for competition in the metro network space. Not surprisingly, competitors Foundry and Juniper quickly jumped into the ring.
Built on newer chip technology and advanced processors, Foundry's XMR series edge routers answered the demand for a comparable router that is almost 1/5th of the price. Released in 2006, the MXR 3200 and MLX-32 MPLS enabled routers were developed tooffer the highest 10GbE and GbE density and provide up to two billion packets per second (Bpps) of IP/MPLS routing in a 128-port system. These improvements targeted the Triple and Quadruple play service providers who host bandwidth intensive applications, such as video on-demand, broadcast television, and large scale Voice over IP (VoIP).
Just this month, semiconductor developer Cadence Design Systems announced they would be integrating the NetIron MLX as part of their new centralized data center network. With a price/performance level that rivals any router on the market, Foundry has raised the stakes in the competitive 10Gbe market. Rival Cisco has already started to position itself as a provider of a broad range of management solutions targeted towards the coveted triple-play sector. The release and initial positive market response to the MLX series will likely prove a challenge to Cisco's previously uncontested dominance.
Source: Free Articles

Companies maximizing value with trade-in opportunities on the secondary market

2007-11-23T05:58:00.000-08:00

With the ever-increasing demand for improved network performance, companies are opting to leverage the value of their existing networks for trade-in value on the purchase of newer equipment. While some companies upgrade to new technology, others have found compelling value in the secondary market. Until recently, hardware manufacturers haven't offered trade-in incentives for older technology, which pushed away companies looking to salvage any residual value on older equipment.
In an effort to encourage both end-users and channel partners to upgrade to newer technologies, Cisco Systems launched their TAP (Trade-in Accelerator Promotion) in and TMP (Technology Migration Program), after realizing the need for a compelling trade-in credit which can be applied to new purchases. While the move was seen as an effort to drive the adoption of newer network equipment, many companies had already sourced trade-in opportunities with secondary-market vendors, who not only had experience dealing in pre-owned technology but also could offer a higher trade-in value. This played significantly into the number of network administrators that started looking at used hardware vendors as a way to reduce their TCO (total cost of ownership) and maximize their existing equipment resale value.
Peter Gilberd, CEO of Townsend Assets Group (TAG) a leading Cisco reseller added, "For our customers, the decision comes down to value. As long as we're able to offer high-quality equipment at a fraction of the price of new, I see our business continuing to grow." Over the last year TAG has seen revenue increase by nearly 40%, which he attributes to an increased trust among used network resellers. While TAG's growth is probably both a function of demand as well as the company's personal merits, the increased awareness of the secondary market has catapulted a number of companies into the public eye and more importantly, the view of consumers.
While an initial surge of IT hardware reached the secondary market following the telco bust of 2000, smaller organizations are still hunting out deals on surplus technology recovered from Fortune 500 companies. One such organization facilitating the process, Investment Recovery Association (IRA), represents more than 200 companies with investment recovery departments providing education, training and networking opportunities to members. With companies such as General Motors, Sprint, MCI and AT&T employing entire departments dedicated to recovering the highest possible returns on their surplus equipment, it's understandable that both liquidation firms and price-sensitive small and medium businesses will flock to the secondary market.
This poses a problem for manufacturers like Cisco, who while working diligently to stifle secondary-market resellers, look the other way when large corporations such as AT&T have liquidated surplus hardware to the secondary-market. Historically, companies like Cisco have responded to the threat of secondary-market vendors by employing scare tactics in order to fuel consumer fears, and push them towards buying new. While such methods have steered away some, the lure of deep discounts and higher trade-in credit has kept the used market a strong, viable alternative to purchasing new. This is good news for companies like TAG, who continue to grow as more and more companies buy used.
Source: Free Articles

Registry Smart: The Importance of an Error-Free PC

2007-11-23T05:57:00.002-08:00

I work at an interactive marketing agency in the Boston area. For those of you who don't know, working at an agency means long hours and late nights. Being a bit of a techie guy, I have a pretty advanced setup at home, at least to the point that I'm still running Windows and not Linux, but that's another story. So I spend a lot of nights working from home on projects for my Fortune 1000 clients, and that means tight deadlines and a lot of money on the table. It also means that I depend on my computer, a lot, so it needs to be running in tip-top shape.
I didn't always take such good care of my computer, however. One particular evening, I was working on a project and the unthinkable happened. It was late, very late, and had spent the better part of an evening at my computer. I was getting ready to call it a night and decided to take one last look at my presentation. When I went to open it, however, I received an error window and my computer shut off. Upon restarting, I got another error and the computer turned off again, before it even finished booting windows! Now I had a problem on my hands. Several hours of work on a presentation were being held hostage on my computer, and this was due in the morning. It took a couple hours of tinkering before I could copy the file to another location and retrieve it there, but thankfully I got it.
The next day, when I had some time to address the cause of the error instead of just frantically trying to rescue data, I managed to get windows to finishing loading. After that, however, I was lost. I had o idea what was causing the error or how to fix it. I really didn't want to reinstall windows or buy a new computer, so I started doing some research online. It was then that I learned about registry cleaners. Registry cleaners scan your Windows registry for invalid entries that inevitably happen over time. These invalid entries cause many of the problems that most people have with their computers. Whether it's running slow, giving you error messages or shutting down suddenly, all this can usually be fixed by repairing your Windows registry.
I've now invested in a registry cleaner, called Registry Smart, which I use on a regular basis to keep my computer running smoothly. I no longer have any computer trouble, which gives me the peace of mind to focus on what's really important, my clients!
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Email Word 2007 Document For Reviews and Tracking Changes

2007-11-23T05:57:00.001-08:00

Emailing a Word 2007 document to another user for review, meaning any changes they make it will track those changes in Word 2007, is a snap!
Getting it setup takes a few more steps than previous version of Word 2000, Word XP (2002) and Word 2003. Because in those versions it was a simple: File>Send To>Mail Recipient (For Review), and then click the Send (b) to email it off.
Stop bloviating and tell me where to do the same with Word 2007 you opine! Fine. But let me warn you that writing more than steps is not only therapeutic for me when it comes to blogging, but downright fun!
Email Word 2007 Document For Review and Tracking Changes Steps. First you have to add the Send For Review (b) to you QAT (Quick Access Toolbar). Yeah! I know there’s not another easier way I know of. So Right /QAT toolbar>Customize, /Choose commands arrow>All, scroll to & //Send for Review, /ok. Now on your QAT toolbar /Send for Review (b) and it will do two things: first attach your Word 2007 document into an email, and also it turns on the Track Changes (b) on the Review tab. Now just type in an email address and /Send (b) to email your document off to one of your Super Friends!
Once Wonder Woman (one of your Super Friends) opens the attachment and makes any changes to the document, it will track it i.e. if she deletes a word it will put a red line through it, and if she adds text it will color it in green. So when she’s done all she has to do email those changes back to you where you can, with the help of Reviewing tab, accept or reject her changes i.e. removing the red lines for deletions, or removing her added text.
You know you can just as easily open Word 2007, /Review tab & /the Track Changes (b) and turn on the changes yourself and the /Word’s Office Logo (b)>Send and email without having to add the Send For Review (b) to your QAT toolbar.
Having said that I bet you’re thinking: I wouldn’t choose Wonder Woman as a Super Friend with only a magic lasso to protect me, and second anybody can turn off the “Track Changes” feature and then I couldn’t protect my document from unwanted, trackable changes!
Yes, you’re right and so the only way to “protect” someone from messing with your document without being trackable, or seeing their changes is to follow these steps: /Developer tab>Protect group & /Protect Document (b)>Restrict Formatting and Editing, in Task Pane’s Editing restrictions section check “Allow only this…” box and /its arrow>Tracked changes & /Yes, Start Enforcing Protection (b) and type in your password.
Now that’s protection! Okay, having password protection on a document is like having a Super Friend like Superman protecting you. Invincible he is until some krptonite is found - computer geek breaks the password, but better than nothing eh?
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Overview of Mobile Framework

2007-11-23T05:56:00.001-08:00

Use of Mobile Framework
You’re on your way to a pivotal meeting but the flight’s been delayed. You need to notify your client, make some last minute adjustments to your presentation, and figure out the fastest route from the airport to their office. In short, you really need to have your office with you. The answer is MOBILIZE YOURSELF! Explains how to maximize the mobility of the technology you have today—and it provides smart answers about the mobile technologies and services you might be considering.
Mobile framework Requirements/Features
This list will help you identify a mobile framework. Usually, a mobile framework will include the following:A graphical development tool that visually maps complex server logic and data to device resident applications
Flexibility for customization and the ability to incorporate new code (MMAPI, .NET, Insignia)Secure access and user identity
An API extension to let other applications "hook" in Enabling of media (video, audio, images) transformation (Java MMAPI, Insignia Mobile Media Framework)
Ability to provide lightweight technology for mobile agent-based distributed computing (Taco Framework)
Ability to provide for content syndication (Jet speed)
Ability to provide content transformation
Agents for device detection
Asynchronous transactional messaging for guaranteed data delivery and integrity Allowance of true mobile client applications with seamless disconnected and real-time operation Mobility is still a new approach to the workplace. Reaching business systems puts special demands and requirements on access, security, and collaboration infrastructure. This can all be reassured with mobile frameworks.
The name MOBILE is derived from the first letter in each of the six categories that make up the framework.The six categories are:
M the need for mobilityO the need to improve operationsB the need to break business barriersI the need to improve information qualityL the need to decrease transaction lagE the need to improve efficiency
Advantages of Mobile Frameworks
So what’s important in Mobile Framework is to get the technologies that take you farther and to
# Learn how to choose, customize, and synchronize notebook computers, Pocket PCs, and other mobile devices
# Evaluate your connectivity options—infrared, wired and wireless LANs, cyber cafés, and more
# Make your e-mail, files, corporate data, and favorite Microsoft Office applications road-ready—and secure
# Do more with less gear—get driving directions, enjoy music and video, even manage your stocks and expenses on mobile devices
# Help your company stay agile with sales automation, ERP, and other applications for mobile employees
# Know how to buy accessories and gadgets that aren’t just cool, but solve real business problems
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Review of HP, Sony, and Compaq Laptops

