วันเสาร์ที่ 24 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Upgrading Your Custom Computer

These days, most people buy machines already built by brand companies such as Dell and Gateway, built from proprietary parts that don't leave much for upgrading in the future. This is because the computer companies want you to buy a new computer from them once the old one has aged far too much. However, nowadays, more and more companies are beginning to use standard computer component sizes used on computer components created for the sole purpose of building computers on their own or upgrading their proprietary computers.

The word "upgrading" itself is slightly mistaken. Most people think of it as something that you do when brand new parts come out. Well, let me save you from the misery: NO, WRONG definition. In my opinion, upgrading is meant to be used ONLY when you have an extreme need to replace one of your components so your computer can handle your daily functions more efficiently. For example, if you're on an NVidia 8800 series card and you're playing a game that requires almost no graphics power, there's no reason to upgrade to an NVidia 9800 series card. Now, if you were on a low NVidia 7000 series card, and you wanted to play some higher-end games like Crysis, then yes, you'll want to upgrade to get the most out of the game.

Another factor about upgrading is considering what you need to upgrade the most in the computer. Consider these questions first:

1. What do you use your computer mostly for?

2. Which component prevents you from completing these tasks efficiently?

3. What is your budget?

The first one, basically, sets you up for a successful upgrading process. By having a proper answer for the first question, you know basically which component of your computer hinders you the most. Then, by picking a reasonable budget for your upgrade, you keep yourself from spending too much, but not too little at the same time. Upgrading is a gentle process, and if you successfully upgrade with price-to-performance and efficiency, you will have a computer that works as if you made it with the latest and greatest components.

To find out more about computer hardware, visit http://www.ImIcarus.com

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Apple I-Mac & Mac Pro Computers

The new apple Imac computers offer good performance with state of art design. This is very slim takes very little space on desk. In comparison to other desktop computers Apple Imac is much better and easy to use.

Apple offers two Imac models with many options

Apple Imac 20" Inch

Apple Imac 24" Inch

New Apple Imacs offers latest core 2 duo processors from Intel with speed enhancement and larger storage.

Here are some specs for new Apple Imacs:

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.8Ghz 4Mb cache

Display: Type Integrated 24" TFT LCD 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution

Memory: 2Gb standard & 4GB Maximum

Hard Disk: 320GB SATA 7200RPM

Optical Drive: Double layer Burning DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW

Video Graphics: ATI Radeon 2600 Pro with 256MB GDDR3 Memory

Camera: iSight Camera

Ports: 3 USB 2.0 on iMac; 2 USB 2.0 on Keyboard; 1 Firewire 400; 1 Firewire 800; Audio Out;
Optical Audio In; RJ45

Connectivity: 10/100/1000 Gigabit NIC Wireless Airport Extreme 802.11n

Bluetooth: 2.0+EDR

Operating System: Apple OS

Over all Apple Imac is worth a look if you are heavy internet or audio video user then his is must for you.

Apple Mac Pro is for serious business users. Latest Mac Pro comes with two quad core Xeon Processors from Intel and give 8 core computing experience. This System can handle any memory intensive tasks, audio video editing easily. There are lots of options available to customize you computing needs.

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For more information on Apple Imac Rentals and Apple Powerbook Rentals visit RentFusion.com.

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10 Tips And Shortcuts To Make Using Windows Easier

There are a number of tricks and shortcuts that are fairly well known among people that have been using Windows a lot over the last 14 years of it's existence. However, we tend to take it for granted that everyone knows these things, when in fact they don't.

Some of these functions are documented in the Windows help files, but I've noticed (with our secretary and my colleagues, for example) that most people never read the help files. I suppose they are kinda boring...

So with out further ado, here are some turbo tips for Windows:

(If a key name is in bold, it means you HOLD IT DOWN while pressing the other keys)

1. Windows key (the one with the flying window on it) and E will open Windows explorer, instead of right clicking the My Computer Icon on the desktop and then clicking Explore. Very useful if your desktop is full of open windows and you wnat to get another explorer window open.

2. Ctrl B for making marked text bold

3. Ctrl C to copy marked text to the clipboard

4. Ctrl V to paste that text into a new document.

5. Ctrl A selects All; either all text in a document, or all files in Explorer.

6. Alt Prt Sc to copy the presently open window to the clipboard. You can then use Ctrl V to paste it, as a jpeg image, into a document, or a photo editing program.

7. Crtl Shift Esc will open Task manager, where you can see what processes are running, and stop them if they are misbehaving and won't close. Task manager also gives you a graph which shows how hard your CPU and memory are working.

8. In Windows Explorer and in Outlook Express (and other programs) if you click on the column headings, it will sort the whole thing according to the alphabetic/numeric order of that column. Clicking it again will reverse sort it.

9. Clicking a word of text twice will highlight (ie mark) that word. Clicking the word three times in quick succession will select the whole sentence, line or paragraph. (Depending on your text editor)

10. In Windows Explorer, if you hold your Ctrl key down, you can click on numerous, random files and select them, even if they are not contiguous (For foreign readers, this means: one after the other)

I hope this helps you. I will post another 10 tips in my next article.

Duncan Kelly

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May you have a successful day!

Duncan Kelly

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วันศุกร์ที่ 23 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Cleaning Tips To Keep Your PC Healthy

Spring is a time of birth and new beginnings. Spring also means that we spend time throwing open the windows and clearing our homes of accumulated clutter. The same should be true of our offices and our computers.

Too often we buy a computer, stick it on the floor "out of the way" and then use it. We turn it on and leave it for days at a time or we turn it on and off daily. How often do you think about the dust collecting on the fan? Dust is the number one cause of overheating and hardware failure. Smoke, pets, kids, coffee, lunch while you check email, and more contribute to PC problems. That's why we should remember that regular maintenance is just as important to the longevity of our computers as it is to our cars and our personal health.

Before you do anything you should make sure you have a soft dust cloth, LCD anti-static cloth or LCD cleaner & soft cloth, can of compressed air, vacuum, rubbing alcohol, cotton swabs. Remember to turn off the power to your computer before you begin any cleaning or maintenance. Also, unplug all peripherals and cables from the computer. All "tools" can be purchased at an office supply store and/or a drug store.

The first thing on your honey-do list should be dusting. Wipe your PC with a clean soft dry cloth to remove dust from the case, your work area, and the case of your monitor (not the screen, that's what the LCD cloth is for). Next, open the computer case and remove the "dust-bunnies" that have nested there. Use the compressed air to clean out the remaining dust making sure the nozzle is 4 to 6 inches away from main board components. Be careful not to disturb jumpers or dislodge cables in the process. and don't use a standard vacuum cleaner to clean the dust out of your computer case. When finished close the case and position the computer back in place, but leave it unplugged for the time being.

Cleaning the monitor is considered a delicate operation and should be done with care. Don't use Windex at all and don't spray the LCD cleaner directly on the screen. Spray the LCD on a clean cloth and then gently wipe the screen or use an anti-static LCD cloth.

Your keyboard gets a lot of use. It collects dust, oil from our fingertips, spilled beverages, and crumbs from lunch while we're checking email. You can use a standard vacuum with a brush attachment to clean the keys. Using a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol is a good way to clean accumulated grime from individual keys.

Your mouse needs cleaning, too. If you're using a mouse with a ball assembly gently remove the ball cover and remove the ball. Use a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol to clean dust from the rollers. The compressed air is also a good cleaning solution for removing dust inside the mouse. Once completed reassemble. For an optical mouse use compressed air or follow the manufacturer's guidelines.

Now you can connect all peripherals, cables, and the power cord to the computer. The best cleaning tip is to clean your computer on a regular basis to keep it humming.

Gloria Kraegel is a nonprofit consultant providing consulting, training, and information resources to nonprofit organizations. For more information and additional resources visit http://www.greatkreations.com

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Top Registry Cleaner Reviewed And Compared

So, I bet your computer is running a tad bit slow huh? Bet that's just a tad bit frustrating too. I know I definitely hate it when my computer doesn't do what I want. After all, I'm the boss of it aren't I? Sure I am. A top registry cleaner makes the whole world a better place (well actually just your computer, but I'd like to think that).

There are many reasons that a computer can run slow, but the primary one is errors located in your system's registry. Many of you are asking,"ya, well how can I go in and fix these?" Haha, well not by yourself that's for sure. Registry's are very complex and can harm the heck out of your computer if you don't know what your doing. That's why it's better left to let a top registry cleaner deal with it.

