Computer Data Backups: Test Now or Cry Later
If you're like most small business owners, your computer data backups are one of those
things that you rarely pay attention to. Computer data backups are kind of like flossing
your teeth and eating low-fat, high-fiber foods� everyone knows what they're supposed to do�
but how many REALLY do these things religiously?!?
Unfortunately when it comes to your computer data backups however, complacency can be very
dangerous. Of course, it's always a good idea to have a local computer service company that
you can rely on for advice on selecting and maintaining your computer data backups. But,
unless you're prepared to put a full-time PC support person on your company's payroll, it's
really important that you get some basic understanding of the major issues with computer
data backups.
So here's a compilation of some really crucial tips on computer data backups that I've put
together, after nearly 15 years of helping small businesses protect their valuable computer
data files.
Test your computer data backups regularly and monitor their log files.
To be effective, computer data backups must be highly automated to ensure that jobs are
launched consistently and correctly, but your computer data backup system also needs to be
watched over diligently to make sure it continues to function reliably.
Unfortunately, monitoring the computer data backup system generally isn't a priority until
something goes wrong. By then it's too late�. Like the article title says, �Test Now or Cry
Later!�
People have a strong tendency with a computer data backup system to set it and forget it.
Automation clearly has many benefits, but a totally hands-off approach can be very dangerous
if no one is overseeing your computer data backup process.
Test and Then Test Again: VERY Important with Computer Data Backup Systems
With any newly installed computer data backup system, don't assume everything works
correctly right out of the box. Even more important, don't take for granted that your backup
system will continue working indefinitely. You need periodically to restore some folders and
files from your backup media to validate that your computer data backup system still works.
If your automated computer data backup routine is configured to include a verify run with
each backup job, testing a sample restore job monthly should be adequate. However, if you
have an extremely low tolerance for risk, you may want to simulate a sample restore job once
a week.
The Hazard of Moving Parts and Open Design with Computer Backup Systems
Why do you need to take these precautions if you're purchasing a reliable, business-class
computer data backup system to start with? Typically, a tape drive or other backup device is
one of the few components in a PC or server that still have moving parts.
As a result, it's more prone to mechanical failure. In addition, because a backup device
generally is open, as opposed to the sealed design of a hard drive, it's easy for the inside
of the computer data backup system device to attract a significant dust buildup in a
relatively short period of time.
Sample Restore Jobs and Cleaning Tape Heads of Computer Data Backup Systems
Testing a tape for a sample restore job is also a great time to clean the heads of the
backup drive if your backup system requires this kind of maintenance.
Restoring a few hundred megabytes (MB) of data to a scratch directory and running a
head-cleaning tape should take no more than 15 to 30 minutes.
When running a test restore job, always restore the data to an alternate server folder path,
so as not to disrupt the use of any shared folders.
Building a Computer System Backup and Restore Procedure Checklist
In times of crisis, the most crucial issue becomes how quickly you can get the data back
onto your system, undamaged. So, as you build your computer data backup system, be sure to
document your test procedures into handy checklists.
This documentation also can be great for cross-training and crucial for avoiding panic
during an emergency. Be sure you have a hard copy of this documentation next to your system
and stored off-site with your backup media.
Watching the Log Files of Your Computer Data Backup System
In addition to running test restore jobs, you must inspect your computer data backup system
log files daily. When the backup system is first installed, take time to get familiar with
the way log files look when everything is working. This way, if something goes awry, you'll
be better prepared to pinpoint the nature of the problem immediately.
As network operating system (NOS) suites and backup software have become more sophisticated,
it's now possible to monitor backup system log files remotely and more proactively. In most
cases, the backup system log files are just plain text (.txt) files.
Many third-party tools and utilities, as well as those included with Microsoft BackOffice
Small Business Server (SBS) and Microsoft BackOffice Server, can automatically e-mail or fax
a backup system log file at a preconfigured time.
Automatically and Remotely Monitoring Tape Backup Log Files
Many computer consultants have their small business clients' log files automatically
e-mailed to them daily, so the consultants proactively can watch out for potential problems
with the computer data backup system.
However, don't think this proactive monitoring is limited to professional consultants. If
your company has one or more branch offices you support from a centralized location, you
also can use a similar method to monitor backup system health in remote locations.
For greater flexibility, you can set up an e-mail alias so the computer data backup system
log file automatically is sent to you, your second-in-command and perhaps an external
computer consultant - so you are all kept in the loop. Also, this way, monitoring continues
even when you're out of the office or on vacation.
The Bottom Line
If your small business depends greatly on its computer systems, backing up your data is not
optional� and it is not something that can be casually brushed to the back burner.
Use the computer data backup tips in the articles to help you become a more IT-aware small
business owner. And remember, when it comes to computer data backups, "Test Now or Cry
Later". The choice is yours.
Copyright MMI-MMVI, PCSupportTips.com. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers:
Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
Joshua Feinberg | www.valuablecontent.com
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Computer Data Backups: Test Now or Cry Later
Recent studies show that 9 out of 10 PCs are infected with Spyware
Recent studies show that 9 out of 10 PCs are infected with Spyware
Spy Sweeper named PC Magazine's Best of the Year 2004 for antispyware
The very best AntiSpy program on the market -
Webroot Spy Sweeper. Webroot Spy Sweeper was named best spyware remover 2004 by PC magazine and praised for it's efficiency, speed and userfriendlyness.
Spyware and malware are large problems for Internet users today and can be both annoying and a real threat to you and your computer. There exist a number of different spy and malware of which some are relatively friendly and only spies on your surfing habits, while others like the Trojans can be used to corrupt your hard drive or steal your usernames and passwords. A Trojan can even be used to steal your identity by extracting all necessary information from your computer.
You may think that ad ware might not be that bad, that it is good if the ads are chosen to fit your interests. This might be true if the spy ware didn't have a number of other negative effects, such as an increased amount of pop up ads, unexplained home page changes, strange results when searching the web and the fact that your computer are being slowed down by the spy wares. These are all very common results and symptoms of spyware and ad ware. More unusual problems connected with spyware and Trojans are the corruption of the hard drive, the loss and exposure of private information and login information and in a worst case scenario, the theft of the identity of the owner of an infected computer.
Spyware is a large treat to the security of your online privacy.
There are however steps that you can take to avoid suffering the negative effects that spy- and ad ware can bring, and start protecting you computer and building an Identity Theft Protection. The first of these steps are to get a good antispyware and antiadware program able to remove spyware. There are a number of different spyware removers available and two of the most well known might be Ad Aware and Spybot which are both good programs. The best available program that is designed to remove spyware and adware is however at the moment SpySweeper which was chosen as the best spyware remover 2004 by PC magazine.
Spy Sweeper can scan your computer 30% faster then other available products and successfully remove spyware like CoolWebSearch. Spy Sweeper also uses a system monitor that automatically discovers spy ware and prevents installation of spyware on our computer. Spy sweeper is effective for spyware and adware removal.
The active shield uses System Monitoring to in real time prevent new spy- and adware programs from being installed on your computer. This fact combined with the fact that Spy Sweepers uses a constantly updated database of all available spy- and ad wares means that this adware remover can clean your computer, ridding it of any and all spy- and ad ware. Once it has cleaned your computer it can keep it clean and assure that your computer stays clean from ad- and spy ware.
By keeping your computer free from spyware and adware Spy Sweepers also protects your information and keeps your identity safe. Spy Sweepers prompts you to update it if it has been to long since it was last updated.
If spy sweeper finds a spyware it will immediately quarantine the spyware and disable the spy wares functionality until you can decide whether to delete the file or try to clean the file from spyware elements and return the file to its original place on your hard drive.
If you have a problem with Spy Sweeper despite its highly user friendly and automated design you will have access to an excellent customer support where experts answers any question you might have.
Spy Sweepers deserved the title PC Magazine's Best of the Year 2004 since it can do everything the alternatives can do, but better as well as faster then the alternatives.
Supportcave.com offers new and enhanced Spyware Removal Software. Not only will these programs effectively check and clean your computer from Spyware, once installed they will also shield your computer from future Spyware intrusions and browser hijacks - before the malevolent software even have a chance to enter you PC! Spyware Remover Software is an important function all computer users should rely on to ensure their computer is free from nosey software and their privacy protected.
Jason Frovich | www.valuablecontent.com
Overcoming Small Business Networks Sales Objections
Overcoming Small Business Networks Sales Objections
Do you need help overcoming sales objections?
Do you sell computer networks, or other IT-related products and services to small businesses?
This article provides tips and hints so you can be overcoming the most common sales objections heard when selling networks to small business prospects, customers, and clients.
