Computer Mining

Update your Sitemap

2012-01-09T18:53:00.000-08:00

Updating a SitemapPrint Google recommends initially submitting your Sitemap using Google Webmaster Tools. This will ensure that your Sitemap details are readily viewable on the first tab of the Sitemaps page in Webmaster Tools. In addition to Webmaster Tools, you can also submit (and resubmit) your Sitemap using the following methods :

Sending a HTTP request to Google Including your Sitemap location in your robots.txt file

Resubmitting a Sitemap using Webmaster Tools On the Webmaster Tools Home page, click the site you want.

Under Site configuration, click Sitemaps. Select the Sitemap you want to resubmit, and then click Resubmit.

Resubmitting a Sitemap by sending Google an HTTP request.

If you do this, you don't need to resubmit it using Webmaster Tools. The Submitted column will continue to show the last time you manually clicked the link, but the Last Downloaded column will be updated to show the last time our system has fetched your Sitemap.

To resubmit your Sitemap using an HTTP request :

Issue your request to the following URL:

www.google.com/webmasters/tools/ping?sitemap=sitemap_urlFor example, if your Sitemap is located at http://www.example.com/sitemap.gz, your URL will become:

www.google.com/webmasters/tools/ping?sitemap=http://www.example.com/sitemap.gzURL encode everything after the /ping?sitemap=:

www.google.com/webmasters/tools/ping?sitemap=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yoursite.com%2Fsitemap.gzIssue the HTTP request using wget, curl, or another mechanism of your choosing.

A successful request will return an HTTP 200 response code; if you receive a different response, you should resubmit your request. The HTTP 200 response code only indicates that Google has received your Sitemap, not that the Sitemap itself or the URLs contained in it were valid. To obtain status information about your Sitemap, resubmit it using Webmaster Tools account. We recommend that you resubmit a Sitemap no more than once per hour. An easy way to do this is to use the Sitemap Generator to set up an automated job to generate and submit Sitemaps on a regular basis.

Note :

If you are providing a Sitemap index file, you only need to issue a single HTTP request that includes the location of the Sitemap index file; you don't need to issue individual requests for each Sitemap listed in the index.

Including your Sitemap location in your robots.txt file

To tell search engines about the location of your Sitemap, include the following line in your robots.txt file (updating with your own path and filename) :

sitemap : http://www.example.com/sitemap.xml

Three Key Steps in Writing Meta Tags

2011-11-09T00:55:00.000-08:00

Here are three good step in the writing meta tags :

1. Adhere to character limits

Title tags are critical because search engines not only use them when deciding what a web page is about, but they also appear in search results as the first line “Title” of your listing. Think of title tags more as a "Title Keyword Tag" and include keywords that users would likely search for to find the content on that page. Keep them short and sweet. They are the first thing people searching for your site will see, and can never be more than Google’s limit of 69 characters, including spaces.

Description tags are right behind title tags in importance. Each search engine allows for a specific number of characters (including spaces) to be shown beneath your page title in search results listings. These bits of your web page that appear in search results are known as “snippets.” Description tags will often be the text search engines choose to display as your snippet, and can have a big impact your search traffic. Writing your description tag to be completely within Google’s limits means you have control over what appears. Aim for one that is between 100 and 156 characters- so that it both reads well, and fits well.

2. Use Your Keywords

The keywords used in your title and description tells your targeted audience this page is what they are looking for. Users searching for particular words will naturally first examine page titles, but if they still cannot determine which site best addresses their needs, they then turn to the most relevant page descriptions. By placing 1 to 3 keywords into both your title and description (which will appear in bold in the description tag if they match the search term), you’re assuring search users that your site isn’t in their results by mistake, but because it’s what they are searching for. You should always write them, and the page they are on, with 1 to 3 very specific keywords or key phrases that are also used within the content of that page.

The title and description tags should always be specific to the page they are on and contain key words or phrases also found in the page heading, and the first one or two paragraphs of that page. Google compares words and phrases in your title tag and description tag with page content to be sure they are “relevant.” It will ignore your tags if they are not.

3. Write with flair, but be accurate.

Your primary goal is to write something that will entice people to click thru to your website from your listing in Google. Your tags need to be attention getting, as well as an accurate description of what users can expect to find on that particular page. One easy way to do this is to have your title and description tags mirror the opening paragraph of the page they are on, but be shorter: more concise and more dramatic.

Most Famous Breaches of Email Security

2011-10-26T19:37:00.000-07:00

It seems that nobody is safe these days when it comes to the internet. After a number of hacks taken out on social networking sites like Twitter and multiple user outlets such Sony’s Playstation network, it would seem that internet trolls are just one step closer to getting into our personal email accounts. But it’s not just us that are at risk – celebrities, businesses, public services and government organisations are the prime target. I mean, who wouldn’t want to know what gossip-worthy gems lurk inside Britney Spears’ mail Inbox? Unfortunately, it is extremely unnerving to know that there’s a chance our medical records and bank details might be viewable to the public if certain email accounts were hacked, not to mention national security.

Web companies such as http://www.sslpost.com/ are doing their very best to ensure that our email accounts are well protected with encryption methods and secure delivery services , especially for businesses who are constantly sharing contact numbers and financial info inside messages. Unfortunately sometimes one little hacker can slip through the net - quite literally – if we’re not careful.

Here we look at some of the most famous breaches of email security.

Gone Phishing

One of the most well-known ways that hackers managed to compromise email accounts in recent years has been the conception of the Phishing site. Whilst nowadays, most email providers offer software to spot these menaces, they can occasionally be so convincing that we fall victim.

Basically, how phishing works is that a website or email appears legitimate but is actually an imitation created by the hacker to resemble the official website. An email will usually require you to click a link where you’ll be asked to re-type in your email password or enter personal details. This will then be intercepted or sent to the hacker who will use your information for doing bad, bad things. Hundreds were lured in by these scams after they made their appearance in the mid- 2000’s and caused a whole new revolution in the way email providers handled their security.

Sarah Palin

American politician and Republican Sarah Palin caused quite a stir when she ran for Vice President of the United States in 2008. During the Presidential Election, then-teenager David Kernell hacked into the private Yahoo! account belonging to Palin and then posted her details on image board site 4Chan. However, the way he did it could not have been simpler. All he had to know was her email address, birthday and zip code.

By researching details about her life such as the high school she attended and the place she met her husband on Google, Kernell was able to use the password retrieval function to answer her secret questions. Kernell was lateracquitted of his crimes after appearing in court but maintained that he never found anything of note except some boring ‘clerical emails’ from when she was a governor.

Gmail

Google is probably the most-used search engine in the world so you’d assume that having a Google mail or Gmail account would be as save as houses. Apparently not…

In June 2011 a huge hack into the Gmail accounts of senior government officials from the US, China and South Korea was exposed by an internet blogger.

The alleged ‘cover up’ had been reported by Mila Parkour, an IT worker based in Washington, DC. Unsurprisingly, this was explained to be another phishing scam where the login page of Gmail had been replicated almost perfectly. The difference this time was that important military and government personnel’s accounts had been compromised. In result, China was blamed for what was described as ‘purely political’ attack on Google who had previously clashed with the Chinese government over censorship issues.

Though there is no solid proof that China are solely responsible for the hacks, the origins traced to the Shandong province and the attack caused a panic among US officials who labelled it as an “act of war”.

As techies worry that the world may be drawn into a technical arms race for information, Gmail have attempted to warn all users about such scams by improving their security systems and posting a ‘spot the difference’ page to deter people from entering details into phishing sites.

Climategate

In 2009 a controversy surrounding The Climactic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia emerged when a server was hacked and thousands of emails and computer files were copied.

But why were CRU, of all organisations, targeted?

Anonymous sceptics believed that the documents which were exchanged by the scientists at CRU contained evidence that climate change was a hoax and a ‘scientific conspiracy’. Emails were said to withhold evidence of manipulated data and discussions between scientists in which they supressed the claims of their critics. Believed to be achieved by a hack into CRU’s back up mail server the emails were released as a smear campaign prior to the Copenhagen Summit on climate change in order to dissuade those attending the summit.

The incident was investigated extensively though to this day the hackers have never been caught and CRU have been forced to rebuild their reputation to sustain the message on climate change.

HBGary

Almost ironically, technology security company HBGary Federal suffered a hacking scandal in February 2011 when chief executive Aaron Barr claimed he was going to reveal names of the hacker group Anonymous. In response they gleefully hacked the HBGary Federal site and, according to Forbes magazine, stole 71,000 emails. The emails were posted online and exposed ‘dirty tricks’ offered to clients such as blackmailing, forged documents and other cyber-attacks showing a more sinister side to the HBGary organisation. Many clients distanced themselves from the company during the fallout whilst Barr and his family suffered anonymous threats. Barr was later forced to resign from his newly tainted company.

R-Pattz gets bitten by hackers

If you’re going to hack a few government officials you might as well go for the big daddy. Although playing a pasty, Nancy boy vampire in films and complaining about how you’re constantly stalked by girls is not a justification for an unfortunate invasion of privacy, it didn’t stop us from cracking a tiny smirk when actor and British heartthrob Robert Pattison’s email account was hacked by a fan in March. Following Pattison’s admission of a 17 year old girl infiltrating his account, Famous magazine then twisted the tale in a deceiving headline that implied Rob’s emails were rather incriminating. Unfortunately, all it revealed was that the former Harry Potter star is just as boring as we expected and that some teenagers really are a tad crazy.

Easy Steps SEO to the Top 10

2011-10-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

SEO companies are making a fortune by doing the menial work that is overlooked by many designers. It is easy steps to do most of the work done by most SEO companies, all you have to do is create good habits.

There are 9 main points you should focus on :

Keywords

Keywords are the most important aspect of good SEO, this is where you tell the Search Engines what your site is about. Search Engines use an algorithm to determine the "Keyword Density" of your site, this formula is:

Total Words ÷ Keywords= Keyword Density

Use this formula on your competitors web site and see how they score, then aim to beat that score.

Choose keywords that best relate to the information, products or services that you are offering. For instance, if I am designing a site about "Web Design", I want my site to include the words "Web Design" as many times as possible.

However, most people don't just search for just one word, they type phrases, so you should consider the phrases that best suit your sites target market. For example, if I am creating a site about "Web Design" in New Orleans, I would include "New Orleans web design" in my keywords. Another way around this is to not separate my keywords with commas, just use spaces, and the Search Engines will make the phrases for you. The most important thing to remember is that the content of each page is different, so only use keywords pertaining to that page.

URL Text

When you name a new page you have the option to call it anything you could possibly think of, why not se a keyword? After all, the URL address is the first things a search engine comes across when indexing your pages. You have to remember content doesn't come easy to everyone, so you gotta slip in your keywords when the process gives you an easy one.

Description Meta tags

These tags are dwindling in importance since Search Engines are now looking at content, but every little bit counts.

Optimize your meta tags to match your content, products, and services, and the Search Engines that still look at meta data will reward your efforts.

Title Tags

Title tags are the tags that tell the Search Engine the title, or formal description of the document or page. This is the word or phrase that is seen at the top of the browser window. The most important rule about title tags is, don't put anything in the title tags but keywords. Once again this is an easy time to slip in your keywords, so don't miss out.

Image Names

As I said before, content doesn't come easy to everyone, so slip in your keywords whenever possible, this applies to image names. If you are saving a picture of a guy working on a computer for your web design web site, don't call it "some_dude.jpg", call it "web_site_design.jpg". The Search engine will look at the code for the site and see the image pertains to the content of the site and this will be another relevant element on that particular page. You have to take the easy ones when you are given a chance.

ALT tags

Alt tags are keywords that you can attach to images, giving more weight to the image since Search Engines can't analyze the content of the image itself. Here is a chance to slip in more keywords without writing great content, use it.

Heading tags

Heading tags are associated with the bold font that leads into a section of text.

Web Design

Web Design Inc. offers custom web site designs.

Your heading tags should only be keywords, and should be presented in the order that your Meta tags follow.

H1= first meta tag, H2= second meta tag...

Try to utilize all 6 heading tags on each page to ensure maximum page optimization.

Content

As every expert will tell you, "Content is King." Each web page should have at least 350 words on it, and the more the better, but keep in mind the formula for keyword density. You don't want to fill a page with 1500 words of jibba-jabba and only 5 keywords in it. Some people get hung-up on how browsers display text, and use images with text in them because they want a cool font, but browsers can't read the text embedded in images, so this content ads no weight to the page in a Search Engines eyes.

Linkbaiting is the new trend among high ranking sites. Linkbaiting means writing quality content, or articles that other web sites can display on their pages as long as they give credit, and a link to your site.

You don't have to be a vi or emac expert to write good web content, just be thoughtful of how you word things and incorporate your keywords.

Hyperlinks

Hyperlinks are text links to other pages on your site. The rules of SEO and hyperlinks are easy:

• Use hyperlinks so the Search Engine will have a text link to follow to the next page
• Don't use one word links, use long link phrases, preferably keyword phrases
• Use bullets, or some sort of small image that you can attach an ALT tag to, this will ad more importance to the link, and throw in a couple of free keywords for you.

Keep these 9 aspects in mid when designing a site, and you are sure to have a leg up on the competition.

Good luck and success always for you.

Roulette number review – can a software really beat the odds?

2011-10-23T22:04:00.000-07:00

Roulette number is a software that is based around progressive betting, that is somewhat related to the martingale system. It is a way that ensures you will always end up winning and cover all your previous losses eventually. The bad thing about the martingale and other similar systems is that in order to come out winning in the end, you would have to have unlimited funds and no minimum and maximum bets. The roulette number software avoids that, by utilizing a very unorthodox and yet simple approach. As you are about to learn from this roulette number review, this is probably the only software, that will never lose you money – at worst, you will simply cover your losses.

Is it really possible to win an odds-based game?

Not only is it possible, but it is actually easy, provided that you stick to a working system like this one. Keep in mind that the roulette number software is not a magic wand, but a proven and working system, which anyone who wants can use to be profitable when playing the roulette. Look at it this way – usually, when you play the roulette without any system, you turn out either loosing or winning. With a proven system, like roulette number you will always end up either winning, OR just clearing your losses.

One of the most shocking things is how much ‘hidden’ information there is on a simple game like the roulette. On first glance, it might seem that it is simply a chance-based game, and you either win or lose, based on your ‘luck’. There are literally principles, that you can apply, which will always make you profitable in the end. Most people however, do not know about those principles. They are the elusive obvious.

A common flaw of most roulette systems is that they only work with odds higher than 1 in 37. If you play using martingale for example (which is rarely possible today, because of some added rules to the game), and you assume your odds will be 1 in 37, you would not be profitable, because in order to just cover your losses, you would have to bet millions. That’s where the roulette number software comes in – it is a way to maximize your chances of winning exponentially, by following an extremely simple system that is proven to work, as you have learned in this roulette number review.

Tips to get traffic from Google

2011-09-15T23:50:00.000-07:00

Google has created a set of guidelines (requirements and recommendations) to help small businesses get more search traffic. Meeting these guidelines has a dramatic effect on your Google traffic, and traffic from the other top search engines as well. Your easy-to-use SEO Checklist makes it easy.

First we analyze every page of your site to calculate your Google Site Score.

This "Overall Site Score" grades your site on how well it meets Google's guidelines. It's made up of individual "Tool Scores", one for each critical guideline. The individual Tools help you zero in on exactly the issues that need attention.

Your Essential SEO Checklist tools:

1. Google Blacklist Check

The first step is to check to be sure your site is not being penalized by Google or other search engines. Most sites don't know if they are on Google's so-called blacklist. Getting on the list is easier than you may realize. Something as simple as linking to the wrong site can do it.

This tool checks Google's banned domain name list to see whether or not your site is currently being penalized, banned or blacklisted by Google. If it shows that your domain is blacklisted it will also offer you tips and information on how to get the ban lifted. We recommend you perform this check at least once a month.

2. Get In Google

Automatic creation and submission of a Google compliant XML Sitemap gets more of your pages listed in Google within 72 hours. New sites get listed within 24 hours. Guaranteed!

You'll know exactly when Google acknowledges receiving your Sitemap submission, and exactly when Google reads it and visits your site to begin listing your pages.

3. Link Building

One of the best ways to build valuable links is through listings in high quality "authoritative" directories. Your free Attracta Business Directory listing gives your site prominent links and important "business directory citations" that are referenced by all major search engines. You also receive an additional SEO boost from a Google recommended HTML sitemap and an optional Google Location Map.

4. Social Networking

Social networking increases search rankings, builds traffic to your site and helps your gain "authority" within your area of business. This tool verifies that you are promoting your site through Facebook and Twitter, the two most important social sites. See our SEO Tips section for step-by-step instructions on using these two powerful social media sites to increase your search rank and traffic.

For more information, please visit http://www.attracta.com/

Source :

http://www.attracta.com/

SEO Principle

2011-08-22T00:17:00.000-07:00

Search Engine Optimisation otherwise known as SEO is the means for improving a website's ranking in Google, Yahoo, and Bing. The more time and money a company spends on SEO, the more chance they have of being the first search result listed by Google - which is of course the ultimate goal of any website; to be easily found by their potential customers.

One of the simplest techniques is altering the text, or 'content' on a website. To do this an SEO company must first understand the website's target audience, who are they and what words do they type into Google when they are looking for this particular website? If you are in the automotive business, then people might be searching for your services under 'auto shop Auckland'. But there are many possibilities, and it is the job of a good SEO expert to investigate those options for you and compile a list of your best keywords and phrases.

Once those keywords and phrases have been researched, your content can then be structured effectively so that it is 'optimized' and SEO friendly. It is usually best to have professional help with this, so talk to your web development company about what they would recommend. Other methods include linking, (both internal - within your own site, and external - other websites linking to yours) and implementing meta-tags, subheads, and website descriptions throughout your web pages. As a general rule with search engine optimization, 'content is king', so much of your success will depend on the quality of the content on your website.

Other important SEO principles come into play with techniques like 'Black Hat' and 'White Hat' SEO strategies. These two methods have very different principles behind them, and it helps to understand the differences before talking to a web development company about tactics for your website so you can make well-informed decisions.

Search engines cater for SEO companies to a certain extent and regularly publish ways to increase a company's search engine visibility through good design, carefully crafted content, and good internal and external linking strategies. Many SEO strategists follow these guidelines. They are known as 'White Hats' and are generally accepted to achieve more long lasting, effective results for website rankings.

'Black Hat' SEO companies use methods that search engines don't approve of or even deception to increase a website's visibility. Examples would be hiding bulk keyword rich text on your website by using a background font color or small font size. Search engines often impose penalties on Black Hat SEO companies - pushing their websites down in search result rankings and occasionally removing their sites from there databases altogether.

Be aware of these differences between Black Hat and White Hat strategies, and make sure that you entrust a reliable NZ web design or development firm with the task of increasing your website's SEO effectiveness by using tried and tested SEO principles. You'll be amazed at how powerful the results of good search engine optimization can be for your business!

If you can follow SEO strategies properly of course you may get good web presence in search engines. Some of the SEO NZ companies following a good SEO strategies and gets results. Search Engine Optimization nz companies will help your web presence more stronger.

Social Bookmarking

2011-07-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

You may have heard of "Social Bookmarking".

What is "Social Bookmarking" and what is the use of "Social Bookmarking"?

Social Bookmarking is an act of publicly saving favorite urls for people to see and use.

Social bookmarking is a great way to share and store important or favorite website urls with family, friends, colleagues, and the world.

Many people use their navigator toolbar to save all the website urls they want to visit at a later time. However, when they come across a really useful site and they want to share with others, they e-mail all of their friends to tell them about the site. Instead of having to e-mail an entire address book there is a new trend in sharing websites, it is social bookmarking.

Social Bookmarking

Using a social bookmarking service helps users in saving and tagging their favorite sites. This is useful because the next time a user needs to find a particular bookmark, they can search for a tag word to find the website. Also, using a bookmarking service is helpful for everyone online since bookmarking is sharing information.

Advantages of Social Bookmarking

Bookmarking from a service is easy to use. Users never have to worry about having to be on their personal computer to access their bookmarks. The services allow access to bookmarks from any computer hooked up to the internet.

Bookmarking is a great way to share favorite bookmarks with family, friends, and colleagues. Especially in a work environment, the ability to collaborate about an important website becomes much easier from a bookmarking service where the website url is already stored, ready for use.

Bookmarking doesn’t have to be only shared with users circle of acquaintances but with a much broader audience. Not only is user’s favorite website urls stored for everyone they know to see but also to every user online to view as well. Then users comment and vote on their favorite bookmark. Now it becomes a great marketing tool, too.

Disadvantages to Social Bookmarking

Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks to social bookmarking. One of the most common complaints is that there is no controlled vocabulary or subject headings. Sometimes tags are misspelled or tagged inappropriately.

Another disadvantage is that there is no standardized structure, such as using singular or plural forms when tagging bookmarks. There are no subject headings and occasionally some websites are not tagged at all. This can be particularly frustrating.

Advantages for Bookmarking a Personal Website

Personal websites are created to be viewed by online users. However, the conundrum of every owner is how to drive more traffic to their website? Social bookmarking answers this question with their service. Users are more likely to trust a friend who recommends a website then a search engine.

Personal websites will see an increase in link popularity when they are added to a bookmarking service. Search engines will discover the personal website link on the social bookmarking service, thus adding to the link popularity.

Personal websites can gain in popularity also if the owner connects with other website owners and promotes each other’s products. This is called cross-social bookmarking.