How about a little info on what the system's registry is, because that would probably help you understand what your dealing with. The registry stores all sorts of techy information about the computer and its programs. You know how sometimes you see something really fantastically fabulous on the internet and you "have got to get it in fear of not being cool". Ok, ok, so that's a bit of an exaggeration, but who cares... you get the point. Sometimes we just download junk we don't need. When we go to uninstall that crap off our computer, it usually doesn't revert changes in the registry, therefore snailing up your computer. Ya, bummer huh?

Well, with a top registry cleaner all that can be fixed and avoided. The registry cleaner will scan your system's registry and tell you what little buggers got in your system's registry and fix them.

So I know I like to be the boss of my computer, and I hate when it's going slow. Don't you think you should be bossing your computer around instead of it slowing you down? I mean, computers aren't ruling the world yet. Come check this out and I can guarantee you'll jump out of your chair and praise whatever you feel like praising because you found the solution to your computer delays (it's so stinkin easy)!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Greg

Dust - The Computer Killer

I'm sure we have all run our fingers down a surface to check if it needs a clean. That tell tale streak of dust that we remove tell us its time for a little spit and polish. Have you ever wondered what dust actually is? There are those that will tell you that dust is comprised mainly of dead human skin cells, which isn't a hundred percent true although there is certainly plenty of human skin in the average pile of dust.

Dust particles can vary in size from as large as a few hundred microns to just a few micrometers, the larger particles tend to fall and stick to surfaces whilst the smaller ones tend to remain airborne. Dust particles can contain everything and anything, in various quantities from skin cells, liquids (water or oils), organic materials, minerals, metals and a multitude of chemicals. It all depends on the environment that surrounds us.

In a normal office environment, where dust is usually kept to a minimum (unless it's your cleaner's day off), problems associated with dust are usually kept to a minimum. However, in some environments huge quantities of dust can be generated by processes such as sawing, grinding, polishing and cutting.

This amount of dust can have unforeseen consequences. Dust can have serious effects on our health from causing asthma and allergies to more severe bronchial and pulmonary problems. Employees who have to work in dust-filled environments should of course be offered suitable protection, such as dust masks or even re-breathers.

However, have you ever thought what effect dust can have on computers and electrical equipment? Like us, computers need to breath. Dust can block filters and prevent air from flowing through the computer and causing it to overheat. Dust also acts as an insulator which can add to the heat build up.

Dust can also cause a short in circuit boards and integrated circuits causing computers to crash and in some cases- even catch fire!

Dust can also clog up some of the computers moving parts such as the disk drives and even block usb ports and interfaces.

There are thankfully a multitude of ways of eliminating and reducing dust. Protective covers can be used as a temporary but cheap method of refusing dust particles. Alternatively specialist dust-proof computers are manufactured but these are expensive and have to be replaced every time your IT is up-graded.

However, for a more permanent and flexible approach to protecting computer equipment from dust is to use a specialist computer enclosure. These enclosures can house your existing computers, protecting them from dust but with the added advantage of allowing you to replace or upgrade your IT whilst still keeping the same enclosures which can also protect your equipment from fire and impact.

Dust is responsible for millions of hours of IT downtime each year, don't let it happen to you, protect your computer equipment and you can both breath easily!

Copyright 2008 © Richard N Williams

Richard N Williams is a technical author and a specialist in the industrial computer industry helping to develop industrial computer enclosures and protection for all environments. Please visit us for more information about computer enclosure solutions.

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วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 22 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Common Computer Problems

Computers or PCs are fantastic when they function well- allowing you instant communications with the world, loads of information to learn about and the ability to entertain the entire family. Problems start, though, when a PC does not work right any longer. Without the right information this can become extremely annoying to overcome.

There are many reasons why a PC may fail or not function as you would expect. Here are some of the main reasons.

Hardware Failure

As with all things that contains electronics or mechanical parts, things can go wrong - it's part of life. If this happens to you then, once you ascertain what has failed, the failing component can be replaced. Of course, the main problematic area can be diagnosing the fault in the first place.

Virus

Yes astonishingly there are still computer users in this world today who do not protect themselves with anti virus software on their computer - despite the fact that there are many free applications to download to protect you. If you do get a virus on your PC you may find this can deteriorate your PC's performance and even cause an absolute failure.

Spyware/adware

Whist spyware and adware are generally is not as damaging as having a virus it can often block up your computer and slow your Internet connections causing an ultimately slow machine. Not to mention the security risks of having these on your machine. A free downloadable anti adware or spyware program should help resolve this issue.

Crashes

Sometimes a computer goes slightly wrong and people go into panic mode - restart your machine - it may often solve your problem. Programs do crash and this is a fact of life. Sometimes if something has crashed it is obvious what is going on but other times it can not be so obvious. A restart of your computer can often solve these types of issues.

Slow Computer

This is a common computer issue - often after owning using a computer regularly for a long period of time, downloading trial software, installing new applications etc etc. Your computer is often trying to load a hundred different programs on start-up that you do not even need - (do you have loads of icons down by the clock?). This is taking up valuable computer resources and will end up slowing your machine down. Either uninstall any programs no longer needed or disable them from the start-up menu.

JBO Solutions supplies the UK with Server Components, Computer Components and accessories such as TFT Monitors.

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5 Tips For Computer Users - Get The Most Out Of Your Computer

When a computer starts slowing down, it can be very frustrating. When you just want your computer to work, sometimes it won't. Fortunately, there are some simple things that you can do to get your computer running quickly again. Just follow these 5 simple computer tips, and get your computer running quickly again!

5 Tips For Computer Users:

1. Clean up disk errors: Whenever your computer is abruptly shut down or a program suddenly crashes, errors are written to your hard drive. Eventually, these can slow down your computer. Fortunately, Windows comes with a free tool to scan for and fix these disk errors.

Click on the Start Menu, and then on My Computer. Right click on the hard drive or petition that you want to check for errors on (its usually the C drive) and click on Properties. Click on the Tools tab, and then on Check Now. Make sure all of the boxes are checked and then click on Start. This can take as long as an hour, depending upon disk size and number of errors.

2. Remove temporary files: When you browse the Internet and use programs, temporary files are created on your hard drive. These take up disk space and can slow down your computer. To remove these files, simply do the following:

Click on the Start Menu, and then on My Computer. Right click on the hard drive or petition that you want to check for errors on (its usually the C drive) and click on Properties. Now, click on Disk Cleanup. Check all of the boxes and click OK.

3. Defragment your hard drive: I'm not going to try to confuse you with all of the technical jargon explaining why you need to defragment your hard drive, but let me tell you: on a Windows PC, it is essential that you frequently defragment. I would suggest at least once a month. Windows comes with a free utility to defragment your disk.

Click on the Start Menu, and then on My Computer. Right click on the hard drive or petition that you want to check for errors on (its usually the C drive) and click on Properties. Click on the Tools tab, and then on Defragment Now. Select your disk volume to defragment (probably C), and then click Analyze. The tool should tell you whether or not to defragment after it analyzes your disk. If it tells you to, click Defragment Now. This process can take a very long time, depending upon the size and fragmentation of your disk.

It can take many hours, so I would recommend running it at night when you go to sleep or when you're about to leave for work and aren't going to need to use your computer.

4. Optimize Internet Explorer: Internet Explorer is not a very well written program, and consequentially it can run quite slowly. Here are two options that you can tweak to speed it up:

From Internet Explorer, click Tools from the menu bar and then Internet Options. In the History section, set the number of days to keep history for to 1. Having a large history can slow down the program. Now, click on the Advanced tab. Under Security, check the "Do not save encrypted pages to disk" box.

5. Automate Windows Update: Microsoft frequently releases patches and fixes to close security holes in Windows. These are very important for your computer, so its best to set Windows to download them automatically if it isn't already.

Click on the Start Menu and then Control Panel. Click on Automated Updates and make sure that "Automated Updates" is checked. Click OK.

Those are 5 of the best tips to ensure that your computer runs as quickly and smoothly as possible. Often, a computer has other problems that these simple tips won't address. I have written a slightly more comprehensive (but still very easy to read) guide that addresses the issues of spyware and the Windows registry. These are 2 problems that occur on every single Windows computer to some extent, and that you will definitely want to address. Discover how to fix a slow computer in easy steps, and get your computer running like it is new.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Summits

The Ultimate Computer Case Buyer's Guide

Today, more and more people are starting to build their own computers. However, when it gets to picking the case, how do you really pick one case from a list of hundreds and maybe thousands of computer cases? I'm almost certain that there're way more cases out there than motherboards, Intel and AMD chipsets combined. So, which one should you get?