The problem generally begins when you start talking about a network upgrade. Around the time, many small business prospects, customers and clients will dwell on cost.
These small business prospects, customers and clients often neglect to consider the soft costs of not properly investing in a network? such as lost employee productivity when imprudent corners are cut, downtime when fault-tolerance is an afterthought, and service costs from computer consultants when difficult-to-support or "dead-end" solutions are selected primarily because of their low price tag.
No matter how thorough your initial consultation, IT audit, site survey and network design reports, some unforeseen client objections may pop up just before you get the client's authorization to proceed (generally a signed contract and retainer or deposit check).
Why Overcoming Sales Objections is SO Crucial
Because one relatively minor concern might threaten to derail the entire sale, you need to gain the critical business development skills for overcoming sales objections, with some of the biggest small business network deal-closing obstacles.
Empowered with these strategies for overcoming sales objections, you'll be much less apt to get emotional, defensive or just plain annoyed. You can then stay focused on keeping your eye on the ball and figuring out the best way to solve the prospect's or future client's problems ?and of course, close the sale. Remember, your company isn't in business to solve prospects' problems; only those of paying clients.
Overcoming Sales Objections: Apathy
I hope you get a good night's sleep before this sales objection rears its ugly head. You need a powerful force to overcome apathy.
If small business decision-makers have an apathetic outlook toward the prospect of implementing a network, your decision-makers might take weeks, months, or perhaps even years before feeling a sense of urgency about your proposed network project.
However, once you discover the roots of this apathy, you'll be better able to push (or at least nudge) the approval process along.
Here's a typical example you'll find in the field: The small business owner sees no problem with their existing peer-to-peer network. One or two seemingly innocuous foul-ups, however, can cause the small business owner to see the "light".
With a Microsoft Windows peer-to-peer network, for example, the "server" seems perfectly reliable until the person working on the PC functioning as the server inadvertently hits the reset button with his or her knee.
If you need to be overcoming more of the common sales objections, you must be very adept and recounting these kinds of cautionary tales with the right timing, delivery and empathy.
Using Network Reliability to Overcoming Sales Objections
PC/LAN network reliability can also get called into question when the user of the peer-to-peer server inadvertently performs an unannounced, unscheduled shutdown and restart because a software setup program prompted a reboot.
With peer-to-peer networks, protecting data is usually also an afterthought. If the peer-to-peer server isn't protected with fault tolerant hard drives, a reliable tape backup drive, a server-class UPS, and updated antivirus software, a peer-to-peer server becomes an accident waiting to happen.
So while any of these factors can turn apathy into your opportunity, sometimes a little divine intervention steps in to help you in overcoming sales objections.
One day a lightning storm and blackout pushes your client's "server" over the edge. When power's restored, the server cannot even boot up to its welcome or logon screen. So now, the small business owner is scrambling with the internal guru at 2 a.m. trying to restore the company's corrupted contact management database, which contains 25,000 records and three years of data.
Fear of Catastrophic Data Loss and Overcoming Sales Objections
Situations such as catastrophic data loss, although horrible tragedies for those affected, are great motivators for combating apathy and overcoming sales objections. All of a sudden, the small business owner becomes extremely receptive to your suggestions about your proposed networking solution, which of course features centralized security and data protection.
Discontinued technical support is another powerful counterforce for overcoming apathy-rooted sales objections, especially when you're talking about vertical, industry-specific software, such as niche applications designed for accountants, attorneys, physicians, realtors, auto body shops and restaurants.
After a certain point, the independent software vendor (ISV) selling vertical, industry-specific software draws a line in the sand and stops providing technical support, annual updates, and patches for older versions of their product.
So if your client is an accounting firm that needs updated tax tables (they'd basically be out of business without them), your client is forced to upgrade the tax software, which often in turn forces an upgrade of the server. This results in a call to your firm to upgrade their server (and several related highly lucrative product sales and service opportunities for your firm), all as a result of the "domino effect" from an ISV calling the shots.
With this kind of scenario, you don't even need to do much of the work in overcoming this sales objection. Your prospect's, customer's, or client's vertical ISV has done the ?heavy lifting? so to speak in overcoming sales objections.
So besides fears of unreliable systems and vendor-mandated upgrades, you can also overcome apathy by discussing your prospect's, customer's or client's competition (without naming names, of course). If you work with many small businesses in the same industry, and you're seeing a software or more general technology trend that drastically alters the competitive landscape in your prospect's or client's industry, by all means call this to your prospect's or client's attention, as a means of overcoming sales objections.
The Bottom Line
If you sell and service IT-related products to small businesses, you need to develop your sales skills for overcoming sales objections. This article introduces you to three different major categories of small business IT sales objections and helps you understand simple anecdotal closing strategies for overcoming those sales objections? and most importantly, closing more big-ticket sales.
Copyright MMI-MMVI, ComputerConsultantsSecrets.com, All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
www.valuablecontent.com
Computer Security - The #1 Issue In Personal Computing
Computer Security - The #1 Issue In Personal Computing
The Internet is a wonderful place. Anyone with an Internet connection can stay in touch with family and friends via email. Starting an Internet business is easier than ever and can even lead to the lifestyle of your dreams. And, thanks to eBay, you can even hold a "virtual garage sale" without worrying about the weather or bothering the neighbors.
But the Internet is also a DANGEROUS place to be. In fact, YOU are at RISK right now.
Computer security is the most important issue of being on the Internet. Just consider the following statement - startling I know, but VERY true.
"If you are connected to the Internet and you don't have current anti-virus software, ALL security updates to your Operating system and browser, as well as a firewall properly configured, you have a virus or adware on your computer RIGHT NOW!"
That is what I've been telling clients of my computer repair business recently. Some of them listened and took action. Others didn't and had to learn this important lesson the very hard way.
Let's look at the problem first, then I'm going to give you FIVE ways you can solve that problem today!
First: the facts.
Fact 1. There are three types of programs that are attacking your computer right now: Spyware, Malware, and Adware. All three are programs that get downloaded to your computer as part of a legitimate download, then hang around sending data like your credit card numbers to the villains who write them.
While this article is too short to define each, all three types are a threat. For now let's call them all adware.
Fact 2. In the last 12-18 months I have not seen ONE unprotected computer that doesn't have a virus or adware.
Doing computer repair on a daily basis for a living I see a LOT of computers. Some units have OVER 50 pieces of adware on them. Please understand; these people are just like you and me, not some 14 year old gamer who will download anything. They THOUGHT they were being careful enough, and were shocked when they discovered that they had a problem.
Some of these machines even had anti-virus software, but weren't updated with the latest security patches.
Fact 3. While onsite or phone support service calls used to involve bad hard drives, equipment failure, or adding new devices, about 80% of all service calls now involve virus and adware removal.
Fact 4. It's getting worse. The adware and virus creators are getting smarter, and the software is getting much harder to remove.
Here is what you can do TODAY to solve the problem, a problem you might not have even been aware existed, yet could cost you untold hours of frustration as well as put your financial life at risk.
Step 1. Be aware! Does your computer run slower now than when you bought it? Do some software programs no longer work or "hang up"? Does your browser go to some strange home page? If so, the odds are 99.9% that you ARE infected.
Step 2. Install anti-virus software that automatically updates. There are several good choices out there that fit that criteria, Norton, MacAfee, AVG, PC-cillin are the top brands. The important thing is to make sure that the software is setup to update the virus signatures automatically.
Step 3. Install all security patches for your operating system. Go to the Microsoft site and run a test of your computer and software. It will tell you what updates you need to install and even install them for you.
There is no cost and it is extremely effective against many of the virus and adware out there. Go here to check your system: www.microsoft.com and look on the menu on the left for Windows Update and click on that. Depending on what operating system you have, it will take you to the appropriate update page. Also turn on auto-update if your operating system allows that feature.
Step 4. Install a firewall. A firewall looks at network traffic coming into or going out of your computer. Viruses or adware that may try and infect you is scrutinized and rejected. Windows XP has an included firewall (automatically turned on in the SP2 update) that can help but you may find a 3rd party program like Zone Alert (www.zonelabs.com) to be a better choice.
Step 5. Now that you know the danger, use a generous amount of common sense in reading email and surfing the web. If you get an email attachment from anyone you don't know, don't open it, ever!
If you know the person sending the attachment but it looks questionable, don't open it. You may also want to set your email to open only in text mode, that keeps any html (that can run a program) from doing any harm.
Never, and I mean never, click on a hyperlink in an email to fill out any financial, password, or login data. No legitimate vendor will ever ask you to do this under any circumstances.
When you are surfing the web and a window pops up and asks you to install a program, just say no. If you don't recognize the company or publisher, don't do it. You can go into your browser security section and make changes so that no outside source can make any installations or changes with out prompting you to approve.