SEO Rules

2011-07-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

As a practice and industry, SEO is constantly evolving. Sites are seemingly at the mercy of the search engines, who usually can't be bothered to give the site owners a heads up before they update their algorithm. Every few weeks it seems like someone is heralding the death of SEO, but evolution does not equal demise. Over time, tactics and methods change to work inside the guidelines of the search engines and to meet the needs of the online user, but the core fundamentals of SEO have remained the same.

Here are 7 basic rules of SEO :

1. Understand User-Intent

Keyword research is the cornerstone of any SEO campaign. Understanding user-intent when conducting and selecting your keywords is critical to getting your SEO off on the right foot and helping the right audience find your site. For instance, are "gym shoes," "sneakers" and "tennis shoes," the same thing? For some consumers those three words are completely interchangeable. But if a tennis player were looking for a new pair of shoes, they would search using "tennis shoes" and expect a very specific result. It doesn't matter how you would search for your brand/products, it only matters how your target audience searches. Targeting the wrong keywords because you failed to understand the intent of the search means you'll miss out on potential traffic and customers.

2. Don't Rush Your Link Building

It is crucial for the search engines to see a diversified approach to link building that slowly grows over time. A blended approach demonstrates your commitment to white hat link building and building your online presence naturally. The search engines are very aware that they are playing a game with spammers and black hat SEO users, and they don't plan on losing. If you develop too many links too fast, even if they are good quality links, this can raise a red flag with the search engines and your site could be penalized.

3. Content is King

Content is anything that is public and shareable. This includes blog web page content, blog posts, articles, podcasts, videos, whitepapers and more. It is also the most important factor of a website's long term SEO success. Content should always be written for the end user, not for the search engines. You have to remember that the search engines are not going to be the ones purchasing your products or services, people are. Optimize your content so the search engines can find it, but don't forget that it has to be human friendly first.

4. Be Strategic, Not Spammy

This is especially important in regards to social media marketing and social SEO. If you really wanted to, you could create a hundred different Twitter profiles to promote your content through. But what kind of real value are you getting from those profiles other than a link? You don't have to tackle every aspect of SEO at once. Frankly, there just isn't enough time in a day to take on that much work upfront. Pick and choose your battles so you don't overdo it. Flooding the online market with low-quality SEO doesn't help build your brand or reputation.

5. SEO is Long Term

This is probably the hardest thing for those new to SEO to wrap their heads around. SEO is not a quick fix to your online marketing. No, you won't be ranking on the first page of Google for all your keywords by tomorrow, next week, or even next month. This is especially true if you recently launched your site. It takes a long time to build up your trust factor with the search engines.

SEO builds upon itself over time, but that doesn't mean that once you have reached the first page in the search engines that you get to pack it up and call it a day. The Internet is continually growing and evolving. If you want to stay at the top, you have to keep working for it. It doesn't take long for your site to slip down in the results pages if you abandon your SEO.

6. Follow Search Engine Guidelines

Google, Bing and Yahoo want you to do well with your SEO because it helps clean up their search results. A better SERP makes for a happier search engine user. Search engines are in the business of pleasing the customer, just like everybody else. If your site can't help them do that, you won't ever rank well. That's why every site owner and marketer has to read the Google and Bing Webmaster Guidelines. Consider those guidelines your SEO line in the sand. If they call something black hat, then treat it as such and avoid it. It can be very tempting to test out the black hat side of SEO, especially when you see your competition doing it and seemingly getting away with it. Just don't! Sooner or later the search engines catch on and your site will be penalized.

7. Integrate Everything

Just about all your marketing online (and offline marketing) efforts can be leveraged for SEO. One of the biggest mistakes you could make is keeping your actions in separate silos. SEO works best when it is incorporated into the mix, becoming an essential component of your marketing online. If your company has a large marketing department, don't segregate the SEO guy back to the IT department. Bring him aboard the marketing team and you'll achieve greater online success.

The Best Photo Printer

2011-07-19T21:14:00.000-07:00

Have a nice printer, with good print results are of great importance to us who want it. For that we need to be careful in your choices.

Identifying the best photo printer can seem like an overwhelming task with the choices that are now available to consumers. However with a little planning and research individuals can find the right device for their needs.

There are several factors that an individual may need to consider before buying a photographic printing device. It is highly recommended by some experts that the person take the time to note what they are looking for in a piece of equipment. Different people have different needs. For instance, People who travel will have different needs from someone who is using this equipment for work related reasons.

Researching manufacturers may also be helpful. Some manufacturers will be known for making certain types of devices. For example, compact printers may be made by a manufacturer who is known for having the best portable printers for travel. While another manufacturer may specialize in printing devices for professionals.

Affordability is important for those who want to stay within a budget. Models can vary in price due to features, specifications, and various other reasons. Individuals who have a price range in mind and know what they want before they set out to buy a device may be able to find the deal that best suits them and their needs. It is also important to note that the more features the device has the more it may cost. Individuals will need to consider what features they need that are essential and then look for a device in their price range with those features.

Brands also will play a large role in a persons final decision. If a person is already using technology from a particular brand they may also decide buy the same brand for the printer. However, comparing two different brands may still be necessary if they are similar in price and features but have more specifications.

People may also want to consider how well known a particular brand is too. Popular brands have a proven track record for the types of equipment they manufacturer. Also it will be easier for the individual to find reviews of a particular model or brand by visiting online consumer sites where people provide insight into what they experienced with a piece of equipment they bought.

Features of a certain brand or model will vary for individuals. Depending on the types of situations the person plans on using the device, certain features may be more important than other such as Wi-Fi connectivity and how many pages the device prints per minute.

Most of these types of equipment will also include extra features such as memory card slots, extra displays for viewing pictures and other features. Depending on the model and type, these features may cost more than basic model brands.

With a little planning and comparing a person can find the best photo printer for their needs without going over their budget. The more information that a person can obtain on the device they want, the more likely they will be able to succeed in buying the printing device that meets or exceeds their expectations.

And do not forget, feedback from friends, family and other associates are also very necessary to assist us in determining who we will choose a printer.

SEO Specialist's Tips

2011-07-05T20:55:00.000-07:00

Whether you have an effective SEO plan for promoting your website?

Recheck your plan.

Roughly, any SEO has to make the following vital steps:

Choosing the right keywords
Optimizing your site's content
Cleaning and organizing your site's structure
Finding places to get backlinks from
Building a wide network of quality links
Monitoring website rankings over time

1. Choosing the right keywords

Keywords can make or break your website promotion campaign. Ideally, a good keyword meets these requirements :

It describes your business, product or service — or some part of it.
It is frequently used by people when they make searches in Google or other search engines.
Online competition for this word is not too tough (not too many websites are already optimizing for this keyword).

2.Optimizing your site's content

Before getting down to any off–site activities, you've got to make a persuasive, good–looking and search engine friendly webpage.

Any webpage has two sides. One is informative and user–oriented content that will keep customers spending money on your site. This is not part of SEO so we're not talking about that now.

The second side is smart usage of your keywords in each element of your page's HTML code (this is what we call onpage optimization). The result is, Google, Yahoo! Bing and other SEs look at your webpages, understand that they are topically related to your keywords and start showing these pages to visitors who search for these words.

3. Cleaning and organizing your site's structure

So that your every single SEO effort hits the point and brings in maximum effect, you need to make sure that your site works fine as a system.

Before you start promoting any of individual webpages, you need to optimize the entire website so that there're no issues which might prevent the site from ranking well.

Therefore, you need to check every single area where your site's performance might fall short — and fix it.

This includes:

* Broken links
* HTML code errors
* Duplicate content
* 404 and other server response code errors
* Not indexed webpages
* Missing or too long titles and meta descriptions

and all other issues that interfere with your site's rankings

4. Finding places to get backlinks from

That's where off–page optimization starts. You need to get lots of links pointing from other websites to yours (aka backlinks). Here are the essentials of a good link:

* The link should come from a thematically related source

* This source should be a well–established site trusted by search engines

* The link should use your keywords in its visible part (called "anchor text")

Although it is not 100% necessary for the link to comply with all these requirements, the closer your links are to this ideal, the better. The quickest and most reliable way to find good links is to see where your top–ranking competitors are getting them. As soon as you know your competitors' link sources, you can try to get links from there as well — and up you go in your Google rankings!

5. Building a wide network of quality links

How do we get all the links we need? Some sites buy links, some have very useful and popular content and get links without even stirring a finger. Millions of sites exchange links with one another.

Quite often we have to ask for a link. It's nice to contact the owners of some really important websites in person — send an email explaining why they should link to you and how your website's content could be useful to their own users.

6. Monitoring website rankings over time

The easiest way to see if your SEO efforts are bringing results is regularly checking your website positions in search engines.

When you know each change in your rankings you're able to figure out which activities are the most profitable for you. You can notice mistakes and take quick action to correct them.

SEO Tips

2011-07-03T23:25:00.000-07:00

Don't let your website is not listed in search engines.

Here are some important things you should consider that your site listed in search engines.

1. Page Title

Forget using 'Welcome to my website as your page title, if you really want to attract target media specify your keywords and list your product keywords separated by an | (hold Shift + backslash key) symbol (eg: Digital Cameras | Video Cameras) will boost the strength of your chosen keywords, in this case Digital and Video Cameras.

2. Page Filenames

Still naming your page filenames as products.htm or aboutus.php, why not add some weight to your website and help the SE distinguish from the multitude of pages with generic names and again utilise your keywords into your filenames (eg: paper_back_novels.htm) for a Book selling site with this link to the list of Paper Back Novels.

3. ALT Tags

Again keywords play a huge part in the design of your site and another area to include these words is in your image 'ALT" tags.

4. Header Tags

Getting back to your Page Title, there is no point in making the heading text "Welcome to my Website" especially if you are selling Garden Tools. Using , and tags to emphasize your Products and Services in order of importance, lets the SE's.

5. Bold Text

Got something to say?, say it in Bold Text, this tells the SE that this text is important and relates strongly to your content and keywords and should be taken notice of.

6. Keywords

Some say they aren't that important anymore to getting results in the SERPS (Search Engine Result Pages) but using them correctly can add to your sites overall effectiveness. Concentrate on 3 - 4 keyword phrases (eg: "custom website design" or "web site design" for web site designers) and make sure they are used in the first and last paragraphs of your home page content.

7. Google Toolbar

Not only a search tool the Google Toolbar displays each sites Page Rank according to Google on it popularity and web presence.

8. Alexa Toolbar

Download the Alexa Toolbar from Amazon and sign up to their affiliate program, the toolbar is an essential tool in gauging the popularity and hit results of how your website ranks in the www.

9. RSS Feeds

Want to increase traffic? well consider starting a RSS Feed on your website with important news items relating to your business and your chosen profession then link these to your articles.

10. Article Writing

Article writing is another way to cross promote your site with helpful information for others and with links back to your site.

10 Useful Tips for New Sites

2011-06-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

As SEO experts are bound to point out, it's a process that needs to be carried on over time and considered whenever you make any changes to your site. As a new site you'll need strategies to assist you in climbing the ladder to good Internet ranking placement as quickly as possible.

The way you link, both internally and externally from your site, is crucial for achieving results in today's competitive market. Getting help from an SEO Agency can give you the advantage you need when it comes to search engine ranking and those all-important hits on your site.

Here are 10 very useful tips on links and linking architecture for anyone with an interest in SEO, and if you're involved in marketing of any kind over the Internet, then that's you.

1. Think About Who Links to You

You'll already know the value of reputation when it comes to marketing your product or service. If sites that are associated with good quality products are clearly seen by users and search engines to link to your own then this will reflect well on you.Pay close attention to the number of .com and .co.uk sites that link to you, for example, and think carefully about ways in which you can encourage others to do likewise.

2. Think About Who You Link to

The same rules as before. Linking to good quality sites reflects well on your own. Keep up to date with innovations and developments and stay relevant with fresh links on your pages. Try to develop a balanced portfolio of links on your site.

3. Avoid Broken Links

As part of ongoing site maintenance for SEO you should be aware of any links that are no longer in use and remove them from your site.

4. Think About Relevance

This is very important. Link to sites with a clear relevance to your own only. Search engines pay special attention to this, as do users, and every irrelevant link on your page is detrimental.

5. Internal Links

Think about internal links and whether your site is user friendly. Make the most of internal links and get some advice from SEO experts about ways to link internally that will benefit your site's ranking.

6. Maps

Think about linking back to homepage and site maps. Make your site as easily navigable as possible. This will encourage users and benefit your site as search engines see these links when they probe it. A map is a useful way to introduce internal links and make the site easier to get around.

7. Link Building

Think about the use of exact match terms for link building. Build links using exactly matching anchor text. Remember though, don't get carried away - an excess use of keywords can be as bad as a lack. Using terms you want to rank for and that summarise the topic referred to, in moderation, can strengthen the ratings of your site by search engines.Find a balance and use your senses. If you feel that you've gone overboard with repeated words or phrases in your internal links then you probably have.

8. Avoid Cloaking

Search engines are increasingly sophisticated at detecting 'black hat' or unscrupulous SEO techniques. While it may be tempting to improve your popularity on the net by attracting unwitting visitors to your site, be aware that techniques that accomplish this can get you into trouble.Users and search engines are alike in their approach to cloaking - they don't accept or tolerate it. Stay within the boundaries to avoid problems.

9. Strategise

Have a solid strategy for linking to, from and within your site. Think before you link and use every intelligent strategy at your disposal. Getting advice from website optimization specialists can really help.

10. Look at Where Your Competitors Link

This is legal and it can give you an advantage or at least level the playing field somewhat when it comes to links. Go to Yahoo and type in link: www.competitorsite.com to get access to useful tools for viewing your competition's linking activity. Remember that knowledge is power.

The Best Computer Microphone

2011-06-30T00:42:00.000-07:00

Sometimes abbreviated as mic, a microphone is a hardware peripheral originally invented by Emile Berliner in 1877 that allows computer users to input audio into their computers. To the right is a visual example of a USB headset from Logitech with a microphone. A popular solution for computer gaming.

There are quite a few top quality computer microphones available today but which one gives you the best value for your money? This article will look at the 3 best microphones on the market so you make a more informed decision before you part with your cash. This way you'll know that you'll be getting the best computer microphone to suit your needs.

USB mics have had a bit of a bad reputation in the past but recent technological advances have improved the quality of recording significantly. With these three mics you can now hear the clarity with minimal background noise to offer pro sound quality. User demands are varied and these three mics encompass every requirement from recording vocals and instruments to podcasts, speech and even VoIP.

So long as there is USB port on your PC, all three of these mics will work on both Windows and Mac. The issue of compatibility is nil for the users of these microphones. Not one of the microphones needs any extras to be installed so using them couldn't be easier.

The first one that comes to mind is the Blue Yeti mic, attractive and with professional sound quality. This is the universes 1st THX-certified USB microphone and uses Blue's proprietary three capsule science to make sure your sound is the nearest to studio-quality that's possible. The Yeti has a headphone input allowing you to monitor your recordings and also has controls that let the user adjust headphone levels, mute and microphone output gain enabling real-time recording control. For a range of sounds it has the option to choose 4 different polar patterns.Stereo mode uses both the left and right channels. Cardioid mode records sounds that are right in front of the mic. If you want to capture sound from every direction, the omnidirectional pattern is good for including ambient sounds. Bi-directional position records from the rear and front of the capsule.

It comes complete with an adjustable stand that allows freedom to change the direction of recording. For a complete bundle, the features are plentiful in a single microphone. Its old fashioned appearance gives it a "groovy" feel and it will look great at the side of your PC.

Another quality product comes courtesy of CAD and their amazing CAD U37 USB Studio Condenser Recording Microphone. This microphone permits budding engineers to record studio-quality audio straight into a computer smoothly. There is no software or driver to install so it is simply a case of plugging it in and starting recording straight away. If you're looking for rich and warm recordings, the large diaphragm mic is the one most often used for vocals and instruments. To reduce ambient noise and unpleasant background sounds, there is a bass "roll-off" button.

Other modes offer the feature to vary the sensitivity giving you the option to capture ambient sounds if you want. The generous 10-foot cable allows for maximum flexibility when choosing where to place it as having it next to your PC or laptop may not always be possible. Apart from the cheesy appearance of the CAD U37, this microphone does does it all and does it quite well. It has the ability to pick up the full texture of sound in a room in order to fully capture ambiance.

These 3 products fit 3 different price-ranges according to one's budget. Blue Microphone's Yeti is the most pricey out of the three but is surely worth it in terms of the features and sound quality. The CAD U37 Studio Condenser Recording mic and the Samson Go Compact mic both retail for around the same price and they are considerably cheaper than Blue's Yeti. Depending on the type of user, this is a very good value - the CAD or the Yeti for home recordings and the Samson being ideal for the type of user that is always on the move.

The Samson Go Compact USB Microphone is the last on the "best-buy" list. We hear that good things come in small packages and this wee mic follows that rule. It is custom built so that it can clip directly onto your laptop which means you can record on the go. It's really good for recording songs, podcasts and Skype should that application ever come along but the ability to capture sound in the field is superb. For different kinds of recording it features both the Cardioid and Omnidirectional pattern choices. The omnidirectional mode allows users to capture an entire room - ideal for impromptu band practice wherever. Since this mic still offers superior sound for such a small size makes this microphone a must for anybody who needs to record in different places.

Windows XP and Vista Uptime

2009-02-13T13:12:00.000-08:00

If you leave your computer running 24/7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week), you might be interested in determining the amount of uptime that has accumulated since your last reboot. Luckily, it's very easy to find that information in both Windows XP and Vista. Let's take a look!

Tracking Uptime in Vista

To find Vista’s uptime, right click on your taskbar and select Task Manager.

Now, with the Task Manager open, click on the Performance tab and you'll see the amount of uptime listed under the System section.

Tracking Uptime in XP (Professional edition only)

To find the uptime in XP, go to Start, Run, type in "cmd" and then click OK.

That will bring up a command prompt. Type in “systeminfo” (without the quotes) and then hit Enter. It will take a few minutes for the analysis to complete and get your results, but when it's finished, you'll see your uptime listed in days, hours, minutes and seconds.

Find your uptime today!

Password Protect Folders in XP

2009-02-12T09:11:00.000-08:00

Do you share a computer with other users and want some extra security on your folders? There are two ways to password protect a folder built into Windows XP (for other Windows flavors, there are some freeware/shareware programs out there).

#1: If you have a log in password for your account, this can be used to protect folders from other users. Your hard drive must be formatted using NTFS (which it probably is unless you're dual booting with another operating system). Here's what to do...

Right-click the folder that you want to make private and choose "Properties" (or Alt+Double-click). Go to the "Sharing" tab and check the "Make this folder private" box.

Click Apply . If you do not have a password on your account, a box will pop up asking if you want to assign a password. This must be done if you want to make the folder private, so click Yes . You will need to use your password to log on to your computer from then on.

Type in a password then confirm it. Click the "Create Password" button then close the Password window.

Click OK in the Properties dialog box.

Now anyone else logged on to your computer can't access that file without knowing your password.

#2: If the Folder is Zipped you can give it a unique password.

Just double-click the zipped folder. In the top menu select File then click "Add a Password".

Type a password into the Password box. Then again in the "Confirm Password" box.

Now, you are the only person who can access files in this folder. The folder can be opened allowing the files to be seen, but you are the only one who can access them.

Google Knol

2009-02-11T14:24:00.000-08:00

According to Google, a knol is "a unit of knowledge, an authoritative article about a specific topic." The Google Knol service just reached 100,000 articles and it's finally being recognized as a potential competitor to Wikipedia. If you'd like to learn more, here’s how you can get started reading and contributing to Google Knol!

Reading It

Reading a Knol is simple! All you have to do is point your Web browser to http://knol.google.com and search for whatever you'd like to read about. The search is powered by Google, so you know it’s good!

As you can see, there are a lot of Knols (774) about Barack Obama, ranging from his foreign policies to buying cheap Obama memorabilia. Knols can be written by anyone, so the content varies quite a bit.

Writing Your Own Knol

To write a Knol of your own, go to http://knol.google.com again and click on Write a Knol.

Click on the Write a Knol button again. You’ll then see the basic structure for writing a Knol. You can choose your license as well, which I think is great! Pick from three Creative Commons licenses (saying that people can use it, but with conditions) or All Rights Reserved (only under limited circumstances can people use it).

Happy Knolling, my friends!

Pictures From Phone to Computer

2009-02-11T00:02:00.000-08:00

We all know that cell phones are one of today's big crazes. An even bigger one is camera cell phones. Before we know it, all cell phones will probably have camera abilities, because the world today likes to see real images rather than just words. So, it may be a good idea to know what you can do with the pictures you take on your phone after the shooting is done.

Picture Messaging

A common way that people transfer photos from their cell phones to their computers (that doesn't really have any additional cost from your regular monthly bill) is picture messaging. It works pretty much the same as text messaging; you just have to have text messaging enabled on your cell phone. If you don't, this method will not work.

Note: Expect this method to be a little different for various phone models, but the following directions are pretty basic and similar for all phones.

If you would like to send a picture to another person's cell phone or if you want to e-mail a picture to a friend or even to yourself, you just need to open your phone and go to the Menu. Find your phone's Media Gallery and then choose Pictures. At this point, you can pick the photo you'd like to send. Once you have it chosen, go to Options and choose Send in Message (like you're sending a text message). This is where you choose to send it to one of the Contacts listed in your phone or if you want to e-mail it to someone or yourself. Pick the person you're sending it to and push the OK button and then Send.