Well, first consider your needs, such as:

1. Do I need to be able to move this case around constantly for LAN parties, work, etc.?

2. How much space will I need for i.e. dual-GPU set-up, many harddrives?

3. Am I going to use air-cooling or water-cooling?

4. Do I care about noise, or would I need a quiet case?

5. Would I want to organize my cables, or just leave them be?

Those are just some of the key factors you must consider when picking out a case.

Notice that, no where in that list, looks and aesthetics of the case are in there. Why? Because that should be the VERY last thing you should consider. There're many cases out there with awesome looks but horrible interior, such as sleek looks but horrible air-cooling. So remember, looks come LAST.

Now, once you narrow down the choices to a list that fits on a piece of paper, now consider your budget. Which ones fit in your budget? Which one seems to give you the most positive aspects for its price?

Now, after you do that, you can consider looks. I myself don't really care about the looks, but I know that there're many of you out there who have different opinions, so I'll leave the looks up to you.

Seems overly simple right? Well, it really is that simple. It's just that there're so many choices, like motherboards, out there that it seems as though the list of cases is endless. But don't worry, once you follow these simple steps, it won't be hard anymore. It'll be easy and fun.

To read more computer hardware articles, visit http://www.ImIcarus.com

http://www.ImIcarus.com

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วันพุธที่ 21 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2551

New Technology Empowers Families To Improve Communication, Learning And Cognition At Home

Most of us know a child with a speech, language or learning disability or an adult who has communication or cognitive deficits from a stroke or head injury. Formal treatment typically ends too soon- leaving people with untapped potential. The schools often only provide special speech therapy services for students who are struggling academically. Many students with articulation disorders and subtle language and learning challenges are not seen for remediation. Insurance has placed increasingly stringent limits on the therapy for stroke and head injury survivors. Recent research has shown that the brain is capable of making new neurological connections when properly stimulated, but it is often difficult for family members to know the best way to provide the stimulation. Many families do not have easy access to a speech-language pathologist skilled in the use of technology to enhance progress or can not afford to pay privately for ongoing therapy.

Application sharing is a new technology which empowers rehabilitation and education professionals who specialize in using technology to help families who would like to play an active role in the treatment process. Using screen sharing technology, professionals are able to expose families to software, devices, resources, and strategies that may help their loved ones reach their greatest potential. Families participate at home with their computers- either a PC or a Mac. There is no need for participants to download any software. Computer expertise is not needed to participate in this program, but high speed internet access is required. The therapists invites the family to join "application/screen sharing" sessions. Participants view the therapist's software on their monitor and listen to personalized presentations so that they can learn to use the software with their family member. Control of the software can be turned over to the family who can then give the programs a try from a distance. Sessions can be recorded for later viewing. Multiple family members can participate from different locations. The goal is that after a few sessions, the family will feel comfortable helping the person with the disability who can then become independent with an effective home practice program.

Computers can provide a new world of independence for people with physical, communication, or cognitive disabilities. Online sessions can include suggestions to target the recovery of specific communication skills, the development of alternative and compensatory strategies with a heavy emphasis on the most appropriate technology, the accessing of community resources and the development of a "life plan" to improve overall quality of life.

Acting as an advocate is not easy. There is a great deal to learn to help your loved one who may have challenges with talking, reading, writing, thinking and remembering. Time, money and limited access to skilled professionals often hinder an advocate's ability to help. This new ability for professionals to provide help from a distance limits these barriers and enhances a family's ability to empower their loved ones with the many benefits of technology in education and rehabilitation.

People challenged by disabilities can benefit from technology in many aspects of their lives. Technology can provide clients with a means to compensate for difficulties as well as to strengthen weak skills. Computers and other devices, when selected and used properly, can help improve communication and cognitive skills related to education, employment, recreation, and social and medical needs. Assistive technology can help individuals increase independence, build self-confidence and self-esteem, and improve quality of life. Children and adults with a broad range of difficulties resulting from strokes, head injuries, degenerative diseases, developmental delays and disorders and learning differences can independently handle a wider range of activities with the help of software and devices to read, write, organize, remember, learn, communicate, and search for information.

Many software products and devices on the market today are affordable and easy to use. These tools were produced for a wide variety of audiences-some for people with special communication or cognitive needs, others for people learning English as a second language, people with low vision, or mainstream society. In the hands of a creative user, these products can unlock the potential of many clients. Software that reads text aloud on the computer can be used to help improve reading, writing, remembering and talking. Drill and practice software can be used to maximize new learning. Word prediction technology can help users thinking of words and voice recognition technology can help people who can speak but not type. There are adapted email programs, free videoconferencing programs and inexpensive online programs which can be used to help people independently practice and work toward reaching their goals.

Joan Green, a speech-language pathologist in the Washington, DC area , is passionate in her efforts to spread the knowledge of technology and other resources to empower people with communication, learning and cognitive challenges maximize their progress. She provides short-term intensive speech therapy and local and distance training for professionals and families. More information about Joan and her approach can be found at http://www.innovativespeech.com

Joan is also the author of "Technology for Communication and Cognitive Treatment: The Clinician's Guide." This book was written with professionals in mind, but is very helpful for families. Further information about this new resource guide is available at http://www.ittsguides.com

Joan L. Green, M.A. CCC-SLP
Founder of Innovative Speech Therapy
1-800-IST-2550

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How To Get Rid Of Old Computers

Before you trash, sell, or give away any old computer the very first thing you should do is permanently wipe the hard drive so that nobody can recover personal information which could be used to access your bank accounts or steal your identity. So how can you do this?

Format Your Hard Drive

Formatting your hard drive before getting rid of an old computer is no longer enough to prevent somebody from recovering data from it! This is no longer an effective method of safeguarding your data. As our level of technological sophistication advances, so does the ease with which we recover data from old computers. There are services and software that a person with no computer knowledge can emply to recover data from a formatted hard drive at a very reasonable price, a small drop in the bucket when compared to the profit margins in identity theft.

Disk Wiping Software

(ex: Symantec System Works, Safe Erase, File Shredder)

Many software manufacturers offer products that are supposed to irrevocably wipe your computers hard drive. If you're willing to purchase software to wipe your hard drive so you can give or throw it away make sure you do your homework and ask what the program actually does. Most of the programs will repeatedly erase and overwrite your hard drive, which does make recovery of your data more difficult, but not impossible. Don't take the salesman's word without doing your homework.

Physically Destroy the Hard Drive

Physically destroying your disk drive is currently the best method of protecting your data. Software solutions that work today may not be effective tomorrow as our technology advances at breakneck speeds. The price of computer hard drives plummets more each and every day making this a very feasible option as your computer's hard drive comprises less than 10% of the total value of your PC.

Understand that crushing, burning, or otherwise physically destroying your hard drive is not fool-proof, data can and has been recovered from drives that have been mashed beyond recognition, but the more thoroughly thrashed the drive is, the harder and more costly it is to attempt to recover any previous data. If you decide to take this route, disassemble the drive with a screwdriver, remove the ceramic disks (See image to the right), wrap them in a towel to protect yourself from shards and then thoroughly smash them with a hammer.

5 Ways to Dispose of Your Old PC

1. Donate it! Surprisingly, this isn't as easy as it used to be as many schools and charities are swimming in old, obsolete computers. If your old PC is new enough to still be useful, chances are you can find someone who wants it. Here's some places to try:

* Your local schools.

* Advertise it for free in your local craigslist.

* Post it on a bulletin board at a local college.

* Drop it off at your local salvation army or goodwill store's donation center.

2. Sell it! Advertise it in your local classifieds, Ebay, or Craigslist.com. Look through any place you attempt to sell first to make sure your not competing against people who are giving away comparable or better stuff.

3. Recycle it! Look up "Recycling" in your local phone book to find places close by that will take your old hardware.

4. Trade it in! Some computer companies such as HP, Gateway, and Dell will take your old, worthless hardware off of your hands for free when you buy a new PC through them.

5. Reuse it! Reconfigure an old computer to play music and movies, rip all of your CD's and DVD's onto it and hook it up to your home theatre. Video cards with RCA or S-Video outputs can be had for less that $20 making this very affordable.