Keep current backups of all your important data. We all know to do this, but so few actually do it. No matter the method - just do it!!!! If disaster strikes, your critical data will be safe.
By following these five tips you will have peace of mind knowing that your online experiences, be they playing games or making money or something totally different, are safe as well as enjoyable.
Protect your data, and your peace of mind, by taking action on these five steps today.
John Dow | www.valuablecontent.com
XCACLS, SUNINACL, And Other Permissions Security Recovery Tools
XCACLS, SUNINACL, And Other Permissions Security Recovery Tools
Title
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XCACLS And Other Permissions Security Recovery Tools
You Have 50GB Of Data To Move Along With Permissions Security
----------------------------
This article is about several tools that can save a Windows administrators you know what in the event of a large scale permissions security problem.
Here is a fictional scenario we can use to illustrate the use of the XCACLS tool. We need to move or copy 50GB worth of data that is comprised of several thousand directories containing hundreds of thousands of small files from one storage system to another. These systems happen to part of a Windows 2000 Domain and permissions are quite granular in definition. We start the replication of that data using a favorite replication or synchronization tool and walk away for the evening. When we return the next day, everything has copied and all looks well. That is until you try to access the data.
The Data Is Copied, But I Cannot Access It: Permissions Security Problem
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What you did not know, until just now, is that the root directory of the drive that you copied the data to had the wrong permissions assigned to it. In addition, inheritance was configured such that any data that is placed on the drive is over written with the permissions of the root directory. In this case, it was an old account that no longer existed. Believe it or not, that can happen, and system administrators will know what I am talking about. Now you are left with trying to figure out what to do. Do I format the new drive, change the permissions and inheritance on the root directory so they are correct and start all over again? Do I make the changes on the root drive so they have the correct permissions and wait hours upon hours for the permissions to propagate? No, there is another, very fast way of resolving this issue with XCACLS or another tool called SUBINACL.
XCALCS Quickly Resets Permissions On Directories And Files
----------------------------
Becasue I have limited space in this article, I am going to use XCACLS as the tool to correct this problem. However, in complex permissions structures, you will most likely want to use SUBINACL to fix the issue. I will talk about SUBINACL briefly at the end of the article.
XCACLS as a very fast tool that can set, remove, add, and change permissions on files and directories. For intance, the following command replaces all existing access rights and accounts with that of "dmiller" on the file "file.txt" with read-only access: "xcalcs file.txt /Y /T /G domain\dmiller:r". Although that is pretty easy and helpful, what about changing all my directories and files, which I have thousands of, to allow the domain\dmiller account to have full access? To do this in a very fast fashion you could execute the following from the root directory of the drive: "for /d %g IN (*.*) DO xcacls "%g" /Y /T /G domain\dmiller:f". This will go through every directory, subdirectory, and file and replace the current permissions with dmiller having full access to the object. You'll notice I put "" around the %g in the example. This is not required, but if you have directories that have names with spaces in them you will need to have the "".
What Other Ways Can I Use XCACLS To Change Security Permissions
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To give you a few additional handy examples of how you can use this tool take a look at the follow command prompt methods for replacing, updating and removing accounts and permissions from large numbers of directories and files.
The following command replaces all existing access rights an accounts with that of dmiller with read only access rights:
for /d %g IN (*.*) DO xcacls "%g" /Y /T /G domain\dmiller:r
The following command does not replace existing account permissions, instead, it adds the account, in the example the local admin account, with read only permissions:
for /d %g IN (*.*) DO xcacls "%g" /Y /E /T /G administrator:r
The following command removes the account "administrator" permissions from all directories, files, and subdirectories: for /d %g IN (*.*) DO xcacls "%g" /Y /E /T /R administrator
This command should update all the directories and their contents to allow Domain Admins full access:
for /d %g IN (*.*) DO xcacls "%g" /Y /T /G "Domain Admins:f"
I did a test on my XP Pro workstation and was able to change the permissions on approximately 10000 directories and files in less 1 minute. On one of my servers I was able to achieve a 500% increase in speed. It is blazingly fast.
SUBINACL Is More Complex But Man Can It Really Save The Day
-----------------------------------------------
I cannot go into specifics about this tool in this article but I will tell you what it can do. And again, it does it very very fast. Using the same scenario as above, let's say that you had to fix the permissions on thousands of home directories. With SUBINACL, you can actually go to the original directories and files, use the tool to create what is called a "play file", a text file that contains the right account and permissions from the source files, then use that same file to tell SUBINACL to fix the permissions on the target storage system, the one with the screwed up permissions. It's quite the life saver if you ever find yourself in the type of predicament.
Also check out "CACLS". This command is inherent to Windows XP Professional.
Conclusion
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These tools are contained in the Windows 2000 and 2003 server resource tool kit, however several of them also exist native to the Windows XP environment. Check them out if you don't already know about them. Even if you have no use for them right now it may save you hours of hard work and stress in the event of a future permissions problem.
Darren Miller | www.valuablecontent.com
Effective Employee Internet Monitoring
Effective Employee Internet Monitoring
Many business owners find themselves in the position to confront employees about their Internet use. Non-work related activities including online games, Internet shopping, stock trading, Internet radio, streaming media and MP3 downloads represent the new temptations in the workplace.
When an employee connects to the Internet, your company is exposed to these four threats:
Productivity Threats: Just 20 minutes of recreational surfing a day can cost a company with 30 employees over $1000 per week (At $25/hr per employee)
Legal Threats: Employees can sue if you don't provide a work environment free of gender and minority harassment. This means taking reasonable care to block offensive Internet content.
Network Threats: An employee can crash your network just by logging into the wrong website. Other activity like recreational surfing and downloading MP3 files can divert valuable bandwidth from critical business needs.
Security Threats: Viruses enter networks through a variety of sources, such as web-based email, Instant Messenger file transfer, email attachments or through other files directly downloaded from a website.
Companies of all sizes must effectively incorporate email, Instant Messages and web traffic logs into their overall records management strategy. Some companies must do this to comply with industry regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley, Gramm-Leach-Bliley and HIPAA.
The first step is to choose the types of Internet content that will not be allowed in the workplace. Keep in mind that not all employees will have the same privileges, so it is important the network management solution you choose provides a flexible configuration to suit your needs.
There are two basic types of Internet monitoring solutions: Gateway and desktop solutions. Gateway solutions are software or hardware that act as checkpoint for all Internet traffic on the network. Desktop solutions are installed on the local machine to enforce the Internet policies before the request leaves the machine. Desktop solutions work well on smaller networks and gateway solutions work well on both.
The next step is to create an official company policy specifically for Internet use. It should include all Internet activities and not just those you wish to manage. Keep in mind the document cannot account for every possible scenario on the Internet, so it is important to use broad terms with specific examples. For example, instead of stating ?Political opinions are not to be posted on newsgroups,? you may wish to use ?Messages originating from the company network or other company-owned assets may not contain political opinions.? The second clause is much stronger because it doesn?t specify a message type or delivery system. If you have liability insurance, then be sure to get their approval on all documents. In some cases they will have additional provisions that directly relate to your industry.
The most difficult step will be implementing the new policies. In most cases, some or all users will experience a reduction in Internet privileges. Prepare for a temporary increase in support requests as some users will be prevented from accessing some work-related content. Internet policy configuration is an on-going process that must be routinely maintained.
Soon the complaints from users will cease and production will return back to normal. It is important to keep your filtering software updated and to maintain a history of Internet activity. If the time comes when you must confront an employee about their Internet use, you will have proof of their Internet activity and a detailed comparison to their peers. That is a much stronger case than saying ?I?ve seen you 10 times looking at ?.?
Frank Hughes | www.valuablecontent.com
Three Dimensions to Protect your Computer
Three Dimensions to Protect your Computer
First - Strengthen the defense of your computer
- Install Firewalls
"Firewall" is an isolation technology to separate the internal network and the Internet. The firewall carries out some filtering when two networks communicate. It lets the data/person that you "agree" to enter your network, and also block the data/person you "do not agree" from your network. It can prevent they changes, copy, or destroys your material. To ensure the firewall get into work, you must keep it update.
- Install Anti-virus software
The key on computer virus is not "Kill" is "Prevent". You should install the Anti-virus software and start the real-time monitoring process and keep the software and the virus definition file updated. To guard against the newest virus, you should set the update process in a daily mode. Also, in every week, you should scan the computer completely for the virus.