2007-11-23T05:55:00.001-08:00

So do you prefer to call them laptops or do you prefer to call them notebooks. I am partial to notebooks as I never keep them on top of my lap. Jokes apart, purchasing a new notebook computer is really tough.
If you were to read the ads then each computer sounds better than the cat's whiskers. But when you look close, they all look similar. At least the similarly priced ones tend to be similar. So, is there really a difference between one laptop and another? Or should I say one notebook and another?
To answer this very question, I am going to look at three popular computers that are currently on sale and compare them. The read can then take this to be the starting point and evaluate many other options to find the one that works best for them.
First of all, let us consider the HP Pavilion DV6426US, a machine that I powered by the Intel Core Duo Processor T2450. This multithreaded architecture based micro processor is well optimized for multi-tasking based performance. The fact that this notebook comes installed with 1 GB RAM should help run many of the contemporary popular applications at a good speed. It has a 160 GB Hard Drive which is nothing spectacular, but should do the trick in most cases. And the bundled operating system is the Microsoft Vista Premium. And I really like notebooks that come with an integrated WebCam. This HP laptop sure has one of those. In the absence of such a webcam, attempting Video IM becomes a serious pain.
Second let us consider the Sony VAIO VGN-FZ140E/B. This laptop too is powered by a Duo Processor, in this case the Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7100. It beats the HP one in terms of RAM, as it comes with 2 GB RAM. Its hard disk is bigger at 200 GB. So, if Freud was right and size does matter then, well, this one has the bigger Hard Drive. The duo-core multithreading micro processor will deliver performance similar to the HP machine. This laptop comes with Microsoft Vista Home Premium.
Finally let us look at the Compaq Presario F572US. Like both the previous machines, this one too has a 15.4" screen. Though it has a dual-core micro processor, the Compaq uses the AMD Athlon 64 Processor TK-53 and not an Intel based processor like the other two I wrote about. Also it has 1 GB RAM like the HP machine. Where I think it scores lower is in its hard disk capacity, a mere 80 GB. It also comes with the Microsoft Vista Premium.
All in all, the machines have pros and cons. I have not listed prices here, as they would change faster than I could type them out. But, make sure to look at the prices too.
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USB Flash Drives and Promotional Merchandise

2007-11-23T05:54:00.000-08:00

USB Flash Drives have become increasingly popular as promotional incentives for a number of reasons. The promotional incentives market is always receptive to new and exciting ways to reach the target audience. Traditionally promotional products have been branded with a company’s logo to leave a lasting impression with the prospect. The usability of the giveaway is a key component to its success. This is the reason why gifts such as Pens, Notepads, Clothing and general business accessories have always been popular! The USB Flash Drive has taken this to another level altogether – now you can give potential prospects a USB Flash Drive and be confident your branding will hit home. The major innovation to the promotional incentives market is the way in which the device can be manipulated to suit the needs of various organizations.
For example, the USB Flash Drive can be preloaded with data prior to it being given away. This allows useful information to be at the fingertips of the recipient. This could be in the form of a PDF, PowerPoint, Video, etc. This is the ideal way for companies to make sure that when a potential prospect leaves they have a permanent reminder of exactly what the company can offer. This could be in the form of a document, a price list etc.
They are typically small, lightweight, removable and rewritable storage devices. USB flash drives offer numerous advantages over other portable storage devices i.e. floppy disk. They are compact, faster; hold more data, and have superior reliability due to their lack of moving parts and durable design. In addition it has become common for computers no longer to have floppy disk drives. Conversely USB ports appear on nearly all PC and laptop’s nowadays.
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How to Clean a Printer

2007-11-23T05:53:00.001-08:00

Nothing can be more annoying than black lines, faded regions or faded text when printing a document you have worked long and hard on. Doing a printer cleaning is the best way to always have a clean and readable document.
Two type of printers
Whether the printer is an Epson printer, HP printer, or a Canon printer the general procedure for cleaning is the same. If the printer happens to be a bigger printer, for items such as advertising on larger format materials, the process is a bit more exaggerated but essentially the same.
Every day printers
Cleaning an every day office type printer usually just entails a good solid wipe down. The real trick is to not damage the printer by using cleaning items that are meant for other cleaning activities. Cleaning chemicals to avoid include alcohol or more harsh cleaning agents. These chemicals can damage electrical areas and do more harm than good. Try and stay with light cleaning supplies like baby wipes or a damp non shedding towel. In either case, do not let water get into contact with the inside of the printer whether it is an Epson printer, canon printer or any other.
Cleaning the printer
The very first thing to do is unplug the printer. Make sure that all lights are out and that the plug is away from the unit.Open the front of the printer, with a damp non-shedding cloth give a light wipe down looking for dust build up or paper shards. If the paper has been appearing with black marks on the back, look inside the printer and wipe excess ink away. Make sure to wipe this area again so that there is no remaining moisture.A clean printer cartridge is also a must clean area. Remove each cartridge and gently wipe excess ink away. Be sure not to leave any fibrous material around exit ports. The paper receiver basket may need to be removed and check underneath for dust and paper shards around the legs. A proper printer cleaning also means wiping down the basket with a mild detergent. You can also use a cleaning cartridge, which helps to clean inaccessible points of printer by hand.If the printer has not been used for some time a head cleaning will be needed. For a complete printer cleaning in this instance go to the control panel and printers. Here the unit will be able to run diagnostic programs and get the printer heads up.
Larger specialized printers
With larger printers designed for more specialized uses, including large format blue prints or advertising mock-ups printer cleaning requires a differing approach. An approved vacuum system is the most important tool to have on-site. This vacuum should be static free, so as not to damage interior components through static shock, and have a separate motor unit to be kept away from the printer unit.Cleaning the printer is particularly needed in the winter and spring. In the winter the air is dry and dust is attracted. Be careful so as not to set off a static charge. In spring pollen can get anywhere no matter how you try. A printer cleaning makes all involved happier and healthier with less dust and pollen involved.
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How to Remove Ink Stain

2007-11-23T05:51:00.000-08:00

It is one of those questions that everybody has an answer for. Unfortunately, none of the answers provided appear to completely do the job. Ink remover, ink removal tools, what kind of ink? There are so many questions and so few answers when it comes to a person wanting to remove ink. Now I suppose that an answer is expected to the age old question of ink stains and removing ink stains. Maybe yes and maybe no.
Mom knows
If anybody in the world knows the answer to removing ink stains it would be a mom. That’s the way the world has always been and that is the way it will likely always be. First the ink stain must be atoned for. Yes mom, it was silly of me to have a pen in my pocket and yes I should be more careful around the printer. Oh, and the ever popular I bet that lovely girl in accounting would know about getting an ink stain out.
In my day
The popular thinking, according to mom, is that hairspray does the trick on both sides of the ink stain. If you do not do both sides the stain will just end up migrating away from the spray. Dab as you go and then rinse before washing in as hot a wash cycle as the garment can stand. It may not work. Any ink stain except water soluble ink is a tough nut to crack.
The real story
The thing about non-water soluble ink is that it will not likely come out all the way. You may get lucky, but for all intense and purposes the garment is shot, gone, toast and trash. This is not to suggest that many a mom has not been working on the idea. Probably make a fortune along the way according to my mom. So give a few of these possibilities a try and good luck:
Rubbing alcohol-
Place the garment on a clean white towel. Dab as you go but only after you try a hidden spot so you’ll know what the fabric is going to do when the alcohol is applied. The stain will likely end up on the towel so move the garment around. Wash the garment toughly and wash on as hot as labeled.
Baking soda -
It’s not as harsh as rubbing alcohol but removing ink stains is a weird science. Dab, rinse well and wash or use ink remover.
Acetone -
This is the last rights for the garment and the last chance to remove ink before the trash can. For the most part, acetone does not play well with most fabrics. So, if you’re going to give this one a try definitely try a hidden spot first. Dab and move the fabric along a white clean towel. The color of the garment will transfer through a little. Rinse well and wash on the hottest temperature the fabric can stand.
These were just a few ideas from mom. They may work and they may not but at least an effort was made to save that shirt or dress. Next time, be more careful around ink it may stain.
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Basics Of A Pen Drive

2007-11-23T05:50:00.000-08:00

A Pen Drive is a compact, removable storage device just like a floppy disk or a CD. Instead of the floppy device or the CD ROM that are used for reading a floppy disk and CD respectively, a pen drive can be plugged into the USB (Universal Serial Bus) Port of a computer. The USB connectivity makes the pen drive easier to use and data can be transferred faster to and from the pen drive.
Different Manufacturers have named Pen Drives they manufacture differently. Today, a pen dive goes by the names of thumb drive, USB flash drive, Jump Drive, Traveler`s Drive, USB key drive, USB memory stick and many others!
These pen drives are small, inexpensive, almost ubiquitous and extremely handy. They are available largely in the range of 1 to 8 GB which makes them of great use and has made floppy disks and CDs look like useless storage mediums.
The credit of inventing the pen drives goes to IBM. It was invented in 1988 to replace the floppy disks, but IBM never patented it. IBM contracted in M-Systems to manufacture the Pen Drive and the patent is now owned by them.
The pen drive is a modern floppy disk. The main difference is that a floppy disk has moving parts which makes the data stored on the drive vulnerable to loss. A pen drive, on the other hand is a solid state device i.e. it has no moving parts. This makes it possible to almost completely seal the pen drive making it dust-proof and the common magnetic fields. Hence, a pen drive is a much safer option for storing important data.
The latest operating systems like (Windows XP, Linux and Mac OS 2) can recognize these pen drives and mount them automatically. Once it is connected, recognized and mounted by the operating system, it appears just like any other partition of the hard disk except it is named as removable storage.
The pen drive can be removed any time after it is un-mounted (safely remove hardware in case of Windows) and can be re-plugged into the same or a different machine to be used again. A pen drive`s most important use is to transport data and files from one machine to another. For e.g. one can simply copy all the word processing documents, images and spreadsheets to the pen drive, carry it along and copy the files on his/her home computer and work on it at home.
Some users have found the pen drive useful in moving their internet browser History, Cache, Cookies, and other transient data. This improves their privacy and security as no traces of the work done on the machine is left on the PC. Once copied to the drive, the files can be made more secured by encryption or any other method of security.
The pen drives can also be used to store operating systems to boot the computer. This makes them popular for repair and diagnostic work. Instead of carrying tools and maintenance software applications on CDs, a pen drive can be used which is faster and can be manipulated easily in case the software is upgraded or is no more useful.
A pen drive is one of the most economical mobile medium for data storage in terms of cost per unit storage space. They are really light-weight and robust in nature which has made it a big hit and a very important and indispensable tool for a large number of users.
This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author's name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.
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What are UPS Systems?