Know of more ways to safely dispose of old PC's? Add them to this page using the form below. Please don't throw your old computers and monitors into the trash; they contain materials that are destructive to the environment.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeon_Addict


Questions On Boston Consulting IT

There are many good reasons why hiring an independent Boston IT contractor is a smart move for your company, and expertise in the many issues connected with information technology systems is only one part of the equation.

Unless your company is a proverbial "fly in amber," it succeeds or fails on the reliability of its IT systems. Such systems consist not only of individual computers and the network, but also databases, servers, Internet and more. If one part of the system goes down, it will affect the others - and the results could be disastrous.

An independent Boston consulting IT firm can analyze your IT system for efficiency and pinpoint any weaknesses. These professionals can make sure your company's hardware and software are working properly as well as insure that data is backed up and stored in secure locations should there be problems.

If you have an in-house IT department, consider the effects on your company's bottom line. For many of the most profitable companies in Boston, IT outsourcing has been the reason behind their profitability. Today's global economy is hyper-competitive, and your company needs every single edge in order to survive.

Outsourcing IT work to a qualified Boston IT contractor means that your company will no longer have to deal with providing expensive benefits that seriously eat into your company's profits. There are no health, dental and/or vision plans, no paid vacations and no retirement or pensions to deal with. Boston IT outsourcing means greater profitability, a higher rate of return to your investors - and once the board sees the company's stock price rising, a substantial raise for you.

Another advantage of outsourcing such work to a Boston consulting IT firm is that there will be no need for middle management to conduct routine supervision and potentially costly employee evaluations of in-house IT workers. Such supervisors may or may not be familiar with technical issues surrounding IT, and the potential problems with this should be obvious (as some companies have learned the hard way). Your Boston IT contractor takes this responsibility off of your hands so you can turn your focus on to the company's day-to-day operations. Your IT management can be on-site or off-site according to your preference and needs - and are available twenty-four/seven.

There is an abundance of Boston consulting IT companies in the metro area; you should interview several and check into their backgrounds, finding out how well they have served past and current clients before committing to a relationship, however. This way, your company's Boston IT outsourcing will have the desired results.

Wayne Hemrick is a consultant for outsourcing IT firms. He has a great insight and years of experience in the tech field.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wayne_Hemrick

วันอังคารที่ 20 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2551

How My iPod Calms My Obsessional Personalty

I am bipolar, and as such, suffer from certain obsessional behaviour problems. These range from checking my emails twenty times an hour, to how I organise my music.

The way I listen to music has changed with the times, and my methods of classification have also changed. Where once all my music was filed alphabetically on records, tapes and cds, it is now all in folders on my iPod. I can listen to, and amass, seemingly unlimited amounts of music. Equally, there seem to be endless options as to how I can arrange said music.

However, on examination, my methods have remained similar. I used to make mixed tapes - spend hours hunting for, and selecting perfect tracks. The inspiration generally came from having listened to enough new good music that I was no longer happy with the old tapes.

Making a tape was always a precise and time consuming operation. Working out what would fit into ninety minutes, making sure there were no gaps, no jerky starts, rewinding and checking. And I had endless rules. For example, I wouldn't put two tracks by the same artist on the same side, the best tracks had to be balanced out through both sides, and it was not acceptable to have a track run out on the end of the side.

Now I am part of the iPod generation, I have playlists. Gone are the days of precision and commitment. On an iPod, any decision can be reversed, tracks can be added pretty much instantaneously, and the only time limit is the memory of the iPod (which is no comparison with a ninety minute tape).

But, I still have my rules. I still make a new playlist when I have a glut of new music. The only difference now is I have one overall playlist which everything gets added to. I don't delete my playlists. The same way I have kept all my mixed tapes, my playlists are soundtracks to certain periods of my life. I also don't delete tracks from my lists. Once it has been committed, it stays. In the same way with every mixed tape I made, there was one annoying track which I always wished I'd never added, the same is true of my playlists. Whilst there is no logic to not deleting the offending track on my iPod, I never do.

However, because of the speed of making lists, there are now so many possibilities. I can make a list for every mood, for every eventuality. Sometimes, I feel overwhelmed by the range of options and sit in front of the computer, motionless, lost in thought over the next best way to tackle the classification of my music.

Yet, despite this, and despite the wistful nostalgia for the tape deck collecting dust in my Grandma's cellar, I wouldn't want to go back. My obsession addled brain loves the flexibility and speed. And, as with so much technology, I couldn't imagine living without it.

Sarah Maple used dealtime.co.uk and uk.shopping.com to find the best prices for an iPod or mp3 player online.

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A Digital Revolution In Toys

There is no denying that computers have definitely become an established part of our society, and children will continue to be surrounded by computer technology. It is no surprise then, that manufacturers and toy developers have identified this changing culture and designed miniature toy computers for children of all ages to become familiar with the idea of using their own computer. The purpose of these toy computers varies depending upon the age of the child.

Of course, most children love copying their parents and other adults they seem around them. This is often noticeable if children have access to toy telephones and steering wheels. They will usually chatter away quite happily on toy phones, and drive parents round the bed with toy steering wheels, usually with built in horns. Because many children will notice their parents using a computer, children will develop a natural curiosity about these shiny, beeping objects, and want to either grab your mouse and see what can be done with it, hammer away on your keyboard, or punch your laptop's screen to watch the pretty ripples of colour appear, until, that is, the thing breaks.

Toy computers that small children can play with therefore provide them with a safe alternative, so that they can pretend to be mummy or daddy working away on a computer, but without putting your own system in any danger. This is not to mention the dangers to children of cables, wires, temperatures, and the fact that these machines use a high level of electricity. For all sorts of reasons, keeping young children well away from the home computer is a very good idea. Insurance firms usually tend to agree.

However, as well as being toys for the child to imagine as the real think, manufacturers have now develop a large range of these toy computers that really are basic, simple computers themselves. The level of complexity ranges from having big chunky coloured buttons that say the name of the colour when you press them, displaying the word on the screen, to fully fledged interactive machines that allow children to order words and ideas, respond to questions and take part in a wide variety of games, such as matching or connection games, designed to consolidate the understanding of topics and ideas they may be just about getting to grips with.

As children become older, and start to enter school age and in particular junior age, the level of complexity of these toy computers starts to move forwards so far that it is hard to say when these toy computers stop being toys and start to be classified as proper computers. They rarely have the ability for extra programs to be installed, and won't have internet access, but they will usually have a wide number of education games and knowledge based tests, quizzes and exercises built in, and allow the child to write using simple word processor software, save files, and print them out.

Because of this dynamic scale of toy computer to fledgling computer to fully functional computer, children become very quickly accustomed to using these, and moving on to proper computers becomes a logical and easy step. Much easier, in fact, than the step that had to be taken by the parents in many cases!

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about kids toys, dolls, and video games. You will find the best marketplace for kids toys, dolls, and used video games at these sites for kids toys, toy computers, computers, dolls, and used video games.

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Choosing From The Different Types Of Microscopes

Microscopes have different uses. They are no longer just for use in the science lab at the local high school. The world of the microscope today offers people the option to see objects, such as fossils encased in rocks that are over 650 million years old.

The scopes of today are not like those of yesteryear. Choosing such a device for an individual can be a big deal unless one knows what they need and what they should definitely stay away from when looking at purchasing a magnifying instrument.

Microscopes for those who are hobbyists are the simple light microscope of their high school days. These are relatively inexpensive, and most have a simple light source already in the machine. One can view simple items that are mainly transparent, such as cells and bacteria with this type of a microscope.

However, if one wants to see solid objects, like a coin, then this is not the right scope. If one purchases pre-loaded microscope slides, then a light microscope is the right type of device for viewing them.

Two other types of magnifying instruments on the market are the transmission electron microscope and the confocal microscope. Both of these are made exclusively for the use of researchers. The electron scopes use a vacuum to see the tiny images, and they can be very expensive to operate.

A confocal microscope uses various types of lasers to help one see the fantastic fluorescence images that can be sent to a computer monitor. These are also very expensive, but they offer a scientist the option to see items that have not been seen for millions of years. As well, a few other types of scopes include the inverted, the compound and the atomic force microscope.

The world of microscopes has come a long way since the beginning. People have gone from using thick pieces of glass to magnify items, to incorporating lasers to help them see into worlds that have for millions of years been nonexistent.

These devices can be used to help one focus on becoming more interested in the world around them and have the potential to help a person become the next Pasteur. No matter what type of scope a person chooses to invest in, the main thing to remember is that science is the key to the unlocking the world's mysteries and that can only provide knowledge in a world that is sometimes too chaotic.

