Pivot Tables Excel Magic

Writen by Richard Kraneis

Pivot tables are magic. For those of us who know how to use pivot tables, we can't imagine using Excel without them. If pivot tables and their potential are a mystery to you, this article will help.

First, explaining pivot tables without using pictures in this article is a bit like explaining the Internet to cowboys in the 1800's. It's hard. But I'll give you two explanations that will help: one technical and one metaphor.

A technical explanation is that pivot tables sort and count. If you have 30 salespeople that work for your company throughout the country, you might want to sort all of your monthly sales by salesperson and then SUM all the sales for each salesperson. If you don't know pivot table technique but you do know how to sort in Excel, the salesman summary problem is doable but tedious. You sort the salesman and their sales, and then you do some basic but repetitive formulas to sum sales for each salesperson. It is doable.

But then the sales manager hears of your good work and asks you to sum not only by salesperson but by sales region. Your sorting and summary techniques that worked for salespeople is very difficult to sort and sum by salesperson and region. You need to learn pivot tables.

But pivot tables are much more than a technical answer to a request from your sales manager. Pivot tables are a revealing tool of analysis for your business or organization. Here's an information metaphor of why pivot tables are a great research tool for numbers and information.

In my backyard, there's a big pine tree right adjacent to the deck. It's autumn now as I sit by my tree. Visually, from the side, the tree is green, with no movement. But I hear many birds chattering in the tree as they settle in before sunset. If I walk underneath the tree slowly, I can see birds flying about within the tree branches. I'm sure my tree would look different from the top.

What's my point?

If my pine tree were a spreadsheet, I could look at it from the top, bottom, side or even fold it inside out to examine it for data. And for birds.

Pivot tables are a bit of Excel magic. It all begins with a common looking spreadsheet with columns of data and hundreds or thousands of rows. It might be a sales spreadsheet or expenses spreadsheet.

The sooner you learn how to use pivot tables, the sooner you will reap the benefits of turning common business data into useful information. The pine tree in your backyard will never look the same to you again.

Visit Richard's website at http://TheWorldsShortestExcelBook.com to sign up for some free Excel training courses. Richard is an author of Excel e-books and training videos. If you need help with pivot tables today, go to http://www.techspectrum.com/twseb-pt.htm for assistance.

Finally, if you need on-site advanced Excel training for your company, please visit http://www.techspectrum.com/AET.html for further information. Thank you.

Mp3 Players Types And Explained

Writen by Jakob Culver

If you are thinking of buying a mp3 player there are many things that you should look into. There are many different brands and types of mp3 players available to you. You will want to get one within your price range, make sure that it holds a reasonable amount of songs for the price you are paying and you will also want to look into what features the player has.

There are three categories when it comes to mp3 players. Flash based players, hard drive based players and mp3 CDs.

Flash based players are the most compact players on the market. There is a memory chip built right in and there are no moving parts. These are perfect for joggers, and other people that move around a lot. These tend to be more costly than most other mp3 players because of it is based off of megabyte and storage.

Hard drive based players use a 1.8 hard disk to store your music. The hard drive players can store a huge amount of music since most come with a 20 GB storage capacity. If you can't seem to get enough music then the hard drive player is really good for you.

Mp3 CD's is where you burn your music onto a disc. Instead of like a normal burn where you get and average of 15 songs you can get somewhere between 150-200 mp3's on one disc. You have to be careful with these discs because if you should scratch or bump it then it will skip a lot and then it wasn't really worth the burn.

This is just basic knowledge of the three categories. Take a look around online and goto electronic stores to get more information if you are seriously considering buying an mp3 player.

To find additional information like this or about technology visit – http://newtechnologycity.com

http://newtechnologycity.com was founded by Jakob Culver. Jakob has a background and large knowledge in and about technology.

Wordpress Plugins

Writen by Sanjib Ahmad

Maybe you always wanted a feature that hasn't been available in the latest release of Wordpress. What you can do is either install a 3rd party plugin or write your own custom code to extend the features of Wordpress.

Wordpress plugins are programming code that enhance the features of a standard installation of Wordpress. A well written plugin will be basically "drag and drop" without modifying the core code of Wordpress. As Wordpress has been designed in a modular way, plugins allow you to customize your site to your specific needs without modifying the core of Wordpress.

Ever since Wordress version 1.2 plugins have been available. Wordpress plugins can be categorized according to the feature it provides. Here a list of various features that you can implement for your web site through Wordpress plugins.

Administration: Install Wordpress plugins to customize features like Admin Tools, Anti-spam, Comments, Meta, Restriction, Statistics, Syntax Highlighting, Syndication, Tweaking, etc.

Design, Layout and Styles: Change the look and feel of your blog by implementing plugins that modify Archive, Calendar - Event, Navigation, Randomness, Styles.

Graphics, Video, and Sound: Add plugins that create Audio - Mood and Images for your blog.

Posts: Implement plugins for Editing Posts, Formatting Posts, and other Miscellaneous Post related issues.

Links: Setup Wordpress plugins that change the default behavior of linking.

Miscellaneous: You can install miscellaneous plugins that shows weather information or other outside information from external websites.

Installing a plugin for Wordpress is not difficult. Here are the list of steps that you need to take to install most plugins. Some plugins may require additional steps.

1. Upload your plugin to the wp-content/plugins folder

2. Go to your Wordpress site using a browser and login

3. Click on the Plugins link from the main menu at top

4. Scroll down the list of available plugins to find the plugin you just uploaded

5. Click "Activate" to make your plugin active

Wordpress Plugin Sites

We found the following sites with a comprehensive list of Wordpress Plugins:

Wordpress Wiki - Plugins: http://wiki.wordpress.org/?pagename=Plugin

WordPress Plugin Repository: http://dev.wp-plugins.org/

WP-Plugins Download Interface: http://redalt.com/external/plugins.php

Wordpress Plugin Database: http://www.wp-plugins.net/

Sanjib Ahmad, Freelance Writer and Product Consultant for Business.Marc8.com - Business Best Sellers.

You are free to use this article in its entirety as long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content, and include the resource box listed above.

Radio Frequency Identification Basics

Writen by James Hunt

Radio Frequency Identification or RFID is the use of radio waves to identify objects. This means, unlike a barcode, one can track an item without actually having to come in contact with it. The way it works is that an identifying serial number is stored in a microchip which is then attached to an antenna. (Together these are called the transponder or tag.) The chip is now able to transmit any identifying information to the receiver. The reader will convert the information to a digital format to be read by computers.

Radio Frequency Identification isn't new. It's been around since the 80's and is already being used in toll booths, automotive ignitions, and security access badges. Businesses that use this system will be able to track products throughout the whole manufacturing process, from the beginning of the conveyor belt to the packaging and beyond. These items can also be tracked while being shipped, received, and even sitting on the store shelves.

Benefits of RFID include:

- The ability to eliminate time consuming bar-coding or other tracking processes. Instead, all data can be collected along the production line. This also helps to lower production costs.
- Prevention of the distribution of counterfeit products.
- Elimination or reduction of theft and loss.
- Reduction of supply chain cost.
- Elimination of data entry and other tedious manual business process transactions.
- Increase in order fulfillment time
- Less time spent in check out lines, as consumers will only have to push their shopping carts in front of the readers.

On the downside is the high cost of the RFID hardware. Tags alone can cost twenty five cents each or more which means many retailers won't get much of a return, if any, on their investment. Is this the wave of the future? Many think so. The real test will be in 2005 when Wal-Mart begins to implement an RFID system. It's hoped that with Wal-Mart as well as the Department on Defense using RFID, the prices of the tags will drop to five cents each will making it a more affordable solution for many.

James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and researcher covering stories that cover a whole spectrum of interest. Read more at http://www.rfid-guide.info.

Old Windows Pcs 3 Inexpensive Ways To Get More Life Out Of Them

Writen by Aaron Davis

1. Buy an additional hard drive and dedicate it to your paging file. The paging file is a file on your hard disk that is used when you have no more RAM available to run applications. Windows creates a paging file on your hard drive that simulates RAM. This can cause big slow downs on your system because the same disk that your computer is accessing for files is trying to write to the page file. When you dedicate a separate drive this disk access can happen simultaneously. You should not need anything more than about 20-40GB. You can find those on E-Bay or a used computer store for next to nothing. The article below will help you move the paging file once you have installed and formatted your additional hard drive:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307886/

2. Double the RAM installed in your computer. This is, by far, the easiest way to drastically increase the performance of your computer. Many benchmarks have been performed indicating that increasing the RAM in your computer doesn't provide much benefit until you can, at least, double it. Check with your computer's manufacturer for details on what type of RAM you should by and how to install it.