2007-11-23T05:49:00.000-08:00

Many people have small desk top UPS box which contains a battery or batteries and a line interactive electronic device. This will hold up the PC and monitor in the event of a small power outage but will not protect the equipment against spikes or brown outs.
A real UPS is a True OnLine system which actually converts the AC to DC and then back to AC with the use of inverters and rectifiers. This UPS system actually provides both clean seamless power as well as total protect against spikes and brownouts. If you want power protection that buy a True On Line UPS systems and not a line interactive UPS.
UPS systems , implies more than one uninterruptible power supply working with another uninterruptible power supply. This is a parallel UPS system which provides redundancy and therefore offers greater protection of any critical equipment. The power is held within the UPS systems by batteries, usually sealed lead acid batteries. Most commonly used batteries have a 5year design life and should be replaced after 4 years. Why after 4 years? Because no one knows when they will fail.
The larger the site the greater the UPS system. Modern Communications Centres may have as many as 24 500kVA UPS's forming an N+3 disaster power protection system. These UPS systems need regular monitoring to ensure that they are functioning 100 cover and N+3 would be Triple cover.
What are the very best makes of UPS systems?
Ask the bank and Hospitals. They only use, Liebert, Powerware, Chloride and the larger APC kit genuine Tier one companies. Enough said.
PowerContinuity Means Business Continuity
For further information regarding UPS Systems please visit our website.
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Reconditioned or Recycled Computer Tape Media

2007-11-23T05:48:00.000-08:00

Recent studies have indicated that many businesses face the risk of bankruptcy in case of data loss stemming from inadequate protection. Therefore, data storage and preservation is not just a wasteful practice adopted by businesses today. It is an important means to an end.
Effective data storage practices can insure your business against data loss incidents in the best possible manner so that your business can recover from the data loss incident with minimal or no damage. Not having adequate data protection policies and procedures can result in huge economic losses as well as loss of business reputation. Therefore, data storage is all about assuring that the data is safe and can be recovered at any point in time.
The costs associated with data storage are positively correlated with the demand for data storage. Therefore, as the demand for data storage increases, so does the cost of these data storage devices. However, can you afford to adopt a cost-cutting option at the cost of losing or damaging your data? This is exactly what you should be analysing when you think about using recycled tape media.
Recycled tape media is a cheap data storage option because these tapes are not new. The recycled tapes have a significant amount of risk associated with them. In addition, the lifespan of the recycled tapes is far less than the new tapes. While the new tapes can last as long as twenty years when stored appropriately, the recycled tapes will last no longer than five to ten years. Therefore, these tapes are priced far cheaper than the new tapes.
The recycling may use a process called degaussing. The process of degaussing erases the data from the tapes. Alternatively, manufacturers of these recycled tapes tend to rewrite over the existing data to erase the previous data. There are times when manufacturers tend to use a tape scraper blade and vacuum system within a tape drive for cleaning the tape surface to remove any dust or debris. However, this process can ruin the tape further.
Tape media is very fragile and should be handled with extreme caution. The rough scraping process can cause severe damage to the surface of the tape. The proposition of buying a cheaper recycled tape media may seem attractive but this involves substantial risks. Recycled tapes are used tapes that have been bought as scrap and recycled to look as if they are as good as new.
The most important problem with the recycled tapes is that you will have no idea about how these tapes were used or misused prior be being disposed. In addition, you will never get to know how these tapes were stored or the quality and cleanliness of the drives these tapes have been used in.
There have been instances when tapes have been used on ill-maintained drives that had accumulated dirt from dirty heads. This dirt and debris can be easily transferred to the tape media. Consequently, when these recycled tapes are used on an error-free drive, they transfer this dirt and corrupt a perfectly good drive. This corrupt drive can ruin even the new tapes that are used on this drive. Therefore, your short-term saving goal can become a long-term nightmare. Sadly, the recycling process does not repair the initial damage done to the tape media.
Sellers of these recycled tapes often claim that they use state-of-the-art data centres to manage the recycling process of the tape media. However, consumers should be cautious of such claims.
Typically, these data centres are stressful environments for the technicians working in them. Since the workload of these technicians is so high, it would be unrealistic to think that they would handle each and every tape as fragile objects. In addition, tape media in data centres get loaded and unloaded by automated systems several hundred times in a week. Then these tapes are loaded and unloaded from the data centre to the storage site in all types of weather.
The new tapes usually come with a lifelong warranty whereas the warranty period of the recycled tapes ranges between five to ten years only. If your IT budget is restricted and you must buy recycled tapes, always make sure that you choose a company that certifies and guarantees the quality of these tapes. However, the recycled tape media industry has not specified any standard definition for the term “certified” with respect to recycled tape storage. Therefore, your best bet would be to rely on the company’s reputation. In addition, choose a company that offers the maximum guarantee period.
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Basics of File Recovery

2007-11-23T05:47:00.000-08:00

Data is stored in computers in digital form. This digital representation of information allows for its quick transfer, instant copies and convenient storage. Unlike conventional means of physical transfer of information which requires more time and effort, digital data can reach another destination in seconds. In case more copies are required, innumerable number of them can be made with the press of a button. A whole library can be stored in a small thumb drive as digital files.
The convenience of this digital format goes hand in hand with its volatile nature. It is very easy to steal digital data especially because of the new range of compact storage devices. Also, years and years of carefully stored vital information can be deleted with a single flick of a wrong button.
This deletion of file (intentional or accidental) can take place due to many reasons. They can be broadly divided into two categories: physical errors and logical errors.
Physical errors include cases of hardware failure like hard disk crash, impact trauma, power surge, natural calamities like fire and flood. Hard disk crash is amongst the most frequent reason for data loss on computers and notebooks. This can result from power surge, crashing of read/ write head onto the platter surface and failure of controller card.
Logical data failure is a software glitch. It is responsible for more data losses than physical errors. It can be subdivided into two parts: system error and user error. System error consists of a virus attack which enters the system either through internet download or copying of corrupt CDs, floppy disks. Computers now run anti-virus software as a safeguard against this.
Another cause of system error is deletion of important components or partitions of an operating system due to corruption of files while the computer is midway between reading or writing data on storage media.
User error consists of accidental deletion of files. These files may be lost by emptying the recycle bin or using other deletion actions that bypass the recycle bin altogether. These include shift-delete, command line deletion, deleting excessively large files etc.
When a file is deleted from the recycle bin or if the recycle bin has been bypassed totally, the file can no longer be recovered by the operating system. Contrary to popular belief, the content of the file still remains on the drive, relatively intact, until the section of the drive it occupies is overwritten by another file.
What really happens when a file is deleted is that its name from the table of contents that tells the operating system which file is stored where is erased. This makes the operating system conclude that the data is no longer needed and it marks the place as vacant, to be used up later.
This is the reason when a file is accidentally deleted the user should stop working on the computer immediately lest the deleted file gets overwritten by a new data making it impossible to recover.
The file recovery options include buying DIY software with easy-to-follow instructions. In case this fails or you are not comfortable with the idea, then one should contact a professional data recovery firm.
File recovery software identifies the contents of lost files on the hard drive and allows you to recover them. If a file has been partially overwritten, then it attempts to reconstruct as much of a file as is possible with the remaining contents. While deciding on a DIY recovery software look for the features such as:
1. It should be able to recover files from all types of storage media.
2. It should have a rapid scan engine to scan a typical hard drive within a short period of time.
3. It should be able to scan all the files and directories on selected hard drives simultaneously.
4. It should be able to recover a file using a part of, or its entire file name.
5. It should have a non-destructive, read-only file recovery approach and should make no changes in it at all.
6. It should be able to recover multiple files in one action.
7. It should support all standard hard drives including those larger than 8 GB and also those formatted with different file systems.
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Data Transfer Made Easy By Pen Drive

2007-11-23T05:45:00.000-08:00

Pen drive is the ideal for people who are looking for bigger space to store their data and want an easy-to-operate storage space. Transferring large quantity of data from one computer to the other has always been a problem, mainly due to lack of suitable data storing device. Storage mediums like CD, floppy and e-mails have always failed us in urgent times because of their shortcomings like small storage and large time-consumption for data transfer.
Pen drive is the best solution to end this problem. These USB flash drives are integrated with a USB interface. They are small, removable, lightweight and rewritable. Their main advantages over other storage devices are that they are faster, more compact, can hold more data and are much more reliable thanks to their durable designs and lack of moving parts. It is the revolution of pen drives that more and more computers are being made without the floppy drive while the USB port has to be present on almost every mainstream computer and laptop.
A pen drive consists of a printed circuit board generally in a metal or plastic. The memory storage of pen drives range from the usual to 250MB to 2GB or more. It is as small as a key-ring. For the pen drive to work, both the computer should be USB-compatible systems.
Pen drives are faster to use than downloading data through e-mail and easier than using dozens of floppies. Pen drives can store data, video and audio files, with plug and play ease. The best feature of a Pen Drive is you don`t need any software to make it work thus simplifying your work of copying or transferring. Moreover, it also does not require any type of battery. These features make the pen drive totally portable.
You don`t need to install pen drive for Windows 2000, XP or ME as it is done automatically by the operating system. But for Windows 95/98/98SE, you need to install the drivers manually.
These pen drives are most popular amongst system and network administrators. They can load them with information about configuration and software that can be used for the system`s maintenance, recovery and troubleshooting. They also enjoy noteworthy success in the field of PC repair as a mean for transferring recovery as well as antivirus software to infected computers, and also allowing a segment of the data of host machine to be archived for emergency cases.
Pen drives act as Application carriers and are utilized to carry applications for running on the host computer without installation. Some applications that use this technique are U3 and airWRX. An open software platform, Portableapps also allows similar functionality on non-U3 drives. But undoubtedly the most common use of pen drive is for personal data transportation you can transport and store your personal files like documents, videos and pictures. You can also store certain medical alert data on Medic Tag flash drives to be used in case of emergencies and for preparation of disaster. Apart from this, pen drives are used in Audio players.
Pen drives present a considerable security challenge for big organizations. Their ease of use and small size allows unsupervised guests or unscrupulous staff to smuggle off confidential data with little or no chance of detection. To avoid this, some flash drives have features like encryption of data stored on them. This is a preventive measure to stop an unauthorized person from gaining access to the stored data stored. Newer pen drives support the biometric fingerprinting for confirming the user`s identity. This process though costlier is a better way to protect sensitive data from leaking out.
This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author's name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.
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Recover Your Data Without Spending A Cent