A whole world of information about the types of microscopes eagerly awaits you from Mike Selvon portal. We appreciate your feedback at our telescopes blog.

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วันจันทร์ที่ 19 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Antec - The Friend of the Common

Antec is a relatively new company that started out creating cases for mid-budget computer builders. From their first few cases, they became extremely successful at selling their products and having happy customers, so they continued going through evolutions of their new cases. Their first cases were conventional, every-day use computer cases. However, as demands of the computer case market continually changed, they began to explore in the types of cases more, and moved into the gaming computer case market with their Antec 900, and became known for their own original look. Since then, they have continually gone through evolutions of the basic case, and are still successful today.

Now, the thing I like about Antec is that they actually target the market with the most people: the mid-budget computer builders. Antec has continually sold computer cases at reasonable prices for their quality computer cases. They have backed off on some features in their cases, but that does not matter, because the features they have taken off of their cases are usually ignored by most computer builders. Plus, their main target market, the mid-budget computer builders, will not use extreme water-cooling to cool down all of the components in the computer case anyways.

Another factor I like about Antec is their consistent quality of their cases. I have not been disappointed much with their cases thus far, and Antec has continually had excellent cases; although the cases contain minor flaws, the positive aspects of the case far outweigh minor faults. Antec has continually created cases that function well, with great air-cooling and arrangements of internal structures so that nothing is obstructed.

To read more articles on computer hardware, go to http://www.ImIcarus.com

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Basic IT Training

The importance and the use of IT, is growing day by day. There are many opportunities in IT. However, as IT is a technical field, you need undergo training for it. If you are a beginner and you do not have any knowledge about computers and IT, you need to do a course that provides basic IT training. Doing such courses would be useful to you to use a computer at your home or at your work place. You can also find, a simple basic job related to IT, with the help of such a basic course.

The basic IT training would involve undergoing some course of duration of two or three weeks or two or three months. During this time, you would be taught different things right from the start i.e. defining what IT, computer, hardware and software are, to the complicated applications of the computer programs and languages.

The content of the basic IT training includes the bellow given things.

* The beginning would be from knowing about the different things & terms related to IT. During this, you would be educated, with the help textual information, about the various aspects of IT.

* Basic IT training includes learning to identify different parts of computer: During this, you would be practically shown and told about the basic parts of the computer. In addition, you will also learn to connect them with each other and thus make the computer ready for use. Also during this stage, you will get the knowledge about the role of each of the component in the operating process of the computer.

* Then the next part of the basic IT training involves learning to adjust the basic settings of computer, as per the requirements.

* Then you would be taught the different storage mechanisms of the computer. You would be taught about the CPU and other parts as well. Learning this is important as, they affect the speed of the computer during work. Therefore, you should do the proper settings for them to achieve the maximum speed. You will also be introduced to the floppies and compact disks, which are used to store data.

* Then the basic IT training would involve the training about the operating systems for the computers. Learning them is one of the most important part of the basic IT training. This is because then you would be able to use the computer.

* The most common operating system used in the world is Microsoft Windows. Therefore, generally this is taught during the course. You will also learn to use the MS Word and other MS Office applications. They are very commonly used in all types of offices and other work places. You will be provided with a lot of practice for using them, as this is the most useful part of the course. This also involves the training for printing data, from the computer, as well.

* After this, you would be introduced to, computer application and the course will include some basics of programming.

* The basic IT training would also involve the introduction to internet and the method to us it.

Allan Wilson owns and operates http://www.it-staff-training.com where you can learn how to increase your profits by improving your technology training. It Training

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Data Centre Offers You Smart Colocation Hosting!

Data centers should be located and built to withstand natural disasters, and other emergencies. Don't you want to safeguard your data centre too. Evaluate your business's power, cooling and security requirements and design a solution that meets your need and scales to allow you to adapt in the future. Appropriate to businesses both large and small, co-location is a highly flexible, cost-effective and best practice solution to ensuring your business' IT service uptime.

Colocation hosting has many advantages above ordinary dedicated server hosting, such as the fact that most data centres provide a 'remote hands' service if your server needs a task doing such as an OS reinstall which can only be done from the console; also, the connectivity that your equipment receives will probably be better than that you would receive on a dedicated server, the reason being that your equipment is surrounded by your own equipment meaning that you don't have any other customers around you that could be a burden on your connection speed.

Gain direct access to the most reliable, widely deployed networks in the world. Such data centre eliminates the need for expensive equipment such as generators and UPS's as these are all included in the standard service charge. For the highest availability colocation services you can compare online and choose the right place. Data centre team of professionals offers you fully managed support services including OS installation and configuration to something as simple as a server reboot. With a round the clock on site staff of highly trained engineers and support staff, client's servers will be backed by the best in server collocation professional services.

The collocation hosting service providers would enable the client to benefit from the data center's security, network and environment at all times. This colocation of hosting services is done at the state of art high-end data centers and need to focus on numerous factors if they are to be a success story. The start up operations would depend on the number of servers that need to be collocated, the bandwidth service providers, the business strategy being adopted and the location of data center of choice - these and more would determine the start up costs of the project.

Colocation Hosting for the safety of your business!

Data centre team of professionals offers you fully managed support services including OS installation and configuration to something as simple as a server reboot. With a round the clock on site staff of highly trained engineers and support staff, client's servers will be backed by the best in server collocation professional services.

Kirthy Shetty, expert author of technical domains, Platinum status

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วันเสาร์ที่ 17 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Finding Great IT Consulting In Boston Can Be Tough

Operating a business anywhere is a complicated and difficult matter, and it is virtually impossible to be an expert in everything that is involved; you may therefore benefit from IT consulting. Boston businesses often seek out these types of services as they grow and expand, because naturally their information technology needs become exponentially more complex. When should a company seek out IT consulting? Boston business owners and corporate management virtually always ask this question at some point.

The world "consultant" is actually derived from Latin consultant, a direct ancestor if the modern Italian consiglieri and is related to English words such as consul and council. There's nothing particularly arcane about a consultant; s/he is simply someone with a high level of expertise in a given area, such as technology consulting. Boston business owners and managers who feel out of their depth when having to deal with computer systems will benefit greatly from access to an IT consultant.

A qualified Boston IT consulting firm can help you determine and clarify your information technology needs in terms of hardware and software issues, data transfer and storage, Internet access and monitoring, servers, security issues and more. If you already have an IT system in place, such a consultant can also help pinpoint weaknesses in the system, such as bottle necks. Here is a fact of which many people - even business experts - are unaware: most data bottlenecks are not due to processor speed (or lack of it)! Although it is true that a 3 Ghz Pentium will run faster than a 500 Mhz Intel, the real issues are memory (RAM) and hard drive access speed. An expert from your local Boston IT consulting firm can show you how setting up a series of "mirrored" hard drives in what is called a RAID array can double or even quadruple data transfer speeds.

You can also learn how to reduce costs associated with the operation of you IT system by accessing IT consulting. Boston business owners and corporate managers can learn more about outsourcing as well - when to do it, how to do it, and with whom to do it. It's a great way to externalize the cost of doing business while increasing and internalizing profitability, thereby insuring that investors and shareholders are provided on maximum return.

By accessing IT consulting, Boston companies are learning to operate more efficiently and enjoying greater profitability; you owe it to your business to learn what a qualified IT consultant can do for you.

Wayne Hemrick is a consultant for outsourcing IT firms. He has a great insight and years of experience in the tech field.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wayne_Hemrick

High Def DVD Technology Has Risks To Backers

Toshiba and Sony have a lot riding on their high def DVD technology, and that's why the two have been in such a fierce battle to dominate the market for this technology. Both of these two electronics giants have their own high def DVD formats. Both of these formats can be used to store and retrieve an entire full length HDTV movie on a normal sized optical disc. And neither of the two formats can be played on the other's players.

Generally, it's agreed that only one of the two high def DVD formats can survive this format war, but there are two other outcomes that aren't discussed as often. The first outcome, one that's fairly likely actually, is that both formats will survive the war and will both exist side by side for the lifetime of the technology. The other outcome, which is also conceivable, is that both of these formats will be defeated by some other technology.

First, the scenario where both formats exist side by side. This would come about because of third party technology that could make the distinction between the two formats irrelevant. There are already technologies like this in existence. One is the dual format disc on which a movie title, in both formats, is encoded onto a single disc. As the standard way to release discs, people would be able to buy high def discs without any thought as to which type of player they own. Another solution comes in the form of a dual format player. These devices are also already in existence, but are presently so expensive that it makes more sense to buy a player for each of the two formats- it would be cheaper.