3. Clean up your hard drive. This is probably the most time consuming but does provide quite a benefit. The first step is to remove all those old programs and kids games that you no longer use. Once you have finished this task, defrag the hard drive! You will be surprised at the performance boost this can give that old computer. Defrag organizes your files in a way that allows for the quickest access of files. When you have fragmentation, any one file can be in pieces all over your hard drive. Obviously it takes less time when the parts of your file are all together. Below is a nice set of instructions for running defrag and uninstalling programs:

http://helpdesk.its.uiowa.edu/windows/instructions/defrag.htm

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307895

Aaron Davis is a freelance web/application developer. He has been a web/application developer for more than 12 years. His specialty is .NET development with C# and SQL Server.

http://www.davis-webs.com

Dvd Projector Rentals

Writen by Marcus Peterson

DVD is a type of optical storage technology. Digital form of storage has completely replaced magnetic storage media like floppy disks. DVD is the acronym of Digital Versatile Disk and is better than CD in terms of audio and video quality. It is versatile and can be played in DVD players and computers.

DVD comes in various formats like DVD-R and DVD-RW, the R and W means read and write capacity of the disc. DVD players can play units can play a various units audio and video discs in different formats such as CD-R, CD-RW, mp3 and VCD. DVD players also support jpeg formats. Some DVD players have recording features.

DVD projectors are used to project audio and video images from DVD players and VCR. Care should be taken to ensure that the medium used is compatible with the DVD projectors. For instance, some DVD projectors don't support inputs from computers. While hiring DVD projectors, the accessories are DVD players, DVDs, sound systems and screens. These have to be carefully chosen. They also come with IR remote controls and laser pointers. The output can be fed into high resolution plasma and LCD displays.

Some of the branded names available for rental come from 3M, Canon, BenQ and InFocus. They are available in different models with different features. DVD projectors can be hired for as low as $80 and the accessories are charged with their own rental rates. The rental companies require credit card information and an ID. Since DVD projection is of high quality, the major segment is the corporate and business houses for their presentation requirements.

DVD projectors, because of their versatility and high quality, are used in wedding receptions and other staging events such as conferences and trade shows. DVD projectors have made the film projectors less attractive.

Projector Rentals provides detailed information on Computer Projector Rentals: A Guide, DVD Projector Rentals, Film Projector Rentals, LCD Projector Rentals and more. Projector Rentals is affiliated with DLP Projectors.

How To Increase Computer Speed And Performance Great Tips Amp Tricks

Writen by Alan Malik

Many computer users are worried about their computer's performance. After spending lot of bucks, still they cannot have that charm of using PC as they had expected. Here I am going to explain some major tricks which are used by many computer users which help them to take efficient use of their CPU.

These tips could be of little importance for people who are already using processors with speed more than 2400 MHz but people using computer with less speed and little older mother boards and processors will enjoy these tips. They will realize significant increase in their computer's performance.

Here are these tips:

1. Operating system choice:

You will be amazed to know that your choice of choosing right windows or operating system could play a significant role on your CPU's performance. For example if you are given 5 bricks to carry them to next apartment and then 10 bricks to do same. Think how would be your performance if compared with both situations. Obviously you would perform well when carrying only 5 bricks.

Same is the case with Microsoft windows. The lighter the windows you have, higher the performance will be shown. Now this does not mean that you should install Windows 95. Here is the order of Windows weight: Windows XP (any addition) > Windows 2000 > Windows Me > Windows 98 (the lightest one). So if you have Pentium 4 with good ram then I would recommend you to use Microsoft Windows XP. People using Pentium 3 computers could use windows 2000 or if they have ram more than 256 MB then they can use windows XP too. All other lower speed users should use windows ME or 98.

You would have to compromise between speed and quality. You can decide now which operating system you should use now.

2. Partitions:

Before starting this topic I would like to give you a simple example. Suppose in one case if 100 items are placed in a house having only 2 rooms and you are required to find item no. 89, from second room. You will have to scroll through 50 items in room two to find item 89. In other case if same 100 items are placed in house having 4 rooms and you are required to find item 89 from room 2 then you would have to scroll through only 25 items present in that room and you would spend less time.

Same is the case here for partitions. If you are having more number of partitions, it would help your windows more to find required data easily from your hard disk, when you run any file or program. I would advice you to have more partitions each having at least 5 GB memory and maximum 20 GB.

You should be very careful while partitioning your hard drive and believe me many people make mistakes when they partition hard disk and lose all of their important data. Here is a free resource Windows Setup Installation Guide that can help you to learn about partitioning, formatting hard disks and installing windows.

3. Defragment Your Hard disks:

Your partitions become more fragmented when you create or delete folders, save new files, delete or move them and they become scattered on you hard drive and as time passes, windows become slower and slower due to time needed by the system to find required file on hard disk. You can learn more about why volumes become fragmented by using "Disk Defragmenter" Help.

My main point is that your computer becomes lazy with time. I am sure many of you have observed that after installing windows, computer become slower gradually with time. So I would strongly recommend you that you use Disk Defragmenter regularly, at least a week. I know it is quite boring process but while taking bath, lunch start it. Believe me you will feel the difference later.

4. Frequency of Changing Windows:

I would like you to compare the difference between speeds of your computer when you freshly installed windows and now. I know your answer! Obviously now you will be feeling your PC lazier than before.

This is all due to many factors such as file fragmentation; increasing of windows registry size, increase in number of files and folders in your primary partition and also because of some viruses and spy wares.

I would strongly suggest you that you should reinstall windows after formatting your primary partition at least every 3 months. That will keep your computer always efficient. Many people think that formatting hard drive is not good. That is almost a wrong illusion. Formatting your partition every 3 months and installing fresh copy of windows will considerably increase your computer's performance. Same website Windows Installation Guide could help you regarding this matter.

5. My last tip:

Finally do not save junk, programs, movies, games and almost anything you can on your windows partition that is usually C: and believe me your computer would show optimal performance for longer time and provide fewer errors.

It is better you make your "My Documents" folder in other drive than C: as well as make also Program Files folder so install everything like Microsoft office e.t.c there not in windows installation drive. Do it and feel the difference.

Always check for your programs which automatically run at startup and use your computer's significant resources. Try to disable them carefully and feel the change in performance. Here is a way to check which programs and processes start automatically when windows starts. Go to START->Run then type "MSCONFIG" then you can see which your memory consuming programs are. If you do not want to do anything above and want shorter way with shorter improvements then create new user account and delete previous one. You will observer a slighter change and this also removes many errors if present in windows.

If you cannot even do this then why you wasted your time by reading this article and do something else ;)

I have tried my best to show all possible ways that could help you all to improve your computer performance.

Me, Alan John, always have tried to help windows users in all ways possible. Due to good experience, I am able to do that. Here is one of my website should help many of you. Windows Setup Installation Complete Guide

Its Not Rocket Science Its Programming

Writen by Duane Hennessy

Anyone can write a program these days, whether macro driven via wizards or using a powerful but simple syntactic language like Python. After all if software companies made languages too cryptic and difficult to use then their product would not market effectively through lack of support and interest (Java aside!). Granted some of us were born with a 'knack' for programming while others had a steep learning curve, with such a prevalence of available programmers for employees/clients to choose from how do you distinguish yourself as the best choice among competing candidates.

Quality and speed are two attributes that are usually not synonymous as can be seen in a plethora of hastily written applications produced against time-constraints. Relying upon one attribute heavily will usually nullify the other.

Beginning with the attribute of speed. Have you noticed how many programmers/code-cutters these days are two-finger-typists? Two-finger-typing code-cutters rely heavily upon IDE intellisense features to produce the code for them. This may explain the lack of well written and descriptive comments in much of the code they produce. Ideally a programmer should be able to touch-type as speed is a concomitant of touch-typing. This is for a number of reasons:

When you are touch-typing code, your are looking at the screen as you are typing which makes it easier to concentrate on the flow of your algorithms, using the intellisense feature, if there is one, at the same time only increases the speed and therefore your production of code. Your comments will be more descriptive and comprehensive because you are moving faster without any reliance upon inbuilt intellisense features per se.

As a simple analogy. When you drive a car do you repeatedly look at the stick-shift or pedals to change gears and brake? No, of course not. What would happen if you did, would you miss your turn or hit a tree? Concentrating on two things at once causes problems and causes you to take your eye off of the ball. It's the same when programming, why take you eye off of the ball to hunt the keyboard for keys whilst alternating between looking at the keyboard and screen for that time-saving intellisense feature? Touch-typing is one of those skills that, in my opinion, will put you above 80% of other programmers in your area of programming when it comes to producing code.

You can find typing-drill books or manuals either at Amazon.com or even second-hand bookshops. Buy one and practice, all you need is 30 words per minute (wpm) to vastly increase your coding speed and with the use of any available intellisense features you will probably type a good 40 to 60 words per minute. I recently was given a six week contract which I cleaned up in one and a half weeks because they had estimated the time taken to code the solution based upon their recent work and guess what, the programmers were two-finger-typists. Two fingers moving around the keyboard as opposed to my 86 words per minute output without intellisense. My client was very happy at the end of that!