2007-11-23T05:44:00.000-08:00

The hassle that a person who has lost all his important data due to a computer crash is huge. With the business world becoming so dependent upon the internet, computers, and information in this century, losing valuable data can cost your company thousands of dollars and cause headaches, as well.
Because computers are prone to crash, there are a number of data recovery systems available to make sure that all you important data is protected. By using these three products, you can get your stuff back at a barely there price.
SMART DATA RECOVERYSmart Data Recovery is a system that can aid you in getting back your data without costing you the first penny. Since the majority of business owners are using the Windows operating system, this program is interested in recovering files and data used on that system.
The best thing about this system is that it can recover data easily from any operating system. Instead of laying emphasis on hard drive data recovery like most data recovery systems, Smart Data Recovery allows for recovery from digital cameras, flash drives, USB drives, and quite a few other storage devices.
With a quick, free, and easy download of this product, pictures, music files, and other forms of data can be recovered in a short time. The product also has compatibility with FAT files and NTFS systems, so you can be sure that all of your important data is protected if the voltage were to fluctuate suddenly. If you have any of the most recent Windows operating systems, then consider Smart Data Recovery and their no hassle download for the protection of all the information that you have been gathering.
TESTDISKAnother extremely powerful product along these same data recovery lines is known as TestDisk. It is a product that has powerful capability and because of that, serves as a last resort type of solution for those that are trying to deal with the loss of data. In short, TestDisk specializes in helping to make faulty disks bootable again dues to malfunctioning software. It can also help to recover lost pieces of data that make life so much easier for you.
One of the best things about TestDisk is that it can be used effectively by both expert computer users and novice users. If you have enough knowledge about computers, then you could use the software to do some fairly advanced things. If it is your goal to simply recover a little bit of data, then the simple recovery software should be enough for you. This dual capability has made TestDisk quite a popular choice for data recovery.
Another excellent aspect of TestDisk is that it can work on a number of different operating systems. This is one factor that sets it apart from other specialized products which either work with MacOS or Windows. This piece of software can help recover data and reboot disks on those two popular operating systems as well as on other systems. Other supported operating systems include Dos, Linux, and SunOS.
PC INSPECTOR SMART RECOVERYIf you have ever deleted or changed your favorite pictures from your digital camera and wish you could undo your actions, then this software is just the thing. As one of the leading downloadable data recovery systems in this field, the PC Inspector software has proven time and again to be successful in recovering pictures from storage spaces of many types.
If your picture data has been lost on Flash Card, Smart Media, Sony Memory Stick, IMB Micro Drive, or any sort of Secure Digital Card, then this free download might assist you in making that recovery.
The creators of this software also realized that people keep their pictures in a bunch of different formats. Because of that, over forty different picture formats are supported by this software. If you happen to have a system failure occur that causes you to lose those important pictures from your wedding or honeymoon, make sure you stay calm. Within minutes of downloading this product, you can have those pictures back in all of their original quality.
The Smart Recovery system from PC Inspector puts your data back into your hands for an economical cost. Such a system is absolutely essential for any person who is always working on his computer and puts a great deal of importance in his pictures.
These three data recovery systems all offer their own different aspects which make them a popular choice for various groups. Depending upon where your data was stored and what kind of operating system you have, you might find a different one of these three to be a quality download.
Free data recovery software can easily be subscribed to and provides a bit of insurance against system failure. With more and more computers crashing and more business being done online, business organizations have to invest in data recovery software in case of data loss.
Source: Free Articles

Why People Do Not Go for Professional Data Recovery?

2007-11-23T05:42:00.000-08:00

People and organizations that primarily rely on computers for their day-to-day activities, inevitably come across data loss problems at some time or other. No matter what may be the cause of a data disaster, the natural human urge, after all, is to recover the lost data with a high success rate and without incurring exponential expenses.
There are several DIY data recovery software available in the market which can be successfully used by an individual or an organization to recover the lost data. Besides being really cheap and cost-effective, DIY data recovery software offers many other advantages, which makes it a very appropriate data recovery solution. Yet, it has often been observed that people prefer to go for professional data recovery services rather than using recovery software. One of the reasons for this may be that the data recovery software is of no use in case of a mechanical failure of any storage media. Besides this, the professional data recovery companies offer many other advantages such as:
1) Human Supervision and Assessment of the Problem
In case of any major data loss scenario, what people tend to hate most is the sense of vagueness and uncertainty associated with the situation. They desperately look for some one who can give them a realistic assessment of the situation and can supervise the entire recovery process with confidence and surety. The human factor associated with professional data recovery services makes them a great success.
2) Professionalism
When the data at stake is very precious and critical for survival purposes, people and organizations expect it to be recovered with ample professionalism and responsibility. They know that any amateurish attempt to salvage their data may end up in a disaster and can render the lost data irretrievable for ever.
3) Experience
The technical staff working for a good data recovery service has the requisite experience of working with and recovering data from various types of storage media subjected to all types of abuse and mishandling. Hence, they are often in a position to recover the lost data with a high rate of success.
4) Qualified Staff
All the authentic data recovery companies have a highly qualified staff and well-trained data recovery technicians. Many good companies even hire PhD-level data recovery experts for advisory and technical purposes. This gives a prospective customer a sense of confidence regarding the recovery of his inaccessible data.
5) Use of Specialized Software and Hardware Tools
A genuine data recovery company always has a well-stocked inventory of many types of software and hardware tools at its disposal, so as to perform any type of data recovery job with success and confidence. In addition to this, the highly skilled data recovery technicians are often in a position to improvise and customize the tools to suit the situation.
6) Free-of-charge Assessment and Advice
Almost all the major data recovery companies offer a free-of-charge assessment and diagnosis of the data recovery problem submitted to them. They often advise their customers regarding the data recovery solution that will be most appropriate for them, without asking for any special fee. This helps the customer in deciding upon and planning his or her future course of action.
7) Advanced Estimates about Recovery Cost
A reputed data recovery company always provides its customers with a realistic estimate of the expected recovery costs. Whether he or she wants to avail their services or not is entirely left to the discretion of the well-informed customer.
8) No-recovery-no-charge Policy
All the well-established data recovery companies follow a policy of no-recovery-no-charge. They charge their customers only for the data recovered and in case of a failure to recover data, the customer is not charged anything. This arrangement makes the data recovery companies a very tempting option.
9) Entire Onus on the Recovery Company
Once a storage device or a digital gadget is submitted to a data recovery company, the entire onus lies on the recovery firm for the success or failure of the recovery procedure followed or any damage incurred to the media under consideration.
Considering all the above mentioned benefits of hiring the services of professional data recovery companies, no doubt, people mostly prefer to go for professional data recovery.
Source: Free Articles

Floppy Disks and Data Recovery

2007-11-23T05:41:00.000-08:00

Before looking into the recovery of data from them, let us first have a look at how the floppy drives function and what they are used for.
What are Floppy Disks?
The floppy disks consist of a thin disk that is made up of magnetic material and is enclosed in a plastic cover. The disks have a hole in the centre. In the hole, a metal apparatus is fixed. The spindle that is present in the floppy disk drive can fit into this apparatus and thus make the disk rotate.
A slot is present in the cover of the floppy disk from where contact can be established in between the read/ write head and the disk itself. Thus, data can be written onto the disk or can be read from it.
The method in which data is stored on the floppy disks is similar to the storage method used in case of hard drive i.e. the disk is divided into a number of sectors that are present in the form of circles on either of the disk’s surfaces. Each of these sectors has a specific address and can store 512 bytes of data. The above configurations may vary depending upon the type of floppy disk.
In the 3 and a half inch versions of floppy disks (the ones that are commonly used these days), a fabric is present within the cover in order to remove any dust that is present on the disk surface.
As far as the floppy disk drives are concerned, they are available in some of the desktop computers. On others, they have to be installed or external drives have to be used.
Use of Floppy Disks
These days, most of the software or applications that are used have sizes greater than the space available in a floppy disk. Thus, they cannot be stored in it. This is one of the reasons for floppy disks becoming obsolete.
However, they are still used in some of the older computers. Such computers usually lack an optical disk drive (one that can read data from CDs or from both CDs and DVDs). Hence, in case of a system crash, floppy drives come in handy where CDs cannot be used to boot the computer.
They can also be used for the transfer of data from such systems. In some rare cases, floppy disks are used for backing up of data. This data may include documents, software that is small in size, photographs etc.
How Data can be Lost from Floppy Disks?
The floppy disks are data storage media that are highly vulnerable to damage. The data present in them can be lost easily. Data loss can occur in the following ways:
The floppy disks are highly sensitive to dust. The plastic cover that is present on the floppy disks is usually insufficient to provide adequate protection over a long period of time.
The data present on the disks can be lost due to an effect of external magnetic field.
The data present on floppy disks can also be lost if they are mishandled. For example, scratches can form on the disk surface, the cover of the disk may open up etc.
The disks are also susceptible to logical errors. Such errors can take place when a file gets written incompletely on the disk due to power surges, power cuts etc.
Finally, the data retention capacity of the floppy disks goes on reducing with use. Some of the bad quality floppy disks may even stop functioning within a couple of weeks.
Recovering Data from Floppy Disks
In case the cause of inaccessibility of data from the disk is lack of proper lubrication, then the data can be recovered by making use of a proper lubricant.
To repair the logical errors that may be present in the data stored on a floppy disk, many data recovery software are available on the internet. Good quality software can be chosen from the same in order to recover the data.
In some cases, you can access the data present on the floppy disk by making use of a different floppy disk drive. Thus, one can try inserting the floppy disk into different computers in an attempt to access the data present on it.
Remember that floppy disks show the largest amount of failures. Hence, preferably they should not be used. In case the use of floppy disks is unavoidable, the data present on them should be backed up onto the computer hard drive before use.
Source: Free Articles