- Guard against Spyware
Spyware is a program that is installed without the user authorization. It can get the information and send to a third party. Spyware can attached in software, executable image and break into the user computer. They are used to track the computer usage information, record the keyboard hits, or take a screen capture. To get rid from spyware, you can
- raise the security level of your browser
- install software to guard against from spyware
- verify with the official website about the software plan to install
Second - Against from attacks
- Refuse unknown software, emails and attachments
Don't download unknown software. Save all downloaded softwares into one single directory and scan it before install. Don't open any unknown email and its attachments. Many viruses are spread through by using email. Don't open unknown emails, especially those with interesting headline.
- Don't go to hacker and pornographic website
Many virus and spyware are come from these websites. If you browse this website and your computer is not secure enough, you can imagine what will happen next.
- Avoid share folders
Share folder is risky and outsider can surf around your folder freely. When you want to share folder, remember to set a password. If you are no need to share the folder any more, remove the sharing immediately. It is extremely danger to share the whole drive. If someone removes the system file, your machine may be down and cannot start up again.
Last - Keep Checking/Update
- Set different and complicate password
In Internet, there are thousand needs to use password, like e-banking, login account, email. Try to use different password for different operation, this can limit the loss if one of the passwords is broken into by someone. Avoid using meaningful password, like birthday, telephone number. You should use password with letter and number. One more thing is do not choose "Save Password" option.
- Beware of defraud
The number of defraud case in Internet is keep increasing. Build up a fake bank website, send out an email to ask for password. Before take any action, try to verify it is real or not. You can phone to bank hotline to ask, go to the bank to contact directly.
- Backup
Backup is the last step to guard against the attacks. If your computer is hacked, the operating system and softwares can be reinstalled. But the data can only be restored if you frequently make a backup.
Isaac Chu | www.valuablecontent.com
Online back up addresses resource constraints and regulatory requirements
Online back up addresses resource constraints and regulatory requirements
Despite the growing value and necessity of digital data, many organizations do not take adequate steps to safeguard their data because they do not have the in-house expertise or financial resources.
But information is the lifeblood of many businesses and an increasingly valuable and costly organizational asset. Coupled with this reality are regulatory pressures that mean every business will have to implement a strategy to safeguard their data or face dire consequences.
Unbridled Growth
Exponential does not begun to describe the proliferation of data at the dawn of the new millennium ? digital files are not only more numerous but they have ballooned in size as faster computers with increased capacity have been widely adopted in the business world.
But the amount of data and growing file sizes are no longer the most pressing problem ? data storage has been commoditized and for most businesses eminently affordable; what poses the biggest problem is managing this data and more importantly safeguarding it from disaster in manner that makes sense for users and of course, easily retrievable.
Complexity Compounds Quantity
While it?s no longer feasible to save your important data on a floppy disk that you can carry around in your pocket, large file sizes aren?t that much of a problem anymore if data is being stored locally, whether it?s on a single office PC or on a shared server. Large organizations nowadays have the benefit of networked storage to handle large amounts of files that must be shared across an organization.
The complexity of this data combined with the variety formats and numerous storage locations mean corralling this data for effective back up poses an enormous challenge for any organization. Even large companies with sizeable IT departments have many conflicting priorities that mean managing a back up strategy can be just one of many demands on their time amidst troubleshooting employee-related problems and capital IT infrastructure deployments.
Regulatory Forces at Work: Privacy?
Simply hosting information for business purposes leads to challenges with the birth of a number of significant regulatory policies in the past decade both in Canada and the U.S. that dictate how third-party information must be managed and governed.
Canada?s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), a group of data protection directives that limit trade with nations not providing privacy protection, creates data management and security obligations for any organization.
The law gives individuals the right to know why an organization collects, uses or discloses personal information as well as the right to expect an organization to collect, use or disclose personal information reasonably and appropriately, and not use the information for any purpose other than that to which the individual has consented.
Ultimately, from a data storage point of view, this means organizations that collect third party data must know where it is stored and protect it from being lost.
?Transparency
While some rules and regulations relate to privacy, others relate to transparency. After a slew of high profile corporate accounting scandals, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 also known as the Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002 established new or enhanced standards for all U.S. public company Boards, Management, and public accounting firms.
The Act contains 11 sections, ranging from additional corporate board responsibilities to criminal penalties, and requires the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to implement rulings on requirements to comply with the new law.
From a data storage view point, this means corporations must be able to provide certain information when required; loss of that data, even if accidental, could lead to severe legal penalties.
Back Up As a Matter of Course
While data protection can be a complex process with multiple steps, these challenges do not preclude any organization from having a back up solution in place, particularly given the technology available.
Backups most often fail because users forget to perform them and then leave the media behind in the computer. For backup to be effective, it has to be a simple, automated function scheduled to occur regularly without any user involvement beyond the initial set-up.
This is especially true for organizations who can not dedicate staff or resources to backing up data.
A backup works best if scheduled for overnight so the event doesn't interrupt workers with slowed computers or hogged bandwidth. Most services allow for data encryption before transmission; this can help allay fears of users concerned about hosting all their data on a shared server.
Online back up boasts a number of benefits:
? Optimization of IT resources
* Less downtime
* Efficient data protection
* Less risk of untested, unproven backups
* Protection multi-office remote environments
* Support for complex multi-platform and multi-application enterprises
* Ensure regulatory compliance
* Avoid technological threats
* Reduction of risk and liabilities
Optimize by Archiving
While disk storage is more commoditized than ever before, that doesn?t mean some business don?t encounter shortages. In additions, the above mentioned regulatory requirements mean companies are often stuck storing data they rarely access but must retain.
By moving to an online back up model, organizations can electronically archive files that aren?t required for the day-to-day operations for the company and reduce capital expenditures by avoiding additional purchases of data storage hardware.
Electronic archiving provides an automated policy-based solution to create point-in-time archives that move older and inactive data off of production equipment and out of normal active backup cycles. Archives can keep point-in-time copies of important data for many reasons including regulatory or bookkeeping requirements.
Managed data archives can be managed for a defined lifetime through the policy-automation engine, just like backed-up data. You can quickly and easily retrieve the archived data, control and manage your data and effectively extend your data storage capabilities without the need for more expensive online storage.
Electronic archiving eliminates any worry about media corruption; obsolescence; storage conditions; retrieval; hardware obsolescence and malfunctions; media alignment issues; oxidization; and re-catalogue and sorting issues.
Storagepipe Solutions provides world-class corporate data protection solutions including online backup and recovery, data and email archiving and business continuity. Storagepipe allows businesses of all sizes to decrease operations costs and complexity, optimize IT resources, reduce risks and liabilities, and protect more data more efficiently and reliability. Storagepipe combines extensive industry experience with the best technology solutions to exceed customer expectations and deliver the most comprehensive, secure and turn-key online backup and recovery and business continuity services. Additional information about Storagepipe Solutions can be found at www.storagepipe.com.
Steven Rodin | www.valuablecontent.com
How to find cheap laptop computers
How to find cheap laptop computers.
Ah yes, I want a laptop but I am not going to spend a couple of thousand dollars for one. Well guess what you don't have to. Laptop prices have come down dramatically over the past year alone and they will continue to do so as technology advances. But the trick here is to find good quality laptops that fit your needs at the cheapest prices available today.
I would say that there probably is a store near you right now that has cheap laptop computers. In fact, many stores already have them. The reason being, like any other new product, laptops were once considered the cream of the crop in the computer world which made them very expensive. However, all that has changed now. Laptops are a dime a dozen! The hand held digital assistants, Bluetooth cell phones and tablet pads are the new rage making laptop computers cheap.
Now, don't get me wrong, this does not mean that they are cheaply made. Thanks to the wonders of the technological cycle, laptop computers are decreasing in price as their capabilities rise. Of course, there are the latest and greatest monsters out there that are made for gaming or high powered multimedia applications and these babies still cost a pretty penny.
But for the average user, you can find cheap laptop computers that provide all the power you need and then some. Every major manufacturer out there, like Dell, HP, Compaq, Gateway, and IBM have their lower end and intermediate models that come with more than enough speed and usability.
Now here is the key to finding the right cheap computer laptop for you, and that is to figure out exactly what you need it for.
Are you going to use it mainly for surfing the web or word processing? Do you need it to work from home or mainly to save your MP3s and digital pictures?
Ok, so now you have an idea of what you want to use your laptop for. Now lets go out shopping and compare. You can visit any of the top manufacturers websites or visit your local store and find their low end or intermediate models that may suit your needs. The three top components of a computer you want to look for is the hard drive size, memory, and processor speeds and take notes of each model you find on each component and model.
The hard drive, you can consider this the brain of your computer, this is where all your files, applications and folders are stored. If you plan on using your computer for MP3s and digital pictures your hard drive should be large since these files are usually very large. I personally would look at 80gb as minimum.