Use a Code Clip Organiser to Improve Speed and Quality
======================================================

Another tool that will help you improve the speed and quality with which you code is a well organised, searchable library of code clips (snippets). How many times have you seen a programmer re-inventing the wheel and why do they? I have a code clip library called CodeClipper (www.bandicootsoftware.com.au) that I use constantly, dragging and dropping code into all of my routines. The code clips are tried and tested, accurate and high quality and best of all, I only had to write them once (apart from slight ameliorations in algorithm over time). When I start a routine I drag'n'drop the initial comments including my name, company, website,date and time of the routine's creation and place holders for the description, updates and notes. Next I drag a choice of error-handling into the routine. After I can either drag'n'drop a recordset template or search some code and paste it into the routine. 3-5 seconds and I've built a lot of quality code into the routine already. Quality and speed; the two juxtaposed attributes that employers and clients demand and already I'm ahead of other programmers in my field.

Use Comments To Enhance Code Quality
====================================

Descriptive and comprehensive comments are so much the result of touch-typing. When you can type fast you don't mind going that extra mile for clarity of explanation, you don't have to make short shrift of your comments. Many times other programmers have commented whilst looking at my code "Wow, lot of comments!" as opposed to their complete lack of comments within their own code. It is much easier to maintain my code by myself and others because of the ubiquitious and generous use of comments.

What are comments efficiently used for? Firstly, comments should explain why you chose a certain algorithm or path of action, when there are a myriad of other options available. For example: you may have tried a more obvious solution to a problem only to find it has integrating issues or perhaps did not perform as the documentation stated, then you decided on a more extraneous solution. Write succinctly what you have tried and why ideas failed and then explain your final decision. Sometime later someone or yourself may refactor your code or wish to change it, at least they will know what did noy work so you have saved someone time by providing quality and informative comments.

Another good use of comments is to plan an algorithm. Maybe you have a mehtod you know will be needed by a class but have no time to code it. Whilst it is fresh in your mind type the steps of the algorithm out into a routine or method in comments like pseudo code. When you get back to that routine you'll have the framework of your algorithm laid out for you, that's half your work done already. Remember to delete the obvious pseudo comments as you code, if you need comments every step of your code to explain what it is doing then you are not naming your variables and functions in a way that explains their purpose or values.

Make Your Code Understandle... Make it English
==============================================

If it's not against company policy throw away your naming conventions. This will save time renaming variables and then some when you change a control or variable type. A worse case scenario is if you change a variable type but fail to change the naming convention of the variable name. Once you dump naming conventions your methods can make sense and you will not need so many comments to explain why you are calling a certain routine. For example:

Instead of...

dim strUserName as String
dim cll as new clsLogonLogoff
strUserName = cll.mtdstrGetUserID

It could read...

dim user_name as String
dim logon_ as New Logon_Manager
user_name = logon_.user_name

Or better still:

Instead of...

rstrLibrary = funstrLibrary

It could read...

library = library_user_is_logged_onto

These examples are trivial but you get the gist. I once converted a rather shabby logon script full of obscure function names and ubiquitous loops into a cleanly written set of functions that even a user could read and make sense of. I prefer to use underscores and bring the code that step closer to ordinary English. When you have a whole list of coded instructions like this it is a dream to read and understand.

Write Scripts to Write Code
=============================

There is one thing faster than typing fast or using your own code clip organiser and that is script that writes code for you. I once had to write a database where the client was not sure on the type of fields or data they needed to capture and the Business Analyst was having problems working it out?! The main table that was likely to change would affect a lot of queries and code that worked with it's data, for example 'Select Case' statements, Recordsets, various routines. I spent about four hours scripting and testing routines that could delete the table and rebuild it along with rebuilding queries and rewriting large pieces of code. A big investment of time at the beginning of the project that paid off later in the software development cycle. These routines read their data from a text file with a simple format of table names and associated fields. There was one day where my client was looking at the database on another floor in our building and made table changes on the fly. I rewrote that database 5 times in 8 minutes that day as the client kept changing their mind upon viewing the results, and they were extremely apologetic but it took me 5 seconds at a time to rewrite the database once I quickly changed the fields in the text file. Don't just use code to make your client's life easier, use it to make your own life easier.

Writing scripts to write code means:

1. Hours of work reduced to seconds
2. No spelling mistakes
3. No hunting for changes to make
4. Stress free programming
5. No human fallibility and debugging nightmares

Script to script and improve the quality and speed of your work.

Know You Programming Cycles
===========================

When do you program best, morning, noon or night? Know when you are programming at your best and try to arrange the rest of your working or leisure time around that. I program best in the morning so I try to arrange my meetings for the afternoon, hey everyone falls to sleep in meetings anyway.

In short, almost anyone can write a program so you have to stay ahead of a lot of people. Some ways we have looked at to do this are:

1. Learn to touch type, (this will pay big dividends!).
2. Don't reinvent the wheel, carry an organised, searchable library of code clips with you.
3. Comment well for quality (see point 1).
4. Write scripts to write code for you.
5. Know your programming cycles.

Your a code cutter...Go forth and produce code!

Duane Hennessy
Senior Software Engineer and Systems Architect.
Bandicoot Software
Tropical Queensland, Australia
(ABN: 33 682 969 957)

Your own personal library of code snippets. http://www.bandicootsoftware.com.au

Apache Mysql Amp Php For Windows

Writen by Sanjib Ahmad

Apache, MysQL and PHP for Windows could be a nice nice thing to have on your Windows workstation. You could try and experiment with all kinds of nice PHP and MySQL based applications right on your Windows desktop running Apache, instead of having to access a full-featured server.

Most people have Windows as their workstation and it can be sometimes difficult to switch to another operating system. So, you may have always wanted to run PHP applications on your Windows machine but wondered if it is too difficult to install or if the hassle will be worth it.

This article gives you the essential information to get started right away. Even if you are a seasoned PHP, MySQL and Apache guru, the checklist below will still be helpful in your installation process.

There are lots of 3rd party software that bundles Apache, MySQL & PHP in one package and installs them on our computer. We do not recommend this and suggest that you directly get Apache, MySQL & PHP from their official sites.

Apache

1. Get Apache 1.3.33 from here: http://httpd.apache.org/download.cgi.

2. Choose a mirror close to you and in the same page, look for the Win32 Binary (Self extracting) file: apache_1.3.33-win32-x86-no_src.exe.

3. Download the file and save it on your hard disk. Run the installer and the self- extracting wizard will guide you through the rest of the steps. Choose all the default settings and run Apache as a service.

4. Remember to put "localhost" when asked for a Server name/Domain name. Use "administrator@localhost" when asked for the administrative email account.

5. Now point your browser to: http://localhost and you should see an Apache Test Page.

6. You can change this page by creating an "index.html" page here "C:Program FilesApache GroupApachehtdocs".

7. You can manually start and stop the Apache server. In a Windows command prompt, type "net stop apache" or "net start apache".

MySQL

1. Get MySQL 4.1.7 from here: http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/4.1.html

2. Under the Windows downloads section, choose Windows Essentials (x86) and click on the Pick a Mirror link.

3. Download the file mysql-4.1.7-essential-win.msi and save it on your hard disk. Run the installer and the self-extracting wizard will guide you through the rest of the steps. Remember the root password when prompted for it in the installation process.

4. Once the installation is done, on your Windows toolbar, go to "Start->Programs- >MySQL->MySQL Server 4.1->MySQL Command Line Client".

5. Type the root password and you should be logged in to the MySQL shell.

6. Type "show databases;" to see the list of databases. Type "quit" when you are done.

PHP

1. Get PHP 4.3.10 from here: http://www.php.net/downloads.php

2. Under the Windows Binaries section, choose the file: PHP 4.3.10 zip package size 7,405Kb dated 15 Dec 2004.

3. Download the file and save it on your hard disk. Unzip the file and rename the extracted folder to "php". Now move this folder "php" and place it under "C: Program Files".

4. Move all the files under "C:Program Filesphpdlls" and "C:Program Filesphpsapi" to here: "C:Program Filesphp".

5. Copy the file php.ini-recommended to "C:WINDOWS" and rename it to php.ini

6. Edit your Apache "httpd.conf" configuration file located here: "C:Program FilesApache GroupApacheconf".

7. Add the following lines in httpd.conf:

LoadModule php4_module "C:/Program Files/php/php4apache.dll"
AddModule mod_php4.c
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php

8. Now stop your server by issuing the following command in Windows command prompt: "net stop apache". Then type "net start apache" to start your server. We are now going to test the PHP installation.

9. Go to "C:Program FilesApache GroupApachehtdocs" and create a file test.php

10. Edit test.php and add the following code:

<!-- php phpinfo(); ?-->

11. Point your browser to http://localhost/test.php and you should see a lot of PHP configuration information.

Congratulations! You now have Apache, MySQL and PHP installed in your computer. Now you can install your favorite script right on your Windows workstation.

Sanjib Ahmad, Freelance Writer and Product Consultant for Business.Marc8.com - Business Best Sellers.

You are free to use this article in its entirety as long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content, and include the resource box listed above.

Good Computer Maintenance Part One

Writen by Marv Ko

Normally we think of maintenance as a chore, something we have to do to keep things running smoothly and prevent problems down the road, whether with our car, house, or computer. But with a PC, maintenance can actually be fun ... approached from the right perspective.