Better Software Foundations

2007-11-23T05:40:00.000-08:00

I visited the ruins of a Roman settlement, the other day that was set in a lovely valley in the middle of an island.
The setting was idyllic, sheltered from the winds and not too far from the main market town, it seemed an ideal spot to farm and bring up a family.
Its history was thoughtfully provided on signs around the ruins of a substantial dwelling, which had been expanded in Roman times to include a hot and cold bathroom and mosaic floors. All of this was very attractive and a considerable investment for the landowner. But the settlement was abandoned, and it occurred to me that there had to be a good reason since it was clear that someone had put a lot of effort and finance into their dream.
I wondered if Vikings, who were known to be active in this area after the Romans left, had attacked it but there were no signs of charred brick work or the aftermath of battle.
Looking around another sign revealed the problem. There had been more than one attempt to settle the area, but the land formed a natural point of drainage for the hills around, and successive buildings had each eventually succumbed to subsidence.
I was left in no doubt that the buildings were of a good quality and that the builders were competent at construction, but clearly it had taken a few generations to work out that this was not a suitable site for construction. If we really wanted to settle this place now we would drive piles deep into the ground to overcome the subsidence.
The point that this drove into my mind was that of developing software. It is all too often the case that Software development organizations and their customers make the same mistakes over again. If the foundations are shaky then there is no point in building, but with a little forethought someone will could solve the problem and provide a safe way of delivering a good foundation.
The biggest mistake that organizations make is to rush to cut code before they understand the problem they are solving. That doesn't mean you have to be complacent and that sitting around in a few meetings will solve all your problems.
What should be done is: -
Ring fence what you know.Ring fence what you don't know.Make sure you are developing the right product.Build the software that you know will not change.Check that what you are building is what is wanted.
Often the customer just doesn't know exactly what they want, so you need to involve them in the development process. The earlier they get to know the product then the more likely they are to buy into the solution.Having said all of that..
Code should be built where it enhances the understanding of the problem both to the customer and the developer.
Free Article Source: http://www.za77.org

Find Answers to Disturbing Questions Using Keylogger

2007-11-23T05:39:00.000-08:00

This solution is System Keylogger. It logs keystrokes, chat conversations, applications, windows, websites, passwords, emails and can take screenshots at a given period of time. System Keylogger is the ultimate surveillance tool. It is invisible, informative and impeccable.
System Keylogger can be used for monitoring PCs at home and in the office. At home, you can look after your child. You’ll see what resources he’s visiting and notice if he spends time in suspicious chats or forums. You’ll know before it’s too late if he gets an invitation from an unfamiliar person asking for a meeting without your consent.
The program can help you to save your marriage. If your spouse acts suspiciously and it looks like he’s having an affair online, you can use the spyware to log his emails and chats. This’ll enable you to act beforehand and help to make things right.
Another good point of using System Keylogger is that it can raise efficiency of your office employees. Use the program to log what applications they are running, what websites they are visiting and make screenshots to see how they spend time in front of PC. It’s also possible to turn on the splash screen that will inform them about logging.
You can use System Keylogger absolutely without a risk of being exposed. While the program is active, it’s almost impossible for an unauthorized person to notice, deactivate or terminate it. The advanced stealth engine will hide it from System Tray and Task Manager. It’s also important that when it comes to viewing the collected data, System Keylogger is at its best, delivering all logs through a friendly interface. Moreover, you can even make System Keylogger send Activity Logs via E-mail or FTP to monitor your PC remotely.
With System Keylogger, you can be sure that everything is OK, both in your family and at work. It’ll let you notice the upcoming problem in advance, so you’ll be able to deal with it promptly. Whether you want to keep an eye on your child, spouse, employee or anyone else who uses your PC, System Keylogger will be the optimal solution. Being aware is being secured. Visit http://www.systemkeylogger.com to get a trial and see the program in action.
Pricing and Availability
System Keylogger runs under all versions of Microsoft Windows and costs $49.99 (USD) for a single-user license. Licensed customers are entitled to the fully-functional version of the product, free technical support and free upgrades. More information on System Keylogger, as well as its free trial copy is available free of charge from http://www.systemkeylogger.com.
Free Article Source: http://www.za77.org

9 Tips To Keep Windows XP Running Smooth

2007-11-23T05:38:00.000-08:00

There are many things that cause a computer to be sluggish from software to hardware. It can be too small a hard drive or not enough RAM. It can be anything from BIOS and/or Operating System Settings to programs that are eating up your CPU and RAM (no matter how much you have). Or it can be your network.
Personally, I work my computer like a young mother with a house full of kids 12 to 18 hours a day.
That mother needs to unwind at the end of the day and so does my computer and probably yours too.
Here are 9 Tips in the order they should be completed that can help keep your computer happy and working without complaining:
1. This is so basic I shouldn't need to say it, Keep Which Ever E-Mail Program You Use Cleaned Out. I have clients who are always complaining, but who refuse to dump years and years of accumulated e-mail.
2. Make sure you have a good anti virus program (Only one per computer please), have it up to date, and auto monitoring.
3. Make sure you have a good anti spy ware program (Only one per computer), have it up to date, and auto monitoring.
4. Run Disk Clean Up Daily (Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Clean Up - a box opens - make sure each box is checked, click 'OK' - a box pops up - Click Yes).
5. Delete Cookies and Cached Files Daily (Start, Control Panel -if you have not done it yet, click 'Switch To Classic View', Internet Options - a pop up box will appear - Delete Cookies, Click OK, Click Delete Files - check 'Delete All Offline Content' - Click OK, Now Set Your Clear History to no more than 7 Days - if you haven't used it for a week you probably won't miss it - Click OK)
6. A very important step almost everyone misses: Empty The Prefetch Folder (Start, My Computer, 'C' , Windows, Prefetch Folder, Edit, Select All, File, Delete - pop up box appears - Click Yes, Close Windows Window)
7. Empty Recycle Bin. For the sake of brevity, I am assuming everyone knows where it is and how to empty it.
8. Scan Hard Drive 'C' (Start, My Computer, Right Click 'C' - box opens - Click Properties at the bottom - another box opens - Click Tools, Click Check Now, Make sure both 'Automatically fix file system errors' and 'Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors' are checked, Click Start. Get a cup of java (oh, black, thank you) and Wait !
9. Defrag Computer (Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter - window opens - Select 'C' Drive, Click Defragment). Pop a top and Wait !
The last two steps (8 and 9) can take awhile if they have not been done recently. I complete this entire routine on my computer just before I stop work for the day everyday and the entire sequence takes no longer than 20 minutes and often much less.
You can find more help with free download links at http://www.remotehelpdesk1.com
tmm
Free Article Source: http://www.za77.org

Top Ten Methods To Access Banned Websites

2007-11-23T05:37:00.000-08:00

We all know the scenario. You're at work or at school and someone in their infinite wisdom has decided to block access to one of your favourite sites.
For reforming the situation we used the proxy server, but today it has no use, because network administrator can block it exactly in the time it is created. There are some ways that can help you to avoid firewalls and network blocks. Here's the free list of anonymous proxy-servers.
We suggest you 10 of the best ones:
1. Use an IP Address – Using an IP address is the fastest and easiest way for getting around access restrictions based on domain name.
2. Use Google Cache – If getting the web site's very latest content isn't crucial for you, Google cache is your best bet.
3. Use an Anonymizer – An anonymizer allows you to gain access to a third-party site. The third-party site then reroutes your request to the server you need to access.
4. Use Online Translation Tools. When you use this method, the translation service becomes your web proxy.
5. Use Google Mobile Search – Using Google mobile search will be familiar to anyone who's used a web proxy. While Google mobile search does work, it may not always produce ideal results.
6. Use a Public Proxy Server – You can find any number of free proxy servers out there on the internet. But be aware that if you do want to give this a try, you'll first need to adjust the internet connection settings in your preferred browser Internet Explorer, for example.
7. Access Web Pages By E-mail – This can be a great technique if all you're looking for is a single web page. This method's biggest drawback is that it doesn't offer access to larger files.
8. Use Tor Distributed Proxy – Tor, which can be found on the internet at tor.eff.org, is a sophisticated proxy server which makes use of multiple anonymous servers for each web request it receives.
9. Create Your Own Proxy Server – It will come as no surprise that the most sophisticated method may bring you the best results. You can create your own proxy server and host it from your own home, or get hosting through a service provider. What's more, having your own proxy server will allow you to activate SSL encryption, and also make sure that no one can spy on your content.
10. Use Alternate Content Providers – If you've tried every other method, and nothing seems to work, then an alternate service provider may be a last resort. A good example is Gmail: if your access to Gmail has been blocked at a certain location, simply set up another e-mail address with a less well-known site, and configure Gmail to forward your e-mails to the new address.
Free Article Source: http://www.za77.org

Most Useful Method To Protect Confidentiality - Wipe Disc

2007-11-23T05:36:00.000-08:00

Disc wiping is a useful method of maintaining confidentiality because deleted files are not often deleted from the hard disk. High security installations like government and security institutions have specific protocol for file deletion. The United states Department of Defense has specified that a file must be overwritten three times. The newer operating systems such as Windows XP and Mac OS X use a journaling file system that renders complete erasure of files almost impossible. Journaling file systems keeps a log in which the changes to a journal is updated before writing it to the main file system. This reduces the chance of a file becoming corrupt in the event of a power failure. The system accomplishes this task by keeping metadata in various locations in the disc. These metadata are rarely wiped out with a standard file shredder. The task is made harder by fact that these systems often use I/O commands to continuously ferry the data from one location to another. It's these power enhancing features of the file systems that requires the need to bring in more powerful disc wipes. However, to use a disc wipe one must store the data on a temporary partition by using any journaling or non journaling file system. When its time to wipe all files just uses a disc wipe software such as Eraser to secure the entire segment.
“Disc wipe” softwares work by rapidly overwriting the segment of a drive with nonsensical information. By literally burying the file under multiple layers of garbage the data is rendered practically unrecoverable. Wipe disc works much like your average paper shredder. Though the letters on the scraps of paper are visible it is practically an impossible task to put them back together.File shredding and disk wiping are commonly confused to be the same. To understand the difference one requires a basic idea of what really happens to a file after it has been deleted. Many a people wrongly assume that by deleting a file they are rendering it impossible to be recovered. The fact is that it's very much possible to retrieve a deleted file, often pretty much intact. Deleting a file works by removing the address of the file thus rendering it invisible in the directory or index. Theoretically what it means is that the segment is now available to be use for newer data. The data is very much there on your disk until newer files overwrite them.
File shredding is no doubt a good method of obliterating a file it has its limitations. If a defrag utility is used after the original file was saved the file will be scattered on several locations. This renders File shredding ineffective and the only way to assure the total decimation of the file is to “Disk wipe” the entire segment. This obliterates all the files in the entire portion of the disc thus leaving no loop hole for the file to be recovered. Unfortunately, any software that is written can be reverse- engineered which creates loop holes in the usage of any “wiping” software. The only remaining and guaranteed way is to completely destroy the disc by physically melting it or pour acid on it.
By: Sam Miller
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Find Whatever You Want - Use A Search Word