Next would be the memory, memory can be considered the thought processes of your computer. As a minimum I would look at 512mb but if you plan on using your laptop for gaming of course this should be much larger, in the area of 1 to 2gb. Now memory is used whenever a program or application is running. So the more memory you have the faster your computer can process the program.
And finally your processor, now your processor is just that it processes all the inner workings of how each program runs. The faster the processor is, the faster the program instructions are processed. Again if your looking for a laptop for gaming uses you want your processor with high speeds 2ghz or more. For other uses you can go less.
Other parts of the computer to also consider are the ports involved that can connect your computer to your digital camera or your mp3 player for example. You also want to check that your laptop has wireless and broadband connectivity. Many cheap computer laptops today already come with this but you want to make sure or you will have to pay additional, for example, a wireless card to install in your laptop to have this capability.
Garry Allen | www.valuablecontent.com
Backing Up Data, An Essential Data Recovery Practice
Backing Up Data, An Essential Data Recovery Practice
The majority of people today utilise and therefore by default rely upon computers to go about their daily business with greater ease. Stored computer data will occasionally become corrupted, its an unfortunate fact of life. When this happens unprepared people often spend huge amounts of time getting the problem solved by paying specialists in data recovery or buying software that recovers data. Additionally, in the worst case scenario, not all data may be recovered! If you are prepared these frequently serious problems can be heavily reduced making your life easier.
?Prevention is better than a cure?with regards to computer data problems. By just backing up your data often in a sensible, logical, easy to find location you are able to massively increase your efficiently at resolving a data loss crisis. Time and stress with locating and re-loading your saved data will be far less than if you hadn?t taken the short time and effort to produce the back-ups and/ or programe files from the originals.
Files can be backed up onto any of the wide variety of media available today, e.g. CDs, external or internal hard drives, DVDs, tape drives or specifically designed removable media such as the Iomega REV drive. Usage of optical media (e.g. DVD?s, CD?s) is believed to be much less reliable in terms of a back-up. This media is far more prone to surface errors. The advantages and disadvantages (regards capacity/ ease of use, etc) of each particular media type should be chosen with regards to your situation. Importantly each media type will tend to perform efficiently, its best to try and stick to the media type that you find works best.
Many very reliable back-up programmes are in existance, one of the most well known is included with Microsoft Windows back-up software. Microsoft Windows XP users know this programme as NTBackup. If your computer doesn?t already have this installed all you have to do is simply place your Windows CD in your computer disc drive and locate the file called ?ValueAdd\MSFT\ntbackup?. This is a file can that can then be run in the folder with which it was originally found, i.e. ntbackup.msi. Rapidly this file will produce the back-up software you so require, wizards ever present to help lead you through the file backup and resoration protocol.
With all the important backup software installed and fully functional it is vital that you make use of it frequently. Saving of your work should be done at least once per day ideally. If at all possible a separate back-up drive or disc should be used for every day of the week. This will provide that extra added security and peace of mind, allowing you to concentrate on more pressing issues. The large majority of businesses, from the large to tiny, adopt this basic and also fundamental data loss prevention method, and for a very good reason, it really works and can save a massive amount of stress, time and often vitally, money.
Time and money can be lost when computer data becomes corrupted, detrimentally affecting those persons involved.
Albin Conley | Published 07/13/2006 |www.valuablecontent.com
How to search your PC with Google Desktop
How to search your PC with Google Desktop
In this era of Internet, most people are frequent users of computers. Many of us use computers through out the day, accumulating morasses of information in various formats,which include email, digital photo, word document, spreadsheet, presentation file, ebook, article, other downloaded files, music, visited web pages, and many others. We stuff them in multiple folders in our PC. Before we knowit, our hard drives become a storeroom of misplaced items. As a result, finding a needed file of information some timesbecome a daunting task!
The search function integrated to Microsoft Windows is not a big help either. It requires you to know, albeit vaguely,where the file could possibly be located. If your data storage is significant and you made a search on your whole hard disk, it might take ages to get search results and,then again, there is no guarantee that you will find theright file. Frustrating? Thanks to new Google Desktop Searchthis is about to change!
What is Google Desktop Search?
Google Desktop Search is a free downloadable small program,which will quickly and easily find your files no matter where in your hard disk they are stored. The great thing about this program is by making your computer searchable,this program frees you from having to manually organize and sort your files, emails, and downloads. You no more have to mull over where in your PC the information you are looking for is residing - in your email, files or web pages that you browsed recently.
At present Google Desktop Search works only with the full text in Outlook and Outlook Express email, text, HTML, Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, AOL chat, and Web pages viewed through Internet Explorer. Other files like PDF will probably be added in future version.
How it works?
Google Desktop Search is fairly easy to download and set up.
The address for downloading the program is:
http://desktop.google.com.
Once you installed the program, it begins initial indexing process of your hard disks. This may take several hours for an average size disk. The one time indexing process only works when the computer has been idle for more than thirty seconds. Indexing for Google Desktop Search is an ongoing process, new files and emails get updated automatically.The search index created by the program resides on your own computer.
On your system tray you will see a swirled icon in Google colors, by clicking on it you will open the regular Google search page with the addition of Desktop along side with other search areas. Once the indexing is done, files are searched in under a second and the results are impressively precise. The top bar shows quantities of files found underthe four categories, which include emails, files, chat and Web history. The results are shown in much the same way as regular Google interface. You can choose to see relevant results from all or any of the categories. You can also sort results by relevance or by date. By clicking on any resultyou open the file in respective application software.
The email query results are the best! No longer have you had to remember in which folder you stored the email written to John in reference to Peter. By searching for Peter or John, you will find all relevant emails and related correspondence. You can read and answer to any of the discovered email from the thread. This really saves time when you need to follow up to a large numbers of emails each day.
There are two more text buttons next to the search field. One is Desktop Preferences and other is Remove Items. Desktop preferences allow you to choose the types of files you would like the program to include in its index out of available ones. You can also point out not to index specific folders from your hard disk. If you share your PC with others, it\'s a good idea to eliminate your private folders from the Desktop index. You can also specify not to index certain websites from your cached web history as well. The Remove items button allow you to eliminate selected results from the index.
The advance search option allows you to search by phrase by putting the phrase within quotation marks, to eliminatea word from search by putting a minus sign in front of the word, to search by file type, and to search within a web URL. A neat feature is to integrate your desktop search with your web search. This is very handy if you have already done an extensive search for some information and after a few days doing search for similar information once again.
Privacy question:
By default, Google Desktop Search collects a limited amount of non-personal information from your computer and sends it to Google. This includes summary information, such as the number of searches you do and the time it takes for you to see your results, etc. You can opt out of sending this information during the installation process or from the Desktop preferences later. According to Google Privacy Policy no personally identifying information, such as your name or address, will be sent to Google without your explicit prior permission.
What is missing?
I bemoan not having PDF files in the search process as yet. I have dozens of e-books and PDF white papers residing in my PC, and I really would prefer to have them indexed. That way, I\'d have been able to read materials, when I needed them most.
The other thing I want to see is clustered result of my query, which shows organized search results into meaningful hierarchical folders similar to the way Vivisimo search engine works. This clustering is particularly helpfulfor desktop search, as this allows us to see other relevant documents connected to the searched word.
Conclusion:
Due to Google\'s immense popularity as a search engine, it\'s logical that most users will prefer Google\'s desktop search program as oppose to other similar programs, such as Copernic and Hot bot. Finally you can search your very own computer with similar ease and preciseness as you have been searching the Internet for quite some time.
youstop | www.valuablecontent.com
Mac Operating System: A Revolution in Computer World
Mac Operating System: A Revolution in Computer World
23rd June 2006, This is the operating system that runs on Macintosh computers. It is pronounced, "mack-oh-es." The Mac OS has been around since the first Macintosh was introduced in 1984. Since then, it has been continually updated and many new features have been added to it. Each major OS release is signified by a new number (i.e. Mac OS 8, Mac OS 9).
In 1994, Apple introduced the PowerMacs, which used the higher-performance PowerPC chip designed by Apple, Motorola and IBM. PowerMacs run native PowerPC applications and emulate traditional Mac 680x0 applications. PowerPC chips have enjoyed substantial increases in performance over the years.
The Mac came out in 1984, three years after the DOS-based PC. Its graphical interface was more intuitive than DOS commands, and it avoided the technical quagmire that arose when DOS users tried to add a new device to their PCs.
The graphical user interface (GUI) was actually developed by Xerox and introduced on its Star workstation in 1981. Apple borrowed heavily from the Star, and subsequently, others copied the Mac, moving the GUI down the line to Windows, OS/2 and UNIX.