You can also send text with the picture if you want to do that. If you end up e-mailing the picture to someone, you will just have to type in their e-mail address and they will get it in their Inbox. You just need to make sure the person you're sending the picture to has picture capabilities too.

Data Cable

Another way you can transfer photos to other people is to put them directly onto your computer, so you can e-mail them to your friends or save them to a disk or a CD. So, to do that, you have to have some sort of a USB data connection kit, which comes with the cable cord that plugs your phone into your computer's USB port and the software that will help you in transferring the pictures from your phone. You usually have to purchase these kits separate from your phone. The store where you buy your phone should have them available and they will be able to tell you which one will work with your type of phone.

Once you have your phone and computer connected, you can start transferring the pictures. Again, keep in mind that these kits are phone specific, so you need to make sure that you get one that will be compatible with your phone model.

Bluetooth

Another way to handle the pictures on your cell phone that is becoming more popular every day is a wireless technology called Bluetooth. Bluetooth works with short-range wireless technologies that allow you to easily send photos from your phone to a laptop or desktop computer. The computer you are sending them to just has to be equipped to accept the pictures.

The most difficult (but it can sometimes be fairly easy) part about Bluetooth is matching the phone to the computer, so they are both compatible with each other. But, once that it is done, sending the images couldn't be easier.

As long as your phone has the Bluetooth software on it, you can send the images without any extra charges billed to you. You can also send photos to other Bluetooth users' phones without any wires or additional charges. This seems to be the most versatile way to go if you're looking to maybe spend a little more money up front for the Bluetooth works, but it will save you money in the long run when you don't have to pay any extra charges when sending your pictures back and forth.

E-mail

Another way for you to send pictures between your friends and family is to e-mail them. Your cell phone has to have e-mail capabilities for this to work, but a lot of the phones these days come with that ability. You can e-mail them to other people or, as mentioned above, to yourself. You just have to type the e-mail address in the To: field just like you would if you were using Outlook Express and it will be sent.

If you see something while you're out and about that you just have to take a picture of, you can snap the photo on your phone, send yourself a quick e-mail and when you get home, the picture will be on your computer waiting for you. You can then send it off to other people or do something like set it as your desktop wallpaper.

Removable Memory Cards

Another new technology that is presenting itself with camera phones is an external memory card for your phone. The phone just comes with a slot for the card and you can transfer the shots to your computer in a snap. You will need to purchase an external memory card reader so it will all work, but it's one of the easiest ways to go if you takes several pictures with your cell phone.

When you have the card reader installed, you just remove the memory card from your phone, insert it into the reader and your computer will recognize it as another drive. You can then drag and drop the photos wherever you want them to go, e-mail them to others, etc. The options are pretty endless with this choice. You can then get rid of the existing pictures on your phone (since they're on your computer and not lost) and go out and take more. It's that easy!

Just one more reminder: all of these applications work differently with different phones, so make sure you refer to your phone's manual before doing anything you're not sure of. But, all in all, this is all really cool when you think about it. Who would have thought we could do so much with a little phone? Technology is just out of this world!

Google Earth 5

2009-02-10T08:16:00.000-08:00

It seems like not that long ago, I was telling you about the release of Google Earth 4. Well, lucky for you, Google has been on top of their game and they just released the next version, Google Earth 5. The new Beta version has some really cool new features you just have to check out!

If you've used Google Earth before, you probably already know about many of the features, such as being able to look up anywhere on the planet and see awesome aerial satellite photos. Well, version 5 even introduces something you've never seen before! With Google Earth 5, you can go below the ocean and explore the sea floor. How cool is that?!

Other than looking into the ocean, you can also look into the past. With the new version of Google Earth, you can click on the clock icon and see how places looked in the past and how they have changed over time. That feature is awesome for looking at progress while something was being built, such as a stadium or sky scraper.

If you think you might like all of the new features, you can check out Google Earth 5 for yourself right here. Enjoy!

Opera 9.6: Speed Dial

2009-02-09T15:40:00.000-08:00

Here's another dose of the Opera Web browser for you! If you didn't already know, the people over at Opera recently released the new Opera 9.6 and it's now available for download here. Opera claims to be the only browser that comes with everything you need to be productive, safe and speedy while online. Let’s take a quick look at the Speed Dial feature available in the new version. Here we go!

Speed Dial is a new method of quickly browsing to your favorite Web sites. When you hit the New Tab button, instead of the usual blank page, you'll see a 3 x 3 grid. The grid takes up the full screen and it's laid out in the fashion of a telephone dial with numbers from 1 to 9. Each number can be populated with a different URL, selected from either your existing favorites or entered manually. Now, I know you might be thinking that nine speed dials is not nearly enough. Well, lucky for you, there's an easy way to increase the number of speed dials. Let's check it out, shall we?!

1.) Open Opera and go to Help, About Opera. That will open a page that shows the version information, as well as, other useful information about Opera. Check the Paths section and copy the path for the Opera Directory.

2.) Close Opera and paste the path into the Run dialogue box. Hit OK and you'll then see the Opera profile directory.

3.) You’ll see the “speeddial.ini” file in the folder. Open the file in Notepad and add the following lines to the end of the file:

[Size]

Rows=4

Columns=5

In the above code, 4 and 5 are just examples. You can replace them with your desired numbers.

4.) Save the file and open Opera again. Now, you’ll be able to see more speed dials in Opera!

Excel Cells to Word with Usable Results

2009-02-09T08:01:00.000-08:00

Have you ever tried to copy and paste cells from MS Excel to MS Word?

What happened?

I bet you went to Excel, highlighted the cells, copied the cells, went to Word, pasted the cells and poof, there they were!

Sounds great, doesn't it?

Yes, and it can be, but if you're using Word and Excel 97, there are some slight problems.

You might notice that you can't seem to easily move the cells.

Oops! No handles to grab means no easy moving.

In addition, if you're looking to make the whole thing bigger, you're going to have to go through a bit more trouble. With no handles, there's no easy click and drag option to change the size.

One more thing: for those of you who like to embed the cells into your text with text wrapping, you're out of luck there too.

Now, if you're using a newer version of Excel and Word, things aren't as bad!

You can move the table using the four way arrow that appears in the upper left hand corner when you click on the cells. Plus, there's a resizing box in the lower right hand corner.

I even found that you can wrap text around them.

But I also found that the resizing wasn't what I had in mind.

When I used the resizing box, the whole thing got bigger, but it just didn't look "pleasing" to me. The text stayed the same small size and everything seemed spread apart.

That's not really the effect I was going for. When I resize, I want the whole thing to scale larger or smaller. I don't want to have to do a lot of reformatting to get the end result.

I'm a "grab the resize box, drag and drop" sort of girl. I have no patience for all the rest!

So, what's the solution?

I mean, I love to use Excel to create my tables and then take them to Word. (After all, it's already broken into a grid, so I don't have to draw one).

Well, one idea is to copy in Excel and then use the Edit menu (Home tab on the ribbon for 2007), Paste Special choice in Word.

In the Paste Special window, you should then select Microsoft Excel Worksheet Object as the type and click OK.

Voila! Your Excel data in Word is formatted in a way that allows for easy resizing and text wrapping.

I should also mention that the data can be edited from Word. Simply double click on the data and it will convert it to an Excel worksheet for editing.

It's just one more way to have the best of both worlds!

Computer Problems

2009-02-08T08:36:00.000-08:00

When your computer is creating mess for you and you can not find right solutions, you set out in search of experts to pull you out. And the first choice is always the manufacturer. Then, you notice that your warranty with the manufacturer has expired and your computer is no more eligible for free computer support or repair from them. In such case the best thing you can do is search for online computer help and support.

Outlined below are some tips you can follow to narrow down on the most appropriate computer support vendor who can offer you the best value for your money.

1. Always shop around before settling on any particular source: Shop for different support companies and go ahead with the one which has better array of support services along with appropriate charges. It is completely futile to pay a hefty amount of money for something which you will use just once or twice.

2. Get credentials from experienced people: Do not sign up for any software support services if you are facing problems with your computer hardware. At times, computer users get baffled among which services to choose from. If you are facing a software issue, it will be more advisable to contact hardware service companies instead of software solution providers.

3. Look out for trail support packs: See if any trail pack is available with any good computer support company. Also never compromise on the quality of support services. Do not end up paying too much for something which was least useful. Ensure about terms and conditions with the computer service provider.

4. Always give out minute details of your computer problems and never shy to ask your computer support technician anything you feel suspicious about. Do not let them experiment with your computer; it can lead to more loss than the actual problem Also, do not expect computer experts to guess everything happening on your PC.

5. Check for different packages on different websites if you are considering availing remote computer support online support. If you have been facing regular problems with your PC, it will be better to sign up with long term plans.

Daisy is a technical and security specialist associated with multiple tech firms including iYogi. iYogi is synergistic ally aligned to offer computer repair,computer support, microsoft support,hp support, dell support, pc repair, desktop support,PC help services ,tech support, online technical support, computer tech support to its clients in US, UK, Canada and Australia by Microsoft certified technician.

Always shop around before settling on any particular source: Shop for different computer support companies and go ahead with the one which has better array of support services along with appropriate charges. It is completely futile to pay a hefty amount of money for something which you will use just once or twice.

Get credentials from experienced people: Do not sign up for any software support services if you are facing problems with your computer hardware. At times, computer users get baffled among which services to choose from. If you are facing a software issue, it will be more advisable to contact hardware service companies instead of software solution providers.

Look out for trail support packs: See if any trail pack is available with any good computer repair and support company. Also never compromise on the quality of support services. Do not end up paying too much for something which was least useful. Ensure about terms and conditions with the computer service provider.

Speed Up Your Computer by Defrag and Deleting Temp Files

2009-02-07T15:34:00.000-08:00

Computers are an amazing piece of technology that has completely changed the ways that we live. With computers, we can now do things that were once unthinkable.

We can order groceries from home, purchase airline tickets, interact with people, meet future spouses, play games, listen to music, watch movies, and a million other things.

Unfortunately, with ever evolving better technologies to enhance the computer experience, one must keep up with ever evolving computer technology.

Computers are something that can very easily be upgraded. RAM, Hard Drives, and other hardware pieces are fairly easy to remove and replace with updated technology. But why just settle for upgrades?

Computers are becoming so cheap that one can easily buy a brand new computer for sometimes cheaper than it would cost for an upgrade. A new computer will speed up just about every process and activity that you may do on a computer. Games will load and play faster, CDs and DVDs can be burned easily, Windows will load up applications quicker, etc.

If you don't want to buy a new computer, there are several options one can do to make their current computer faster. You can delete temp files to clean up hard drive space and then defrag your hard drive.

To delete temp files:

1. Open Internet Explorer and click on Tools

2. Click on Internet Options

3. On the General Tab, in the middle of the screen, click on Delete Files

4. You may also want to check the box "Delete all offline content"

5. Click on OK and wait for the hourglass icon to stop after it deletes the temporary internet files

6. You can now click on Delete Cookies and click OK to delete cookies that websites have placed on your hard drive.

To clear the Internet History in IE:

1. Open Internet Explorer and click on Tools

2. Click on Internet Options

3. On the General Tab, in the middle of the screen, click on Clear History

4. Click OK

To clean up other temporary files on your computer in Windows 98 or higher:

1. Click Start, Programs (or All Programs), Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup

2. Choose the correct drive usually C:

3. Check the boxes in the list and delete the files

After this is done, if you'd like to defrag, you can do this:

1. Open My Computer.

2. Right-click the local disk volume that you want to defragment, and then click Properties.

3. On the Tools tab, click Defragment Now.

4. Click Defragment.

There are literally dozens of other ways to speed up your computer. But deleting temp files and defragging is one easy way to speed up your hard drive. If you want that doing these tricks doesn't really help, then you can always buy a new computer, for real cheap.

Another tip to speed up your computer, that does cost some money, is to run ScanDisk. This will find any problems with your hard drives and / or Windows and will help run you computer more smoothly.

1. Press the Start button.

2. Click My Computer.

3. Highlight the disk which you want to scan for bad sector on the list of Hard Disk Drives.

4. Open the File menu and select Properties

5. Select the Tools tab.

6. Click the Check Now button.

Operating System on a USB Flash Drive

2009-02-07T11:33:00.000-08:00

Most of us may not be aware of the fact that you can get an operating system on your USB flash drive. It might surprise many. But, that's the truth. Firmwares available in our PCs allow booting to take place from these drives. In these circumstances, you can easily launch operating systems from a bootable flash drive. These flash drives are commonly referred to as Live USB. Generally, Linux operating systems are available through this method. However, there are some versions of flash drives offering Ms. Windows operating systems.

You can use Live USB's for special tasks like installing operating systems across a network or for loading minimal kernel for embedded operations. You can have Windows XP installed on a drive through a properly configured Windows USB flash drive. If there is extra space in the drive, you can even install software in it. But for all this, a large disk is required. The final result will be a portable version of an operating system that can be operated upon during emergencies.

Linux operating systems are available in these Live USB's. The functionality and usage capabilities of these Live USB's are comparable to those with live CD's. You can perform many tasks with these live USB's like distributing and recovering various data. On few counts, live USB's are different from live CD's.

For example, while retrieving data from CD's is almost impossible as they are permanently written, live USB's allow data to be retrieved and modified as per the need of the user. Hence, these drives can be effectively used for personal storage purposes. All the personal applications and configurations can be carried out with these Live USB's. What's more, they can be employed for a single system that is intended to be used by multiple users over a network.

Just like any another storage devices, Live USB's have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Firstly, Live USB's provide extra bit of privacy. This is possible because, Live USB's can be carried with the user wherever he/she goes and the data stored in the device is in a safe location. There are few drawbacks associated with these devices as well. As live USB's are small in size, they can get lost or misplaced. Retrieving them could then be an impossible task. Small size of these drives also means encryption and making backups that much more important and a bit tricky.

USB drives have a faster seek time when compared to optical media and hard drives. This is so because they don't have any movable parts in them. This could also mean programs can start faster in these drives than say a hard drive or a live CD.

In some USB devices, booting can take place slowly owing to low data transfer speeds. Also, booting from flash drives may not be supported by older computer as they don't have inbuilt BIOS. Using USB drives for booting an operating system might even reduce the life span of the drives.

Having an operating system traveling with you wherever you go is extremely useful for professionals who are always on the move. There are many online tutorials available in the internet which can guide you in the usage of these flash drives. Make sure you have one.

Checking and Repairing Your Computer Registry

2009-02-06T13:31:00.000-08:00

Checking your computer registry, cleaning and repairing it are one of the essential maintenance functions of a computer. It is necessary to ensure that your computer is working correctly, that programs, which are no longer in existence, do not take up memory and your computer is not filled with items that are not necessary. These files can also create errors for you if there are too many of them in addition to freezing, slow load times and hanging programs.

There are several different ways to ensure that you do the best registry repair that you can do on your system. The first thing is to get a good registry cleaner there are a number of Windows XP registry repair applications available many of them free of charge or for a reduced rate. These registry cleaners take the work out of cleaning up your registry. Before these cleaners individuals had to be trained in order to be able to access the registry, identify which files were safe to remove or were attached to the program that they were deleting and remove them.

The best registry repair program, removes the registry files for programs which have been deleted and which are not being used by other applications. It is common for registry files to be shared between programs in order to save space. These shared files often should not be deleted since they are being used by other programs and removing them can actually cause problems with the programs that are sharing them.

When you look into Windows XP registry repair programs it is a good idea to check into the reviews on the program. Make sure that not only does it have good reviews from the computer experts but that it also has good reviews from users. You want to know what people like you think about the program before you go out and spend your money on it.

The second thing is that you are going to want to look for in the best registry repair program is the back up. You are going to want to ensure that you can back up your registry in case of an accidental deletion. This helps you to restore the files you need to restore without causing a problem for your computer. This is an essential function of the best Windows XP registry repair programs on the market.

There are a number of different programs on the market. Some of these programs are paid others freeware but the good ones all have a few things in common and all help to protect your computer from the issues that come from having a clogged registry. Without cleaning your registry you could deal with computer slow downs, hanging programs, increased load times and a number of errors that come from having invalid values in your registry. These invalid values can actually cause your computer applications even seemingly unrelated applications because of shared files. Having a good registry cleaning program is one of the essential maintenance programs for your computer.

Setting Up Windows For Our Network

2009-02-05T11:10:00.000-08:00

Configuring our computers for our home computer networkAfter all the hardware for our home computer network has been setup , we now have to setup our computers to allow communication with each other. Though we have our hardware in place it remains useless unless the computer knows what to do with it, and it is you who has to tell it what to do with the hardware. In this article we will go through the process of setting up the software side of our network, which is not very complicated, actually a lot of it is automated or semi-automated where the computer does most of the work.

Some of the stuff you need to do is routine technical stuff like installing the drivers (software that controls the hardware devices like the NIC) on your computer. Also you will need to set up each computer so they are ready to share their files on your home network.

Note for Wireless Users: If you are using a wireless router on your network then you will need to install the router first. Though installation procedures vary among manufacturers, for the most part they all have the same general setup.

Drivers for hardware

Your network connectors, whether they be ISA, PCI or a USB connecter are all hardware devices which will need you to install little software programs known as drivers. Drivers help the operating system communicate with hardware, telling the hardware what to do and when to do it.

After you physically install the network adaptor on your computer, the next time you turn it on, windows should automatically discover it and request for a driver to be installed. This very cool feature in windows is known as plug and play, which goes to work while windows start up. The plug and play feature will want to install your hardware straight away and will request for you to provide the correct information for it to be installed properly.

With USB connectors you can plug the device into the computer while it is on and windows will automatically detect it for you and bring up the "add new hardware" wizard. This ability to install hardware whilst the computer is on is known as a hot installation (by techies), and its one of the coolest things about USB devices... Get it?... HOT installation... COOLEST thing about USB?

Come on that's funny!

Oh Never mind!

There are times the plug and play feature in windows will not detect your new hardware, in that case it will be up to you install the driver manually.

Protocols to start Communication

Now windows has the appropriate drivers to communicate with our network adaptors, it is time for our computers to start communicating . In order for our computers to communicate, they need to have the same network protocol (That's tech talk for the language computers use to communicate). There are two types of protocols used for computer to computer communication, TCP/IP or NetBEUI. Depending on your version of windows each one will be installed automatically. Windows XP installs TCP/IP automatically so if you wanted to use NetBEUI on XP you would have to install it using you windows CD, and vice versa if you were using windows 98.

Each computer must be installed with the same protocols in order to communicate; this installation binds the protocol and the network adaptor together. As soon as each computer can talk the same beautiful language, then services can begin on the network. Each task that you want to perform on a network, like file sharing, print sharing and logging on to the network is known as network services.

Naming computers and Work groups

There is one more task to do in order for our computers to communicate and share resources. The Microsoft Network system is very anal when it comes to networking rules and demands to know who's who, who's where and what's what. Because of this computers must be given a name (each one having to be unique, so you can't have two computers with the same name).

Also you must give each computer a work group (the group in which you network exists, so each computer must be in the same group) Windows Networking wizard If you are using Windows Me or XP you do not have to go through most of this, you can use windows home networking wizard to set it up for you.

The windows home networking wizard walks you through the process of setting up your network, it also sets up the shared internet connection for you. A lot of people do not like using this wizard because they say it complicates things (I can't say I am too fond of it my self). I would recommend you doing it all manually it helps you understand how windows works a lot better.

Object Selection Made Easy in PowerPoint 2007

2009-02-05T08:27:00.000-08:00

If you're anything like me, your MS PowerPoint slides are sometimes loaded with different items, especially when you start layering objects.

That can make for some very "slick" presentations, but it can also cause some major headaches when it comes time to do your editing.

There's always one thing in front of another and you're constantly trying to select one thing, but getting another.

If you're frustrated with that situation and you have PowerPoint 2007, this just may be your lucky day!

In PowerPoint 2007, you now have a Selection and Visibility Pane that can completely eliminate your editing blues.

The added feature allows you to select items from a list instead of on the slide, rename objects (allowing for them to have meaningful names), hide an object without actually deleting it and to move objects forward and backward through the layers.

To get to the Selection and Visibility Pane, you need to start under the Home tab on the ribbon, Editing section (far right), Select button, Selection Pane choice.

When the pane opens, you'll find a list of all the objects on the currently selected slide.

To select an object on the slide, simply select it from the list. With it selected, you can easily edit, reposition, etc.

As you can see, the names aren't all that meaningful, so if you have a long list, you may want to consider naming at least some of them something useful.

You can rename any item by double clicking on it. That will place a cursor in the name, allowing you to edit it as you please.

Now, let's talk about the eye icon to the right of the object name. That icon indicates the object should be shown on the slide.

If you click on the eye icon, it will disappear and so will the object on the slide. (In my example above, Bevel 94 is currently hidden and the rest are visible).

The cool part is all you've done is hide the object. It's not deleted, it's just hidden.

Displaying the object again is as simple as clicking on the empty icon.

Finally, I'd like to point out the two arrow buttons at the bottom of the Selection and Visibility Pane.

With an object selected, clicking on either button will move the object either forward or backward through the layers.

While I can't say I would need this one for every presentation I create, I can say it's a definite "must have" for many of them!

How to Cope With Microsoft Windows Vista

2009-02-03T13:08:00.000-08:00

It has been one of the most anticipated software releases by Microsoft in years. Windows Vista has had so much hype that it's no wonder people are disgusted with the performance of this new operating system. Vista has all the bells and whistles that anyone could ever want from an OS. The screens look nice, the search functions would seem to help you find what you need on your computer. There is only one problem...The system has so many issues that need to be ironed out that it can be a chore doing simple tasks that would normally run flawlessly in XP.