2007-11-23T05:35:00.000-08:00

Search word is the word used to find a related site when entered into the search engine. When the user enters a word or a string of words the search engine uses those words to find a site where the words are appeared. Generally each word is considered separately in the string of words. The words which come twice in the entered string are counted two times. Hence, a site or an article on the web page is searched by the search engine where the entered words have appeared.
The information on the basis of words is extracted from the web browser. The web browser presents the information about the latest URLs on the request. This information is called as the referrer. The list of sites and web pages appearing on the search engine after the request is due to this referrer. The search engine has the section of search word. The user needs to feed the representative words so as to search for the article or information. The search engine searches in the database for full text lying in the server. The search engine cannot search for the websites or links to the web pages which are not present on the server. Also the web page that is linked to some other web page can only be found out by the search engine.
There are three types of search word. The first type is Boolean search. In this the search engine searches for the exact words that are entered. To shorten the searched results one can add some articles such as AND, OR and NOT. When AND is put in between two words, the search engine will search for both the words during the search. When OR is put along with the search words, one of eth two search words will appear in the search results. When NOT is put in front of some search word, that means the search word should appear in the search results. Another type of search word is concept search. In this when the user enters a search word, the search engine searches for the words as well as the related concept. For example if the user puts the search word as 'law', then the web pages containing the word 'law' will appear in the result. Along with this, related terms such as 'legal' and 'lawyer' will also appear in the result. The third type is pattern. In this type the when the search word is entered; the search engine looks for the term entered as well as the words with similar spelling. Sometime the words with similar spellings have different meanings. In that case the pattern type of search word is useful.
There are some additional techniques for better results when the search word is entered. If the search word is put along with an asterisk, the search engine will look for the results along with the plural of that word. So if the user wants to know the plural of a particular word, he can go for this technique. To limit the search one can enter the search word accompanied by date, place or any other particular thing. A Boolean search surely helps to limit the search.
By: Sam Miller
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

How And Why To Wipe Disk Drives

2007-11-23T05:34:00.000-08:00

Computers have become more widespread than ever, with every business and organization usually relying to some extent on these information machines. They facilitate the performance of many otherwise tedious tasks within any organization, and really help to boost productivity.
For instance, there are programs called word processors for creating any sort of printed communication, from letters to memorandums. There are also programs called spreadsheets that can perform calculations and display data and results in tables and graphs.
There is also software available for making databases, which are organized collections of data such as transaction information, employee information, and so on. These databases make it easy to store important information in an easily accessible form.
Sometimes, confidential information might need to be stored digitally, in some form or other. When this is the case, there are usually built-in security measures to help keep the precious data protected. However, it might arise that a hard disk would be reallocated, or that the computer itself would be transferred to some other use.
In this case, it becomes necessary to completely wipe the disk; that is, delete all the information on the disk, along with any traces that might be used to reconstruct this information. This is good computing practice, even for non-critical hard disks. Wiping down a hard disk does not take much effort, nowadays, since there are programs and the like available to do it for you. Getting used to wiping down hard disks to be deleted completely costs virtually nothing in the way of money or effort but pays off in the formation of a useful habit.
There are disk wipe programs available designed for big businesses that might need to do it in large batches. These programs have features that make it easier to keep track of the many hard disk volumes to be wiped. Some can even automatically retrieve and store serial numbers, for instance to comply with legal requirements.
Users of personal computers may also sometimes find it necessary to completely erase the data on their hard disks. When selling an old computer, for instance, it would be a good precaution to do a complete wipeout of the data to prevent any possible identity theft.
Simply deleting all files (using the current operating system, for example) may not be secure enough. There are known ways to recover data from a hard disk that has not been wiped cleanly enough. The traces of data that remain in some “deleted’ hard disks are sometimes enough to be analyzed and used to reconstruct pieces of information presumed lost.
Apart from security purposes, using these disk wipers can also help when reinstalling an operating system. For systems that are heavily infected with viruses and other malicious software, a complete disk wipe and clean reinstall may be the more convenient solution.
There are both free and commercial applications available for wiping disks. Commercial ones are of course not free, but usually technical support for these are readily available. It becomes a matter of choice whether to select a cost-free but unsupported disk wipe program over a commercial program, or vice versa.
By: Sam Miller
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Most Useful Method To Protect Confidentiality - Wipe Disc

2007-11-23T05:33:00.000-08:00

Disc wiping is a useful method of maintaining confidentiality because deleted files are not often deleted from the hard disk. High security installations like government and security institutions have specific protocol for file deletion. The United states Department of Defense has specified that a file must be overwritten three times. The newer operating systems such as Windows XP and Mac OS X use a journaling file system that renders complete erasure of files almost impossible. Journaling file systems keeps a log in which the changes to a journal is updated before writing it to the main file system. This reduces the chance of a file becoming corrupt in the event of a power failure. The system accomplishes this task by keeping metadata in various locations in the disc. These metadata are rarely wiped out with a standard file shredder. The task is made harder by fact that these systems often use I/O commands to continuously ferry the data from one location to another. It's these power enhancing features of the file systems that requires the need to bring in more powerful disc wipes. However, to use a disc wipe one must store the data on a temporary partition by using any journaling or non journaling file system. When its time to wipe all files just uses a disc wipe software such as Eraser to secure the entire segment.
“Disc wipe” softwares work by rapidly overwriting the segment of a drive with nonsensical information. By literally burying the file under multiple layers of garbage the data is rendered practically unrecoverable. Wipe disc works much like your average paper shredder. Though the letters on the scraps of paper are visible it is practically an impossible task to put them back together.
File shredding and disk wiping are commonly confused to be the same. To understand the difference one requires a basic idea of what really happens to a file after it has been deleted. Many a people wrongly assume that by deleting a file they are rendering it impossible to be recovered. The fact is that it's very much possible to retrieve a deleted file, often pretty much intact. Deleting a file works by removing the address of the file thus rendering it invisible in the directory or index. Theoretically what it means is that the segment is now available to be use for newer data. The data is very much there on your disk until newer files overwrite them.
File shredding is no doubt a good method of obliterating a file it has its limitations. If a defrag utility is used after the original file was saved the file will be scattered on several locations. This renders File shredding ineffective and the only way to assure the total decimation of the file is to “Disk wipe” the entire segment. This obliterates all the files in the entire portion of the disc thus leaving no loop hole for the file to be recovered. Unfortunately, any software that is written can be reverse- engineered which creates loop holes in the usage of any “wiping” software. The only remaining and guaranteed way is to completely destroy the disc by physically melting it or pour acid on it.
By: Sam Miller
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Wireless Communications Training Is Readily Available

2007-11-23T05:32:00.000-08:00

The field of wireless technology is growing by leaps and bounds, and you can catch the wave with wireless communications training from vocational schools, trade schools, and community colleges. The best courses in wireless communications will culminate in diplomas and associate degrees, helping graduates enter the profession with ease.
The multiple uses for wireless technology in today's society are literally exploding. If you are seriously looking for an occupation that offers plenty of well-paying jobs, now is the time to look into wireless communications training. You can quickly learn how to design, install, and maintain equipment for mobile and wireless devices, such as digital telephones and laptop computers.
Training in wireless communications will generally cover the various applications of wireless technology; low-power analog, digital, and radio frequency circuitry; speech, video, and image compression communication theory; smart antennas; and control policies and management of communication networks, among other subjects.
You will be qualified to apply for plenty of jobs in communications once you have completed your education in wireless communications. Television stations, radio stations, online radio stations, and all other areas of broadcasting are eager to consider those with advanced expertise. Just imagine how exciting your day will be when you become an expert in wireless technologies!
Yes, training in wireless communications is readily available in vocational schools, trade schools and community colleges. There are also many traditional colleges and universities that house wireless communications schools. So, there is no reason to put it off any longer. Search our website and you will find schools offering the best education in wireless communications. Submit a request for more information and you could soon be on your way to a lucrative and long-lasting career.
DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on our website.
Copyright 2007 - All rights reserved by Media Positive Communications, Inc.
Notice: Publishers are free to use this article on an ezine or website, provided the article is reprinted in its entirety, including copyright and disclaimer, and ALL links remain intact and active.
By: Michael Bustamante
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Testing And Monitoring Of Networks For Security

2007-11-23T05:31:00.000-08:00

eBay, iTunes, PayPal – these are just a few of the places that most of us enter our credit card and personal information every day. Since the internet became an integral part of each of our lives, the treat of identity theft is a daily reality for all but the most paranoid of internet users.
While we assume that the sites listed above are secure, how many of us have in fact checked to see to what lengths these companies go to keep their user’s information safe from hackers? I’m sure very few.Because we can’t count on our registrants to be careful when entering information onto the registration website, as event planners, we must make sure that we do the research to ensure that our registrant’s information is safe with our online registration company. We want to send potential registrants to a site that portrays our event in a positive light. This means a website designed to our specifications, with professional quality and ease of use. But, most importantly, it means knowing that all information put online for our event will be safe from identity thieves.
One of the most important aspects of a strong security system is frequent testing and monitoring of those systems. To receive the highest rank of Level 1 PCI compliance from Visa, companies must invest a large number of resources to ensure that they are as secure as major banks and credit card companies. As of yet, very few registration companies hold this ranking, but wouldn’t it be nice to know that your registration company values your registrants’ security enough to make it one of their highest priorities?
Constant monitoring and testing of security is a vital part of maintain the highest possible level of security. Some methods of monitoring include an independent daily audit for over 3,000 security checks, (exceeding the highest government standards including the FBI “Top twenty security vulnerabilities” test) and separate hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly backups that are archived for at least two years.
Other important factors to look for are the TRUSTe and Thawte logos. These companies monitor the strength and maintenance of privacy policies and information encryption. According to the website, to be certified by TRUSTe, companies must have their privacy policy open for review by TRUSTe, post notice and disclosure of collection and use practices of personally identifiable information, and give users choice and consent over how their information is used and shared.
While TRUSTe ensures that companies hold to their privacy policies and never use information without the user’s consent, Thawte verifies SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption, meaning that the encryption of credit card information entered on the site if of the highest level possible. However, to be verified by Thawte, companies must meet stringent checklist of qualifications including both authentication and verification processes. For the authentication process, Thawte must confirm that the company registration details are entirely true and that the domain is in fact owned by the requesting party. To complete the verification process, Thawte uses a third party telephone listing to confirm that the authorized person requesting a certificate is employed by requesting party.
These are just a couple of the certifications to look for when choosing your online event registration system. When you send your attendees to the registration site, you want to be 100% sure that their data will be 100% safe so they won’t have to research the security, but if they do, you can be confident that they’ll like what they find.