Automatic Updates

The "joy" of computer maintenacne takes many forms. These days, automation is the byword. Operating systems such as Microsoft Windows and Symantec's Norton Interenet Security let you automatically keep crucial parts of your computer system up to date. It's fun to watch the technology keep tabs on itself.

The security vulnerablilites of Windows are legion, and this forces you to download patches and updates if you want to minimuze your exposure to hackers seeking to break into your system over the Internet.

You can run Windows Update periodically through Microsoft Internet Explorer, which automatically detects which versions of Windows components you currently have installed and, by checking with Microsoft's site, which have newer versions.

Or, if you are running Windows XP Home Edition, you can automate things even further by directing Windows to check for "critical updates" by itself at the frequency and time of your choosing. From the Control Panel, go to System and click Automatic Updates to specify your settings.

Website Updates

You can keep your other software up to date by periodically checking the Websites of the respective manufacturers. Typically, by pulling down the program's Help menu, you will quickly be directed to the site. But the Website VersionTracker (www.techtracker.com/products) does something similar with multiple programs, for free, whether you have a Windows PC or a Mac. The ad-supported site has 30,000 programs in its database. Pay versions, starting at $24.95, automatically alert you when new updates of programs that you're using become available.

Using Utilities

Staying up to date is crucially important these days in keeping the bad guys away from your computer and those using it. A good utility suite for this is Norton Internet Security (www.symantec.com), which combines such crucial tools as a firewall, anti-virus program, porn-blocker, spam filter, spyware detector, and pop-up ad blocker. If you use the program, make sure you let its LiveUpdate feature automatically keep your virus definitions and other components up to date.

Symantec's other utility suite, Norton SystemWorks, is less useful, and if you need system tools more powerful than those provided by Windows itself, a better package overall is V Communications' SystemSuite (www.v-com.com).

SystemSuite includes tools for preventing and recovering from hard disk crashes, recovering accidentally erased files, completely uninstalling programs you no longer need, and completely shredding sesitive files. It also has an excellent file manager, PowerDesk, that makes quicker work of copying, moving, deleting, and otherwise manipulating files than Windows Explorer.

With today's large and fast hard drives and more efficient operating systems, one maintenance task that's no longer as necessary is disk defragmenting. When working with files over time, they invariably wind up stored in places at different locations on your hard disk. Running a defragmenter gathers up the pieces and places them together in one contiguous location.

Recent testing by the computer magazine PC World, however, showed that defragging no longer improves performance the way it used to. It still makes sense to defrag once in a while, though unless it's for a network file server, there's usually no need to buy a separate program for this beyond what comes with Windows itself.

So in all ... even automated maintenance can be fun in that it is automated and can leave you more time for other endevours.

Marv Ko has many years of experience in business, marketing, security, writing, and varied hobbies. He is is the senior editor of http://www.upublish.info ... your source for Original Content Articles. Authors wanted!

Mailmerging The Principles

Writen by Terry Freedman

About mail-merging

Mail-merging is the process of merging variable data and fixed text.

Using mail-merging, you can create individualised letters, envelopes, labels and other documents without having to laboriously create each individual one.

Mail-merging naturally fulfils one of the DfES's conditions of reducing the administrative burden on teachers, namely that when data is inputted into a computer system it should be right first time. One of the aspects of this principle is that computer data should not have to be re-entered in order to generate a different view of it.

Examples of mail-merging

The "right first time" principle can be illustrated by the number of different kinds of document that you could create using one set of data consisting of school names and addresses and Head teachers' names:

Notification of funding allocations for anew financial year.

Invitation to a meeting.

Attendance registers for courses/conferences.

End-of-term letter.

Labels for conference packs.

Address labels for the envelopes. You can even use the same set of data (if set up properly initially) to send different letters to (for example):

Primary schools/secondary schools.

Schools that have/have not submitted their ICT Strategy.

Head teachers that are invited to a meeting on Monday, and those invited to the meeting on Tuesday. Advantages of mail-merging

It can save a lot of time over the long term.

Recipients often feel as if they have been given individual attention. Disadvantages of mail-merging

It can take a long time to set up initially, and so may not be worth it for a one-off job.

Recipients often feel as if they have been given individual attention. This is not always a good idea.

Terry Freedman runs the website http://www.ictineducation.org, on which he sells the Big Database, consisting of 1008 records and 23 fields -- ideal for practising mail-merging!

Buying A Digital Camera

Writen by Idan Lavi

There is much more to buying a digital camera than going into the store, looking over the selections, and making a purchase. You have to be careful that you don't make a mistake when buying a digital camera. If you know absolutely nothing about them, you might make a costly mistake.

A good digital camera is not cheap, and if you buy one that doesn't meet your expectations, you are going to be very disappointed.

You should look for reviews and listings prior of buying a digital camera. Look for reviews in which the writer seems to have fallen in love with his camera. Write down the model number of the camera and search for some additional information. Once you have a decent list, go ahead and look into those cameras. Buying a digital camera may come down to finding the best price for the most features, so make sure you know which features you want as well.

If you aren't picky, and don't have any special requirements, buying a digital camera might be easy. You can find a decent model that will take good indoor and outdoor photos for under two hundred dollars. If you have children who play sports, or if you love to go to auto races, you would need more settings, and when you buy, you'll want to pay more for those features. Getting a good deal when buying a digital camera won't do you much good if you can't use it for what you need it to do.

Another place to get good information about buying a digital camera might be the website Epinions. Here, users review all sorts of things, including consumer electronics. Do a search for some of the models you are considering for purchase, and see what each reviewer has to say about that camera. They may love their camera, or they may regret buying a digital camera they didn't research.

Once you have decided that there are a few models you are interested in buying, you can then narrow down your list by your budget. You may want 12x optical zoom, but it may not be in your budget. You don't want the act of buying a digital camera to put you behind on your bills. Instead, go for less zoom. You should be more concerned with quality than with extra features. In the end, you want the camera to last. Buying a digital camera should be fun, but consider it as an investment in your family's memories. Good luck.

For Additional information about Buying a Digital Camera and much more please visit DigitalCameraWiz.com

Repairing A Corrupt Rarzip Archive

Writen by Adam Roper

Step 1:

Open WinRAR and browse to the folder with your .rar/.zip file.

Step 2:

Highlight the file and click the Repair button from the tool bar.

Step 3:

In the pop-up window, select "Treat the corrupt archive as RAR/ZIP" depending on which type of archive you are trying to repair.

Step 4:You may get a "Suspicious Entry" pop-up. If so, select All. This may happen several times while repairing.

Step 5:

After WinRAR has completed repairing the archive, click on Close.

Step 6:

To extract your file, highlight your new rebuilt archive.

Step 7:Next select Commands>Extract without confirmation

Step 8:

The files will start extracting.

Step 9:

The archived files will be extracted to the same folder as the repaired archive.

About The Author

Adam Roper is the founder of GlobalFusion - a Multimedia & Web Development firm based in Sydney, Australia that designs everything from websites to DVDs and Multimedia Kiosks. If you have questions about creating HTML Email Templates or want someone else to do the design work for you, visit our website at: http://www.globalfusion.com.au or send us an email at: info@globalfusion.com.au

Executive Function Brain Injury

Writen by Janet Christian

As baby boomers we expect much from ourselves, the world around us, and especially technology. What I found was technology has not caught up with affects of a longer life has on the brain, life style, and medical awareness. With all of the new medications and attention to medical care, many individuals live longer with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, MS, heart problems, etc. The brain can and often does still suffer from the affects of these diseases with damage to the frontal lobe of the brain that controls executive function and cognitive abilities. Executive function controls your ability to make and apply lists of things to do, organize your daily activities, make decisions, initiation of tasks, and emotional connections.

Your brain needs 3 important things -- blood, oxygen, and glucose to operate. The lack of any of these things and the brain starts to die. The lack of any of these takes a real toll on the frontal lobe. I never knew my glucose was low, I never had any warning signs -- I did not know anything was wrong until the lack of glucose was doing the damage to my brain at the molecular level.

What was my life like before my brain injury? I was a go-getter. I was involved in my job, church, hobbies, self-employed, writing a book, children, grandchildren, and hobbies.

What's my life like now? I had to retire from work on disability at the age of 49. My relationships changed because I can't always feel emotions or connections to others. I have problems with executive function (the front part of your brain that plans, organizes, and executes daily activities), gait problems ( I have fallen 5 times in 3 year once breaking my leg) vision problems (sensitive to light and blurred vision) immediate memory (memory that allows you to hold on to enough information to problem solve a problem or remember a phone number long enough to dial it) visual memory (I can't look at a pattern or other information and then apply that information) and other problems.

What can technology do for us? I have heard many physical therapists agree that cognitive therapy does not work. I don't believe that because I have seen improvement in my life by participating in a work day program for brain injured individuals (The Denbigh House of Newport News Virginia). What all my therapists, doctors, rehab personnel and what I have experienced is compensatory strategies do work. Since my brain injury is mild I couldn't find a rehab group that could help me. They all said since I could make a list I was fine. They don't realize that making a list and using a list are two different things. I finally after two years of working by my self worked out a set of lists that kept me on track for my daily activities and household chores. However when I decided I wanted to become a public speaker and have a web business my lists didn't work anymore and I can't take two years to figure out lists again. The lists would also be too cumbersome to work in a real world setting anyway. So technology it is.