I recently bought a new computer and Vista was the OS that came with the machine. Within 1 month, I had to reinstall the operating system 3 times. This seems excessive but it had to be done. Every time the computer would wake from sleep mode, the screen resolution would revert to the lowest setting which made everything look horrible. Re-installing the video drivers did nothing to solve this issue.

On the second OS installation, my computer system information would not show up because of some kind of permission setting that was not allowing my processor and memory information to be displayed. After 2 hours of troubleshooting, I figured it would be easier to re-install the OS.

I tolerate Vista at best. Here are some ways to cope with your Vista nightmare...

* Upgrade to Microsoft XP (XP is the older OS but I feel "upgrade" is an appropriate word because XP is the more stable system)

* Install only the programs that you absolutely need

* Keep an eye on the management console and keep track of the system events in the events viewer - this will give you some information on what could be causing the issues at hand

* Turn OFF the Windows Aero display setting in your Appearance Settings - this theme is a memory hog

* install all the memory you can afford

* Try and remain optimistic - I would think future patches would fix Vista to a more reliable OS

* Buy an Apple Macintosh computer

Windows XP Shutdown Problem

2009-02-02T08:22:00.000-08:00

The root of a Windows XP shutdown problem can be traced to several issues. Windows as an operating system has been stable at best but is known to have many problems within its shell. In fact, Windows XP is built on the kernels and core of many of the previous versions of Windows, so the problems that may show up would have shown a similar pattern in older, more antiquated versions of Windows.

One of the possible problems that can occur is a damaged exit sound file. If you had selected a specific wave file to be played when Windows shutdown to replace the stock sounds (that you didn't like), then the problem might lay in the fact that the wave file is either corrupt or has a bad file root directory. If Windows cannot play the file or cannot find the file in the first place, then it might hang and refuse to shut down as it tried to resolve the issue. Another problem could surface when Windows was just freshly installed and there was a problem in the initial configuration. If your Windows was recently installed or there was a problem in the install process, then there might be a hiccup in the shutdown process.

Some technicians actually have identified the problem as starting from either a problem with hardware devices or the problem with a recent hardware install. Bad, incompatible device drivers and hardware conflicts are just some of the possible problems that can cause the computer to hang when you start to initiate the shut down on process. When you try to troubleshoot the problem of Windows shutdown, make sure you have initial fail safes that Windows has installed turned off. This is because the operating system has a tendency to restart itself when it sees an error in the shut down process. A good way to troubleshoot this problem would be to log onto Windows in 'safe' mode and see if there are any hardware device driver conflicts that you can resolve. If you do see yellow or red exclamation marks in your Device Manager profiles, then either try to reload the device driver or download a later version.

Check your USB connections, especially with device attached to your mainframe via the USB ports. Sometimes when there are too many devices plugged into the motherboard, there might be an overload in the end of the shutdown problem, which would trigger the motherboard's fail safe, which would be to restart the computer. Another popular way to find out the root cause of this mishap is to get a registry cleaner and clean out the registry. Sometimes, bad command lines or orphan keys in the registry can cause Windows to lock and restart itself, or even hang. A good registry cleaner can sniff out these problems and ensure that it does not happen anymore.

So you see, resolving a windows XP shutdown problem is not at all that difficult. If you have a basic understanding on how to use your computer and how it operates, you should be able to resolve a Windows XP shutdown problem without having to engage the services of a professional computer technician.

Shutdown Shortcut

2009-02-01T11:51:00.000-08:00

Do you ever get tired of the repetitive process of shutting down your computer? You know, you have to go to your Start menu and then select Turn Off or Shut Down, whichever your computer has. Then you have to wait for it to actually shut down just to make sure it did it properly. Well, how would you like to bypass all of that and make the process a little easier?

You can do so by creating a shutdown shortcut for your computer. This shortcut will just be like another icon either on your desktop or in your quick launch area. To create one, right click anywhere on your desktop and go to New, Shortcut. A wizard will then pop up and walk you through the steps. In the "Type the location of the item:" box, enter this code: %windir%\System32\shutdown.exe -s

Now, the s stands for shutdown. If you use this option, your computer will give you a brief waiting time before it actually shuts down. You can also choose to force running applications to stop (f) or choose to have no wait time before your PC turns completely off (t xx). So, if you would like to have both of those along with your command, enter this code instead: %windir%\System32\shutdown.exe -s -f -t 00. Your computer will then shut down instantly.

Once you have the one you want, click Next. You can then pick a name for your shortcut. I just named mine "Shut Down," but you can use whatever you want. When done, click Finish and the new icon will appear on your desktop. You can add it to your quick launch area now as well if you want. When you're ready to shut down your computer, double click this new icon and your computer will turn off. Cool, huh?! And the best part is, it's all done with one quick step!

Troubleshooting Runtime Error 380

2009-02-01T10:18:00.000-08:00

Runtime error 380 is more commonly characterised by a message that will display an 'invalid property value' dialogue on your computer. Runtime errors are in essence, problems Windows encountered when trying to link the chain of instructions that allow for the successful execution of a program when loaded. Programmers who designed programs will often encounter instances in various different situations where files are missing and commands are not followed to the T. While they will try their best to control these problems and print out an almost perfect piece of published software, they can never compensate for the literally millions of hardware and software configurations out in the wild world of computing.

Runtime Error 380 is simply a code that tells you a certain link in the chain is damaged or corrupted, unable to complete the commands that would allow whatever it is you are trying to do to load. In this case, it is usually a problem with root names and corruptions/problems within the Visual Basics directory. Technophiles might be able to get around the problem by locking in on the program that has the error and repairing the damage (which sometimes just needs either renaming of certain files and command lines/directories). Sometimes, error 380 also could mean that a program is running with pre conceptions of older versions of .OCX files within the Visual Basics Library - and your computer just happens to be running a much later version.

An update either way will help you to resolve this situation. OR the cause might be an outdated .DLL file (or missing) within Microsoft Visual Basic 4.0 - 5.0 Professional/Enterprise editions. As you can see, the root causes of the 380 are quite varied and for the casual user, this will be more than just a mere inconvenience. A quick look online will reveal even more possibilities, so as I write this, I realise as well that the problems listed here could be just the tip of the ice berg. Instead of instructing you on how to solve it with specific details, I will advise all who come across this problem to first look at the registry. Now, if you have no idea about how the registry works, then I advise you to not go in unschooled and try to modify the keys and command lines within its matrix.

Always, always use a registry cleaner that has been designed to rifle through the information with its delicate tools and clean any problems or bad data within the registry. Most of the time, runtime errors like this one is due to null values, orphan data keys and bad program command lines within the registry, either caused by time/use and attacks of intrusive and malicious software. Because Windows depends on the registry to tell it what to do, you need to clean out your registry to nullify problems like runtime error 380. Not only will it go away, but you will find yourself with a faster PC then what you started with, and that is good value.

Find Competitors by Using a Keyword Spy Tool

2009-01-30T00:07:00.000-08:00

Nowadays regarding auction sites eBay is one of the largest on the Internet and the 5,000,000 members prove its popularity and rank against all the other auctioneer web sites out there. I imagine most everyone has either sold an item on eBay or purchased something at one point or another in their lives. But besides actually marketing and buying on eBay once in awhile, there really are individuals that actually make money from there household by operating on eBay and making money by doing so.

These people have online home businesses that they utilize eBay for a full-time income. These people sell particulars normally at wholesale costs in large quantities and spread them out over eBay allowing people to "scoop up" those products. In most cases you will find more than one item for sale by the same individual people also are known to find sites that provide drop shippers and profit, some people actually attain really good money on eBay.

Another thing I have seen done is an eBay affiliate site, which allows these members to make a website of their own, and link in products from other users. When someone goes to that affiliate site, like all other affiliate sites, and they pay for an item, the affiliate receives a profit. This allows for the affiliate to make money but not have to physically deal with the products, shipping or handling (sending the product out).

I've tried selling on eBay a few times but, I was never really good at "merchandising" anything to start out with! If you are one of the many individuals that uses eBay as a means to make money online from home either full-time or part-time then you in all probability have used a tool of some variety on the website. Some instruments can be utilized for members that sell a lot of items on there and like to track everything, other instruments help you in posting items for sale, and finally there are other tools that will assist you in finding hot keywords and also discover your competitors keywords.

Obtaining hot keywords to employ on eBay is good for two main reasons I think. Firstly, it gives you a chance to incorporate those keywords into your item page and secondly it gives you a dependable idea of what merchandises are hot and which are not. For example, if you look for keywords and the phrase "footballs" shows 5 million leads then you should know not to sell footballs on eBay because everyone else is as well! Likewise you can use these tools as aforementioned to spy on your competitors keywords, this permits you to see precisely what keywords they are utilizing and will aid you in figuring out which ones you should apply to beat them out of the competition!

There are several different spy tools you can use in these instances and a few of the top rated ones are listed below along with a description about the product:

Keyword Spy can be defined as the search engine that can be utilized to access the keywords that are applied to provide you more of a benefit. You can understand the course of success which is leading to more earnings for your rivals and turn those ways towards your establishment for a profit as well. With the utilization of this product the turnover for your trade will grow rapidly.

PPC also known as pay per click is one of the fastest and smartest ways to make money online. It is an easy way to make income by launching campaigns and selling the product by practicing the correct keywords. The real problem rises up while trying to find those lucrative keywords. PPC Bully helps this purpose. It assists its users to do the research process and seek out those profitable campaigns they are looking for; which of their rivals and advertisers are campaigning and the products they are selling.

KeyCompete is an innovative tool which has been discovered for useful keywords. KeyCompete can be identified as the product which goes behind identifying rivals selecting the same keyword and find out those who are new in the marketplace and are struggling for adequate portions in the market!

All in all these are awesome tools to use if you want to go behind enemy walls, so to speak, and find out what your competitors are selling, how they are selling the items, and what keywords they are ultimately using in order for people to find the product. Most of us know that keywords are a major part of any business, and eBay is no different. If you know the keywords your rival is using and he is making potential money, then all you have to do is snoop around, find the phrases or keywords he is using, and start using them for your own business! Pretty easy stuff but incredibly ingenious!

Make Your PC Faster With the Disk Defragmenter

2009-01-28T09:18:00.000-08:00

The Windows Disk Defragmenter is a computer program that comes with Microsoft Windows. The purpose of the program is to increase access speed by rearranging files sorted on the hard disk to occupy contiguous storage locations. This process and technique is known as defragmenting. It is designed to ultimately optimize the time it takes to read and write files to and from the disk by minimizing head travel time and maximizing the transfer rate. Within Windows XP, the disk defragmenter is also used as a way to improve system startup times.

Starting at Windows 9x, the disk defragmentation tool was made available. Before that a third party had released a disk defragmenter for use with Windows 9x. A useful add on that has been made available in Windows Vista is that you can opt to run the disk defragmenter at certain repeated times. This way, you don't have to worry about remembering to run the disk defragmenter. You can simply set the times that you want it to run. In Windows Vista, you can also select which volumes are to be defragmented along with a simpler user interface.

The disk defragmenter is just one of the things in your arsenal to improve performance and make your PC faster at no expense to you. It is a useful and needed tool to have within your PC that can alleviate the problem of misplaced files. This way, your PC does not need to use extra time locating needed files to execute programs.

Disk defragmentation should be carried out every two weeks or so to maintain optimal system performance.

Get a Spy For PC at Home

2009-01-27T15:17:00.000-08:00

You want to know what your children are doing while on the computer. You're a good parent for starters and a smart parent at that. Perhaps you need a spy for PC activity going on at home because you're worried for your child's safety. Other people want to know what employees are doing and, at the end of the day, the method to investigate both is the same. Personally, I track activity on my work and personal systems because so many people are using them. There's a high likelihood of potential problems and I'm all about prevention. All it takes is to pick up the newspaper to see stories related to online relationships, interactions or alike; many could have been prevented and that is terribly saddening.

The risks and dangers, depending upon the circumstances, can range and run the gamut from having personal information stolen to experiencing a personal tragedy. Sadly, there are many adults preying upon children and they tactfully unearth personal information and more. If you don't have an activity report, usernames or passwords, how are you really supposed to know what's going on? You trust your child I'm sure; it's the others you have to worry about.

If you make the small investment in a software program designed to track all activity and information entered, you'll have piece of mind in knowing that nothing risky is taking place. I cant' think of any risk worth taking when it comes to my children and I can't justify ignoring their activity at all. It's my job and yours too, to ensure our children are safe online and that our information is too. I hope you're searching under the premise of protection instead of post-incident. Either way, due your due diligence and protect yourself and family today; get a program to be your spy for PC activity.

Tyler Goad is a programmer and the director of popular blog PCSpySoftwareReview.Com. He is an expert on PC software. He provides honest information and advice on things like PC spy software and much more. Learn more when you visit his site today!

How to Choose a Laptop Computer

2009-01-27T08:15:00.000-08:00

Laptops are an increasingly popular product catering to professionals and casual users alike. However, it can be very difficult choosing which laptop is good for you and with so many specifications, as well as such a variety of choice, picking the right one can be a very difficult task. This short guide aims to help show you how to choose a laptop computer.

Think about your needs

Some people may think they need a laptop when really a desktop PC would do just as well. The benefit of buying a desktop over a laptop is price - desktops are far cheaper. However, if you need something portable then a laptop is the definitive solution.

It's important to take the time to work out what you really need to get from your laptop. There's no point in spending $2000 on a top of the range laptop when all you need to do is check emails on it.

If your needs are primarily checking emails and writing documents then a low cost laptop will be all you need. If you plan to watch movies and burn files to disk then a middle-range laptop would suit you better. Top of the range laptops are only really necessary for playing games with advanced graphics or for handling programs which need a lot of computer power such as graphical design packages.

Important features

The key features of a laptop are its battery life, processor speed, RAM memory, and hard drive storage capacity. A DVD player/burner is another popular feature, as well as the size and weight. Finally, in high end laptops graphics cards are also important. You may also want to take note of whether MS Office applications (or equivalent) are bundled with the computer or not if you intend to create written documents.

Buying the Laptop

It's really important to shop around when you look for a laptop. Deals vary greatly from place to place, but as a general rule the Internet is a great place to start your search.

WAN and Client Server Applications

2009-01-26T20:20:00.000-08:00

There is no denying the fact that the communications servers provide support for wide area network communications. This support typically includes support for a subset of IBM System Network Architecture, asynchronous protocols, X.25, ISDN, TCP/IP, OSI, and LAN-to-LAN NetBIOS communication protocols. In the Novell NetWare accomplishment, Gateway Communications make available a leading communications product. In the LAN Server and LAN Manager environments, OS/2 communications server products are available from IBM and DCA. In the Banyan VINES environment, the addition of DCA products to VINES provides support for SNA connectivity.

UNIX servers provide a range of product add-ons from various vendors to support the entire range of communications requirements. VMS servers support Decent, TCP/IP, and SNA as well as various asynchronous and serial communications protocols. MVS servers provide support for SNA, TCP/IP, and some support for other asynchronous communications. Security at the server restricts access to software and data accessed from the server. Communications access is controlled from the communications server. In most implementations, the use of a user login ID is the primary means of security. Using LAN Server, some organizations have implemented integrated Response Access/Control Facility security by creating profiles in the MVS environment and downloading those to the LAN server for domain control.

Systems and network management services for the local LAN are managed by a LAN administrator, but WAN services must be provided from some central location. Typically, remote LAN management is done from the central data center site by trained MIS personnel. The discussion in the following sections more specifically describes the functions provided by the server in a NOS environment. Requests are issued by a client to the NOS services software resident on the client machine. These services format the request into an appropriate RPC and issue the request to the application layer of the client protocol stack. This request is received by the application layer of the protocol stack on the server. File services handle access to the virtual directories and files located on the client workstation and to the server's permanent storage. These services are provided through the redirection software implemented as part of the client workstation operating environment.

In order to diminish the effort and effect of installation and maintenance of software, software should be loaded from the server for execution on the client. New versions can be updated on the server and made immediately available to all users. Furthermore, setting up in a central location reduces the effort required for each workstation user to knob the installation process. Because each client workstation user uses the same installation of the software, non-compulsory parameters are consistent, and remote help desk operators are aware of them. This simplifies the analysis that must occur to provide support. Sharing information, such as word processing documents, is easier when everyone is at the same release level and uses the same default setup within the software.

Central productivity services such as style sheets and macros can be set up for general use. Most personal productivity products do permit local parameters such as colors, default printers, and so forth to be set locally as well. Backups of the server can be scheduled and monitored by a trained support person. Backups of client workstations can be scheduled from the server, and data can be stored at the server to facilitate recovery. Tape or optical backup units are typically used for backup; these devices can readily provide support for many users. Having Placed the server and its backups in a secure location helps prevent theft or accidental destruction of backups.

A central location is readily monitored by a support person who ensures that the backup functions are completed. With more organizations looking at multimedia and image technology, large optical storage devices are most appropriately implemented as shared servers. High-quality printers, workstation-generated faxes, and plotters are natural candidates for support from a shared server. The server can accept input from many clients, queue it according to the priority of the request and handle it when the device is available. Many organizations realize substantial savings by enabling users to generate fax output from their workstations and queue it at a fax server for transmission when the communication costs are lower. Incoming faxes can be queued at the server and transmitted to the appropriate client either on receipt or on request.

In view of the above discussion it is evident that in concert with workfare management techniques, images can be created and disseminated to the suitable client workstation from the image server. In the client/server model, work queues are controlled at the server by a supervisor in concert with default algorithms that determine how to distribute the queued work. Incoming paper mail can be converted to image form in the mail room and sent to the appropriate client through the LAN rather than through interoffice mail. Centralized capture and distribution enable images to be centrally indexed. This index can be maintained by the database services for all authorized users to query.

In this way, images are incarcerated once and are available for circulation instantaneously to all certified users. Well-defined standards for electronic document management will allow this technology to become fully incorporated into the desktop work environment. There are thespian opportunities for cost savings and upgrading in efficiency if this technology is properly implemented and used.

DLL Removal

2009-01-26T19:33:00.000-08:00

Dynamic Link Libraries, or DLL, were created by Microsoft to run much of the operating system. Some programs contain a lot of different modules and these are all linked together with DLLs, making them run smoothly. When a program is changed-that is, when you download a newer version of one-this means that the entire program doesn't have to be re-coded, just certain modules. Code can be re-used and the programs load more quickly and run faster as well as taking up less space on your hard drive. Since DLL files aren't loaded into random access memory (RAM), you have more memory at your disposal during your computer session.

But sometimes DLL is a distinct disadvantage and even dangerous to the health of your computer. You may only go to sites that you think are safe. You might use your computer only for research and emails. You do everything you can to keep your computer free of viruses but still something goes wrong sometimes. You may even have unwittingly downloaded a worm or virus from a pornography site that you've never heard of or thought about viewing! DLL files are the cause of these woes.

Browser plugins and browser hijackers are both made of DLL files that change your system to let others have access to your computer. Other DLL files aren't malicious but cause trouble because the user didn't properly remove a program or application they no longer wanted on their computer. DLLs that are unwittingly left behind when a program isn't removed correctly can interfere with other files and if the DLL is malicious it can recreated itself when you reboot the computer.

Are you looking for a great resource to use when applying preventative measures or restoring your computer back to health. You can find the right software programs to remove all those DLL files safely and permanently. That way you'll have everything you need in order to safely identify and remove DLL files that may be causing your computer to malfunction, slow down or have trouble navigating the internet.

It is especially important to have DLL protection if you use the internet often. As you surf, doing research or chatting with friends on what you think are safe websites, there are a lot of DLLs floating about that can attach themselves to your computer. Click on the advertisement of a product you're interested in? You may be downloaded a DLL from a pornography site; those types of sites do everything they can to expose themselves to you whether you want them to or not. When chatting with someone or sharing pictures or other files, you may be exposing yourself to a malicious DLL.

You need help avoiding all the trouble and expense of cleaning your computer and help preventing the problem in the first place. Your computer is an integral part of your personal and business life. It's up to you to protect it.

For more information on removing computer programs, visit http://www.dllremoval.com and http://www.hostingprivateserver.com

The Various Types of Wireless Networks

2009-01-26T08:14:00.000-08:00

These days you can find wireless networks in many more places, for example, officers, schooling and even your own house. They are fairly low-priced and very easy to setup. An individual can accomplish various projects using this type of setup.

You are not limited to just one Mac to complete the jobs in hand. It is really easy and anyone can do it.

A school uses wireless networks in their dorms and classrooms, so every student is able to use a computer for homework, study and play. A company is filled with assorted styles of sections and Personal Computer usage. It is crucial that each section within the company can communicate with each other so that information can be shared.

There are many more people who may like a wireless electronic networks within their own home. One all your youngsters may be exploring the Net for their homework while the other may be simply playing an online game. Having a wireless electronic network in the home will help them both achieve this same time. There are umpteen benefits when more people can use a wireless network all the same time.

A individual will be able to setup a easy link in their home. This is a great way to connect each Mac within the house without lots of wires. In an business office situation, the company relies on fast communicating and links to each section. An individual can be called in to setup extensive wireless networks throughout the whole business.

It is primary that students are able to connect to the World wide web not just in the schoolroom but also in their dorm room, there is usually more research done after school time therefore connection is required 24/7. Many students will benefit from access to the World wide web and it is really easy to set up. With wireless electronic networks every computer can be on the Net at the same time.

It is really easy to send files and software to the individuals on the network, or even all that the Net. A person can even setup their computer to be able to remotely access another one in the dwelling.