There are lots of new technologies on the horizon that could also bring about the demise of both formats. One of the more likely ones is high capacity hard drive technology. With hard drives larger than a terabyte already available, and improved video compression technology, it may soon be possible to buy portable hard drives preloaded with an abundance of movies. These movies could be unlocked for viewing one by one in exchange for paying a small fee, which would reduce the upfront cost while allowing consumers to avoid the inconvenience of downloading the movies off of the Internet. Of course, these hard drives could have space reserved for the storage of recently released movies that could be downloaded off of the Internet as well.

Another interesting possibility is that HDTV could soon be obsolete, and therefore HDTV DVD's would become obsolete as well. One of the technologies that could replace HDTV is 3D TV. Of course, any kind of 3D TV of the future probably will have HDTV resolutions, but the extra amount of data required to render a three dimensional image would exceed the storage capabilities of even high def DVD's. Perhaps HDTV DVD technology could still be used for short format 3D HDTV, but it would hardly be sufficient for full length titles in the new format.

With these and other new technologies on the horizon, putting a lot of resources into high def DVD technology is a risky proposition indeed.

N.Evans writes articles for consumers who want to find the best Satellite TV offers currently available. She has written for many major publications about the latest Directtv Offers and Direct TV Specials.

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Moore's Law - Is It The Kiss Of Death For Enterprise Technology?

I was perusing BPM Strategies magazine and came across the term "applistructure ". Applistructure has to do with the convention of combining enterprise infrastructure and enterprise business applications. Service-oriented architecture (SOA) refers to a web centric / web focused approach to technology. According to the "SOA and Application Infrastructure" article by Mike Rosen, this applistructure trend was hot a couple of years ago. Can you relax? Or, as Mr. Rosen suggests, can you take comfort in knowing that solving management and business process issues are more critical to enterprise success than the actual technology?

I attended the Atlanta AFCEA (Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association) February 2008 meeting. The speaker, Mr. Joe Capps talked about the subject of moving to enterprise level systems and procurement processes. Instead of haphazardly developing technology in an "after the fact" manner, he advocated a more proactive approach - as in developing a strategy to move toward enterprise infrastructure, enterprise business applications and enterprise technology in general.

Additionally, a key imperative of the Department of Defense (DoD) is to change and accelerate the requirement to solution process. What's known as Moore's Law (based on Gordon Moore's predictions about semiconductors), says that technology is rapidly changing. Probably about every 18 months. Where there is a need for the latest technology, Moore's Law has financial, logistical and feasibility implications. The government and the DoD are known for red tape and cumbersome processes. But our country's ability to respond to immediate threats requires current, accurate information delivered to those needing it in a timely fashion. He suggested the criticality of providing our war fighters with decision making data on how to even respond to five guys running down a street in Iraq. Wow!

Moore's Law has implications in the private sector as well. Large scale technology projects often take 18 months or more to implement. That time is in addition to the time required to budget for, select and procure the software, hardware, and implementation partners. While ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), CRM (Customer Relationship Management), MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) and the like, may not be obsolete, there are sure to be upgrades, patches (corrections and fixes to software problems) and new feature by the time the system is finally rolled out.

So, what can be done? Knowledgeable consultants with system expertise can help companies and public sector entities develop a strategy and select the right software in the first place. Then, the right implementation partners can accelerate and provide Independent Verification and Validations (IV&V), project management and governance throughout the implementation process. If none of these things were in place or addressed during the course of the technology project, then you'll probably need the cure for the "Post Implementation Distress" that is sure to occur.

You're spending millions of dollars for enterprise initiatives. Wouldn't it be worth spending a small percentage on ensuring that you get what you paid for? Perhaps you need a technical advocate to help you navigate through the planning and implementation process.

About Us:

Sandra Noble - MBA, CPIM, Six Sigma, DCFS, CDP, is president / CEO of Noble & Associates Consulting Inc, which offers cost effective, strategic, enterprise e-Business solutions delivered by experienced professionals with industry, business and application knowledge and expertise. We specialize in IT strategy, needs assessments, software evaluation & selection and implementation of SAP, Oracle, ERP and other enterprise-wide software solutions. And we're the cure for Post Implementation Distress. "Reducing The STRESS of Software Implementations Worldwide".

For a *FREE* report"12 Sins of ERP Implementations",click http://www.CurePostImplementationDistress.com

Noble Finances, a division of Noble & Associates Consulting, provides accounts receivable financing, equipment & software leasing, cash advances on credit card sales and pre-settlement lawsuit funding and law firm portfolio loans.

If your bank says NO, then YES, you need to explore other alternatives.For more information, visit http://www.GetCashFromReceivables.com

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วันศุกร์ที่ 16 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Computer And Electronics Recycling

Although there has been a recent growing awareness about the importance of caring for our environment, most of our attention is turned toward issues such as alternative fuel sources and global warming. These topics are certainly important and do merit attention, but there are other simple tasks that you can do on a regular basis that will also help to keep our Earth better protected. One of these tasks is to participate in computer and electronics recycling programs.

Why You Should Participate in Computer and Electronics Recycling Programs

There are many reasons for participating in computer and electronics recycling programs. We all know that, in general terms, recycling is beneficial because it reuses materials rather than putting them in landfills or incinerating them. Recycling also reduces pollution and helps save natural resources because materials do not have to be developed from scratch.

When it comes to computer and electronics recycling, however, there are even more benefits. More specifically, failing to recycle computer and electronics equipment unnecessarily releases toxins into our environment.

Looking at Some Frightening Facts

Right now, you may be using a computer to read this article. But, do you know that computers are the number one cause of electronic waste? With all of the different components and with the quick evolution of computer technology, consumers are going through computers rapidly as they try to keep up with the changes.

Unfortunately, many consumers are actually hanging on to their old electronic devices. In fact, according to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, about 75% of electronics that are now obsolete are actually being stored. This means we will be facing some major disposal issues when consumers finally decide to get rid of these devices.

Safely Disposing of Computers and Electronics

When it comes to computer and electronics recycling, you actually have many options available to you. This is partially because of growing environmental concerns, but also because there are numerous laws regarding recycling. In fact, there are over 500 laws in the United States regarding recycling!

Thankfully, you don't have to know all of the details of each of these laws. All you really need to do is find a company that specializes in computer and electronics recycling. If you are a business owner, participating in a computer and electronics recycling program is even more important because failure to properly recycle can cost your business greatly.

Recycling batteries is particularly important simply because we use so many of them and because they contain so many toxic chemicals. Luckily, it is easy to find companies that will accept batteries for recycling. In fact, many retail stores will recycle batteries. These include:

- Best Buy

- Circuit City

- Office Max

- Office Depot

- Radio Shack

Old computers and computer equipment can also be recycled. So, if your equipment is so old that it is no longer useful or if it is so damaged that it cannot be repaired, turn it into a recycling program. With these programs, the equipment will be dismantled and all of the useable parts and materials will be removed. Another option is to donate your computer if it is still usable.

You can generally get computers recycled by handing them over to major manufacturers. These include:

- Acer

- Apple

- Dell

- Epson

- Gateway

- Hewlett Packard

- IBM

- Lexmark

- NEC

Many states and counties also have special government programs for computer and electronics recycling. You can contact your local waste management company or local government officials to find out more about these types of programs. These government sponsored recycling programs may be free or you may have to pay a fee in order to use the program.

By taking advantage of these computer and electronics recycling programs, you can prevent hazardous materials from leaking into the environment and causing harm to our Earth. In addition, you can rest easy in knowing that you are properly following the laws that have been established by your local government as well as by the State and Federal government. That makes computer and electronics recycling a win-win situation for everyone involved!

Total Reclaim Inc is a Seattle computer recycling company dedicated to protecting the environment.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Therm

The History Of Internet Security

The three fundamental concepts in history of Internet security are confidentiality, integrity and availability. When an unauthorized person reads or copies information, it results in a failure of confidentiality. When the information is modified in an unbalanced manner, it results in loss of integrity. When the information is removed or becomes inaccessible, it results in loss of availability. Thus the history of Internet security plays a major part.

Authentication and authorization are the main procedures of Internet security system by which organizations make information available to those who want it and who can be trusted with it. When the means of authentication cannot be refuted afterwards, it is called nonrepudiation.