I was a computer specialist before my brain injury and still know what I used to know even if I can't always execute it. So what I am trying to do now is work with a rehab facility that is doing a study on brain injuries and the ability to live more productive lives with the use of handheld devices like palms, blackberry's or pocket pc's. I am anxious to see what this will do for me and will keep the blog informed of how it works. I am hoping that I can get a device that I can add all my contacts too and what they mean to me, how to do certain things ( like I can never remember how to add a picture to my web site and have to look it up every time), alarms to take medication, to rest, and so many other ways I need an alarm to keep my life balanced, and to be able to keep my information I need right at my hand so I can access the information in a timely fashion. I am still waiting to see if I am part of the study so for now I am working on a disorganized set of lists.

I am a brain injury survivor. I was not in a car crash, hit my head, have a stroke or heart attack -- my brain injury was brought on by my blood glucose dipping so low that it caused a permanent brain injury at the molecular level. I am not diabetic but I had gastric by-pass in 1999 and in the year 2000 I started having problems keeping my blood glucose under control. Not every one who had a gastric by-pass will have this problem but my neurologists said they are starting to see more of this kind of problem with the higher numbers of this surgery being done.

Janet Christian is a Public Speaker and an advocate for brain injury services. She has an ebay store at stores.ebay.com/Beloved-Creations, an ebay blog at blogs.ebay.com/Beloved-Creations and beloved-creations.blogspot.com

Activating Virtual Smartdust Keyboards

Writen by Lance Winslow

SmartDust are tiny electronic particles which are connected together electronically using those nodes or motes. There should be away to sprinkle the use tiny SmartDust onto a surface and use the SmartDust as a virtual keyboard for data input into a computer.

But how can this be done? I propose that the SmartDust be sprinkled onto the surface the you intend to use for the virtual keyboard to put the data into the device. Then the device can be positioned over the SmartDust to activate, each piece of SmartDust. In doing this be virtual picture will be taken of the SmartDust on the surface and that SmartDust units will be relegated into a virtual grid, representing a particular key on the keyboard. An infrared scanner will identify each piece of SmartDust, wake them up and assign them each a particular character.

Next, you will be able to see a virtual keyboard on a quarter of the screen of the device you are in putting the data into, next to and along side of the data you are inputing. In this way you can type the data into the device without looking at the surface where the smart to dust is located, but rather at the input device.

The SmartDust will also need to have a certain Ionic bonding electronic charges with the surface you are using and repel itself from any attempt to stick to your fingers. This will allow you to type continuously without interruption or possible miss interpreted data being entered into the device. Such a system would allow you to input data into a very tiny device such as something the size of an iPod Nano with a one and one half inch LED screen, a wristwatch computer or PDA.

The SmartDust Research and Development scientists need to consider this option when designing my virtual keyboard concepts. This particular concept lends itself well to space exploration, military applications and field research, as well as disaster response in major catastrophes. Such applications will indeed also promote the future of SmartDust technologies. Consider this year 2006.

Lance Winslow

Computer Performance Tips

Writen by David Mahler

Introduction
In this article I will clearly spell out the most effective steps you can take in order to increase the performance of your computer and enhance your computing experience.

More Memory (RAM)
If your computer has less then 256 MB of memory you may want to consider adding more. If you don't know how much memory you have: right click my computer, go to properties and look towards the bottom of the dialog box.

Memory is where the computer stores open files or programs in order to give the processor quick access. To put it simply more memory means more speed and stability. You can buy memory online or visit your local Best Buy where they can install it for you if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself.

Defrag your computer
Imagine a filing cabinet that is out of order, you would have to look harder for your files just as a computer would when it is fragmented. Over time your computer will become fragmented. When your computer is fragmented it has to work harder to do just about anything a computer can do. Defragging your computer is essential for computer performance and stability.

Diskeeper is by far the most effective and efficient defrag program I have ever used. With Diskeeper you can defrag your computer without having to close other programs. You also have a "set it and forget it" feature that enables you to set your computer to defrag any time without having to think about defragging ever again. Most notably this defrag program gives your computer a clear performance boost.

Remove adware & spyware
If you frequently receive popups while not surfing the Web you may have excessive amounts of adware or spyware on your computer. By removing the adware and spyware you will not only receive a performance boost but you will enhance your computing experience by removing bothersome ads.

Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and Destroy are both free programs that will scan your computer for adware and spyware and allow you to remove it with ease.

Surf the Web faster
Firefox (getfirefox.com) is a new browser that is faster and more secure then Internet Explorer. With Firefox you can download and install extensions which "plug in" and give the browser more functions. For example I currently have extensions that tell me the weather and block online advertisements. Download and install this program today and replace your current browser which most likely is Internet Explorer.

Copyright 2005 Capehostpro.com

David Mahler started his business (http://www.capehostpro.com) designing websites in 2002 and has since extended his business to include such services as Intranet design, database design, and website copywriting.

Why Using An Ad Blocker Can Be A Bad Idea

Writen by Joe Duchesne

Ad Blocking is getting to be a common sport on the internet. Now there are some legitimate uses for an ad blocker. Some ad companies resort to downright harassment when serving their ads using annoying pop ups, flying ads, floating ads and the like. Blocking these types of ads are not a problem. Using an ad blocker though to block all ads on a site including text ads, banner ads, etc is wrong and here's why.

Free Information makes the Internet Valuable.

Do you like getting free news from major news sources? How about the latest weather for free? Do you like being able to use a search engine to find information on a topic that interests you? How do you think the companies that run these services can afford to give this information away for free? It's because they charge advertisers who display advertisements on pages where this free information is found.

How useful would the Internet be if it was Ad Free?

Without ads, there would be much less commercial business transacted online. Would it eliminate it completely? No. But there would be much less of it. Now, some people think that would be a good thing but stop to think about it. If you take away all free news sources like CNN, NY Times, and all major news sources, then take away all Travel sites, then cut the number of free information websites on almost any topic by 95% and what kind of internet are we left with?

Would everything be a disaster on the Internet without ads?

Having email being spam free would be nice but blocking spam is a lot less precise than using an ad blocker to eliminate all kinds of ads. If we had no pop ups to worry about the Internet would be nicer, but most people already get this with the latest browsers.

I am all in favor of eliminating intrusive advertising methods like pop ups and spyware but I think the whole idea of blocking all ads is short sighted. Tools certainly exist to block almost all forms of advertising online. I would urge you though to think twice before you activate ad blocking on all forms of advertising.

Non intrusive, in-context advertising can actually help you

I can't count the number of times I've been on a web page that didn't have exactly what I was looking for but an ad on that site did. Same thing when searching Google. Sometimes the listings are not relevant to the kind of information I'm after but the ads on the side or the top are.

Is all advertising evil? Of course not. Many forms of advertising can actually be helpful. Next time you're thinking about blocking that text or banner ad, think twice. You may need access to an advertiser in the future. What's the harm in that?

Joe Duchesne is the owner of Yowling.com. Yowling is a web hosting company that offers a web site builder that allows you to create a professional website in no time flat. Reprint freely as long as you keep the live keyword rich link found in this resource box.

The Key To A Quicker And Happier Computer

Writen by Terry Brazil II

I am sure that you and most everybody you know that has a computer has gotten errors. That error that you see on startup or when you are doing just about anything else is most likely caused by a registry problem. Even though you do all of your uninstalling, virus checks and regular spyware / adware removal by the book that still doesn't mean those problems still are not effecting your computer. Often times when something gets uninstalled or removed from your computer it leaves old registry entries behind.

These old entries that are hanging around in your registry can effect your computer in many ways. Not only can they cause errors. This garbage in your registry can also slow it down considerably. So much in fact that it can cause your computer to crash or reboot frequently. As you probably know this can become anything from a major pain in the butt to a complete disaster. But if you can tell what the error you are receiving really means you can fix the problem.

Usually when an error pops up it will say that X program caused X error. If you write that program name down you just might be able to find the piece of the registry that is causing this problem for you. Usually the left over registry entry will have the name of the program or the name of the programs maker in it. You may even find that it will refer to a certain file usually ending in .exe. If you see this make sure that it is nothing windows related before messing with it. I will show you how to get rid of these problems below but I must state that I am not responsible for anything you do as the registry is very sensitive. If you make sure to backup though you should be completely fine.

The registry is very fragile. It can be looked at like the spinal cord of your operating system and is basically the nerve center of your PC. If one little letter is messed up it can cause big problems. Before ever messing around with your registry you must make sure you have a current backup. This backup should be kept off of your computer and on a floppy disk or cd. One easy tool you can use to make the backup process easier for you is ERUNT which stand for The Emergency Recovery Utility NT. This program can be found at http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/ and can be used on Windows NT / 2000 / 2003 / XP. Once you have this program you can easily make a backup of your registry files to a bootable disk in just a few clicks.