Running your Mac to link to the Net through a wireless electronic network is using this type of system to its fullest extent. It is a very plain to set up and a very simple process that anyone could use it. It doesn't matter what other people are doing on their Mac as you are working independently and can work on different jobs at the same time. The prices for cards and wireless electronic networks are fairly cheap and a house will be cord free.

P Abbey owns and runs http://www.wirelessnetworkfacts.com

Tips to Properly Maintain Your Computer

2009-01-25T13:31:00.000-08:00

In order for a computer to stay fast and reliable it must be well maintained. a computer can stay in good condition for many years if it is properly maintained. Here are ten tips on how to properly maintain your computer.

1. Be sure to have a good antivirus software installed in your computer and make sure that it is always updated. Viruses are among the main causes of computer failure. A complete virus scan should be performed regularly. avoid visiting websites that are suspected to be infested with malware. Do not open e-mails whose sender seemed shady, they could contain deadly malware that can put your system at risk.

2. Defragment your disk regularly. Defragmenting your disk once in every two or three months is a good way to ensure that your computer stays in top condition. Fragmentation happens when your computer's operating system fail to allocate enough contiguous space to store a complete file as a unit and instead places parts of it in gaps between other files. To illustrate this, let us compare it to a library where some users do not return the books to the proper place after they read them. The books in the library are arranged in a manner that would make it easy to locate any particularly book easily. If many books are no longer in their proper places it would take longer to find them. A fragmented file system is like a library where the books are not in their proper places.Think of defragmentation as a process of returning the books in their proper places so that it will be easier to find them using the card catalog. Windows XP and Vista have their own built in defragmenting software but they are very slow. There are good defragmentation software that can do the job in a fraction of the time it would take for the Windows default defragmenter to finish. I recommend Power Defragmenter and Contig.

3. Clean your Windows Registry regularly. When your Windows registry is clogged with bad keys and entries the performance of your computer will slow down. There manual cleaning of the registry is not advisable to non-experts. There are some good registry cleaners like RegVac and Registry Mechanic that are very easy and safe to use.

4. Regularly get updates for your operating system and other important software. Some softwares do not offer automatic updates so it is advisable to regularly check with their website and download and install updates manually.

5. Delete cookies.It is a good advice to periodically delete internet cookies to ensure that your internet runs at optimum speed. It is easy to delete cookies with Firefox, just go to Tools then click on Options. Select the "Privacy" tab then click the "Show cookies" button. Another box with the "remove cookies" button will pop up. Click on the "remove cookies" button. If you are using Internet Explorer 7, do this: exit Internet Explorer 7 then click start, then click run, then type inetcpl.cpl in the text field and click enter. The General tab will appear. Click "delete" under browsing history in the Internet Properties dialog box. The delete browsing history dialog box appears. Click delete cookies. Click "Yes".

6. Regularly run Windows XP's error-checking computer maintenance tool. It can be found by right-clicking the local disk icon in My Computer folder and selecting "Properties". Click the Tools menu and click on the Error-Checking button. In the dialog box that pops up you can choose to run the error checker and scan for errors, or also fix system errors as it finds them.

7. Uninstall programs that you do not use. These programs occupy space in your hard disk. the more space you have in your hard disk the faster your computer runs.

8. Always run your computer on a UPS. Sudden electric surges are harmful to your computer.

9. If you are familiar with the inside of the casing, physically clean your computer. Remove dust that gather in the casing with cloth or vacuum. Be careful not to damage any part though.

10. Give your computer a rest by turning it off every once in a while.

It is important to maintain your computer. If you follow the above tips you can be assured that your PC will last longer and will always have optimum performance.

Ms. Pinky is a Computer Support Specialist for more than 25 years. Has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Engineering, MS Research work in Systems Engineering.

Get more free computer tips on her blog at http://www.computerhelpdeskandsupport.com/

See other link :
Maintain Your Computer

What is a Widget?

2009-01-24T21:23:00.000-08:00

A widget (also known as a gadget) is a small program that runs on your desktop all the time, which replaces the need to constantly visit a website in order to get common information. A Gmail widget on someone's desktop that shows "10 unread messages" will make that user click and go back to the Gmail website. Microsoft (Charts), AOL (Charts), Yahoo (Charts), and even Nokia (Charts) also are some famous brands that offer widgets.

If we look back the age of Widgets, they actually began with an application called Konfabulator. Designed for Mac users, it would pull information from across the Web - weather, stock quotes, headlines - and place them on the desktop as tiny floating windows. The idea was so successful that Apple decided to build widget support right into its operating system. Yahoo bought Konfabulator's creator, Pixoria, in July 2005 for an undisclosed amount that was rumored to be decent - big enough, anyway, to get a lot of developer attention. And suddenly everyone was going mad for widgets.

Of course, the main reason widgets are hot is that users love them. The reason for the same is because it makes the Web user-programmable. If My Yahoo spread it all over, Netvibes took this idea even further by offering the users more than 250 widgets to build a wholly personalized homepage.

I don't see it ending either. As companies like Salesforce.com (Charts) and Google (Charts) are pushing the use of widgets inside businesses. We can see the opportunities and business models around widgets are emerging and will go a long way.

How can Widgets help expand your Online Business?

Today's Internet web space is extremely competitive, as vendors and users demand efficient use of desktop. With websites being more proactive in nature, they want to drive more targeted traffic and develop more incoming links. Widgets seem to be the answer to assist in doing this. These Internet "widgets or gadgets" are an excellent way to market your product or service and make it easily stand out. If you place a widget on your blog or webpage, visitors will instantly be able to download your specialized widget onto their desktop or add them on their blog via small html codes. One of the biggest advantages of using widgets is that they are viral in nature. They allow anyone who has your widget on their website to to share and download your widget directly through their site.

FaceBook, the gigantic social networking site for example, revolutionized their interactivity and popularity by recently introducing and adding the FaceBook Platform in May/07. Now FaceBook widgets are the rage. You will find everything from entertainment and sporting campaigns to different political groups based all on widgets. Because of the popularization of widgets, FaceBook has managed to exponentially attract millions of new members and a lot more advertisers. Other sites that have used widgets to promote and viralize themselves include: MySpace, Revver, PhotoBucket and Blogrush. Savvy internet marketer are increasingly jumping on the widget bandwagon and using it for their benefit.

After a lot of buzz about OpenSocial, Netvibes decided to include all their existing Social APIs as plugins for UWA, their Universal Widget API. They intend to share 2 cool videos demonstrating some of the social features in their next release called "Ginger". The videos provide examples of how Netvibes allows users to follow content and widgets that their friends want to share with them. One can also see some examples of social widgets created using the Social APIs.

Honda's Acura RDX uses the Yahoo! Widgets application to deliver real-time traffic updates directly to drivers' desktops in more than 30 cities. Honda promoted the feature to users who checked traffic on Yahoo! Maps and Yahoo! Widgets (where users can download existing widgets or create their own.) A key benefit was the traffic widget tying into RDX's navigation system, which includes traffic data. The widget has been downloaded more than 30,000 times in three months.

These mini Web application downloaded onto a desktop or transported into personal Web pages, blogs or social-network profiles are a source of constantly updated information, from weather and sports scores to personal photos, which can eliminate the need to visit multiple Web sites.

So as long as you keep your widget informative, useful and simple to understand, they will virally drive traffic to your sites and work as a secret ninja to promote your products or services. Widgets are inexpensive and are an extremely effective way to promote your site through direct response marketing and social networking sites.

Widgets are certainly making a rise from desktop to webpages, blogs and social networks giving them a platform. They are now much, much more, and it seems every company has one. The hope is to embed their widget on the millions of blogs, MySpace and Facebook pages, and thus create cheap marketing while giving the users some value.

It's a great strategy, at least when the widget is cool and people adopt it. The only question is, is your marketing firm aware of it. Do they know how to add value to the users and build an army of brand evangelists in promoting your product? Do they make effective use of Widgets?

A Short History of Ink

2009-01-24T08:26:00.000-08:00

The earliest known use of ink occurred in China approximately 5,000 years ago, when artists used soot, gelatin from animal skins, and lamp oil to develop a black ink used to colour the raised surfaces of pictures and text carved in stone.

In medieval Europe, scribes usually used parchment rather than paper. Parchment had a greasy surface and was not absorptive-so a new ink had to be developed. Eventually medieval scribes discovered the method of mixing tannins from plants with iron salts. The resulting ink, called iron gall ink, was in use for hundreds of years.

The development of the printing press changed the nature of ink. A special ink made from turpentine, soot and walnut oil had to be developed for special use in printing presses. This ink was oily and more similar to a varnish than the typical handwriting inks of its day.

Varnishes were replaced by mineral oils in the 19th century with the advent of high-speed newspaper presses. This ink was heavy enough to withstand the printing process without smudging, and it also dried quickly on newsprint paper.

Printer ink bears no similarity to the ink found in pens; it has been carefully engineered to provide the best performance when paired with specific machines and papers. Many printer inks contain toxic resins and chemicals that improve solubility at the expense of the environment. Today, however, that's changing. It's likely that the future of ink lies in natural materials and environmental responsibility.

Ok that's it for now. Hope you enjoyed the article. If you have any ideas or suggestions for content you'd like us to present on this topic please feel free to contact us via email or via the website listed below.

For more information or to access the online store simply visit :

http://www.inkandmedialtd.co.uk/

Upgrade Memory

2009-01-22T15:59:00.000-08:00

Upgrading your computer's memory can help to better facilitate your work. Whether you are a home user or an office professional you can really benefit from a computer with an enhanced memory. Your computer is embedded with two kinds of memory devices. One of these is used for short term applications whereas the other is used for long term data storage.

The memory device used for short term memory storage is known as RAM whereas long term data is stored in the hard disk. The RAM is only active when you are making use of the computer. The greater the capacity of the RAM chipset the faster your computer will be able to operate. Hence loading up on your Computer Memory can work wonders to facilitate your work and help you to accomplish tasks without any delays in the process.

When buying additional RAM chipsets you need to ensure that the Motherboard that you make use of is compatible with the type of memory that you will be buying. There are a number of Motherboards that produce slots for SDRAM and DDR Memory chipsets. Both of them cannot be used together however but it is always better to have the choice.

The different kinds of RAM work at various speeds. The Motherboard will support these speeds and for your computer to work at its best both the RAM and Motherboard must have a good speed and should be totally compatible with each other.

DDR Memory chipsets have however proven to be far more effective in terms of their memory capacity and speed. This is why they are steadily replacing SDRAM because they are relatively cheap and provide the user with increased efficiency. DDR chipsets are comes in a number of speed varieties such as the pc2100, pc2700 and pc3200.

The RAM memory works at different megahertz variety. The megahertz will however be restricted by the capacity of the Front Side Bus of your Motherboard. This is one of the things that you need to take into consideration because if your motherboard has a value lesser than that of your RAM, the capacity of your RAM will be limited by your Motherboard's capacity.

There is another important thing to consider when trying to optimize the speed of your Computer memory. If you make use of RAM chipsets of various speeds with your Motherboard, it will only detect the RAM chipset with the lowest memory. The rest of the fast memory will be dummied to the slower one. Hence it is important to make sure that you make the right choice.

When it comes to buying RAM you can easily do that through the internet. There are various web stores that will offer you a wide variety of options. You can check for the compatibility of your computer system with the online services that the web stores have to offer.

Check If a Site Contains Malware

2009-01-21T13:29:00.000-08:00

Are you worried about surfing the web and stumbling onto a page that contains Malware? Who doesn't? Wikipedia defines Malware as:

"A portmanteau from the words malicious and software, is software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner's informed consent. The expression is a general term used by computer professionals to mean a variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software or program code."

Let me tell you of 2 very easy ways to check a site before you visit it.

Option 1 :

Click on my website link at the bottom of this article and look in the left hand menu and click on the link that says "check any site for malware instantly" to use Google's Safe Browsing Diagnostic Tool. It includes a small Bookmarklet you can add to your browser just by dragging it into your browser's toolbar area.

Option 2 :

Step 1 : Open a new Tab in your browser

Step 2 : Copy and paste the URL i have specified on the same page as instructed above into your address bar. This will open a Diagnostics page with the following info in the report. I have used my site as an example. What is the current listing status for christianhoughonline.com?

This site is not currently listed as suspicious.

What happened when Google visited this site?

Google has not visited this site within the past 90 days.

Has this site acted as an intermediary resulting in further distribution of malware?

Over the past 90 days, christianhoughonline.com did not appear to function as an intermediary for the infection of any sites.

UPS

2009-01-19T11:33:00.000-08:00

If you're having some strange problems with your computer, it could be that the power supplied to your machine from your wall outlet is dirty. Or perhaps you could been the recent victim of a power surge or spike during a hydro-blackout, or storm. Power surges occur, when too much hydro-is transmitted down the line even for just a nanosecond or so. It can often be caused by other electrical units connected to the same circuit. Sometimes a computer may not have enough power, due to a heavy draw from other items such as air conditioners.

Fortunately the solution to this problem. What you need is an uninterruptible power supply, commonly known as the UPS. This basically introduces a middleman/protector between your computer and the Hydro coming from your wall socket. The UPS plugs into the wall and draws energy to charge a battery. The power from the battery, as I use the power your computer. By adding this extra step, power surges, power sides and blackouts will have little effect on your computer. When the power goes out, the batteries on the UPS takeover and continue to supply power to your computer.

Depending on the size of your batteries, you be able to continue using your computer for several minutes to several hours. Hopefully this gives the power problem enough time to correct itself. Generally speaking the price of a UPS goes up with the size of the battery inside. At the very least, having only a small battery will at least give you the time to save everything you're working on, and powerdown your computer systematically, and safely.

There are a few different types of power supplies you should consider. One type of uninterruptible power supply, is called the same by UPS. The other type of uninterruptible power supply, is called a continuous UPS. Both UPS types share some similarity. They both remain plugged into your standard Hydro, and charge a set of internal batteries. A standby UPS, will only switch to battery power, for your computer, whether it detects a power surge, or a power blackout.

The stand by UPS can switch the battery power very quickly, in only a few milliseconds. With a continuous UPS, your computer is always running from the battery. The UPS is constantly charging the battery with power from your standard Hydro. If the power goes out, there is no need for the UPS to switch to battery, and there is no delay of power supplied to your computer.

Keyboarding Introduction

2009-01-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

Many, if not most of us, spend a significant amount of time in front of a keyboard. Some of us rely on our typing skills (to one degree or another) to generate a living. And while point and click technology has made speed typing less of a requirement than it was a few decades ago, good communication increasingly demands solid typing skills.

A computer keyboard may seem like a simple and relatively unimportant tool, but the reality is that the keyboard interface has allowed information to be created and replicated in a way that has transformed the world. Think about it. What would a computer be without a keyboard? Certainly, the mouse and other innovations have reduced keystrokes. But there is simply no shortcut to entering vast quantities of raw information into a computer system. And like it or not, virtually every sentence, every word, every syllable, and every letter has had to be pounded out by a typist. It turns out that the lowly keyboard is one of the most important tools mankind has ever devised.

Standardized Keyboard Arrangement: The Key to Typing Productivity

The standard keyboard arrangement in Western countries is often referred to as QWERTY. Take a look at the top row of letters on a standard keyboard - moving from left to right - and you will understand why. All keyboards have a common placement of letters to ensure that any skilled typist can move seamlessly from one keyboard to another without losing anything in productivity. The current computer keyboard configuration may not seem all that intuitive at first glance, but it is elegantly designed to result in maximum typing speed and efficiency.

Most standard keyboards manufactured today have 101 keys. Increasingly, additional symbols and specialized applications are generating a lot of keyboard variations. However, the fundamental arrangement of the standard letters and numbers is generally never changed. This allows individuals to move from one keyboard to another without trying to figure out a new keyboard arrangement every time they type. Over time key positioning can be memorized and fingers can be trained to type keys without searching or even looking down at the keyboard. This is much the same concept as we see with the piano keyboard. Piano keys are arranged in a standard fashion, allowing play by touch rather than by sight. Of course, like sight reading on a piano, touch typing on a keyboard requires a lot of practice. With dedication, however, typing can become second nature and speed and efficiency can increase dramatically.

Shortcomings of Display Tag

2009-01-17T11:54:00.000-08:00

Here, I want to share my using experience of displayTag. It is an open source suite of custom tags, which is mainly used to display data.

The functions of displayTag are abundant, such as data display, combination with css, extraction and display of data subset, automatic generation of hyperlink and sequence number, page break, grouping, group summary, data export, subreport, multi-report display, report head and bottom, dynamic column, data prewarning, condition summary, etc.

In use process, I find some shortness of displayTag :

1. The reports generated by displayTag usually involve some regular rules, and it can not make reports with merging cells, multi-layer report head, or left report head.

2. It is impossible to make complex reports, for example, multi-source subdivision report.

3. Although it has a great combination with css in display, it can not apply the style of css to exported Excel/Word/PDF files. As a result, if you want to export distortionless Excel/Word/PDF files, you have to write three specialized display classes for each kind.

4. For page break, its memory footprint is large, while the performance is poor. That is because it fetches all the records at a time, and then displays them in pages. Moreover, the style of background data storage is one record one object.

5. For displayTag does not involve print function, You have to use the print function of web page. If you need a precise print, you have to develop the function all by yourself, and you can not use displayTag then.

6. As displayTag can not freeze report head, when there are a great number of records, you can not fix the report head and browse with the scroll bar.

7. For summary, displayTag is unable to do operations cross row groups, and it can only realize easy group summary, global summary, and a part of condition summary.

To sum up, the functions which displayTag has realized are exquisite, and as a display package, it is simple to use. However, it is not applicable to make practical reports with complex styles and various requirements.

You are welcomed cc it anywhere, and please indicate the source.

Windows For Beginners

2009-01-16T14:33:00.000-08:00

About windows

The majority of PC users in Asia will own windows. In spite of this global acquisition in computers,there remain many who know very little about this. Most of the guys who use computers at work often know only how to do some one particular task. In such a case,they all remain beginners.

Well ! I don't want to confuse you talking too much technically. But before going to know what is windows is all about. we should know what is a need for windows.

Every computer needs an operating system to start working on that. windows is one such operating system.

Popularity of Windows

It's not mandatory that a PC should use only windows. They are plenty of OS (operating system) available in the market. Even many are free ware, you no need to pay for the OS. But because of its user friendliness it becomes popular.

Once the basic setup is over we can straight away go for use. But previously in other Operating system there is no use for a nontechnical guy. Windows is the first operating system to develop an easy accessing interface to users. Thus it reach everywhere.

History of windows

Windows focus on two parallel routes in its growth. One route has been for the home user and the other has been for the professional IT user. The dual routes have generally led to many versions

The first version of Microsoft Windows, version 1.0, released in November 1985, lacked a degree of functionality and achieved little popularity. Microsoft version 2.0 was released in November, 1987 and was slightly more popular than its predecessor. Later on version 2.03, 3.0, NT,then comes XP and now finally vista arrived.

Learning windows

Now we all know that windows is famous for it user interface. So, Don't you think learning windows is far easier than learning other operating system? Yeah !! definitely its easy to learn windows rather than others.

Before You Buy a New Computer

2009-01-15T13:26:00.000-08:00

If your computer is running too slow, it's probably time to download and run a registry cleaner. Over time your computer becomes gummed up after installing, then un-installing software. Conflicts arise on your hard drive which can become unbearable and bring your applications to a grinding stop. When you run a high quality registry cleaner, it will scan your system thoroughly, find the errors and conflicts, then present you with options for fixing the errors.

You don't have to know much about computers and software when you run a high quality registry scanner program as the software will make it easy and present you with the best options to repair your configuration. After the scan is complete, you pick the options presented to you for fixing the problems and errors, then your system is repaired, it's that simple.

Many people will suspect viruses, re-install their whole system, or even go out and buy a new computer (YIKES!). If they knew about registry cleaners it could have saved them time, large sums of money, and mental anguish and frustration that computer problems can cause. It does not have to be this way, scanning and cleaning your registry around once every six months to a year will prevent many problems from occurring in the first place.

Registry cleaners will work on both Vista and Windows XP covering both 32bit and 64bit operating systems. Mac does not have a registry so you can ignore this entire subject if you payed your apple tax (lucky you). I remember re-installing my entire operating system once every six months when I had windows 98 and every three to four months back in the windows 95 days but we didn't have much else to do for those of us that remember the stone age.

So before you throw your laptop out the window in a fit of rage, do yourself a favor and scan your registry. To get started, find and download a quality registry cleaner, many sites will review registry cleaners and you can choose from a list. Usually you can download and run a complete scan for free. After you know whether or not there are problems to fix you will then be prompted to pay the software vendor to complete the repairs. This may sound like a gimmick but it really works to your advantage as you don't pay any money until you know you actually need to in the first place.

Speed Up Your PC by Magic

2009-01-12T10:11:00.000-08:00

Every time you experience a PC problem or slowdown, don't call the technician just yet. Try a little magic, and you will see your machine revived!

What do you usually do if your car stalls? I can tell you what I do: if kicking the tires and looking under the hood doesn't really help, I give up and call for a mechanic. If you are a little more technical than I am, you might try more things, and may even succeed in getting your car running. But what if it does not run as good as it used to, or stalls more and more often? I'd bring it to the shop to get it fixed!

What do you usually do if your computer hangs? I usually try pushing some keys and, finally, kick in the 'Reset' button. But what if your PC no longer runs as smoothly as it used to, or hangs up just in the middle of an important document or an exciting game? Is it time to call for a computer guru and spend some money for getting it fixed?