Since the core of the Mac OS was nearly decades old, Apple decided to completely revamp the operating system. In March of 2001, Apple introduced a completely new version of the Mac OS that was written from the ground up. The company dubbed it "Mac OS X," correctly pronounced "Mac OS 10." Unlike earlier versions of the Mac OS, Mac OS X is based on the same kernel as Unix and has many advanced administrative features and utilities. Though the operating system is much more advanced than earlier versions of the Mac OS, it still has the same ease-of-use that people have come to expect from Apple software.
The Macintosh interface was immediately popular with non-technical people. Instead of typing in a command to delete a file as in DOS, you could drag it to the on-screen trashcan. Although common today, it was a breakthrough to have such capability on a personal computer in the 1980s.
Unlike the PC, the Mac is Apple's proprietary technology, and except for a brief period, Apple prevented a Macintosh clone industry from developing and growing (see Macintosh parts). Apple maintained its sole source vendor status while the PC industry had thousands of vendors.
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How to Build a Cat 5 Cable
How to Build a Cat 5 Cable
The steps below are general Ethernet cat5 cable construction guidelines. They will work for making any category of network cables. For our example we will be making a category 5e patch cable. A key point to remember in making Ethernet patch cords is that the ?twists? in the individual pairs should remain entwined as long as possible until they reach the RJ-45 plug termination. The twisting of the pairs in the network cable is what helps to ensure good connectivity and keeps cross-talk interference to a minimum.
STEP 1 - Stripping
Start by pulling out about 12 feet of bulk network cable to making the process a little easier. Carefully remove the outer jacket of the cable exposing about 1 1/4" of the twisted pairs. Be careful when stripping the jacket as to not nick or cut the internal wiring. After removing the outer case you will notice 8 wires twisted in pairs and a rip cord (white thread).
STEP 2 - Inspecting
Inspect the newly revealed wires for any cuts or scrapes that expose the copper wire inside. If you have breached the protective sheath of any wire you will need to cut the entire segment of wires off and start over at step one. Exposed copper wire will lead to cross-talk, poor performance or no connectivity at all. It is important that the jacket for all network cables remains intact.
STEP 3 - Preparation
To prepare the wires and to make them easier to work with, you can untwist the pairs so they will lay flat between your fingers. The white piece of thread can be cut off even with the jacket and disposed.
STEP 4 - Layout
Now based on the wiring specifications you are following you will need arrange the wires in a certain pattern. There are two methods set by the TIA, 568A and 568B. 568B is the most common network cables, widely used for computer networks and digital phone systems. So for our demonstration we will use that. Starting from the left-top side of the RJ-45 plug, the wiring should be in the order shown at the right.
STEP 5 - Jack Preparation
Again, press all the wires flat between your thumb and forefinger as shown in step three. Verify the colors have remained in the correct order. Using a pair of scissors, cut the top of the wires even with one another so that they are 1/2" long from the base of the jacket. Ensure that the cut leaves the wires even and clean; failure to do so may cause the wire not to make contact inside the jack.
STEP 6 - Wire Insertion
Ensuring that the wires remain flat and in order, push them into the RJ-45 plug with the flat surface of the plug on top. The white / orange wire should be on the left looking down at the jack. You can tell if all the wires made it into the jack and maintain their positions by looking head-on at the plug. You should be able to see a wire located in each hole, as seen at the bottom right. You may have to use a little effort to push the pairs firmly into the plug. The cabling jacket should also enter the rear of the jack about 3/16" to help secure the cable once the plug is crimped.
STEP 7 - Crimping
Now place the wired plug into the crimping tool. Give the handle a firm squeeze, you should hear a ratcheting noise as you continue. Once you have completed the crimp, the handle will reset to the open position.
STEP 8 - Testing
Once your new cable is completed, it is not a bad idea to test the cable to ensure that it will function in the field. It is vital that all eight wires have connectivity and are in the correct order. Mis-wired network cables could lead to headaches down the road. In addition, with power-over-ethernet making its way into the market place, crossed wire pairs could lead to physical damage of computers or phone system equipment; making it even more crucial that the pairs are in the correct order. A simple cable tester can quickly verify that information for you.
Joe Hamilton | www.valuablecontent.com
Friday, August 29, 2008
Google Cuts Features Out of 'Android' OS
Google said Monday that it will cut two key features out of its upcoming "Android" mobile-phone OS: a formal Bluetooth implementation, and Google Talk, the developer's version of instant messaging.
However, Google said that the first phones will indeed have support for Bluetooth hands-free devices. On the other hand, HTC or T-Mobile, both carriers that have committed to developing Android phones, will apparently not have access to the API that exposes Bluetooth functionality; dedicated Bluetooth functions will apparently have to be designed in by Google itself.
Google's omissions were noted as the company released a 0.9 beta to developers. On Monday, developer advocate Dan Morill explained the decision in a blog post. "Earlier this week, we released a beta of the Android SDK," Morill wrote. "In the accompanying post, I mentioned that we had to remove some APIs from the platform for Android 1.0, and as a result they don't appear in the 0.9 beta SDK, and won't appear in 1.0-compatible SDKs."
The Bluetooth API and the Google Talk functionality were the only omissions that Morill explicitly noted.
Morill quoted Rich Cannings, a Google security researcher, in citing the security concerns that Google had in adding the Google Talk functionality.
Cannings cited three problems with including Google Talk: the exposure of otherwise private information to the Web at large, issues with "Intent" messaging, and the lack of security technologies to prevent the widescale spread of a theoretical Android virus via Google Talk.
Google Talk is designed to allow users to identify themselves, including the disclosure of their actual names, to friends and contacts. But a large-scale, Android-based, multiplayer game using Google Talk would also expose this information to the game at large, a breach of privacy that users may not like, Cannings said.
Google Talk also does not include key security provisions to monitor "intents," or messages sent within the Android device.
"At first, remote applications could send arbitrary Intents, meaning that your Google Talk friends had almost the same control of your device as you did," Cannings wrote. "Even once that issue was resolved, we recognized that we could not trust the identity of the application who sent the request. We could only trust the identity of the user. So a "bad" application on your friend's device could send a message to a "good" application on your device which would negatively affect the good application."
Finally, Cannings said that a lack of adequate security mechanisms within the Google Talk protocol itself would place too heavy a burden on developers: "An Android application using GTalkService would be reachable from all of the user's Google Talk friends, and a flaw in that application could pose an inviting target to a malicious 'friend' or automated malware," he wrote.
Why was Bluetooth excluded? According to Android engineer Nick Pelly, "the reason is that we plain ran out of time," he wrote, as cited by Morill. "The Android Bluetooth API was pretty far along, but needs some clean-up before we can commit to it for the SDK. Keep in mind that putting it in the 1.0 SDK would have locked us into that API for years to come."
Morill said that the Android team remains committed to supporting a full Bluetooth stack in a future release, but when remains an open question. Proposed features include bindings to GAP and SDP functionality, access to RFCOMM and SCO sockets, possibly L2CAP socket support from Java, and an API for the handsfree and headset profiles.
"I'm definitely bummed about these API removals," Morill concluded. "I was particularly looking forward to the P2P capabilities offered by GTalkService, but, as always, user security and privacy must come first."
by Mark Hachman
Google Sets Up Mobile Election Web Site
With 10 weeks to go before the election, the amount of news coverage surrounding John McCain and Barack Obama is set to skyrocket (as if it hadn't already). In order to help you parse through all the chatter, Google has set up a special Web site where mobile phone users can find the latest headlines.
Google appears to be throwing everything it has at the upcoming presidential election. It is using multiple avenues and products to provide coverage. Google believes that plenty of people will be interested in accessing news from their mobile phones. So it set up a "one-stop-shop" for mobile phone users to get what they need.
The site is located at m.google.com/elections.
The products that it is tailoring to election coverage are mobile Search, News, Reader, YouTube, and Maps.
In its search product, Google will let you "link to search results for Obama and McCain, so you don't have to type in their names on your phone each time you want information."
The Mobile News Web site has set up a special link that will go to a site that only houses news that is relevant to the election.
Google Reader already has set up specific places for the general public to see what Obama and McCain are reading. If you use Google Reader, you can subscribe to the candidates' reading lists here.
On YouTube, both McCain and Obama have their own channels. These channels will be used to hold their speeches, press conferences, and other public statements. Users will be able to watch the videos on their mobile phones.
Lastly, Google is suggesting that attendees of the Democratic National Convention in Denver and the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis take advantage of Google Maps for mobile to help get around town.
There you have it. If you're a political news junkie, Google's various mobile products will help you get your fix.
Posted by Eric Zeman, Aug 25, 2008 09:39 AM
AVG Anti-Virus Free 8.0.169
AVG continues to be one of the most popular free anti virus programs available on the internet and it maintains this position with a combination of effective protection and an easy to use interface.