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New It Equipment Vs. Refurbished It Equipment

2007-11-23T05:30:00.000-08:00

In a study that compares new IT equipment to refurbished IT equipment, there are a number of assumptions that need to be made so that the study can be useful. First, we will be assuming that you have purchased refurbished IT equipment that actually works (or at least if you decide to purchase refurbished IT equipment you will make sure that you find stuff that works before making the purchase). The main drawback of refurbished IT equipment is that not all of it is reliable and while different articles will deal with how to make sure the equipment is reliable, this article deals specifically with a comparison between good refurbished IT equipment and new IT equipment.
The first category that needs to be evaluated is the newness of the technology. In the technology world, a lot of importance is placed on the newness factor and in many ways if you aren't able to keep up with the technology then you are not going to be tops in the industry. So, when you look at it from the newness factor what you find is that quite naturally new IT equipment has refurbished IT equipment beat. Therefore, at the end of one category being evaluated, new IT equipment is leading 1-0 in categories.The second category is cost. Obviously cost is a very big part of operating a business and one of the main reasons that people keep IT staff on the actual payroll is so that they can use them as consultants and as maintenance workers in order to cut costs. IT equipment is very expensive, but depreciates quickly. This means that if you are able to find refurbished IT equipment, it is almost always going to be less costly than the new equipment. Therefore, at the end of the evaluation of two categories, it is a 1-1 tie.
The third category is cost efficiency. This is different from cost. Cost refers to the absolute value of the actual product that you are purchasing whereas cost efficiency takes a look at not only how much money the product costs, but how much money you are likely to bring in as a result of the cost. Therefore, a product that costs $1 million and generates $1.1 million is more cost efficient than a product that costs $1 and generates nothing. Refurbished IT equipment can do anything that new IT equipment can do in the every day running of a business; something that makes it more cost efficient. Therefore, at the end of three categories, the score is now 2-1 in the favor of refurbished IT equipment.
The final category to be evaluated is durability. Now, here you would think that new equipment would win hands down, but refurbished equipment frequently undergoes more quality testing than new equipment to make it sellable and therefore it is not a given that new is automatically longer lasting than refurbished. We can call this category a tie and make the final score 2.5 to 1.5 in favor of refurbished IT equipment. Therefore, it is definitely more worth it to invest in refurbished IT equipment.
By: David Tang
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Surfing Web With 40 Gigabytes Per Second

2007-11-23T05:29:00.000-08:00

Peter Lothberg, a networking expert wanted to demonstrate that there are no limitations to Internet speed while providing a computer link for his mother in Karlstad.
To reach this speed he used a new modulation technique that allows the sending of data between two routers placed up to 1,240 miles apart, without any transponders in between.This connection in Karlstad is believed to be the fastest residential uplink in the world.
Peter’s mother, who have the fastest transfer rate didn’t even have a computer before, and she is wasting it, using computer only to read Web-based newspapers.
These news are great, but we need such high speeds when a DVD movie has only 5 gigabytes ?
By: Apostol Lucian
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Advantages Of Using Refurbished It Equipment

2007-11-23T05:28:00.001-08:00

Refurbished IT equipment was once regarded as only a means to cut IT-related costs. But, the market for used and refurbished IT components is now mainstream. No matter you want to buy, rent, lease, or trade IT components, refurbished IT equipment serve as an excellent option. In other words, refurbished equipment is a great way to stretch your IT dollars.
Refurbished IT equipment come from a myriad of sources including customer returns as well as cancelled orders, overstocks, demonstration, and damaged items. Depending upon the product line, the returned equipment is put through a meticulous re-manufacturing process to restore them to its original condition as well as performance. In the refurbishment process, each of the items is thoroughly tested and broken as well as defective parts are replaced. Later, the test results are re-verified. In short, refurbished IT equipment is mostly upgraded to meet present performance specifications. In this article, we will further discuss some of the advantages of using refurbished IT equipments.A prime benefit of using refurbished IT equipment is that it allows you to own IT equipment of top brands at exceptionally low prices, such as, Hewlett-Packard, WANG IBM, EMC, and Hitachi Data Systems. Refurbished computer hardware and equipment can save you up to 80-90% off the price of a new component. Typically, the refurbished equipment provides the same performance that new equipment offer, such as, advanced capacity memory and larger hard drives. Since used and refurbished IT equipment are fully tested and mostly come attached with a warranty ranging from 30 days to two years, it guarantees quality as well as performance of the product. In most cases, refurbished equipment renders the same quality a new product offer and that too at a discounted price. This, in turn, helps you to achieve a better overall ROI (Return on Investment) in long run.
However, in order to derive its full benefits, it is important to take into consideration certain things prior to the purchase of refurbished IT equipments. It is always recommended to buy refurbished equipment directly from an authorized dealer, who in turn ensures that your IT components are tested to meet your requirements. It must also be checked that the seller provides any kind of guarantee on the quality of the refurbished items. Additionally, it must be checked whether the refurbished equipment you have chosen is covered by a warranty. Also, enquire regarding its shipping policies. Some incur a minimal charge for shipping while others provide it for free. Above all, once you have chosen refurbished equipment for your IT needs, don't forget to ask about its return policies while its purchase.
With the introduction of the Internet, you can easily find an authorized seller of refurbished IT equipment online. Since many of the manufacturers and dealers have their own sites on the web, it allows for a convenient searching of an outlet selling refurbished items. Magazine, yellow pages, and online directories are the other significant sources to locate a genuine dealer of refurbished IT equipments.
By: David Tang
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

2007-11-23T05:26:00.000-08:00

A hard disk drive is used to store vast amount of data. The data access time and speed are not critical for this device. The speed of a HDD is specified by the RPM or the rotations per minute of the rotating disc. For an IDE based HDD, the RPM is 5400 or 7200. Faster hard discs with better access time are called SCSI drives which can attain much faster speeds. Since, the HDD works on the principle of rotating disc, its efficiency is restricted by the speed of rotation of mechanical components. Transporting a HDD while in operation may cause a crash and damage the disc.
By: Dean Barnard

RAM, Random Access Memory

2007-11-23T05:25:00.000-08:00

This type of memory is essential for the working of a computer. It is a integrated chip consisting of rows and columns of a pair of transistor and a capacitor forming a grid. If the capacitor is charged at 50 % or more, it reflects a binary one. Due to the nature of a capacitor (it discharges at a very fast rate), it is required to charge them periodically. This is called a refresh cycle. In addition to the charging circuitry, it consists of a control circuit which is used to read and write data. Since the data can be accessed and written dynamically, these are called dynamic random access memory. The combined working of all the devices makes it slow in working.
Another type of RAM is the static RAM, where the integrated chip consists of a series of Flip-flops instead of a combination of a transistor and a capacitor. In the absence of a capacitor, there is no need to cater for the refresh cycle and this makes the static RAM considerably faster than a dynamic RAM. A Flip-flop consists of a few transistors and therefore the cost of a static RAM is higher, though it is compact.
By:Dean Barnard

ROM

2007-11-23T05:24:00.000-08:00

ROM, Read only Memory
The data or information stored in these types of memories is not changeable. It therefore does not require electrical power to retain information. The ROM chip or IC contains rows and columns of diodes. The presence or absence of diode in a particular row defines weather it is a binary one or zero. The content of a ROM is permanent and care has to be taken while designing it. It is not possible to rewrite a ROM. If change is necessitated, the whole chip has to be discarded. But once properly designed, they are robust , consume less power and cheap to manufacture.
The different types of ROM are:
1.PROM , Programmable Read only MemoryThe design of ROM is made easier by the PROM. PROM contains a fuse at the junction of each row and column of the grid. In the initial stage the complete grid represents a binary one. When an electric charge is passed through it, it ruptures the fuse and becomes a zero.
2.EPROM Erasable Programmable Read only MemoryThis is an improvement on PROM. Ultraviolet light is used to erase the information. This is a tedious process and excess exposure may lead to destruction of the ROM.
3.EEPROM , Electrical Erasable Programmable Read only MemoryThis kind of ROM is popular in memory sticks. The required portion of the memory can be erased or written on in a selective basis.
By: Victor Epand

Life Story Of A Notebook

2007-11-23T05:23:00.000-08:00

Computing on the move has been a focus area for a lot of Information Technology Companies for years. The idea of being able to work while on the road is extremely fascinating. A notebook, also known as a laptop, which may also be understood as a mobile computer has been the solution for these portable computer related tasks.
It is a little hard to determine which is the first notebook or portable computer ever made. The Osborne 1 is considered by most historians to be the first true portable computer or notebook. This was produced by Adam Osborne in the year 1981. It featured a 5 inch screen, modem port, floppy drives, few bundled software programs and a battery pack. The total weight of the notebook was about 11 kgs. Gradually after this Epson, Radio Shack, IBM, Apple Computer etc. all came out with a portable computer. IBM`s IBM PC convertible introduced in 1986 was a true laptop computer. This computer ushered in the laptop area. Since these early models, notebooks have seen tremendous development.
Features and Functioning
Notebooks have the identical major components as Desktop PCs: microprocessor, RAM, operating system, input/output ports, hard disk drives, speakers and sound cards, and speakers. However, all laptops have power management features to extend battery life, or conserve battery power when battery is low. A notebook differs from a desktop PC in terms of power supply, display, and the type of input devices it uses. Notebook processors usually have multiple sleeps, meaning slow down modes which help in increasing battery life and can also run on low voltage. Hard disk in the notebook also functions in the same way as it does in Desktop. These are slower in speed and have lesser capacity.
In addition to hard disks, notebooks also have options for removable disk storage system such as Floppy Discs, CDs and DVDs. A notebook also has various input/output ports that enable you to connect to various peripherals. Most notebook computers today feature built-in modems and Ethernet for external connectivity. Infrared ports for wireless connectivity are also becoming very popular. One of the most critical components in a notebook is its battery as it works on battery power for usage while on move. Battery life offered is different for each device as it depends on the configuration and power management features implemented. All notebook computers come with an in-built LCD screen for display output. For Input, notebooks are featured with built-in keyboards for text inputs. As far as pointing devices are concerned, notebooks use one of the three-Trackball, Pointing stick, Touchpad.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Notebook
The most important advantage of a notebook is its portability. One can work with ease anytime and everywhere. Also, access to wireless networking in public places is making notebooks more and more useful. The counting of disadvantages for a notebook always starts with its high cost. Not only the initial cost, its parts are also expensive and are not interchangeable. Notebooks have a lesser storage capacity and its processor usually works at a lower speed when on battery power. Notebooks are also prone to theft due to its portability.
Future Directions
With falling prices and acceptance of new technologies, we can expect to see a significant increase in demand of notebooks. Vendors are also working on the design of the notebook to make it stronger so that it can withstand jerks and shocks. New technologies are being integrated into the notebooks to prevent failure and data loss. Mostly used by corporate firms, professionals and businessmen, vendors are now targeting students and home users as well because of increasing affordability of these devices.
So the emergence of this new usage category is definitely on the cards. This means there is a huge potential for notebooks in the coming future and the price cuts offered with technological improvements are sure to fuel growth.
This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author's name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.
By: Roberto Sedycias