Not necessarily. With a bit of magic and a little help of a handy free tool you can quickly do miracles with your PC's performance!

Try a little magic on your computer. A single 'Reset' button will never solve all your problems completely, but a little free utility called Magic Speed will revive your PC to its original, brand-new like performance in just five easy steps. It will do its magic to clean up your PC and fix problems that prevent it from running smoothly.

With a computer, you are in a better position than you are with a car. Many computer problems don't come from hardware errors; after all, modern PC hardware is thoroughly reliable these days. Instead, these problems originate from software. Did you know that any time you press that 'Reset' button, there is a chance of data corruption? It's not that something is wrong with your hard disk; it's about Windows unable to finish a write operation that causes the corruption. This is easily corrected with software; all you need is a disk checkup. This is free, and you don't need a technician to do that; just a little magic and Magic Speed!

What if your computer does not boot Windows as fast as it used to when you opened the box? If you a technician check your system, he would probably tell you about the hidden start-up programs slowing down performance, unwanted tray icons eating up precious megabytes of memory, or even spyware plaguing your system. Run Magic Speed instead of calling a technician, and it will tell you exactly what is wrong with your PC, and fix it immediately - for absolutely free!

Thanks to its built-in licensed anti-virus engine, Magic Speed will detect and automatically clean known viruses and spyware programs. It will reveal to you all the hidden startup programs and tray icons, and allow you to keep only those you are actually using. This alone can speed up your system significantly; but that is not all! Magic Speed will check for correct software locations, check and fix errors in shared programs, look up for known problems with known software, and fix errors with system components.

With Magic Speed, you do the magic to your PC! Get Magic Speed from www.smartpctools.com/magic_speed for absolutely free, and revive your PC to its brand-new performance.

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

Alexander Rodichev is a founder of Smart PC Solutions company located in Alexandria, VA. The company develops easy to use solutions for daily care to keep users PC in a good shape.

Windows Vs. Linux

2009-01-11T08:51:00.000-08:00

Web Hosting offers you the choice of Linux and Windows. Both Platform will work on any pc and are capable of powering of your website. Linux or Windows... Which one is best for you?

Please Note: One of the biggest misconceptions is that you have to select the same operating system for your hosting account that you use on your own computer. That is simply not true.

The operating system that you use on your computer does not need to govern your choice of hosting platform. All Jaguarpc.com PHP hosting packages come with FTP access and a wide range of web page publishing options. If, for example, your computer runs on Microsoft Windows, you are not obligated to choose Windows web hosting.

Both technologies are suitable for beginners, professional web developers, and everyone in between, but it is essential to choose the technology that is more suited to your style of web building. Each technology has its own distinct advantages for users.

Windows Hosting Microsoft should be your choice of platform if you plan on utilizing Active Server Pages or other Microsoft applications to design your web pages. This platform delivers reduced development time and better functionality for databases.

One of the main advantages for choosing the Microsoft platform is the ability to use ASP, ASP .NET, and Access databases to use in building your web site. ASP and ASP .NET provide a rapid, scalable, and efficient development environment to build your web site. These tools, along with MS Access will allow you to make your web site dynamic and interactive.

This platform is also a suitable alternative if you are developing static HTML based web sites, or sites that incorporate Macromedia Flash or other client-side scripting technologies.

We recommend you choose Windows 2003 as your hosting platform if you are using specific applications that require Microsoft Windows to run such as Access, ASP, ASP .NET, or Microsoft SQL Server.

Note: Microsoft FrontPage can be used on both the Linux and Windows platforms.

Linux Hosting Linux is widely considered to be the best operating system for web hosting servers. Characteristically reliable, stable and efficient, Linux has been proven in the most demanding web and mail server environments. If you plan to incorporate work that uses PHP, Perl or MySQL, Linux is the solution you should choose. Linux is also ideal for the kind of websites that display information as a brochure, in newsletter format or as data sheets. Linux works well for 'brochure-ware' sites that offer interaction via inquiry forms, online purchasing and other e-commerce functions.

Essential programs such as Microsoft FrontPage can also be successfully used with Linux technology. In fact, FrontPage Extensions are offered with Jaguarpc.com Linux hosting packages. Linux is an excellent operating system that is well suited to meet your web hosting needs. Additionally, there are a huge amount of free applications available on the Internet for Linux and it uses less hardware resources than Windows 2003.

Computer Hard Drive

2009-01-10T13:36:00.000-08:00

Curiosity, it is said, killed the cat. Many people are curious as to the inner workings of their hard drives and to date, no people have died due to this curiosity, although quite a few hard drives have suffered fatal injuries. The implications of this is put into perspective when you consider that the best way to learn how a hard drive works and therefore eliminate your fear of damaging said hard drive is to take it apart and look inside. Then, consider that opening a hard drive ruins it and it is not fixable once you have opened it. Therefore, if you must explore the inner workings of your hard drive in order to feel as one with your computer, choose to open a defunct hard drive or purchase one from a second hand computer store. Do not attempt to take apart the hard drive you intend to use on your computer as it will not be able to work after the deed is done.

Hard drives are actually quite small and are contained in sealed aluminum boxes. On one side, there is a panel of electronics that detaches from the rest of the hard drive. These electronics control the read and write functions as well as the motor that spins the platters, which we will get into in a bit. It is the job of the electronics to turn the magnetic domains into bytes for reading and to return those bytes into magnetic domains for writing.

If you look under the board of electronics, you'll find the connections for the motor and a vent hole. The purpose of the vent hole is to equalize pressure from internal and external air sources to keep things running smoothly and to release heat that is built up during the running of the hard drive.

You will also find the mirror like platters, which spin at speeds up to 7,200 rpm when the drive is operating and the arm, which holds the read and write heads. Most computers, with the intent of increasing the amount of data the drive can store, have more than one platter and more than one head. Usually, the number of platters is doubled in the number of read and write heads held by the arm. In other words, if a computer has three platters, then it will most likely have six read and write heads, or arms.

As can be expected, the arm must move at an extremely rapid pace and be exactly precise in its movement. For this reason, the motor for the arm is constructed using a high speed linear motor. Not all computers use the same motor, though, for this purpose. Some use voice coil, which is a technique commonly seen and used to move the cone of speakers in a stereo.

Data is stored on the surface of each platter. The pattern looks similar to a pie as a computer uses sectors and tracks to store information. Tracks have a concentric shape while sectors look like pie wedges. Sectors are also finite in the number of bytes each can store, which is typically either 256 or 512 bytes and are therefore often stored in clusters on the platter.

Now that you know the inner components of your computer's hard drive, perhaps your curiosity will be sated, thus saving your hard drive from any harm. Each component of the hard drive works in tandem with every other part to deliver a high performing and speedy work environment for you, the computer's user. While fragile in nature considering the response of a hard drive to being dismantled for observation, most users can expect a hard drive to last for many years before needing to be replaced. The hard drive is not a mysterious part of your computer, but rather the central intelligence of your computer and its capabilities based on what you tell it to store for you.

Increase Computer Speed

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

Picture it, you're on a ship making its maiden voyage across the Atlanta Ocean, then suddenly someone shouts from behind you, "Pirates!" Now, this day and time, many of the women may start screaming and run toward the back of the ship hoping to get a glimpse of Johnny Depp in his full Captain Jack swagger-savvy? Although, what you might want to do is start dropping weight in order to increase your speed. The same theory works to increase computer speed.

In order to increase computer speed, you're going to need to drop some of the more bulky programs that you're not using. For example, if you've had a game installed on your computer forever and it's something you never play, or maybe it was something one of your relatives installed, or maybe something that was left from a previous owner of the computer-get rid of it. If you don't use it, lose it!

Normally, the first tip I give people to increase their computer speed is to simply begin removing any and all toolbars present on their computer. I understand there are reasons to hold onto a few, and if you're an avid fan of toolbars, or prefer the toolbar over a faster computer, then that's your choice. However, I've found that most people aren't having true computer lag, most of the time it's just browser lag created by these awful toolbars - I'm definitely not a fan.

Many of these toolbars come packaged along with other software. One of the most common programs I've seen toolbars packaged with are instant messengers. Sure, you can deselect the toolbar and hid it from view, but it will still create lag if it's present.

Make Laptop Go Faster

2009-01-05T11:12:00.000-08:00

I've had problems with slow computers more than once and found myself, like you, screaming, "Make my laptop go faster!"

Fortunately, there's a few quick and easy fixes you can try before moving on to the more expensive methods of to keep you from screaming, "Make my laptop go faster!" The first of which is simply removing all those unnecessary toolbars from your internet browser, this can help browsing speeds immensely.

However, if that doesn't help and you're stilling screaming, "Make my laptop go faster!" then we're going to have to move on from removing the toolbars. The reason I suggest removing the toolbars is because I know many young high school kids install oodles of instant messengers on computer and a lot of those instant messengers come with toolbars-which you can opt-out by unchecking the box during the installation process, but how many kids actually read any of the installation instructions before they click next?

If it's not only your browsing speed that's decreased, and it's your overall computer performance then we've got a different situation we're dealing with. One thing I do to make my laptop go faster in this case is start removing any large or bulky computer programs I no longer us-think of this step as the out like a fat kid playing dodge ball step, but then the kid loses weight and then comes back and plays just a little bit longer and is just a little bit better and slightly more athletic.

So, yeah, when I want to make my laptop go faster I start removing the extra weight. The next thing I do to make my laptop go faster is to run the Defrag and Disk Cleanup options which can be found on any computer running Windows in the accessories section of the program list on start menu under System Tools.

Open Source

2009-01-03T16:05:00.000-08:00

I'm often asked to elaborate on what exactly 'Open Source' really is. It's easy for those of us involved in the software industry to expect everyone to understand the terms that we use on a daily basis and sometimes, it's great to have someone stop us and say "explain this to me".

This is my attempt at clarifying exactly what Open Source really is!

I'll start with a summary of the definition of Open Source. You can find the full text behind this at opensource.org/docs/osd.

1. Free Redistribution - Open Source software should not be licensed for a fee, or be sold.

2. Source Code - The source code for the software must be distributed with the package or easily obtainable and must be in a format that any competent programmer could be expected to be able to work with.

3. Derived Works - Modifications to the software resulting in new, derived works must be allowed which can then be distributed under the same terms as the original license.

4. Integrity of the Author's Source Code - Open Source licenses may require that the software is distributed without any changes, but only if they allow the software to be re-built using patch files to produce a derived work at build time.

5. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups - Open Source licenses must not discriminate against anyone.

6. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavour - This means that Open Source software should be licensed in such a way that it can be used for anything - whether big business or genetic research - without imposing any restrictions.

7. Distribution of License - The terms of the license must apply to whoever the software is distributed to.

8. License Must Not be Specific to a Product - If the software is distributed as part of a larger overall package, the license must not restrict anyone from extracting an individual component and distributing this under the same terms.

9. License Must Not Restrict Other Software - This essentially means that a piece of Open Source software is licensed as a complete, discreet entity. The license must to restrict this entity from being distributed along with any other form of software (Open Source or Commercial).

10. License Must be Technology Neutral - It must be possible to view the license without needing to run specific, targetted software. This usually means that the license is distributed as plain text, rather than something like PDF.

So that's the definition out the way, but what does it actually mean?

In practice, it's coming to mean "great software at no charge"! Open Source is becoming a real threat to commercial software vendors - just look at how Firefox is making inroads as a Web browser!

The big differentiator with Open Source that has come about but isn't part of the definition, is that these applications are built by diverse teams of volunteers who give up their time to make technology better. They're not motivated by profit drivers of any kind - they just take pride in their work and want to make great technology available to as wide an audience as possible.

So now, we could choose to have a computer which runs a free operating system (Linux) with a free browser (Firefox) and free office software (OpenOffice). With a little time to get familiar with this setup, you could still work with all your existing files and documents, and still operate effectively, but without the headache of continual update costs! :)

Change Windows XP Startup Screen With Ease

2009-01-03T09:27:00.000-08:00

If yoy are hungry for ready made splash screen then hop to www.themexp.org and click on Boot Screens. You will see tons of them organized in various categories. Once you find startup screen of your choice, download it and save it in specific folder on your hard disk. One suggestion; create sub folders as per the categories of startup screens.

Unzip the contents of the .zip file into the folder. You will observe read me file with one or two files. Filename with ntoskrnl.exe is bootscreen itself. If you have XP Service Pack 1 installed, you may have to use a different file, named ntoskrnlSP1.exe. To know whether service packs is installed, you need to right-click on My Computer, and choose Properties, general. Your version of the operating system will be displayed. If you have Service Pack 1, same will be displayed.

The ntoskrnl.exe file is an executable file which contains the XP bootscreen. During the boot process period, XP executes this file, which is found in C:WindowsSystem32, which in turn displays the bootscreen graphic. So, to modify your bootscreen, replace your existing ntoskrnl.exe file with the one you just downloaded

In order to ensure that the downloaded bootscreen file is properly copied you need to do this activity in safe mode as overwriting system files may no work in normal windows XP login. If you are in Safe Mode Windows File Protection will not be a headache for you.

Once you completed the file copying task in safe mode, reboot you system. You should see the changes in effect the after. One word of caution, always create system restore pint before you copy the downloaded file. If any thing goes wrong , you can always revert back. To do so, go to control panel, performance and maintenance, system restore and follow rest of the instruction. Your computer is safe if in case any mishap happens.

Troubleshooting Error Code 39

2009-01-02T16:20:00.000-08:00

Error code 39 is just another in the long list of possible problems that Windows might give you. I mean, Microsoft did a good job with the operating system but there are plenty of issues about it that come about on a daily basis. At last count, there were more than 500 known errors on the Windows operating system alone - and this is not inclusive of the more serious issues that come about from problems like firewall, security code and even program updates. You might encounter error code 39 when you try to mount your brand new, shiny CD or DVD drive onto Windows and realise it doesn't show up in your explorer menu.

When it does finally appear, you realise you cannot do anything with it, no matter what medium you place within the drive. Windows will then prompt you with an archaic message that will warn you of its inability to load the device driver for the hardware and that the driver may either be missing, corrupted or not matching the hardware that you have just installed on your computer. While despair and confusion set in, you wonder what you did wrong and try to rectify the situation by either installing the hardware again, checking the wire connections or logging on to the company's or Window's website. You will find that most of the time, help does not come your way and you are forced to find a solution for the problem.

What you can do is try to access your device manager program inherent to Windows and see whether there is anything you can do from there. Some of the time, the driver did not load into the hardware profile, which will then prevent you from accessing the drive. You can manually load the driver by finding your new hardware in the device manager profile and clicking the update driver tab. That is one solution you can follow if you have error code 39. Now what if the problem still does not go away?

Well, then the root of the issue might actually reside in your registry. When you do install any new software and hardware, there is a chance that there might be a command line confusion in your registry's HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/ SYSTEM /CurrentControlset /Control /Class / register. You need to use either a registry editor or a registry cleaner to find the problem with the embedded keys that Windows and the registry have used to catalogue your product in its matrix.

Here I would not recommend for anyone to use a registry editor, because in the hands of someone who does not know the potential damage that can be caused to the registry, it might cause a global shutdown of your computer. My advice would be to find a registry cleaner and analyser software online that can find this problem and solve it for you. Error code 39 belongs to a number of errors that can be solved by using a registry cleaner.

What is a Virtual Server ?

2009-01-01T11:56:00.000-08:00

There are many types of servers; everything from email servers, web servers and proxy servers to wow private server and backup servers. Virtual Servers are a hybrid of a dedicated servers; one that is stand-alone and is usually used for one high traffic website, and a shared hosting type where many websites are hosted on one platform. In essence it is a single machine or server that pretends to be many by having the ability to run various operating systems and separate servers software and configurations for each of many different sites but sharing the hardware resources such as processor, memory and hard drives.

There are many advantages to using virtual servers vs. shared hosting or dedicated servers. In a shared hosting setup, if the server software becomes corrupt or if one particular host site becomes corrupt it can knock all of the other hosted sites offline ..thus it is not as reliable as if you have a single dedicated server hosting your site. One advantage, however, is that it is the most cost effective of the server setups due to the shared hardware resources.

On the other hand, the scalability of a dedicated server can cause problems if expansion is necessary. In this case the site would need to be offline unless it were ported to a completely different server and while more reliable than a shared hosting setup it is also considerably more expensive.

A virtual private server (VPS) is a mix between a dedicated server and a shared hosting account. The physical servers is divided into many virtual servers each running completely independent from one another. If one of the virtual servers goes down, the others on the physical server are not affected.

The VPS concept allows the client to run a complete server installation with guaranteed resources (RAM, memory, disk space, etc.) while at the same time sharing the physical server. This reduces the cost for the client. If you need a complete server installation with the option to "scale", a VPS account is for you.

A Virtual Dedicated Server (VDS) is a mix between a dedicated server and a virtual private server. It is designed with one physical server, and one virtual private server only. This means you get the advantages of a VPS (scalability) with the advantages of a dedicated server (100% resource usage). If you need a complete servers installation with the option to scale and have heavy resource requirements then a VDS account is appropriate.

The Best Windows XP Registry Fix

2008-12-29T00:09:00.000-08:00

There is no one best Windows XP registry fix, I think you have plenty of options when it comes to choosing registry cleaners for Windows XP. Hundreds are available online, and it is up to your own inquisitiveness to choose which is the best, weigh their features and in some cases their price - and make that decision to download. Why all the hype about the Windows Registry? Well for many important reasons. The registry was written to simplify the entire computing process, even from the simpler Windows 95 machines that were around not so long ago.

The reason for this is that the amount of data executions that a computer goes through a day is enormous and engineers over at Microsoft realised that they needed an efficient way to track all the activities of the Operating System as well as have a sort of 'instruction guide' for launching the thousands of different configured programs out there. Not to get too technical, there are many shared .DLL or system files that Windows and other programs use to launch themselves, and with the expansion of Flash, Java, Active X and other third party systems, it has gotten pretty complicated.

While it would not be a problem for Windows to 'remember' what goes where, a compartmentalised filing system with all this data would be extremely messy, so engineers needed a consolidated core where all activities of the operating system would be logged in. This would include program installs, uninstalls, removal and installation of hardware, changes to the OS, program updates - you get the picture.

It would also be filled with command line instructions, written in code, of how certain programs are launched. So it would be a sort of a log book as well as a guide Windows can refer to whenever it needs. The problem with having everything in such a vulnerable singular location, is that it is an easy target for nefarious software as well as more prone to the normal wear and tear of computer use.

The flip side of this is that it would be much easier to track where problems came from and repair them with a single tool. Having a registry has its ups and downs, but the philosophy behind it is pretty good. It is an efficient filing system, in one location that maintains the integrity of the OS and everything in it, as well as a memory bank of all activities in the OS.

To maintain its function, you would need to fine tune it and send it for clean up once in a while, because problems in the registry are common and have been linked to some common problems; which include computer hands in XP, slowdowns and even outright crashes. What is the best Windows XP registry fix? The answer lies in the quality of registry cleaner that you get. Looking at the feature list, the ease of use and the history behind the program are guaranteed indications whether or not you have a quality product in your hands.

Troubleshooting Computer Problems

2008-12-28T11:23:00.000-08:00

Troubleshooting computer problems can be time consuming if you don't follow a plan. You need to have some idea of what you are troubleshooting for if you have any hope of discovering what the problem is!

Computer failure comes in many shapes and sizes. There are the fairly easy ones and there are the very difficult ones. Learning to know which type it is likely to be will save you time and make troubleshooting problems a whole lot easier.

The most serious of problems are probably those concerning hardware. When you hear the ominous repeating click sound of a hard disk in the throes of death, it's too late to panic; the damage has already been done.

Power supply units can often be the cause of problems in computers. You don't need a lot of experience to conclude that your power supply is no longer supplying power. Even if it is still supplying power, it may be underpowered and causing problems because of that.

Computers create heat. That's why they have a cooling fan as part of the assembly. Should the fan fail, or if it is inadequate because the manufacturer doesn't care, or if the under ventilation is inadequately provided for, you will experience all kinds of problems.

When a computer overheats it will often suddenly shut down. It does this to protect itself from over heating any more. However, it doesn't tell you that there is a problem beforehand, and that it has to shut down. It just does it. If your computer is doing this regularly, it could be an overheating problem.

Troubleshooting these kind of computer problems will require you to make an educated guess at what kind of problem it is likely to be. Pursuing that line of thinking will lead you on to other related components, and eventually you should be able to track down the real problem. For example, a problem with the sound card will exhibit itself through a sound problem and a video card problem will make itself obvious through the monitor.

Don't forget to check all the cabling and plugs first! Many a technician has been embarrassed after spending time checking everything only to finally notice a loose connection. Check the most obvious first when troubleshooting computer problems, if only to eliminate them as the source of the problem.

Sometimes troubleshooting your computer problems will lead you to a software cause. Perhaps there is a software conflict. This would likely show up soon after you installed a new program. In fact, if your problem is noticed immediately after installing a program, then that is the likely cause.

Try uninstalling the program. If that fixes the problem then you need to find out why before re-installing the program. Make sure all the software drivers are up to date before trying any more software installs.

Troubleshooting computer problems is usually never easy. It takes time and the simple plan of doing one thing at a time and checking to see what the effect is. If you do several things and suddenly everything is fine again, you'll never know what the cause was.

Always make one change, check, and if it doesn't work to improve matters, make another change, and so on. Being methodical will make troubleshooting computer problems a lot easier.