Now that you have a current copy of your registry on backup just in case something happens we can get down to business. To browse your registry go to START and click on RUN. Now type "regedit" in the box and click on OK or hit enter. A window should open that says Registry Editor in the title bar and there should be a tree type directory structure with +'s next to a bunch of hkey entries. This is where your operating system is told to find and do basically everything it does. So be extra careful not to accidentally change or delete anything without knowing what it actually does.

We are not really going to worry about looking around and what each hkey does. We just want to do a basic search and delete a few leftover things that are causing some problems. The first thing we want to do is click on "Edit" at the top of the window. It should drop down a menu and now you want to choose "Find". This should open up a small window that says Find at the top. In the space provided type in the information you gathered from the error. Make sure that Keys, Values, and Data are all checked, you may also want to check "Match Whole String Only" your first time thought the search. This will insure that you only get an exact match and will reduce the chance of messing something up.

Now that you have done all of the above click "Find Next". A little window that says searching the registry should come up. It may take a little while to find what you are looking for so don't get impatient and close everything down. Just give it a little bit and it should bring you to the place it found an entry at. The entry should be highlighted. If you see that it refers to a place on your hard drive (C:/windows/ or something like that.) it just may be your problem. But don't delete it yet. If you look over on the left you should be able to tell what directory it is in. Does it look like it belongs to the program the error is referring to?

If the entry found looks like it does in fact belong to the program the error refers to go ahead and delete it. To do this simply right click on the entry and choose delete. This may of just fixed the problem but lets not stop here. Lets get rid of anything in there pertaining to that program. Go ahead and choose "Edit" and "Find" again. Now go ahead and choose find next and determine if the next entry is related to the program. If it is delete it. Keep doing this until you get a message that says "Finished Searching Through The Registry".

Now that we have finished that go ahead and restart your computer and see if you still get the error. Most likely it should be gone. If you do however still get the error you may just need to use a program that will do all of this for you. A registry cleaner will take care of all of these registry problems for you. There are usually close to a hundred registry problems on any given computer. These problems are effecting your computer in one way or another without you even knowing about them. If you are having a problem that the above did not fix or if you are scared of messing your computer up I suggest you use a software utility to do this for you.

For this I have to recommend Error Nuker, since it has features that most others do not offer. There is a link in the author bio at the end of this article to scan your computer for free. It is one of the only registry cleaners that I know of that cleans your system registry completely safely. This great utility uses a certified windows registry map to make sure that it does not alter anything that is linked to your operating system. Error Nuker also automatically creates a backup of your systems registry before making a single alteration. This way you can rest assure that if there is a problem it can be easily and automatically fixed.

This article originally posted on http://www.guruofinfo.com where you can get your questions turned into answers. Error Nuker - http://www.guruofinfo.com/Recommends/errornuker

Three Things To Totally Achieve The Service Factor

Writen by Stuart Crawford

There is an alarming trend in the IT service organizations in today's service world. It is the lack of quality services provided by small business computer service and network organizations. Could it be the shortage of skilled computer technicians? Or is it really the inability for the leaders in these small computer support companies to see what is happening in their market?

Computer support organizations, especially those that focus on the small business marketplace, need to put their focus on their client base. This focus is vital with the emergence of larger players in the small business computer consulting space that are developing an interest in servicing your client base.

The three things that all small business computer support companies need to master are:

- Anticipate your client's needs – Computer Consultants need to actively anticipate their client's business goals now and in the future. Small businesses can change direction on a dime since their decision making hierarchy is very direct. So it is important that the small business service organization has the ability to anticipate what their client's needs will be now and have the ability to foresee their short term and long term needs. An information technology consultant with the ability to see the opportunities of their client's needs will entrench themselves into their client's business for a long period of time.

- Proactive Support – Once you can master the anticipation of your client's needs, the next step is to take the appropriate steps to ensure that the items they have anticipated coming down the pipe are now proactively put into place. Small businesses cannot work successfully in a reactive mode. When their technology support company does not take the steps to proactively service their client base they run the risk of their clients suffering unnecessary downtime. Most of the time, it comes back to an issue that could have been prevented with proper anticipation of their needs and then taking the proactive support to implement the needed steps to prevent any downtime.

- Service The Client – Service companies need to consistently service their clients. When you have put into place the steps needed to anticipate their needs and then proactively implemented these solutions, small business consulting companies need to service their clients consistently. Stop servicing your clients and you might as well hand them over to your competition. I cannot speak enough about the enhanced level of service that small business clients require—they will always depend on the expertise of their IT consultant the most . Consultants today cannot assume that things are just working at their clients. You need to be in there all the time.

These are three main areas that today's small business consultants need to focus on to ensure their success. If you do not take care of your clients, your competition will. You can bank on it.

Information Technology companies today are so concerned about service metrics, managed services and many new trends in servicing clients that they are failing at one major area—actually servicing them. Small Business consultants seem more concerned about the perfect service plan, how to charge their clients and designing the perfect solution. This preoccupation has them leaving the front door open to their competition who understands the importance of servicing the client, anticipating their needs, and taking the proactive steps to understand their needs, goals and desires when it comes to technology.

It is time to get back and focus on what the client's needs are, anticipate their direction, proactively address these needs and then service the heck out of them.

Stuart Crawford is a business leader in the Calgary, Alberta small business computer consulting business. He has taken his best practices of success in this market and is sharing this with other IT consultants throughout the world. He can be reached at stuartc@youfactor.ca.

Registry Cleaners Are A Necessary Utility

Writen by A Singh

Many so-called experts on the subject will post various tips and advise on multiple forums and Blogs about the system registry and the use of registry cleaners. Some of them also advise against the use of any form of registry cleaner though they will, in the same article, admit that the registry continues to bloat with useless information that may slow down the system in the long run. Their 'long run' is about three months. So then, how do we remover this redundant information or useless entries from the registry to de-bloat it and make it faster and more responsive to the programs installed to run on the system?

The Best Way To Clean The Registry

The answer to this problem is to either use software that can run through the system and clean out any link or file that leads to nowhere or else manually dive into the registry and grope around in the dark without doing anything but damage to the system. Even the experts advise against this because even the so-called gurus of Windows operating system cannot shuffle through the system registry and know exactly what they are doing in there. It will always be a trial and error system.

The registry cleaners such as express registry cleaner, Win registry cleaner, PC Mantra's registry cleaner and many more registry cleaner are special programs that are designed to scan the registry entry for entry and test the links to see if they are actually connect to some program in other parts of the registry and the system. If the links or files fail to produce a link to another program or file they are obviously loose ends and need to be removed from the registry. Because the registries scan will unnecessarily stop, if even for a millionth of a second at these broken links, will delay the process. Just add this one delay, no matter how short, to the hundreds of thousands of useless entries it will encounter, every time it scans the registry, which may be several times a minute.

Where Does This Junk Come From?

These broken links come from programs and viruses that are removed by the uninstall programs and anti virus software. This process of removal leaves traces of the program in the registry and has to be expertly removed with registry cleaners. It is not necessary to scan the registry every second day, however, the registry must be cleaned at least every six months or so. If the registry cleaners are absolutely safe then why will they have a registry backup program built in? There is always a risk involved. Perhaps that is the reason even the best programs have a backup function - Such as any Windows Operating system.

Author is admin and technical expert associated with development of computer security and performance enhancing software like Registry Cleaner, Window Cleaner, Anti Spam Filter etc. More information can be found at http://www.pcmantra.com To know about the Registry Cleaner visit at http://www.pcmantra.com/registry-cleaner.htm

Learn Html Part 1 How To Build A Web Page

< /body >< /html >.

1. Add a title to the html file. Generally, html files contain a title (Note: this is not the same as a "header." Headers will be introduced in step 3 below). Titles define the text to be displayed in the "title bar" of the browser when you bring up a given page. Titles are put in the "head" section (That is, between the < head > and < /head > tags). As an example, our simple file could contain following title: < title >This is the title< /title>

2. Add content to the page. In step 1, we defined the text to be displayed in the title bar of the browser window. However, to display text inside the browser window itself, we need to put that text into the body section of the file (That is, between the < body > and

The Benefits Of Open Source

Writen by Matthew Keegan

If you are a building a website or a forum, chances are you are using a web editor or paying for message board services. The costs of using these "out of the box" products can add up, especially if you are trying to grow your business. Let's look at some good "open source" options for you to consider. You may be surprised at how much money open source can save you.

What is open source? The webopedia describes it as follows:

Generically, open source refers to a program in which the source code is available to the general public for use and/or modification from its original design free of charge, i.e., open. Open source code is typically created as a collaborative effort in which programmers improve upon the code and share the changes within the community. Open source sprouted in the technological community as a response to proprietary software owned by corporations.

Not all open source programs are worth downloading, but there are a few that merit further attention, including:

1. PHP Originally called Personal Home Page, PHP is the backbone of many message boards. Yes, you can use proprietary software such as vBulletin, but you will pay a licensing fee and fees for updates. For one site, the cost may not be prohibitive, but if you run several sites your costs can easily become a significant part of your budget. Search the internet for a free PHP provider such as PHPBB2.