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8 improves on both areas, and is an essential upgrade, as updates will be stopped for the previous version 7.5. If you already have AVG installed it is best to click on the upgrade option when it is offered. If you have never installed it before, this is the download to use. We would recommend disconnecting from the internet during installation as there will a period where there is no protection.
As noted the interface of AVG Free has been improved and it is easier to see what protection AVG is providing and what needs attention with icons in the main part of the screen. Tabs along the left hand side give quick access to important information on updates and ongoing scans.
In addition to tradition antivirus protection, AVG Free now offers protection from Spyware without installing extra software.
An extra feature added with AVG 8 is the LinkScanner. Also available as a standalone download, LinkScanner works with Internet Explorer and Firefox to check links found in Google, Yahoo and MSN searches to make sure that there is no risk to clicking on the links. There is a slight delay as the pages are checked but it is worth the short wait in exchange for avoiding malicious (or hacked) sites.
New iPods predicted in weeks
A new version of the iPod Nano will be introduced within the next two to three weeks, according to Digg founder and Apple watcher Kevin Rose.
In a blog posting, Rose cites anonymous sources in a personal blog posting which details the reported plans from Apple. He claims that the upcoming rollout will include a new version of iTunes and a redesigned iPod nano.
The new nano would reportedly be thinner and longer than its current incarnation, allowing for a wider screen. Additionally, the new nano would also feature a rounded, cylindrical casing.
While Rose's report makes no mention of wireless networking, a past filing from Apple could point to the addition of WiFi hardware on the device.
The rumored redesign for the nano is similar to a design described in an Apple patent application from 2006. That filing proposed a device that was encased in a ceramic 'tube' casing that was capable of allowing the transmission of Wi-Fi signals.
In addition to the new nano, Rose reported that the company would roll out an updated version of iTunes and new iPod touch firmware. Rose also predicted a cut in prices on the entire iPod line to prevent the players from cannibalizing sales of the $199 iPhone.
Rose's report should, however, be taken with a grain of salt. The Digg founder has a track record for Apple predictions that has been spotty at times.
In 2007, Rose cited anonymous sources in claiming that the original iPhone would not be limited to one carrier and would sport multiple batteries. Last March, he also reported that the iPhone 3G would feature video chat.
Touchscreen Monitor
Touchscreen monitor is display overlays which has the ability to display and receive information on the same screen. The effect of such overlays allows a display to be used as an input device, removing the keyboard and the mouse as the primary input device for interacting with the display's content. Such displays can be attached to computers or, as terminals, to networks. Touchscreen monitor also has assisted in recent changes in the PDA and Cell-Phone Industries, making these devices more useable.
Touchscreen monitor has become commonplace since the invention of the electronic touch interface in 1971 by Dr. Samuel C. Hurst. It has become familiar in retail settings, on point of sale systems, on ATMs and on PDAs where a stylus is sometimes used to manipulate the GUI and to enter data. The popularity of smart phones, PDAs, portable game consoles and many types of information appliances is driving the demand for, and the acceptance of, touchscreen monitors. The HP-150 from 1983 was probably the world's earliest commercial computer featuring a touchscreen monitor. It actually did not have a touchscreen monitor in the strict sense, but a 9" Sony CRT surrounded by infrared transmitters and receivers which detect the position of any non-transparent object on the screen.
Historically, the touchscreen sensor and its accompanying controller-based firmware have been made available by a wide array of after-market system integrators and not by display, chip or motherboard manufacturers. With time, however, display manufacturers and System On Chip (SOC) manufacturers worldwide have acknowledged the trend toward acceptance of touchscreen monitor as a highly desirable user interface component and have begun to integrate touchscreen functionality into the fundamental design of their products.
Touchscreen monitor is very popular in heavy industry and in other situations, such as museum displays or room automation, where keyboards and mice do not allow a satisfactory, intuitive, rapid, or accurate interaction by the user with the display's content.
There are a number of types of touch screen technology that include resistive; surface wave; capacitive; infrared; strain gauge; optical imaging; Dispersive Signal Technology (DST) and acoustic pulse recognition.
An ergonomic problem of touchscreen monitor is the stress on human fingers when used for more than a few minutes at a time, since significant pressure is required and the screen is non-flexible. The resulting condition is labeled "gorilla arm" because it makes the user feel clumsy.
With the growing acceptance of many kinds of products with an integral touchscreen monitor interface the marginal cost of touchscreen technology is routinely absorbed into the products that incorporate it and is effectively eliminated. As typically occurs with any technology, touchscreen hardware and software has sufficiently matured and been perfected over more than three decades to the point where its reliability is unassailable. As such, touchscreen displays are found today in airplanes, automobiles, gaming consoles, machine control systems, appliances and handheld display devices of every kind.
Wireless Internet Cameras
Wireless Internet Cameras
Remote Video Monitoring with the Creative Live! Wireless Internet Cameras:
Webcams just make video fun, with the immediate gratification of capturing short clips, plus live video messaging across the Internet. Plus, webcams can be used for remote monitoring, some even with motion detection -- to watch for the arrival of a delivery truck out the front window, or to catch the cat jumping on the counter. But you don't necessarily want to tie up a computer to act as a video server for a connected webcam, so a better option for this kind of use is to use a dedicated Internet camera with a built-in network interface, like the Creative Live! Wireless.
The webcams are designed to plug in to a computer, typically with a USB 2.0 connection. The camera pours the video (and associated audio) down the wire, and you then need to run software on the computer to process the data -- converting formats and displaying the video -- or to act as a server so you can access the video from other networked machines. But if your main use is this kind of wireless internet cameras, then you don't want to tie up a computer doing all this video processing and resending -- plus, using a dedicated network camera is more turn-key and reliable than using a computer and software on a general-purpose computer.
Setting Up of wireless internet cameras:
The Creative Live! Wireless internet cameras comes in two parts: the small camera and the network server box. The wireless internet cameras has an adjustable focus ring and "multi-attach" base, so you can stand it by itself, clip it to a window or a monitor, or install it with the included wall mount bracket.
The base unit is very light and quite small (around 4 x 4 1/4 x 1 1/2 inches). The front panel has LEDs to show when it's connected, and the rear panel has the wireless antenna, an Ethernet port for a wired network connection, two USB ports (one for the camera), and the power connector.
The Live! Wireless is a breeze to set up. Plug it in (wired) to your home network, and it connects into the network through your router (DHCP). Then run the creative wireless internet cameras setup wizard software, which looks around your local network and finds the camera. You then can change camera settings including the name (when working with multiple cameras), time zone and time, and username and password for secured access. You also can set up the camera for access as Wired, Unsecured Wireless (802.11 b/g), or Secured Wireless with WEP (Wireless Equivalent Privacy) / WPA-PSK (Wi-Fi Protected Access-Pre-Shared Key) enabled.
Monitoring Video from a Browser:
Once the Live! Wireless internet cameras are live on your local network, you can connect to it from any computer without installing any other software. Just fire up Internet Explorer, enter the camera's IP address (displayed during setup), and connect to the built-in Web server in the base unit. Enter your user name and password, and the browser opens up the Creative Live! Wireless server with video playing in the window.
Custom Built Gaming Computers
Custom built gaming computers, also called gaming computers or gaming rigs, are personal computers built specifically for the purpose of computer gaming. Overall, these computers are much better then basic computers which usually do not run applications that require highly demanding hardware and immense processing power. These custom built gaming computers have bigger hard drives, more ram, more powerful processors and most important of them all, better graphic cards than a basic computer.
In the late 90s, computer games started becoming more and more complex and high computing power was needed in order to run them. Many games used hardware accelerated graphics and it introduced the concept of building personal computers specifically for gaming purposes. In this respect, the computing ability/power of a gaming PC's GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) has always been the top priority. In the early and mid 90s, many companies such as Voodoo PC, Falcon Northwest and Alienware were launched which focused entirely on gaming and high-end personal computers.
The cost of custom built gaming computers has also increased significantly. For example, the ATI Radeon 9700 Pro was released in 2002 at a price of 399 US dollars. Today, good graphics cards are priced at 500 US dollars or above. People now spend more than 1000 US dollars on top-end graphics cards alone for a high-end gaming experience.
The improtance of a well-made, top-class video card in custom built gaming computers can't be denied. Such graphics card should at least adequately play all the new games for about two to three years, though hardcore gamers will eagerly spend more and more money to upgrade more often. Waiting two years to upgrade is the most accepted compromise to keep up with the technology while spending the least amount of money.