Now we will see the history of Internet security. A network or Internet security incident is any network-related action that has negative security implications. The original goal of the ARPANET was to produce a network that would function even if some major sections of the network failed or was attacked.

Thus the Internet was designed to be tough against denial of service attacks. The ARPANET protocols were intended for openness and flexibility. The effectiveness of the network grew as more sites joined the ARPANET. The applications on the ARPANET were quite simple like e-mail, newsgroups and remote connection.

ARPANET users were a small set of people who knew and trusted each other. They played pranks on each other using the network - jokes and maddening messages, and small security breaches. Cliff Stoll in the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in northern California identified the first international safety incident in 1986.

An international endeavor was using the network to connect to the systems in the US and duplicate information. This was owing to a simple accounting error in the computer records of the ARPANET systems. The first automated security incident, the Morris worm was reported in the year 1988.

How can you guard your computer against the Internet security incidents? There are a number of free Internet security programs existing online that you can use for this purpose. Given below is a checklist of few easy things that you can do. Assess your risk or risk potential.

Use high-quality antivirus software. There are a number of free Internet security solutions that you can download for this particular purpose. Always keep all your software new. Try to download and apply updates and patches frequently. Try to verify your security settings. Make the most of a firewall. Create tough passwords and perform regular security maintenance.

For more Internet & PC Security Tips and the Best PC Security Articles head over to http://www.easypcsecurity.com

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Evolution of Monitors

People often are used to upgrade their office and home PCs. A few people upgrade their PCs by exchanging the old one for the new one. A few people prefer just upgrading the outdated parts. One good example is the monitor.

The two different monitor technologies are CRTs and the LCDs. CRTs use the cathode ray tubes and are so hazardous to the human health. They cause headaches due to a high refresh rate. These operate at very high voltages and can persist long even after the power is turned off. It consumes more electricity than an LCD screen.

It even emits a small amount of X-rays which can cause severe side effects when exposed continuously. The only advantage the CRT has over the LCD is the resolution and the price.

But if you can buy a refurbished LCD, It can beat the cost of a CRT monitor. The LCDs consume less electricity and are less hazardous to our eyes and do not emit X-rays. The image is very sharp, thanks to the liquid crystal display technology.

LCD monitors contains two sheets of polarizing element filled with liquid crystal solution in between. When current is passed through the liquid solution, it causes the crystals to align so that light can't pass between them. Each crystal acts as shutter letting light to pass through them and blocking the light.

When human health is given the priority LCDs have the upper end and when price and the resolution is given importance the CRTs emerge as the victors. Its all up to you to pick the one you need.

Consolidated CD-ROM, Inc. It is a family owned and operated business where customer service and satisfaction has always been our number one priority. Consolidated CD-ROM Inc is a Pennsylvania State Corporation since 1992. link http://www.consldcdrom.com/index1.html?target=d59.html

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วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 15 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Time Servers and the Importance of Synchronisation

Time servers are like other computer servers in the sense they are usually located on a network. A time server gathers timing information, usually from an external hardware source and then synchronises the network to that time.

Often time servers are synchronised to a UTC (Coordinated Universal time) source which is the global standard time scale and allows computers all over the world to synchronised to exactly the same time. This has obvious importance in industries where exact timing is crucial such as the stock exchange or airline industry.

There are various sources that a time server can use as a timing reference. The Internet is an obvious source, however, internet timing references from the Internet such as nist.gov and windows.time can not be authenticated, leaving the time server and therefore the network vulnerable to security threats.

There are authenticated alternatives to the Internet, the most common being to use the GPS network. As the Global Positioning System is reliant on knowing exactly what time it is to ensure reliable location information, this information can be utilised by a time server.

A simple GPS antenna connected to the time server will allow the GPS timing reference to be regularly checked by the time server. A GPS time server will be accurate to within a few hundred nanoseconds (a nanosecond = a billionth of a second).

There are also a number of national radio broadcasts such as the WWVB signal from Colorado in the US, the MSF signal from Cumbria in the UK and the DCF-77 signal from Frankfurt in Germany.

These radio signals are limited in their range though and even in major cities such as London it can be difficult to receive a decent enough signal.

Most timing servers use NTP (Network Time protocol) there are other protocols available but NTP is predominately used and is thought of as the standard for timing protocols. NTp has been around for over 25 years and is currently on version 4 but is always being updated which is probably why it is by fat the most common timing protocol.

NTP time servers work within the TCP/IP suite and rely on UDP (User Datagram Protocol). A less complex form of NTP - Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP) is used in some devices and applications where high accuracy timing is not as important and is also included as standard in Windows software (although more recent versions of Microsoft Windows have the full NTP installed and the source code is free and readily available on the Internet from ntp.org).

Copyright 2008 © Richard N Williams

Richard N Williams is a technical author and a specialist in the telecommunications and network time synchronisation industry helping to develop dedicated time server products; ethernet clocks, GPS time servers, NTP servers, digital wall clocks, atomic clock servers and SNTP time servers. Please visit us for more information about NTP servers and NTP products This article may be republished and reprinted in its complete form or in part without seeking permission providing a relevant link to this site is maintained. It is a violation of copyright law to reprint or publish this content without following these terms.

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Electronic Crossword Puzzle Solvers - A Powerful Puzzle Tool

Crosswords, a black and white grid whereby clues are given ranging from painfully obvious to the utterly enigmatic in order to assist the user to solve the crossword. Whilst the thrill and attraction of a cross word puzzle lies in the challenge of trying to work out the clues, sometimes the fine line between an enjoyable challenge becomes an all too frustrating problem instead and so crossword puzzle solvers are becoming increasingly popular. If you type in crossword puzzle solvers into any search engine you will be rewarded with a wide range and high number of different sites totally dedicated to solving crosswords, and whilst the layout may differ, the fundamental logic does not.

Crosswords are by their very nature based upon logic, and patterns. Often, the successful completion of one clue will then serve as an indicator as to the next piece of the puzzle, perhaps offering a letter of the next word. Through a combination of deduction, logical reasoning and good old fashioned guesswork, the intrepid crossword puzzle solver can at the very least hazard a guess as to what the answer maybe. However, the internet crossword puzzle solvers are infinitely more powerful and accurate than we humans could ever possible hope to be, and will be able to process numbers and patterns at an exponentially swift rate with unparalleled accuracy.

As stated, crossword puzzle solvers operate using patterns and logic , the user enters the letters that they know for certain, with a wildcard character (such as the ? or *) for characters that the user is unsure about. Care should be taken when entering the various values as the incorrect letter in the incorrect place can ruin the success of the results.

The crossword puzzle solver will take the data which has been entered by the user, along with any and all parameters such as the range of letters, number of vowels, and any other pertinent information. The crossword puzzle solver will then process this information and return a number of possible values for the user to consider.

A crossword puzzle solver is very powerful tool, however its capacity and power is both is its greatest weakness as well as strength because whilst the crossword puzzle solver is able to return wide results, the time required to successfully process these and eliminate which ones are relevant and which ones are not, can be a tiresome, and ponderous task.

This is summed up in the maxim of GIGO: garbage In, garbage out. The more detailed you can make your search query, the greater luck you will have. When it comes to a crossword puzzle solver, it is quality and not quantity that is of the most important concern. Online crossword puzzle solvers contain entries from dictionaries and journals from a number of different fields and so will be able to process jargon as well as technical terms.

Another major advantage to an online crossword puzzle solver is that spelling will always be correct, again, this is a concern when filling out a crossword puzzle as the location of letters can affect the overall success of the puzzle.

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How to Speed Up a Slow PC

When you recognize that you need to speed up slow PC, you may be glad to know that it is not very difficult. In most cases, you can speed up your PC by simply downloading some software and running a few other programs that are probably already on your computer. Here are 6 things you can do to speed up slow PC and get better performance from it.

1. Remove Unused Files and Programs

If you have not done this for some time, then it will help to remove a lot of extra files that are accumulating every time you use the Internet. You can speed up PC performance by eliminating extra files in your Temp Internet Files folder, in your Recycle Bin, and in the Temp folders. Also, be sure that your settings for saving Internet files are limited to 1 to 3 days. This will help to keep these file sizes under control.

2. Run Registry Cleaner Software

Over time, your computer's Registry file becomes filled with a lot of useless files and data, which can slow down your computer considerably. Registry Cleaner software can speed up slow PC performance by cleaning out useless data and making it error free. You will need to run this software frequently to keep this file organized.