Virtual Private Network

2008-12-27T11:09:00.000-08:00

The word 'Technology' has it's origins from Greek. Technology is a result of science and engineering. It is the manner adopted by humans to improve their surroundings.

One of the method involved is - making use of tools and machines to carry out tasks efficiently. With time we have observed rapid growth and change in technology like PCS, podcasts, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, electronic teaching centers, etc. One amongst the several technologies is the Virtual Private Network.

A VPN is a private Network that uses a public network like the internet to connect remote sites and users. A VPN uses "virtual" connections routed through the internet from the company's private Network to the remote site or employee.

A public Network like the internet can help carry VPN traffic based on certain standard protocols. A Service Level Agreement (SLA) between the VPN customer and the VPN service provider is drawn in order to enable the existence of a service providers private Network.

Advantages of a VPN:

* Improved security and productivity
* Simplified network topology
* Reduced operational and transportation costs
* Faster Return on Investment
* Extensive connectivity across the globe

Features:

* Reliable
* Secure
* Scalable
* Network and policy management

Types of VPN:

1. Remote Access VPN
2. Intranet VPN
3. Extranet VPN

1. Remote Access VPN:

Remote access VPN is a user-to-LAN (Local Area Network) connection used by an organization whose employees need to connect to the private network from remote locations.

The remote access VPN helps save on costs over toll free expenditure and is secure (encrypted tunnels across a public network like the internet), scalable

2. Intranet VPN (Interconnecting corporate sites):

The intranet VPN helps in cost saving over dedicated, leased lines. There exist tunneled connections and encryption that enables reliable throughput.

3. Extranet VPN (connecting corporate site(s) to external business partners or suppliers)

Extranet VPN extends WAN (Wide Area Network) to business partners.

VPN Security:

The most important part of a VPN solution is security. A VPN helps putting private data on public networks and this raises concerns about threats to that data and the impact of data loss. A Virtual Private Network must provide security services in area of Authentication.

Authentication ensures that a user or system is who the user claims to be. Security is thus ensured.

Authentication Mechanisms:

* login name, password, PIN (password - specified number of digits followed by 8 bits that constantly changes at regular intervals)

* a computer readable token like a smart card

* fingerprint, retinal or iris pattern

Tunneling:

Tunneling is a very important part of a VPN. Tunneling involves placing a packet within another packet and sending it over a network. The network (like the internet) over which the packet is sent and the *tunnel interface understand the protocol of the outer packet.

Protocols used in Tunneling:

* Carrier protocol - The protocol used by the network that the information is traveling over

* Encapsulating protocol - The protocol (GRE, *IPSec, L2F, PPTP, L2TP) that is wrapped around the original data

* Passenger protocol - The original data (IPX, NetBeui, IP) being carried

Example: A packet that uses a protocol not supported on the internet like NetBeui can be placed inside an IP packet and can be sent safely over the internet.

Considering the current business scenario/trend that involves increased commuting/telecommuting and widely spread global operations, with employees who need to connect to central resources from remote sites in order to communicate with each other, technologies like the VPN prove to be very handy and vital.

*Tunnel Interface: The two points where the packet enters and exits the network.

*IPsec is the security portion of the IP standard that is supported by the Client. IPsec performs packet-by-packet authentication and end-to-end encryption. In addition, IPsec supports the IP within IP encapsulation for network address translation.

Secrets of Your Computer & Motherboard

2008-12-26T10:58:00.000-08:00

While not science fiction, the motherboard in your computer does have some similarities with the idea of a mother ship in old science fiction movies. The motherboard is the one piece of equipment in your computer that ties everything else together in a workable manner. It is the piece of the computer that allows all other computer components to receive power and to communicate with one another to deliver the desired result when you give the computer a command.

Motherboards have developed over the past twenty years from where they started when first created. Back then, the motherboard held little in the way of components. Floppy drive controllers and memory slots comprised just about all that a motherboard held. Now, motherboards boast a variety of features that have been built in and directly affect the capability of your computer to be upgraded. This capability is mandatory when considering the speed at which operating systems change and evolve as end users require more from the desktop and laptop computers.

The main purpose of the motherboard is to hold the computer's microprocessor chip and then direct everything else connect to that chip. Everything that runs on your computer is either part of the motherboard or it plugs into the motherboard to be routed to the chip in order for it to be able to run.

The form factor, which is the shape and layout of the motherboard, affects where the components of your computer go and the shape of the computer's case. Most motherboards use some form of standard form factors in order to fit into standard cases in computer models today.

While the form factor is important to the motherboard, it isn't the only thing that controls how your computer works with the motherboard. The type of central processor your computer uses is determined by the socket for the microprocessor on the motherboard. The chipset, which is part of the logic system on a motherboard, connect the central processing unit to the rest of the computer. The BIOS chip controls the most basic checks on the computer every time you turn it on and does so from the motherboard. The real time clock chip maintains these basic settings and the time for the system.

Motherboards also contain slots for PCI, AGP, IDE, firewires, USB, and memory slots. Every one of these items requires a working motherboard in order to get power to run as expected by the end user. Each of these slots are necessary for computer operations to function in today's world of internet and business applications. Without these vital functions built into the motherboard, the average user could not conduct meaningful business in the competitive aspect of today's society.

New technologies are being added to motherboards all the time. They are not scary pieces of equipment to be avoided, but rather an integral part of your computer that enhances your computer using experience. It can be upgraded to fit your needs with little trouble and operates on a constant basis to deliver what you expect in your computer.

Save Money Buying a Computer

2008-12-22T16:30:00.000-08:00

Are you overwhelmed and stressed when you go out to buy a new computer? All the options available and the high cost, just to name a couple.

For most, purchasing a new computer doesn't have to be stressful or expensive at all. Just set a budget and try getting a computer with as much of what you want within that budget. Here are 4 simple tips to help anyone to save money when purchasing a new computer.

1) Shop around.

Shopping around will not only inform you about what is available out there, but it will also tell you where the best deals are.

2. Don't Get the Fastest, Most Expensive Computer

That is unless you absolutely need it. Consider this, you have been working on the same computer for the past 4 years. Even a less expensive NEW computer would be a considerable upgrade from what you now have, right? It doesn't have to necessarily be the LEAST expensive but getting the most expensive, fastest computer out there is somewhat overkill. If you don't need that power, then it is wasted.

3. Install Your Own "Extras"

Most stores will offer the Operating System (OS)and possibly some sort of lower end Word Processor with their new computers. All else will be extra. Chances are that you already have all the extra software you can use at home. If you do, simply install them when you get your new system home.

If you DO need extras, shop around! Often you will find better deals elsewhere.

4. Don't Buy the Extended Warranty

Most computers come with a one year warranty and if you are going to have trouble with your computer, it will usually happen during this time or much later. If it happens later, then in most cases, it would be less expensive to purchase a new computer instead of repairing your old one.

If you have an unlimited budget, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. If your computer is for business, then be sure to get everything you need in a computer, while trying to keep the price down.

One thing to keep in mind though is that buying something that does not fit your needs is never a good deal.

Using Tables in Word

2008-12-21T22:25:00.000-08:00

Tables consist of rows and columns which intersect to create cells. Go to Table>Select Table>Insert> Table to show dialog box for Insert Table, where you can give values for rows and columns and can even modify them later . Give a higher value as its simpler to erase extra columns and rows. Although you can change the column width anytime, you can also choose to enter a column width or set it to Auto. By choosing AutoFit to Contents, the column widths are automatically adjusted for widest amount of data. To equally adjust column width when you resize the window for table select AutoFit to Window. On clicking OK or Enter you see your table.

To type data go to the cell and type and Word will automatically wrap it by increasing row size to show contents. To adjust column or row width simply click on the mouse to drag edges to increase or reduce rows and columns or pull the table's edges itself, as the mouse pointer becomes a table adjustor pointer. By clicking on the margin on row's left or above colun, the entire row or column is selected or could be selected from Table>Select and dragging them to select more rows and columns allows multiple selection.

You may also use up and down and other keyboard keys to navigate between cells. You can press Tab to go to next cell, Shift Tab for preceding cell, Alt PageUp for top cell, Alt PageDown for bottom cell, Alt Home for initial cell and Alt End for last cell.

To insert and delete rows and columns, right click on margin to left of rows or above columns from the pop up menu click on Insert Row or Insert Column, or Delete Row or Delete Column. Going to Table>Table AutoFormat lets you choose a style. To draw a freehand table, bring your cursor where you want to insert table and go to Tables and Borders button, and then click and drag the new pencil shaped pointer diagonally on your page to get your tables border. Next add columns and rows, or erase them using the Eraser tool in Tables and Borders. Next give Borders and shading using Shading color tool, Border Color tool, Outside Border tool. Other tools allow you to sort cells, equally distribute columns or rows, sum a column or row, merge cells, split cells into many, change alignment.

Query Metrics to Help Optimize Database Applications

2008-12-19T22:12:00.000-08:00

There are many different factors that affect the performance of an application. For instance, newer programs tend to need newer and faster computers to run properly. A computer with an older graphics card would run newer games very slowly, or not at all. Another factor would be the efficiency of the application itself, its design, and coding. In this case, the use of query metrics can help to streamline an application to make it more efficient and perform faster.

Ideally, the efficiency of an application is optimized at the design stage, when the application is just being created. It is much cheaper and easier to make changes to an application at the conceptualization and coding stage. However, in most cases, an application that needs to be made more efficient is already in existence. Furthermore, usually the application is already under use, and a total redesign is not an available option. In this case, it becomes important to be able to identify which areas or aspects of the application are contributing to its inefficiency.

Now, for database applications, no matter how complicated its structure might be, the core performance issues usually arise at the database level. That is, the efficiency of database access more or less determines the overall application performance. Accessing the database, especially if the database is very large and accessed many times, is the most demanding task.

It then becomes important to consider the relevant metrics regarding queries in order to trace database performance. By looking at how well the various running queries are performing, it becomes possible to determine whether any inefficient behavior is occurring. It also becomes possible to pinpoint any inefficient behavior right to their source, to the type of queries that slow down database performance.

One common problem that arises in SQL databases is what is known as "session blocking". This occurs when two separate SQL sessions attempt to access the same block of data simultaneously, while also putting a lock on this data. Then one session would have to wait until the other releases the data to be accessible to others again. Session blocking can be determined by querying the sysprocesses table. Patterns and the various metrics can be obtained, and the session blocking behavior can be traced to its root.

When a particular inefficient query has been discovered, its cost and the CPU time and disk input/output used to execute it should be considered. Query cost is usually available from within the program used to run it, and calculates the performance cost of a query based on its component steps. The same is true for the metrics CPU time and disk access: these statistics are often available using the same command or option in the database program.

These query metrics are essential to consider to speed up inefficient queries. Efficient queries would lead to efficient database access, and hence to fast and efficient database applications, such as servers. Optimizing queries is relatively cheap, requiring no new hardware or much capital outlay, and can be done even with applications already being used

The Basics of Adware and Adware Removal

2008-12-19T11:54:00.000-08:00

What is Adware?
Adware is software that displays advertisements on your computer by way of such things as pop-up windows.

Why is it used?
It is programmed into software packages to help the creators recover their development costs.

How does it affect you?

One of the primary purposes of installing Adware is to allow individuals to spy on a user's browsing activities. Essentially, your personal information may be put at risk leading to identity theft, computer viruses and slow computer capabilities.

What to do?
Look into an Adware removal program. There are ways to do this yourself, but it requires quite a bit of time and research to make sure you're doing it properly. Also, if you perform these tasks yourself you must be careful. Be sure to read all terms of agreement with your software packages to ensure you're not violating the terms of use by removing the adware codes.

There are also free programs out there, but they do not have the capabilities of warning you of potential danger. I suggest using a low-cost program that's already in use. If you do proper research then you are sure to find a product that you are comfortable with. Deciding which program to use is the hardest part. There are movements in progress to make laws against adware and spyware, but you really need to take action yourself. Too much damage can occur in the time it takes the lawmakers to take solid action. Once you make your decision the program will take care of the rest.

How to Secure Your Computer

2008-12-18T20:01:00.000-08:00

This article is about how to protect your computer and the problems which people usually face related to the security and privacy threats in general. Our personal computers are the major targets for hackers and spywares, who just wants to know what we have stored in our PCs

They want to sneak into our systems and try to steal our credit card numbers, bank accounts information or any thing which they find is useful for them so that they could use that information illegally and take advantage from our above mentioned information.

For some people money is every thing to them but there are another type of people or you can say a group of people who are getting paid to hack into others system and get information which they think is important for their interest or their country's, I hope some of the readers may got my point what I wanted to say.

For some intruders money is not important, they just want to intrude in to your system and use your hard disk space or your internet connection so they can hack into other machines because they know the more computers they use the harder its gets for the law agencies to get them nor they can be prosecuted easily.

Some Useful Tips To Secure Your Computer:

Just for an instance, imagine that if you want to secure your house, how you would make it secure that no thief, robber or safecracker may enter your house, for this purpose you would first secure your door with a chain lock then will lock the windows and before going to sleep you run a security check to make sure that your house is locked and secure completely.

Now apply the same theory to your computer, you lock your computer windows with a password, then to secure your system you install different security applications like anti-viruses, anti hacking and spyware, malware and data encryption to enhance the security level on your personal computer, there are bunch of softwares to do this task for you by simply doing a research on Google to find the best one.

About ERP

2008-12-17T09:51:00.000-08:00

History
In manufacturing industry, MRP (Material Requirement Planning) became the fundamental concept of production management and control in the mid 1970s. At this stage BOM (Bill of Material), which is purchase order management that utilizes parts list management and parts development, was in the mail stream. And this concept (MRP) unfolded from order inventory management of material to plant and personnel planning and distribution\n planning, which in turn became MRP II (Manufacturing Resource Planning).This incorporated financial accounting, human resource management functions, distribution management functions and management accounting functions. It came to globally cover all areas of enterprise mainstay business and eventually came to be called ERP.

What is ERP
Enterprise Recourse Planning (ERP) covers the techniques and concepts employed for the integrated management of business as a whole, from the viewpoint of the effective use of management resources, to improve the efficiency of an enterprise. ERP packages are integrated (covering all business functions ) software packages that support the above ERP concepts.
Originally, ERP packages were target at the manufacturing industry, and consisted mainly of functions for planning and managing core business such as sales management, production management, according and financial affairs, ect. How ever, in recent years, adaption not only to the manufacturing industry, but also to divers types of industry has become possible and the expansion of implementation and use has been progressing on a global level.
ERP software is designed to model and automate many of the basic processes of a company, from finance to the shop floor, with the goal of integrating information across the company and eliminating complex, expensive links between computer systems that were never meant to talk to each other.

Reasons for the Growth of ERP Market
There is no doubt that the market for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems is in great demand. Industry analysts are forecasting growth rates of more than 30% for at least the next five years. Why are so many companies replacing their key business systems? The answer is:
- To enable improved business performance
Cycle time reduction
Increased business agility
Inventory reduction
Order fulfillment improvement

- To supports business growth requirements
New products/product lines, new customers
Global requirements including multiple languages and currencies

- To provide flexible, integrated, real-time decision support
Improve responsiveness across the organization

- To eliminate limitation in legacy system
Century dating issues
Fragmentation of data and processing
Inflexibility to change
Insupportable technologies

- To take advantage of the untapped mid-market (medium size organizations)
Increased functionality at a reasonable cost
Client server/open systems technology
Vertical market solutions

Advantages
Installing ERP system has many advantages- both direct and indirect. The direct advantages include improved efficiency, information integration for better decision making, faster response time to customer queries, etc. The indirect benefits include better corporate image, improved customer goodwill, customer satisfaction, and so on. The following are some of the direct benefits of an ERP system
• Business Integration
• Flexibility
• Better Analysis and Planning Capabilities
• Use of Latest technology.

Enterprise resource allocation can also help improve reporting and accuracy. In fact, ERP encourages:
• Location of all data in a single database where it is easily accessible.
• Reduction or elimination of reliance on paper documents.
• Elimination of re-keying of data (which can produce errors).
• Integration of reports; sales, financial, and manufacturing reports can be viewed in conjunction.
• Improved monitoring capability enabling management to view departmental data instantly.
• A single interface allowing users to easily use and interpret reports all through the same ERP software system.

Modules
The value of an Enterprise Resource Planning software system is in its ability to function as a comprehensive system. The level of comprehensiveness may vary by individual providers or by their particular industry focus. Nevertheless, a complete Enterprise software system may include the following modules:
• Accounts receivable
• Accounts payable
• General ledger
• Sales and marketing
• Customer relationship management
• Material resource planning
• Bill of materials
• Inventory control
• Purchasing
• Logistics
• Work order management
• Shop floor control
• Budgeting
• Sales analysis
• Report writer
• Order entry
• E-commerce

ERP Vendors
Purchasing Enterprise Resource Planning software is a significant corporate decision.
• Abacus
• ABBASOFT Technologies Inc.
• Acacia Technologies
• Access International Group
• Adaptable Business Systems
• AIMS Software Inc.
• American Software Inc.
• Avalon Software.
• Axis Computer Systems
• B&L Information Systems
• Baan Co.
• BHR Software
• Caelus Inc.
• Cambiotech, Inc.
• CAMM, Inc.
• CBM Systems Company
• Cimcase International Corp.
• CIMPAC, Inc.
• Cincom Systems
• Clarkston Potomac
• CMI-Competitive Solutions Inc.
• CMS Manufacturing Systems Inc.
• ComMIT Systems, Inc
• Computer Associates International
• Computer Decisions International
• Computer Financial Services
• Computer-Integrated Manufacturing America (CIMA)
• Configuration Systems & Consulting
• Connectware
• Creative Production Solutions Inc.
• Datalogix
• Datamodes
• Datasul
• DataWorks Corp.
• DBA Software
• DCD Corp.
• Documentum Inc.
• Effective Management Systems (EMS)
• Enhanced Systems & Services, Inc.
• Enterprise Planning Systems
• ESI/Technologies, Inc.
• Expandable Software
• FocusSoft Inc.
• Foresight Software
• Fourth Shift Corp.
• Friedman Corp.
• GLOVIA International
• GRMS
• HarrisData
• ICONtrol Inc.
• IFS Industrial & Financial Systems
• IndustriOS
• Infinium Software
• InfoPower International
• Information Builders Division of Integrated Solutions
• Insight Solutions
• Intentia International
• Interactive Group
• InterPort Corp.
• Intigrated Systems & Services Group
• Intrix Systems Group
• Intuitive Manufacturing Systems Inc.
• J.D. Edwards
• JBA International
• Jobscope Corp.
• Lawson Software
• Lilly Software Associates Inc.
• Litton Enterprise Solutions
• LK Global Manufacturing Systems (USA) Inc.
• Macola
• Made2Manage Systems Inc.
• MAGI
• MAI Systems Corp.
• Manhattan Associates
• Manugistics
• MAPICS Inc.
• Marcam Solutions Inc.
• MCBA
• Metasystems Inc.
• MDIS--North America
• Micro-MRP Inc.
• Mitrol
• MK Group
• Navision Software U.S. Inc.
• Neumenon, Inc.
• OHM Systems
• Oliver Wight Co.
• On-Line Computing Inc.
• Online Software Labs Inc.
• Optio Software
• Oracle Corp.
• Packaged Software Solutions
• PeopleSoft Inc.
• Pivotpoint
• Platinum Software Corporation
• PowerCerv Corp.
• Profitkey International Inc.
• Psipenta USA, Inc.
• Q-CIM Inc.
• QAD
• Qantel Technologies, Inc.
• Qube Connections
• R + H America, Inc.
• Ramco Systems
• Real Applications Ltd.
• Relevant Business Systems Inc.
• ROI Systems Inc.
• Ross Systems
• Rover Data Systems, Inc.
• SAP America SAP AG
• SBS Inc.
• Scala North America Inc.
• Science Applications International Corp.
• SCT Corp.
• Sextant Corp.
• Smart Shop Software
• Software 2000
• Software PM Inc.
• SPAR Associates Inc.
• Strohl Systems Group
• Symix Computer Systems
• Synergistic Computer Solutions
• SynNOVA Group Keane
• Syspro Impact Software
• Systems & Computer Technology Corp. (SCT)
• Systems Software Associates (SSA)
• Tangible Vision
• Telesis Computer Corp.
• Telic Logistic International B.V.
• Tetra International Inc.
• TIW Technology Inc.
• Txbase Systems Inc.
• U.S. Datamax Inc.
• Unbeaten Path International
• Unisys Corp.
• User Solutions Inc.
• Visibility
• W5 Assoc.
• Western Data Systems

Implementation
Aside from being a major capital expenditure, ERP software requires the refinement of business methods. Considerable planning needs to take place before Enterprise software can be successfully implemented. In most businesses, ERP implementation will take anywhere from 3-12 months.
A typical ERP software implementation is intensive. It usually includes the following steps:
• Project planning
• Choosing an Enterprise software selection/review team
• Select which products and providers to review (this is where we can help)
• Business and operational analysis
• Identification of best practices
• ERP software evaluation, including:
• RFP creation (in some cases)
• Demo-testing
• Selection of a software vendor
• Joint creation of a detailed implementation plan
• Installation and configuration
• Mapping of business requirements and best practices to software (customization)
• Module configuration
• Data conversion from legacy systems
• Documentation
• Management training
• End-user training
• Production
• Post-implementation support and auditing

Best Printers Before You Buy

2008-12-14T23:42:00.000-08:00

When looking for the best printer you should probably go for a laser printer as these have many more advantages over the old ink jet or dot matrix printers.
The main reason why laser printers are the best printers to buy is due to the stunning clarity of the images and text that you are printing and the speed at which this happens. When researching printers and faxes it is helpful to know that the speediest black and white printers can print more than 200 pages per minute or 12,000 pages per hour, with the color laser printer scanner coming a little bit behind with over 100 pages per minute or 6000 pages per hour.
Most of the best printers on the market now always print on A4 size paper, but if you want to be able to print on different size paper you should check that it has this feature. You can get a specific A3 laser printer if that is all you will ever print but I think it would be wise to get one that does all sizes.