2. Web Templates Finding decent templates does not have to cost you dearly. There are sites offering some very well made templates that would cost you as much as $100 if purchased separately. Naturally, "everyone" downloads the copies, but you can modify it accordingly to give it your own look. The best ones are CSS derived and web standard compliant.

3. Web Browsers Internet Explorer isn't the only name in town when talking about web browsers. Yes, they are dominant, but so many web savvy folks have tired of Microsoft's dominance and are switching to Netscape, Firefox, Opera, and Safari to name a few.

4. Email Client Thunderbird is the name of another project developed by the people who brought to you Firefox. With Thunderbird you can send and receive email, stop SPAM, and add plugins to design the program the way you want it to look.

5. Office Software MS Office rules as WordPerfect barely hangs on. Still, there are options to these two productivity suites in the form of OpenOffice.org. A big freebie associated with this site is the *pdf maker, saving you lots of money over purchasing Adobe Acrobat. Certainly OpenOffice isn't as snazzy as MS Office, but for the price -- F-R-E-E -- it is worth a look.

Are all open source products great? No, absolutely not. Some proprietary software developed by corporations are far superior and worth it to you if you do not have the time or inclination to make a move to open source. Still, open source provides a wonderful alternative to cash strapped and Microsoft weary web developers. In a day when corporations throw their considerable influence around, it is nice to see developers donating their talents to the worldwide web. Become a part of the growing open source movement today!

Matt Keegan is an article writer and web designer who enjoys using various open source programs. Please visit The Article Writer at http://www.thearticlewriter.com for samples of some of his work.

7 Easy Steps To Building A Computer

Writen by Nick Ramsey

A question that many people have about computers is how do I build one? This question will be answered with 7 easy steps.

• 1. In order to build your computer you must have the parts. Parts you will need include motherboard, processor, heat sink, ram, power supply, case, hard drive, cd/dvd roms, and thermal paste. Some motherboards come with integrated sound, video, and Ethernet ports. I recommend reading your motherboard user manual to find the specific compatible parts that you will need for your endeavors.
• 2. Installing the motherboard can be a daunting task if you don't follow the motherboard user manual. It will guide you through all of the jumper settings and instruct you on screwing it into the case. One very important note to remember is use a grounding strap at all times when handling circuit cards and the motherboard! If this step is not followed you could potentially destroy them permanently.
• 3. After the motherboard is installed you must install the motherboard components, you may want to start with the processor and heat sink. Again ground yourself before touching any of the components. Installing the processor is simple for most types of processors. (this applies to most types of processors) All you do is lift up the arm on the processor slot, line up the arrow on the processor with the slot and the push the arm back down. Installing the heat sink isn't much more difficult. Spread a thin layer of thermal paste on the heat sink and snap it in on top of the processor. Each one snaps in different so refer to the manual for proper installation. Next comes the installing of the ram. It is the easiest step of the process. You open the snaps on the ram slots on the motherboard, line up the notches, and push it down. Too easy.
• 4. The next step in the process is to put in the power supply. This is done by first screwing it into the case. Then you plug in the power cables into the motherboard. Usually it has a 20 pin connector and a 4 pin that plug straight into the motherboard. The other power connectors will be connected when the cd/dvd ROMs and hard drive are installed.
• 5. In order to make your computer function properly you will need to install the hard drives and the cd/dvd drives precisely by the operator manual. Usually it is just screw them in and plug it up but that can sometimes differ. Depending on whether or not you are using IDE or Sata devices the power cables and data cables hook up differently.
• 6. Now just about all of the hardware installation is complete. You just have to install any add in cards you may have. For example sound card, modem or maybe a video card. Pretty much all of these cards just push in. You line up the card with the empty slot and push in it. But remember if you are having problems refer to the user manual.
• 7. We have just the last step left before your pc is up and running. That is giving it the software it needs to run. Installing the operating system is just click the next button. Literally while you are installing the os screens popup and you click next. For more detailed information refer to the operating system manual. It will give you a graphical representation for the installation. When you have finished installing the os you need the drivers for the system. A cd usually comes with the parts. After they are installed your pc should be up and running.

I have been working in the IT community for severel years. And I enjoy helping people answer questions they may have about computers. So for more information try My PC Help,Help My PC,Money Making Reviews. You are free to reprint this article as long as you leave these links intact.

Video Bytes From The Web

Writen by Jim Edwards

** Handheld Video **

Apple Computers recently announced the addition of a small video screen to its new iPod, the perennial favorite portable MP3 music player.

Apple's announcement comes as no surprise to many "expert" market watchers, but their stock did go up about 10% within days of the announcement.

Though certainly not the first handheld video player on the market, it carries the power of Apple's iTunes distribution channel behind it.

That means instead of getting a video player and then searching for content to play on it, users of the new video iPod can easily download and play their favorite videos, TV shows and more from the already hugely popular iTunes service.

For information marketers and small business owners, this means a whole new world just opened up for video content distribution.

Home video enthusiasts will also benefit because of the ease with which you can now share high quality video with friends and family.

The iPod plays not only Apple's proprietary QuickTime video format, but the newer Mpeg 4 video format which offers a much higher compression rate (and smaller video file sizes) than previous formats.

Though others partially paved the way, the age of handheld video finally arrived.

** Video Title Gem **

I recently found a piece of software that just plain rates "cool" when it comes to creating title screens and sequences for your digital videos.

With just a few mouse clicks it enables you to create title sequences that look like you spent hours in development time, instead of less than 10 minutes!

Log on to www.blufftitler.us for free examples of what the software can do, along with a free trial download.

You can also view a 20 minute tutorial on how to use the software (a video quick-start guide) at www.mediablitzed.com

Once you complete your title sequence, you can save it in a number of different formats which you then import into your digital video editor for inclusion in your finished movie.

** Google Video Maturing **

Several months ago I reported that Google launched a video service at http://Video.Google.com where they solicited users to upload their video content.

At the time, with the exception of local and national news content, very few actual videos showed up for playing online.

After a recent check of the service, the lack of videos certainly reversed itself.

Though not overflowing with video content, the Google Video service does carry a significant number of videos now and a search under your main keyword topic should produce at least a couple of related videos.

Since the search engine can't actually search the content of a video or audio file, the one drawback to the system stems from that fact that the search engine must decide what represents a "relevant" search from text that accompanies the video.

This text typically ranges from just a few words to an entire transcript of the video.

As such, a search for "employment tips" results in video from the Employment & Career Channel along with the Long Beach City Council hearings on development impacts on employment.

However, once Google gets the search aspect of video ironed out, watch for this service to explode in popularity.

Copyright 2005 Jim Edwards

Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist & creator of an amazing course that shows A Quick and Easy Way To Painlessly Set Up Your OWN Money-making 'Mini' Websites... Without Being a Computer Geek, Buying Software, or Paying A Webmaster!" Click => http://www.MiniSiteCreator.com

Gamers Graphics Our Guide

Writen by John Gibb

Graphics for Gaming

The die-hard gamer has some important features to examine when making a graphics card selection. Memory is probably the most important. For most gamers, a 128MB might be sufficient, but you have to check the specs on the game and think about what resolution you like to play it at. At a resolution of 1600 x 1200, you're going to need a 256MB card. Bare in mind that the memory is used to store image data, the more data it can store, the faster the rendering of images. Also, make sure the board uses DDR memory. It's not too much more expensive, but is much faster.

Clock Speed

For the most serious gamers, you'll want a clock speed of at least 350MHz. This doesn't mean that if you are a hard-core SimCity gamer you need speed like this. A 200MHz card would be fine for that, but the more processor intensive 3D rendering of games like Tomb Raider will greatly benefit from the increase in power. The clock speed alone doesn't dictate how effective the card is, but it's usually a good indicator of what it will be capable of.

Interface

The ultimate gaming rig will utilize AGP 8x or, if your PC supports it PCI Express. AGP is faster than standard PCI, but PCI Express is even faster yet. Again, make sure your PC supports it before you drop $500 on an Express board.

Connectors

Here's one place it's good to get only what you need. You'll pay more for a lot of different in/out connectors, so if you're not going to use them, find a board that only has what you need. Instead of spending money on all those connectors, you can get a faster 3D card for the same price, that only has the connector you need. If, however, you do want to do some video editing, all the options are available on the higher end cards.

Software

Microsoft has released DirectX 9, so you'll want to find a card that supports the DirectX 9 API. As always, check the software that comes with the card. For example, if the card is a little pricey, but includes a $50 game you're planning on buying, you could easily justify the cost of the card.

John Gibb manages http://www.computer-and-printer-reviews.com The site dedicated to computers and printers.

Sony Walkman Walks Out Of Japan

Writen by Dan D

After 25 years, Sony will close the last Walkman factory in Japan. According to Sony spokesman, Atsuo Omagari, the factory has been around since 1979, and was one of the first factories since the Sony Walkman debuted.

As production of the Walkman is moved to China, Malaysia, and other Asian Countries, 200 Japanese jobs will be lost, causing a small but meaningfull blow to the Japanese economy.

This not being the only factory closed, other factories around Japan have also suffered the same fate. But why???