The Basics Of Overclocking Your CPU

2007-11-23T05:22:00.000-08:00

In this article I'm going to explain the basics of overclocking your CPU and what you need to look out for.
I understand how difficult is to overclock especially the CPU. Overclocking the CPU is riddled with jargon so if you don't understand the nerdy terms you could be really be putting your PC in danger.
This is because your effectively speeding your CPU beyond the manufacturers specifications. And although you'll get a ton of performance from your PC and your games will play smoother, your CPU is under more stress due the extra heat that the CPU will generate.
So what are the terms you look out for when you go into your Bios? Well first of all you want to find your FSB. FSB stands for Font Side Bus and this is where the majority of you will be overclocking your CPU from. There is another way of overclocking your CPU but this option is only available to the top of the range CPU and these ones can cost of excess of £1000! This way of overclocking is by using the Multiplier.
But to me opting for a $1000 CPU tends to defeat the point overclocking. Anyway, once you've found your FSB option, there should be a 3 digit number next to it. All you do is simply move the number up another ten points and no more.The reason why you move it no more than that is you don't want to damage your PC. So take little steps when overclocking your CPU. Once you done that, save and quit from bios and head into Windows.
You now want to run at benchmark, I would recommend on using 3DMark 05 or 06. There is others but these are the ones I personally use. Now simply run the benchmark and you should notice that you have a higher score than what you did before you overclocked your CPU! And that is the basics of overclocking!!!
By: James Scholes

Cheap In Price But Not In Quality

2007-11-23T05:20:00.000-08:00

Cheap computers are not available in every season without any reason. Certain occasions like that the Christmas, New Year eve, Thanksgiving Day etc are good festive seasons to cheer up and bring home something new. Keeping in mind this, often the electronics, for example, the computers are given on sale with a rebate on certain goods that may amount to a maximum of even 50 percent. Other than this, you can have the cheap computers that are second. It often happens that many of us have an opinion in our mind that the second hand things are not good to rely upon but actually that is not the case. If the condition of the parts of the cheap computers is good and workable, then it may never be trouble us.
For best motivation and information, you are always free to consult the cheap computers user who will assist you better than anyone else. Going through the reviews in many of the websites and technological magazines, is also not a bad idea at all. For availing those reviews, either you can go through the internet sites containing reviews or to the showrooms that posses reviews of their buyers.
By: Victor Epand
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Increase The Efficiency Of Your Computer With Additional Computer Memory

2007-11-23T05:18:00.000-08:00

Though it is hard to believe, memory is a part of computer that is the easiest to install. But just like all other computer parts one needs to maintain absolute care to make sure nothing goes wrong. The first step naturally is to buy the computer memory that you want to install on your system.
Figure out the type of memory that is required for your computer such as DDR, DDR, SD etc. First of all, switch off the computer, if it is on. Take out all accessories from the various connection ports attached to the computer. Place the cabinet on a working surface to begin. Open the screws of the computer case. Before doing this, the most important thing is to ground yourself first of all. Wear shoes so that there is no chance of getting a shock when you touch the computer. Remove the cover of the cabinet. You will see a number of empty slots for installing a memory in place. Note the number of empty slots, as the next time you need to install a memory you would how many slots are left. Gently place the memory into the slot and press it; it would snap into place. However, take care not to force it into the slot. If does not snap in conveniently, you might be installing the wrong kind of memory. Take a note of the markings in the slot and get the right type of memory that your computer would be compatible with. Once you get the right one, repeat the procedure as above.
Now that your computer memory has been installed, take some time and dust out your system. Place back the case cover, but do no put up the screws immediately. Reattach the monitor and other accessories, and boot the computer. To test if the computer memory has been installed correctly or not, Go to start, then to Control Panel. Click on system, then under the General tab you will see the option Computer Information. Clicking on this option will display the configuration of the memory installed on your computer. Congratulations! Now your computer will be running much faster than before.
In order to test your computer memory, try using some game that normally slowed down your computer. Besides this, you can try running several programs at a time. Notice how many programs you can run, before it slows down your computer. Buying a memory is not too expensive, so you can easily buy more and install in the same way.
Computer memory is available in various sizes such as 128 MB, 256 MB, 512 MB, 1 GB and more. Install as higher memory as possible and affordable by you, as this will also give you more free slots. So increase the memory, speed as well as efficiency of your computer system by installing the computer memory in the right way.
By: Victor Epand
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Make Your Computer The Warehouse Of Infotainment By Upgrading Ram

2007-11-23T05:15:00.000-08:00

Information has become the new life line of sustenance in this world of cut throat competition. All the hue and cry related to growth and development goes in vein when the flow of information is derailed. Computers have abridged the gap between you and your surrounding world. It has provided a wonderful treasure filled with bags of information. You can enhance the speed and data storing capacity of your computer by upgrading the Random Access Memory popularly known as RAM, hence transforming it into a warehouse of infotainment.
You can increase the memory of your computer by installing a random access memory of higher capacity. Higher is the capacity of the RAM, higher is the performance of your computer. The installation of a used RAM is cost-effective. But you should be cautious when you are installing a used RAM to increase the performance of your computer. You should choose it after proper scrutinizing. After purchasing a used RAM install it in your computer to upgrade the performance level. Before installing a used RAM in your computer first calculate the capacity of your computer.
Follow the following steps to access the capacity of your computer. Firstly, check and read the owner and motherboard manual carefully. After reading carefully, you can determine easily whether the RAM is parity or not. Now find out the speed of the used RAM. After finding out the speed of the RAM determine the pattern of memory modules present in your computer. There are mainly two types of memory namely the single in-line and the dual-in line. The installation process is different for different memory modules. If you detect the memory module in a wrong manner, the chance of getting the desired result becomes bleak.
Find out the type of support available in your computer. Determine whether it is a regular one or a different like the FPM, EDO and the Synch DRAM. The determination of the support type is essentially required to make the upgrading process easier. Always try to find out the support mode correctly. Calculate the number of pins available on the mother board. Generally you can observe three patterns of pin numbers related to the mother board. In some cases there are thirty pins. You can also find motherboards having seventy two or hundred and sixty eight pins. So calculate the number of pins available on the mother board of your computer correctly.
After calculating the number of pins, find out the number of open RAM slots available on your computer. Always purchase a used RAM that has more memory specification than the available one. Go through the instructions accompanied with that additional RAM and install it according to the instructions.
After installing a used RAM of extended memory specifications in your computer, the efficiency level increases significantly. Before purchasing a used RAM first calculate the available specifications on your computer. This calculation enables you to buy the correct one.
By: Victor Epand
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Various Options are Available for you

2007-11-23T05:14:00.000-08:00

The first step is to diagnose the problem. Was the data lost by accidental deletion, is the file system corrupted, or is there a problem with the disk or other hardware? If the problem is with the hardware, the disk may have to be taken into a clean room. The clean room is a room where the microscopic dirt and dust is kept down to a point where it cannot damage the microscopic electronics and components of computer hardware. A hardware engineer will work on the disk and get it operational without affecting what’s actually stored on the disk.
Once the disk is operational, the data recovery engineers will make a copy of the entire disk. Then they can start restoring the file structure and make a list of all the directories and files on the disk. They will also test each file for damage and make repairs if possible. Finally, they can put the restored file system and repaired files on a new drive for the customer.

Backup is the most Essential Part of Data Recovery:

2007-11-23T05:11:00.000-08:00

Booting issues, virus attacks, or corrupted file systems are very much present in any exchange or mail servers and can cause many of your archived email messages to apparently disappear. Companies which rely heavily on email communication and do not have back ups might find this a pervading problem. But data recovery designed specifically for email recovery can fix this problem.
Data recovery is the process of restoring a file system. The file system and file structure are maintained by the operating system. The operating system maintains a record of every file stored on a disk as well as where that file is located in the disk memory space. You can think of the operating systems record of every file as a list of pointers to the space in memory where each file begins. When a file is deleted, the operating system goes into its list of pointers and removes the pointer to that file. The file itself has not moved and it still inhabits the same place in memory completely unchanged. The only thing that has changed is that the operating system has removed the record of that file from the list of pointers and made that memory space available, or free if you will, to other files to be saved in the future.
So, when you hit the undelete button, what you’re doing is telling the operating system to put the pointer to your lost file back into its record of pointers and back into your file structure. Unfortunately, if another file had been saved before you tried to undelete, it may have overwritten part of your lost file. This along with the complexities of some data and file systems as well as the value of the data itself may require the skills of a professional data recovery company.

Certain Behavior And Activities Can Solve The Problem Of Data Recovery

2007-11-23T05:07:00.000-08:00

The worst thing about any emergency is that it messes up our daily routine and throws us into a state of confusion and we really can never rule out emergencies from our lives, life is full of surprises; some good, some bad. What makes the difference is how readily prepared we are for such eventualities. One of the most fatal emergencies most people are never really ready to accept is a problem with personal or business computers, as this most often results in vital data loss, and a data recovery system is probably the last thing on anyone’s mind when they buy a computer. Most of us never think something will go wrong until it’s too late. Data recovery or Disc Recovery services are things we hope we will ever have the need for.
There are several situations that can cause problems with your computer. Your computer could be running slowly or be loaded with powerful spy ware that can destroy files, transmit personal data or, even worse, cause the computer to crash. A power surge, an electric storm, fires, floods, mechanical failure, user error and many other things can happen without any advance warning and that could be all it takes to lose all the information you cherish in your computer.