The laser process is achieved by using a printing process called xerographic which basically means a laser beam is used to scan the image or text and uses that scanned image, which is very accurate and prints it onto paper.

Some main features that you may want to look out for.

Monochrome or Colour?
Do you want to print in black and white or colour? I know it may sound a silly question, but there are different printers that will do either with the black and white models being significantly cheaper at the printer sale which may be what attracted you, so make sure you look at the spec as it is not always obvious on the packaging.

Long Lasting Toner Cartridges - Check that the cartridges have a good life span. The life span of an average cartridge is about 1,500 prints but this can vary with the model. Either way there should be a warning light to advise you when it needs to be changed.
Minimal Wait times between Prints - If it's a laser printer scanner that you want look out for one that has a fast modem speed (min 33.6 kbps), so that you documents are processed fast. This will mean that you will not be left hanging around waiting.

Network Printers - If it's a network printer that you are after look out for the ones that have wireless capability. As these allow you to connect the whole office to the printer very easily using a USB Ethernet connection.

About a Free Anti Virus Program

2008-12-13T17:11:00.000-08:00

Should I use a free antivirus program or a paid version? In todays world on the internet, we are always looking for a product or service that is free. However, when it comes to a virus protection, free is not always free.

Think about it for a minute. Why would anyone sit down on the computer and spend hours and hours of time to develop and maintain a software program and do it for free. There has got to be someone wanting to make money off of you some how or they could not continue with their activities.

In addition, many of the so called free programs do not have technical support. How would they be able to support technical help if they could not pay them. When you have a problem, you are going to want someone to help you.

Spyware – Many software programs that are free, have some type of spyware attached. If the maker or developer of the program is not charging you, then how are they going to make money. Spyware is attached to the program and your system may be tracked for advertisement purposes.

In some cases your system may be scanned for e-mail address or other information that you may not want to give out. Please be very careful with any free program you install on your computer.

Better yet, make sure you have a firewall, anti virus program and anti spyware program installed on your computer for all of your internet security protection.

Top 5 Virus Protection Software Programs

Norton Anti Virus
Trend Micro PC-cillin Anti Virus
BitDefender Anti Virus
Shield Pro 2007
Mcafee AntiVirus

What is a Network?

2008-12-12T22:08:00.000-08:00

A network can be internal to an organization or span the world by connecting itself to the internet. In computer network, network operating system is used that controls and co-ordinates the activities of computers that are connected to the network. The examples of these operating systems are: Windows NT, UNIX, Novell etc.

The large organizations and institutions have their own computer network systems. A computer network provides many advantages. The main advantages are:

1. Communication
The most important feature of computer network is the communication. People can communicate efficiently and easily at very low cost via e-mail, chatting, video telephone, video conferencing, internet telephone, groupware and SMS service etc.

2. Sharing Hardware
In a computer network each computer attached with the network can access the printer, scanner or disk drives etc. For example, if several personal computers and a single laser printer are connected to a network, than each user can access the printer.

3. Sharing Data
In a network environment, and authorized person can access data stored on other computers on the network. For example, on the Internet, a large number of internet users (including mobile users) can access same database.

4. Sharing Software
In a network environment connected users can access same software stored on the network server. These software are multi users software. The software developers sell network version or site license of their software.

5. Electronic Funds Transfers (EFT)
EFT allows users connected to a network to transfer money from one bank account to another via telephone line or other telephone media. For example, some consumers use an ATM to access their bank accounts. They also use credit cards to make purchases from super stores and pay bills online.

Windows Registry Problems

2008-12-11T08:51:00.000-08:00

If you've ever gotten a new computer and marveled at its speed, only to realize that in a few months it has slowed down to a crawl, then you may be suffering from Windows registry problems that plague many heavy-use, high Internet surfing CPU in homes today.

Some of the better known registry problems manifest in frustrating but telling ways including system freezes and crashes, sudden instabilities in programs and sudden crashes accompanied by the dreaded "Blue Screen of Death".

System freezes and crashes are usually first seen after a few months of installing and deleting software as you and your computer get acquainted.

As you install programs, data is recorded in something called a registry file. This file is a directory of sorts that stores all of your settings, options and preferences.

This file is part of the operating system for Microsoft Windows 32-bit and 64-bit versions as well as with Windows Mobile.

Windows registry problems occur when you make changes to Control Panel settings, add and remove hardware and software and change file associations.

As this happens, you will experience periods where programs appear to "freeze" or stop working forcing you to reboot the system or use the Task Manager to force a frozen program to close.

Sudden instabilities in programs are another way to tell you are probably experiencing registry problems.

When this happens, a program will "sort of" work in that it works intermittently or runs very slowly.

A lot of times you can see this in your word processing program where the typing suddenly slows down to a crawl, changes to the Windows registry file occur as you install software and hardware.

It provides a window into kernel operation and exposes information like performance counters and currently active hardware.

As changes are made, it impacts the Windows registry file. Over time, similar problems occur more often as the registry file gets clogged up with obsolete information and data that is no longer needed.

Getting the dreaded Blue Screen of Death and reboot is something that is distressing to new computer owners the first time it happens.

While the Blue screen and Dos type is unnerving, it does not spell the death of your computer. Quite the contrary, it is a real indicator that you need to take steps to clean up your registry file.

While Windows registry problems are a hassle, there are some software solutions out there that are very easy to implement and have great results.

When dealing with registry problems, there's software designed and created to deal with repairing and maintaining a smooth running registry file.

When deciding to utilize the registry repair tools, it means taking a little time to research to find what the best program is for the problems you are experiencing.

There are different programs tailored to deal with various levels of registry distress, and you can only ascertain which is needed by looking through all of the top candidates.

Researching the various products isn't hard. Most offer features and benefits on their home page and many also have feature comparisons and comprehensive analysis of what each feature addresses in your Windows registry file.

Now that you know how to deal with your Windows registry problems, it's time to start your research.

See other article :
- How to fix corrupt registry
- You may have registry problem

Planning An Office Network

2008-12-09T01:11:00.000-08:00

An office network is essential for any business that wishes to act in the modern commercial world. It enables employees to work together on projects from their own workstations, and allows a central place to store all files and to print from (a file-print server). For any network to perform at it's peak function, there is a lot of prerequisites that need to be met before installing and using the network.

The most important prerequisite is for the networking requirements to be determined. Questions that need to be answered include:

* how many computers (i.e. people) will be using the network?
* is there any remote access requirements (vpn)?
* what servers and other network attached devices are required?
* who will manage and maintain the network?
* are their specialised requirements for different departments?
* how is the connection to the internet to be maintained?
* is there a requirement for servers facing the internet - mail server, web server, etc?

Some estimation for the growth of the business needs to be included in the design as it's cheaper to add in the extra requirements during the initial build rather than tacking it on later.

Once all of these questions have been answered then the network can be designed and a shopping list can be prepared. While there are several good quality network providers, most companies choose Cisco products for their networks. There are several advantages to using Cisco:

* Cisco has very good support programmes, and can provide support 24x7 if required.
* Many computer professionals have the basic Cisco qualification - CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate), and more these days have higher qualifications from Cisco - CCNP or CCIE. This makes it easy to hire new staff if needed to support the network from day 1.
* While Cisco is not the cheapest, over the longer term their equipment tends to perform better than other cheaper brands.
* Cisco produces network components for all aspects of the network - firewall, routers, switches, VOIP, etc.

It is advisable, when the new network is ready for installation, to install it in stages to eliminate outages to other aspects of the business. This assumes that there is an existing network that is being replaced, but is still a good idea when a new office is being set up. This will allow proper testing of each section of the network before the whole thing is installed.

While installing and running an office network is not a task for someone without good computer skills, it is quite possible for someone with a good understanding of computers, as well as a good understanding of the office's requirements to be able to perform this task themselves. There are many accountants, lawyers, secretaries, and other office workers who look after their company's network.

Slow Computer Advice

2008-12-05T23:59:00.000-08:00

If you have a slow computer this article might interest you. I have been helping my neighbor working on cleaning up his computer . It had become real slow and was locking up . So, I started my normal routine of cleaning up a computer . The first thing I noticed was that there were three different versions of software to speed up internet connection or optimize a PC . It appears that over four years of use the problem kept getting worse and he was desperately looking for a solution. All these types of programs do and can have a use but, his problem had nothing to do with the speed of his internet connection . What his computer really needed was a clean up and the configuration of the systems in the computer optimized . I wanted to just point this out because I could not believe how much money he must have spent on software that really did not address his issues. The real problem was the years of use and the lack of maintenance on his PC . Do not get me wrong though, there are situations that the software he had purchased would have been useful.

The first culprit was his installation of McAfee was trying to attempt to update and was not registered so it could not complete. So, I disabled that and continued on my way. The first place to look is on the bottom of the screen by the date and see all that is loading at start up . One of the biggest things that slow down a computer is things that load at start up that you are not using. A great deal of programs when installed have an option to load at start up and you really only want them to load when you are using them. You should look into the options and disable this feature. There are some however that must and should load at start up. Here are some examples of ones that should not load. But these are suggestions, if you use them a lot and have problems with them disabled turn them back on.

* Hp Printer Options and Picture Software
* Adobe Acrobat
* MSN Messenger
* Weather Bug
* Down loadable from websites
* Internet games
* Cd Writers
* Tool bars
* This list can go on forever and not all are bad. Just be aware of what is loading.

An awful lot of things we download from web sites have tracking that loads and monitors what you are doing on the web and then traffic advertising to you. You can not completely avoid this but you can minimize it. This is the reason there are so many spy ware removal software out there. Now, the next step is to take a look at the Programs Menu in the Start Up folder . If there are things in there that you do not want to load delete them. They are just shortcuts for the most part and if you need one back it is in the recycle bin and can be restored . Just to give you a hint I only have my Logitech monitoring cordless keyboard and mouse battery life and my QuickBooks Update . When I finished with my neighbors PC he had none and he is pleased as punch with the computers improvement . He almost went out and bought a new PC and now he is thrilled he does not need too!

The next step I go through is removing unused and unwanted software . It is unbelievable how much advertising type software comes loaded on a PC you buy in the stores. The majority is designed for you to spend money. I remove as much as I can from the computer , if you have not looked at it in years why leave it there and the add and remove programs tells you when you last accessed the program . This so far is really the basics and the crucial points that will increase your computers speed. Now, wait a few days or weeks and use your computer and if you are happy with it clean out the recycle bin . Then go to the Programs Menu and Accessories and do a disk clean up and then a defragment of your computer drives and you will be in good shape.

Good Software for Speeding Up a Slow Computer and Configuration Assistance I have been using the Registry Easy program for a while now and really like it. I monthly scan my PC and it stays real nice and fast because the directories are clean . When I first used it I had 1135 errors and it finds about 400 a month and keeps things clean. My Neighbors PC had over 4000 errors just to give you an example and he is learning how to maintain his own PC from what the program shows him with all its options . This program will also take care of spy ware and has many good options for computer optimization . This is a good choice for a novice PC user to help keep their computer fast and efficient.

How To Speed Up Your Computer

2008-12-05T21:00:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you've seen the commercials for Speed Up My PC or a dozen other incarnations to speed up both your computer and your Internet connection. The fact is, most people don't need that software. What they need is something far simpler. While it is true that computers can slowdown a lot after time, you'll likely not get that 500% boost in speed the commercials will lead you to believe. If you took your exact computer and re-installed everything fresh including everything you have running now, it would likely be no more than several percent faster than it is now. What is causing the slowdown is twofold. Below you'll find the two approaches to speed up your computer.

Part 1: Remove That Old Software

One of the most common problems for a slow down is the dozens of programs you've installed over the last couple of years. You install them because either they're fun or they make your life easier or you just plain like them. No matter the reason you've installed them. However the first way to speed up your computer is to remove all those old programs you don't use. Follow the steps below to do this.

1. Go to the menu Start and select Control Panel then select the icon Add Remove Programs (or Programs and Features if you are running Windows Vista or newer). This will bring up a dialog box that lists all the pieces of software that are installed on your computer.

2. Go through the list with a fine too comb, line by line, item by item. Look carefully. If you find something that you recognize but don't use it anymore, select it and then press the Remove (or Uninstall) button.

3. If you see something you don't recognize and don't know what it is, I recommend asking a computer greek amongst your fine circle of friends if you need it. Chances are good you don't, but there's always the chance its something important. Some of the software may require you to reboot before you can go to the next piece of software. Go ahead and do that. It won't take a few minutes to be back to where you are.

4. Once you've cleaned out all the old software off your hard drive, you have two more things to do. The first is to examine what is running on your system tray. Many times a piece of software installs something in the system tray (that little bundle of icons in the lower right hand corner of your screen). That is something that runs constantly and steals the precious free cycles of your processor. Examine everything in your system tray and if you don't think you need it, right mouse click over the icon and select Exit or Close for that program. (While this step in particular won't speed up your computer considerably, it will in fact help.)

5. Go to the Start menu and select Accessories and then System Tools. Inside that group select the icon Disk Defragmenter. This will run a program called the Disk Defragmenter. It will help order everything nice and neat on your hard drive to that when programs load, they load as fast as possible with the hardware they are running on. Select the Defragment Now button. When given the list of disks, check Select all disks. You will see messages and possibly graphical representation of the defragmentation. It will take some time to defragment the hard drive, but it will be worth it. What it is doing is ordering all the programs on your hard drive in order so that when it loads or writes a program, it doesn't have to move the read write very far. That alone will save time whenever your hard drive is accessed.

If you followed the above procedure, your computer is now running only what you want it to run and is running clean and as fast as the hardware will take it. Part 2 of this tip will do the most good because if your computer is old or new, it likely has the same problem.

Part II: Upgrade The Memory

The other reason your computer is slow is likely it doesn't have enough memory. This includes older computers and newer ones. Just because you bought a brand new computer doesn't mean it has an adequate amount of memory. You will know if your computer needs more memory by a rather simple test: does your computer ever do "screen paints?" A screen paint is where the screen is re-displayed but so slowly that you can see it. Imagine the window you are viewing if it came down the screen at an inch per second. That's a screen paint! And its the first indication you are short on memory. (Remember this is memory, not hard drive space. The two are not synonymous.) Simply adding more memory to your computer will speed it up considerably, especially if you are experiencing screen paints. If you aren't experiencing screen paints but an extreme slowness, then you'll also probably need more memory. Follow the procedure below to both determine if you need more memory and how to do it yourself.

1. First determine how much memory you have. By pressing (on the LEFT side of your keyboard) Ctrl-Shift-Esc (in that order), you'll have the Windows Task Manager pop up. Select the Performance tab. About halfway down you'll see Physical Memory (MB) or something pretty close to that. You want to see what it says under Total.

2. Each release of Windows has a different recommended minimum that is stated on the side of the box. There is however a recommended amount of memory to make it run well. I'm not going to quote the recommended values that are on the boxes, but what I've come to experience as the minimum I'd recommend in a computer. For Windows 2000, I'd recommend at least 512 megabytes. For Windows XP, I'd recommend at least 1 gigabyte. For Windows Vista (or higher), I'd recommend at least 2 gigabytes.

3. If the size you found in step one is not as much as I've stated in step 2, then its time to continue and find out about your computer. First find the make and model of your computer. You'll find them on the front of the case if its a desktop or near the bottom or top of the screen if its a laptop.

4. Now its time to see what the maximum Memory your computer can handle is. Start up an Internet browser (Internet Explorer or Firefox or whatever your favorite one is). Go to http://www.google.com. Put in the search box the make and model of your computer but add the word "specifications" at the end. It may take a link or two, but you'll eventually find it. What you are looking for is how many slots your computer has and also what type of memory it needs. (If you have trouble here, just consult your favorite computer geek and bribe them with a beer or two or better a home cooked meal, to do this search for you.) You are looking for things like DDR2 or PC2700.

5. Next look on http://bestbuy.com or other sites you shop at to find out much memory is for your particular type needed. If you are having trouble and don't mind paying a little extra, then simply go to Google and type in your laptop make and model (HP Presario 6440) and add "memory" to the end. You will find any number of sites where you can purchase memory. One of the first links you'll see is for the manufacturer of your computer. Go to the site and buy the amount of recommended memory for your computer. If you have so little Memory in your computer, then chances are pretty good you'll toss out what you have and put in new memory. (For some desktops, they only have 2 memory slots and you'll leave out the memory that's installed because its far tinier than what you will buy.) So buy the memory you need based on the recommendations from above.

6. Eventually you'll end up with a couple of sticks of memory that you bought at Best Buy or online from the manufacturer of your laptop. Now if you're a technically inclined person, this part will be easy. Power off the computer. Again, remember to make sure your computer is powered off before doing this!

7. If your computer is a desktop, look on the back of the case for a couple of screws that hold the metal or plastic cover on. The screws are likely Phillips, but sometimes they are Flathead or Torx. In any case, take the cover off. Next look for something that looks like the computer chips in your hand. Remove them and install the new ones. Its as simple as that. Be sure to make sure to follow the instructions that came with the memory. Its important to seat the Memory tightly into the slots as well as to make sure the cover is properly fastened after installing the memory.

8. If its a laptop, there will be a small door on the bottom of it that you will have to open using a Phillips screwdriver. Under the small door you will find one to three slots where you plug in the memory. For both cases, follow the instructions that came with the memory. Lastly, put the cover back on and make sure the cover is properly fastened after installing the memory.

9. Power up your computer. In some cases, it will stop and make you press the F1 key (or some other key) while it updates BIOS (the firmware that records such things as how big and where your hard drive). But after that it should boot up into Windows.

Congratulations! Your computer is now as fast as it can be made! Some friends of mine ordered the memory I told them to order (I follow the above procedure to find out how much they had in their desktop and where to buy it from). They ordered it and installed and immediately noticed a difference. They were ready to buy a whole new computer! But all that was needed was a little cleanup of old software and some more memory to suit the needs of the latest incarnation of Windows. A little elbow grease and pocket change for some additional Memory can make all the difference.

Difference Between a Software Engineer and a Computer Programmer

2008-12-04T10:38:00.000-08:00

The terms software engineer or computer programmer may be confusing to the average computer user. Most of us associate computer programs with the generic term 'Software'. To us it may seem that the terms are interchangeable. That is not so. The role played by a software engineer is significantly different from that of a computer programmer. Before learning what the difference between a software engineer and a computer programmer is, let us see what is meant by the term software engineering and how it relates to computer programming.

Software engineering is a rigorous approach to development, maintenance and testing of software. These are engineers who must be knowledgeable about software requirements, design, development, maintenance and testing. They must be well versed with the tools and methods used for the development process as a whole. It is thus a convergence of the fields of computer science and systems engineering with a great deal of project management added for good measure. They are expected to have technical skills in addition to managerial skills.

A computer programmer on the other hand, is required to develop, test and maintain code that is to be run on the computer. He is responsible for converting the specifications provided in the software requirements definition phase into working code for the computer. Computer programmers are involved with design and maintenance of websites too. They should be proficient in analysis of programs. They are required to collaborate with manufacturers in developing new methodologies for software with evolution of hardware. Training, documentation and generation of reports are also tasks that should be handled by a computer programmer.

We can observe that the skill set required by a computer programmer is a subset of the skills expected from a software engineer. The computer programmer is a specialist in some areas covered by software engineering. A software engineer is in charge of the overall software development process and is expected to improve the reliability and maintainability of this complex process. A software engineer may have a team of computer programmers working under his supervision.

Maximizing Your iPod & Feature

2008-12-02T20:31:00.000-08:00

Now that you have bought the iPod you always coveted, it is time to make sure you get the maximum out of it. iPods don't come cheap, and that alone justifies the effort in taking a few precautionary measure that will help you get the most out of your iPod. Besides, the iPod's features are sure to make it your favorite device for personal entertainment on the go, so let us see what we can do to appreciate the iPod more than we do already and help extend the usability.

You need to keep these aspects involving common sense in your mind always while using your iPod to maximize its features:

1. Keep Your iPod Cool - As far as IPods go, being cool is best. That means ensuring that your IPod is as near room temperature (72° F or 22° C). Do not keep it in strong sunlight, near appliances radiating heat, on the dashboard or in the glove compartment. The more the iPod heats up, the lower its lifespan.

2. Use Your iPod Regularly - Regular use of your iPod ensures that the battery charges and discharges regularly. This prolongs both the battery life (how long your battery can power the iPod) and lifespan (how long before you need to replace the battery). An iPod that is used regularly will last longer than an iPod that is seldom used.

3. Turn Off - You can either use the hold button to prevent the iPod from waking up due to movement or switch it off when you don't want it. This helps conserve battery power and delays the necessity for another charging cycle.

4. Disable Wi-Fi - If you keep the Wi-Fi capability enabled always, the circuits tend to consume a lot of power even if you are not connected to a network. It is wise to enable Wi-Fi only when you need it.

5. Backlight Off - Keep the backlighting of the LCD screen off will help conserve a significant amount of power.

6. Applications - There are several applications available for the iPod that keeps the screen from becoming dim or turning off. The applications should be used sparingly in order to maximize the iPod.