It's all about Sony's restructuring plan, that was announced last September, to rebost it's ailing electronics operations worldwide. The plan will run 3 years, and will reduce the number of global manufactoring facilities worldwide.

With competition from Apple's iPod, and Mp3 devices coming out from China and Korea, Sony might as well give it's last bow in this market.

After 25 years, Sony will close the last Walkman factory in Japan. According to Sony spokesman, Atsuo Omagari, the factory has been around since 1979, and was one of the first factories since the Sony Walkman debuted.

As production of the Walkman is moved to China, Malaysia, and other Asian Countries, 200 Japanese jobs will be lost, causing a small but meaningfull blow to the Japanese economy.

This not being the only factory closed, other factories around Japan have also suffered the same fate. But why???

It's all about Sony's restructuring plan, that was announced last September, to rebost it's ailing electronics operations worldwide. The plan will run 3 years, and will reduce the number of global manufactoring facilities worldwide.

With competition from Apple's iPod, and Mp3 devices coming out from China and Korea, Sony might as well give it's last bow in this market.After 25 years, Sony will close the last Walkman factory in Japan. According to Sony spokesman, Atsuo Omagari, the factory has been around since 1979, and was one of the first factories since the Sony Walkman debuted.

As production of the Walkman is moved to China, Malaysia, and other Asian Countries, 200 Japanese jobs will be lost, causing a small but meaningfull blow to the Japanese economy.

This not being the only factory closed, other factories around Japan have also suffered the same fate. But why???

It's all about Sony's restructuring plan, that was announced last September, to rebost it's ailing electronics operations worldwide. The plan will run 3 years, and will reduce the number of global manufactoring facilities worldwide.

With competition from Apple's iPod, and Mp3 devices coming out from China and Korea, Sony might as well give it's last bow in this market.

Newbie Computer Tipsor Why Didnt Someone Tell Me About This Months Ago

Writen by Deborah Baird

So, you're new to computers and you feel like you're back in kindergarten … well, in a way, you are! Computers are new and very foreign to you right now if you've just recently sat down in front of one!

Just remember, because it's so new you must approach it differently, just like you did in kindergarten! I don't care if you're 8 or 88, you need to recall the wonder, joy and excitement that you felt when you first started to learn something new!

Have fun with it! Explore … ask yourself, what does this do? Click on it … check it out! Above all … don't be afraid of it … it won't bite and it certainly doesn't know more than you do … it just seems that way sometimes because it does things faster – that's all.

Here's a couple of tips for you to 'give you a push':

Look at your mouse and notice that it has 2 buttons and usually a wheel in between … use the Right button … Right-click on everything! Clicking on the Right mouse button will do one thing only … to show a context menu or a list of options pertaining to the selected object. For example, point the mouse arrow to an icon on your desktop and instead of clicking with the left mouse button, click with the Right and see what happens! You'll see a menu with a list of many commands for that particular icon, one of which is 'delete' … if you move your pointer to the menu and then move the mouse you'll see that you can select any one of the commands. Select 'delete' only if you wish to delete that one icon, by click on the command with you left mouse button.

Hocus-pocus! It's done!

Windows Explorer is aptly named as it allows you to Explore your computer! Don't be afraid to look around on your hard disk. Look around in all your folders, and try all of the programs that you see when you click on the Start Menu.

How do you get to Windows Explorer? Easy! Left click on the start button in the left corner of your screen. Find 'All Programs' with an arrow pointing to the right and hold your mouse pointer over it until the larger menu pops up. Move your pointer to the right and then (usually) up until it lands on the Folder "Accessories". When it does, the menu expands to show what is in that folder (other folders and programs), simply move your pointer to the right and down the list until it lands on Windows Explorer.

Left click on that program to open it. A window will open up that shows you the access that you have to your computer, usually starting you with "My Documents" (as it is in Windows XP). The Window that opens is divided into 2 sections, the left side shows a list of 'places' (folders) on your computer and whichever one is highlighted will show the other folders and files in the right hand side of the window. For example, My Pictures folder is found within My Documents folder.

So … open it up! Have fun! Explore!

Written by Debbi Baird, Co Owner, PC For Seniors Author of many technical articles in 'plain English' for the "Older Generation" and Trainer / Tutor / Consultant in the Palm Beach, Florida area. Go to http://www.pcforseniors.com to find more information on computers and The Internet in the "How Do I …" section of the web site! Also, check out our Hot Sites! Listing for links to great places to go online for Seniors! http://www.pcforseniors.com/html/hot_sites_.html

Digital Photo Printing

Writen by Mic Pedretti

Photographs are a way of preserving a moment in our lives for the rest of our lives. Many of us have at least been tempted at the flashy array of photo printers which seemingly leap off the shelves at even the least tech-savvy. It surely seems old fashioned to talk about 35mm film and non-digital cameras in today's day and age. To our children, cameras not so feature rich with LCD screens and built in Wi-Fi is as foreign as Atari. However, the innovation of home photo printing is bringing about a new way of preserving our most precious memories. Not only do we have digital copies to keep with us for the rest of our days across hundreds of different archives, thanks to printer manufacturers such as Epson, Hewlett Packard, and Canon, we now have the ability to fill our photo albums, right from the comfort of our living rooms.

Whether it is Hewlett Packard with the award winning Photosmart 8250, Canon, with the sleek and stylish Selphy DS810, or Epson's PictureMate Express Edition, it seems everyone wants a slice of the home photo printing pie. Behind the looks, style, and hype of these printers are the facts. For example, Hewlett Packard's Photosmart 8250 has become a legend in its own right for its amazing ability to print a 4" x 6" photograph in only 14 seconds. The Canon Selphy falls far short of Hewlett Packard's mark, ringing in at 63 seconds for a 4" x 6" print. Falling even farther behind the pack is the Epson PictureMate Express Edition, although stylish, and easy to carry with convenient handle, there is nothing so convenient about having to wait a whopping 1 minute and 20 seconds to get a single 4" x 6" print.

The Canon and Epson models don't fall completely short of Hewlett Packard's newest pride and joy, however. Both the Canon Selphy DS810 and Epson's PictureMate Express Edition trounce the Hewlett Packard in portability. The Selphy 810 is the smallest form factor, measuring in at only 8.7" (W) x 3.9"(H) x 8.7" (D). The PictureMate Express Edition is portable enough to be designed with a sleek handle to care with while taking those long road trips or a simple picnic in the park. For added portability, the PictureMate Express Edition even has a car adapter so the printer can be used virtually anywhere. These features veritably slaughter Hewlett Packard's Photosmart 8250 where portability is an issue.

All ringing in around the same price, (Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8250 $179.99 MSRP, Canon Selphy DS810 $149.99 MSRP, and Epson PictureMate Express Edition $149.99) Hewlett Packard's leadership and innovation in the field has brought them to the top of the list. Having won several awards over the span of many years, including an Editor's Choice award in PC Magazine for the Photosmart 8250 model, Hewlett Packard seems to be the name to beat and the way to go for any photographic entrepreneur who wants the most bang for his or her buck.

Our Printing Directory is dedicated to the printing industry. Find more information and other printing topics on our Digital Photo Printing resource page.

Cd Duplication Terminology

Writen by Andy Machin

Here we will take a brief look at the most common terminology that is used in CD duplication.

BLER
Block Error Rate. This is the raw digital error rate before any type of error correction.

CD
This the Compact Disc, a digital medium that's formed of a 12cm polycarbonate substrate, a reflective metalized layer, and a protective lacquer coating.

CD-R
Compact Disc-Recordable. The term CD-R is used to describe the technology of recordable CD along with the equipment, software, and media that are used to make the recordable disks.

Data layer
With CD-R media, this is the organic dye that is sandwiched between the polycarbonate substrate and the metalized reflective layer of the media. CD-R disks don't have any data on them at all until the are recorded.

Now that we've covered those aspects of CD Terminology, let's turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

Injection Molding
This is a manufacturing method where the molten material is forced into a mold, normally under high pressure, then cooled so that the material will take on the shape of a mirror image in the mold.

Media or blanks
CD-R media are the disks that are used to record digital information using a special recorder and premastering software with a computer. These discs are made of a polycarbonate substrate, a layer of organic dye, a metalized reflective layer, and a coating of lacquer for protection.

Organic dye
The data layer of CD-R media is made from a dye that is melted during the process of recording. Where the dye is melted, becomes opaque or refractive, scattering the reading laser so that it isn't reflected back into the reading sensors.

Reflective layer
This is the metal later that sits on top of the dye that reflects the laser beam back to the reading assembly. This is normally 24k gold in CD-R disks, although it can be silver as well.

As you become more and more familar with CD duplication the above abbreviations and meanings will become second nature. And next time you're at the pub quiz and the question comes up "what does BLER mean?" you'll know instantly!

Sometimes it's tough to sort out all the details related to this subject, but I'm positive you'll have no trouble making sense of the information presented above.

Visit CD Duplication Web today for information on CD duplication and related topics.

For further information on CD Duplication Visit http://www.cdduplicationweb.com right now!