For the best gaming exprience and to display smooth motion, custom built gaming computers need to be accompanied by a monitor capable of fast response time and high refresh rate is required. Some gamers choose to use secondary displays apart from the primary display. These may include a second screen or an LCD display located on the keyboard.
To get the best sound effects, custom built gaming computers are usually equipped with high-end sound cards and surround sound speakers. These speakers include 5.1 to 7.2 surround sound. In order to enjoy the full audio experience found in most modern computer games, a surround sound speaker setup is a required. These Sound cards have hardware accelerated technologies.
In modern PC gaming, the importance of high capacity hard drives can't be ignored as modern games need much space. So custom built gaming computers are equipped with high speed hard drives which results in lower loading times and better performance.
Learn Visual Basic
Learn Visual Basic.
Learn Visual Basic. This is for anyone who is just starting to learn visual basic. There are many other programming languages but i really reccommend beginners to learn visual basic. Visual Basic is a very good programming language to make simple applications and games. Don't go around asking if you should learn visual basic to code a 3D MMORPG. It's possible to program mostly any game in VB but its just not worth it. C++ has been tested 10% faster if im not mistaking but it doesn't mean you can't use VB. VB was pretty useless for games before it got DirectX support. Just keep in mind not to make big plans with Visual Basic because you might get dissapointed. Also keep in mind that im not going to say anything more about games in this Learn Visual Basic article.
1. Getting Started
First open up your Visual Basic 6.A popup window should appear, click Standard exe and click open.You should now see a form named Form1.
2. The toolbox
Toolbox is to make controls really fast, most of the programming languages dont have anything like this. So basiclly things like this makes it really easy to learn visual basic. You should see a toolbox in the left of the screen. If you don't see the toolbox, click View - Toolbox. Here you have the most basic controls to use in your programs. You can find out what they are by holding your mouse on them. Dont know what they do? Dont worry, you wont be needing most of them right now.
3. Making your first program
We are going to make a very easy program to get you started.The Program copys text from one box to another.
* Righ click anywhere on form1
* Select propertis
* Propertis should appear in the right corner
* Find the caption part in form1 propertis
* Rename caption and (Name) to MyProgram
* Now find "TextBox" from toolbox and double click it
* Find the "text" part in the TextBox propertis
* Make that part blank
* Make another TextBox and do the same as you did for the first box.
You can resize anything by clicking on it.
* Now make a CommandButton and name it "Send"
* Double click on the CommandButton and Visual Basic should take you to the "programming part"
* Now it should say "Private Sub Send_Click()". After that line type in the following:
Text2.text = text1.text
That means: IF you click the SEND button it will make the "text" part of both TextBoxes EQUAL. Now you should have something like this: Private Sub Send_Click()Text2.Text = Text1.TextEnd Sub.
If it does not say "Send_Click()" then you forgot to rename your button at the "(Name)" part. Text1 is the name of the first textbox and text2 is the name of the second one.
Now play around with those controls and try new things.
ADSL Modem
An ADSL modem is a device used to connect one or more computers to a phone line, in order to use an ADSL service. Some ADSL modems also manage the connection and sharing of the ADSL service with a group of machines, making an ADSL router or ADSL modem (router) a more accurate name for the device. ADSL modem acts as the ADSL Terminal Unit or ATU-R, as the telephone companies call it. The acronym NTBBA (Network Termination Broad Band Adapter, network termination broad band access) is also common in various countries.
ADSL modem vary in data speed from hundreds of Kilobits per second to many Megabits per second, while voiceband modems are limited to approximately 50 Kbit/s. ADSL modem exchanges data with only the DSLAM to which it is wired, which in turn connects it to the Internet, while most voiceband modems can dial directly anywhere in the world. Such modems are intended for particular protocols and sometimes won't work on another line even from the same company, while most voiceband modems use international standards and can "fall back" to find a standard that will work.
Most of these differences are of little interest to consumers, except the greater speed of ADSL and the ability to use the telephone even when the computer is online. This ability really puts them way ahead of many other modems which don't let you use telephone when connected to the internet.
As technology advances, functions that are provided by multiple chips can be integrated onto one chip. Higher levels of integration have benefitted ADSL modem just as they benefitted other computer hardware. Exactly what is on the circuit card and how it is arranged can change as technology improves but some of the essential components for its functionality include Transformer and capacitor for power supply, Data connection and power circuitry (for example, USB, Ethernet, PCI), DSL digital data pump, DSL analog chip and line driver, Microcontroller and a Filter.
Apart from connecting to an ADSL service, many modems offer additional integrated features. Many ADSL modems can have their firmware upgraded to support additional features or to fix existing problems. This can be done over the network, or by using a dedicated serial connection.
Currently, Taiwan manufactures most of the ADSL modems in the world, ODM plays a large role with designs from various parts of the world. The main manufacturing companies from Taiwan are Billion, D-Link, Draytek and ZyXEL. Another renowned manufacturer is 3COM which has its headquarters in USA.
Digital Audio Players
How to Download an Audio Book From Your Hard Disk to Your Non-iPod Digital Audio Player
Introduction - Digital Audio Players
This article describes how to download an audio book file to most common brands of digital audio players eg, Digital River, Creative, Sandisk etc. It is not applicable to Apple's iPod or some other digital audio players that require proprietary download software provided with the devices.
Downloading Media for Your Digital Audio Players
Once you have downloaded your audio book to a hard disk or other storage device you must open the first file of the audio from your computer if digital rights management(DRM) licensing is in effect. DRM processes usually place a file on your hard disk drive with licensing information indicating that you are the rightful owner of the content you have downloaded. This means you can then access the audio files without any problems.
When you click on the audio file to open it, a dialogue box appears asking you for your username and password. After entering them, you can continue to work with the digital files either by listening to them on your computer or copying them to your digital audio players.
Most common digital audio players have the capacity to handle DRM licensed files.
Don't use your Internet Explorer program to copy files from your hard disk to your digital audio players. It will copy them, but you will not be able to play them because Internet Explorer isn't capable of handling the DRM licensing process. Instead, use Windows Media Player (WMP or whatever software was provided by the manufacturer of your digital audio player).
If you use Windows Media Player (make sure you have the latest version), you simply load WMP, locate your audio files so they are listed in the Title window, highlight the files and drag them to the right into the Sync List column. When you see the message "Ready to Synchronise" appear in the screen to the right of your digital audio file names in the Sync List, click the Start Synch button at the bottom of the screen. This will start the transfer of your files to your digital audio players.
As soon as the files have been transferred, you can unplug your digital media players and listen to the files anywhere you wish.
I recommend you zip (compress the audio files) remaining on your hard disk drive and copy them to a CD as backup copies. That way you won't unnecessarily add to the clutter on your hard disk and if a disaster occurs, you'll still have the audio files you paid for.
Data Recovery
One of the biggest nightmares of any computer user is losing critical data. The problem is that the chances of such occurrence are always there. This is especially true in case of computers being used by multiple users. There are many data recovery software available in the market, however not all of them are effective in recovering all kinds of files and under all circumstances. If you are looking for a cost effective comprehensive solution to your data recovery requirements, a new application called Restore My Files may be your best bet.
Restore My Files is a data recovery software that helps you recover deleted or lost files like doc RTF and TXT files, XLS spreadsheets, PPTs, HTML, Visio and CSV files. The soft ware helps recover files that are deleted and even emptied from the recycle bin and files lost due to the format of a hard drive, virus infection, unexpected system shutdown or system failure. When a file is deleted by emptying the recycle bin, or through a command like Shift-Delete that bypasses the recycle bin, data recovery is not possible using the Windows operating system. The contents of the file still remain more or less intact on your hard drive unless that section of the hard drive gets overwritten by another file.
Restore My Files identifies such lost files on your hard drive and allows you to recover them. Even if a file has been partially overwritten, Restore My Files attempts to reconstruct as much of the file as possible with the remaining contents. This allows you to salvage at least part, if not all, of your lost data. Restore my Files is a rapid data recover application that even move around bad sectors of a hard drive to locate lost data. This feature is not available in most other data recovery software.
Restore My Files works on Windows XP, 2000 and 98 editions. Though it does not support server versions, there are many satisfied customers who are successfully running it on Windows NT, 2000 and 2003 servers. Presently Restore My Files does not support the Macintosh operating system. Restore My Files offers features like non destructive, read only data recover approach and batch file recovery and supports all standard hard drives and file systems.
The most interesting thing about Restore My Files is that the software is easily downloadable and you do not have to wait for a CD to arrive in mail. You can download a trial version of this data recovery system free of cost and run it yourself to see how it works. The trial version will locate lost files, but for data recovery you need to buy the software online and active the full version instantly. There is also a 56 day money back guarantee in case you are not satisfied with the program.