3. Get Rid of Spyware and Adware

Spyware and adware can also slow down your PC. Get spyware and adware removal software that will eliminate these for you. There could be hundreds, or more, on your computer, and some of them, called malware, can even harm your computer. It is also good to remove these daily because your personal information can be stolen through these little programs. A firewall will help your computer to be even more secure.

4. Defrag Your Harddrive

Your harddrive becomes fragmented as you use it. This simply means that entire programs may be spread out all over your harddrive, making it take longer to load programs and files. Defraging your harddrive on a monthly basis will speed up your PC and keep it running fast.

5. Scan and Remove Viruses

Computer viruses can run in the background and you may not even know they are there. This eats up memory and slows down your computer - or worse. Get a good antivirus program that will detect and remove viruses, and this will keep your computer healthy.

6. Disable Unused Programs

Windows puts extra programs into its software, and you probably do not use a lot of them. Of course, this eats up memory and slows your computer down. You can make your PC faster by disabling them.

When you perform each of the above points, you will notice that your computer is operating faster - if you have not taken these steps recently. Each step will need to be performed regularly to maintain the better PC performance you want. Taking these steps will speed up slow PC. You also may want to discover some tips for enhancing your PC performance by searching for the particular Windows program you are using. Some tips may be specific for your particular versions of Windows.

As you learn, grow and discover the capabilities of your computer take time as well, to learn how to keep your computer operating system working efficiently (optimized) and your personal and financial information safeguarded. For available articles, tools and user friendly software and their comparisons among one another visit http://www.registryfixing.com

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วันพุธที่ 14 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2551

Today's Electronic Devices Have Memory Dependency

Electronics are vital to our lives. Just think about the machines you use every single day. It all comes down to tiny wiring and circuit boards that help make our lives easier. Besides being an electronic, they actually have more in common than you realize.

Take for example your computer's memory. Notebook memory is the same, or similar, to the memory used in MP3 players, cell phones and televisions. It is a vital component in all types of machines.

Notebook and computer desktop memory work on a storage tier. When you first turn on your pc it must access the Read-Only Memory (ROM) which has been stored in the permanent storage. The next application to load is the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS). The final step is opening up the Operating System (OS).

Without going into confusing details on why it draws from one storage and not another or why one is a read-only and yet you save to a different storage, you should know that generic storage works the same in a variety of other equipment. The process is very similar to the one your desktop computers use.

Electronics that utilize memory do so because it causes them to be able to recall information faster and it increases their speed and speed of use. Your car remembers your settings and stereo preferences.

Your cell phone and PDA uses memory to be able to send email, surf the internet or create a calendar to remember your important information. They may not have the speed or capabilities of desktop computers, but they still utilize some of the same technology.

Even televisions now need storage in order to operate correctly. Many satellite and cable providers are now offering digital recording and the ability to pause live television.

Both of these functions require storage, though one is put into long term memory and the other is put into short term memory for fast access. Just remember that the quicker the electronic device can access it, the faster the device will be.

Electronics have moved into another generation of use. Televisions can be hooked up to your computer and vice versa to give the user a bigger picture and surfing capabilities. It also knows to record shows if you have the DVR (Digital Video Recording) unit. This is just one of the many gadgets we use on a daily basis to help our lives run a little bit smoother.

Enrich your knowledge further about the electronics memory from Mike Selvon portal. We appreciate your feedback at our discount computer memory blog where a free gift awaits you.

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Technology Explained

Multiple HDMI Connections
HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface and allows you to get the very best out of High Definition pictures and sound. Choosing three HDMI connections means that you can connect to SKY HD, and HDMI DVD player and a games console simultaneously. With this in mind you may choose to purchase an HDMI CEC. This is a Consumer Electronic Control that allows you to control all of your components through one TV remote control. It is preferable, when using this system to use same brand product, however, mixed brand products can still be controlled by a single remote on a basic level.

100HZ Technology.
100Hz is the perfect choice when viewing sports of fast action movies. When you consider that your average television displays at only 50Hz it's easy to see why the picture can judder, especially when it is slowed down. With 100Hz and extra frame is added which is an average of the frame either side of it, these frames are then added back to the real time footages creating a clear, judder and blur free motion, essential when you are looking for perfection in fast moving TV.

Other Technology
With today's Techno terms it can be very easy to become totally confused as to what else to buy when you are considering upgrading to a TV, Home Cinema system and DVD. Let's look at a few examples, why for instance would you want to by a Component lead? Well, this lead will produce a better analogue picture from your DVD player than using a standard lead. Choosing a TV with DV input means you can add a digital devise such as a video camera and then record from that devise straight onto a DVD. S-video is a high quality analogue video connection cable and a scart lead is an Analogue connector that transfers pictures and sound to your TV.

Some other terms
Aspect ratio is the ratio of image width to image height. Auto tuning will automatically tune in aerial received channels. A digital Comb Filter will separate combined colour and black and white picture information resulting in a much sharper picture. Progressive scan is where all horizontal lines of the frame are shown in one go, this method delivers a superior picture from a DVD or video player. Especially useful for a household of different televisual tastes is the Picture in Picture system which allows programmes from different inputs to be viewed simultaneously, one on the full screen and one in a smaller window, so now you can watch the match and your favourite soap at the same time!

A few final terms.
Dolby digital 5.1 allows you to hear all five channels of sound via a home cinema system for a true surround sound effect. Fastext is an updated version of teletext that uses coloured keys on a remote as short cuts to the pages. Freeview is a free digital service of 41 channels that you can view via an integrated digital television or a separate set top box. And Finally HDTV is High Definition television broadcasting that provides exceptional picture quality and true surround sound.

We hope that this has helped you find your way around some of today's technology. Now all you have to do is choose your system and sit back and enjoy the superior viewing now available to you at 1staudiovisuals very special prices. Enjoy!

Dennis Ogilvie is the founder of 1st Audio Visual UK. He can be reached for more information at his website here:
http://www.1staudiovisual.co.uk

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P2E (Plant to Enterprise) Using JMS

Overview

Now a day, every manufacturing enterprise has at least one enterprise application system (ERP) to run the financials, supply chain and warehouses which will in turn manage all the business resources. And there should be a manufacturing execution system (MES) that help manage and control production. In order to take the decision at appropriate time it is most important to connect the ERP with MES in almost real time.

With the advent of standards like JMS, developers can now connect numerous technologies. With the help of JMS distributed-system design and integration are easier and their easiness on data integrity and distribution are having a high contribution to system success.

P2E Framework Using JMS

The enterprise resource planning and supply chain systems and the people that use them are hungry for the information generated by manufacturing operations. The JMS enterprise messaging provides a reliable, flexible service for the asynchronous exchange of critical business data and events throughout an enterprise. Similarly, the production systems depend on the demand, material, product design, and scheduling data that flow from business systems. Many manufacturers still rely on manual, paper-based techniques, or inadequate, fragile point-to-point systems integration to support the processes and applications that comprise communications between these mission critical systems.

Of course their will be delay between the data exchange between the systems but it will be still less than the traditional batch data flush using Data Transfer Services. When the manufacturing plants are highly outsourced and when the parts are prepared in different plants it is very important to know the actual status of each component manufacturing process to the demanding customer (Here the customer could be a department or an outside customer). Batch process running on every evening or every week ends not only delays the decision making but also gives lacks of visibility.

Using JMS the systems can still continue working even if the other system is off or when there is a network issue.

When the other system awake the data can be populated or supplied without any loss of information. Thus it gives more flexibility for maintenance too.

Most of the equipments are very fast and provides huge amount of data within minutes and most of the enterprise systems are simply aren't designed to absorb most production data in its original form. It needs to be put into the context of orders, inventory levels, or product status. There should be a middle ware which will filter and update the ERP. The highly decoupled JMS architecture is the best suite for all these kind of applications.

Many companies use Manufacturing Execution systems with service-oriented-architecture (SOA) to accomplish the real time data capture. But most of the time the communication standards are not disclosed to the programmer level to implement additional integrations. In this scenario the JMS architecture plays a vital role.

Conclusion

In order to engage in the strategic initiatives such as Lean, Six Sigma, Real-time, or Continuous Improvement to drive manufacturing excellence, the real time manufacturing information capturing is to be done at the shop operations level. Thus it is easy to monitor and metric efforts, then adjust tactics to ensure that financial outcomes meet expectations. An enterprise-wide P2E strategy can be implemented using the JMS technology to synchronize the people and processes that comprise your business.

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