Windows Xp System Tools

Writen by Scott Morris

Well, we all have been there. We turn on our computer (boot up) getting ready to type that school report, or business presentation and guess what, our computer just does not want to work today. Whether it's the word processor, spreadsheet, or financial package that isn't working, most people do not know that Microsoft Windows XP has a built in feature that just may come and save the day. That feature is called "System Restore."

Basically, System Restore is like a little hound that runs behind the scenes taking "snapshots" of various parts of the Microsoft Windows XP operating system. So, if a part of Microsoft Windows XP stops working one day, the System Restore utility is able to reference one of the "snapshots" it took and restore your system from a previous day (a day when your computer worked). It's kind of like going back in time to a day when your computer worked. All your current data (Microsoft Word files, etc.) are still retained, so you don't have to worry about losing any present day files.

In order to restore your computer just follow these simple steps:

1. Close any open programs.

2. Click on the Windows "Start" button (normally located on the bottom of your computer desktop)

3. Click on "All Programs"

4. Click on "Accessories"

5. Click on "System Tools"

6. Then click on "System Restore"

7. At this point the System Restore wizard will launch. You will have two options:

a. "Restore my system from an earlier date"
b. "Create a system restore point"

If you just need to restore your system and get it working correctly again, just select option "a" and click "Next."

8. On this screen you can select a date from the calendar that you would like to try and restore from. So, if you knew that your computer worked fine two days ago, just pick that date on the calendar and click "Next."

9. The next screen is the confirmation window. Just verify the information on the screen and click "Next." Windows XP will then reboot and try to restore your system with the settings from the date you selected.

The System Restore process can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes depending on how much reconfiguration Windows XP needs to do and how fast of a PC you have. When System Restore is done, a screen will popup with the results of the restore. If it was successful, you can then log into the system and start using the computer again. Any quirky issues that you were having are now hopefully gone.

Now, on step 7b above, I mentioned the "Create a system restore point" option. This option is for when you want to force Windows XP to take a snapshot of your system just before you install a program or alter any system settings that you are not sure of. It is like a safety net for when you install any internet programs (sometimes riddled with spyware) or system drivers (video, audio, etc). If you want to revert back to a virgin state just create a restore point "before" installing any software. This way, if your machine starts acting weird, you can just restore your settings from the selected point.

With a little practice, the System Restore utility is easy to use and a great way to help ensure the safety of your computer.

Morris gathers information about virtual pbx software
pbx phone system.

How To Back Up Your Files Using Xps Backup Utility Step By Step

Writen by Carlos Cabezas

To determine how important it is for you to back up your files, you can simply ask yourself the following question: "How bad would it be if I turned on my computer tomorrow and all my files were gone?" If the answer is "It wouldn't be that bad, there's really nothing important on my computer anyway" then you don't really need to be backing up. On the other hand if your answer is like mine and you say "I would be dead in the water, and I would probably go out of business" then you need to make sure you are backing up your data to a separate location than the usual one.

In this tutorial I'm going to tell you exactly what you need to do in order to set up a back up for your files. This tutorial applies to the Windows XP operating system. If you have an older version of Windows there are still plenty of options, but those are not covered here.

The first thing you are going to need to do is make sure you have a working USB port on your machine. Test it out by attaching some kind of USB device to the machine. A good item to test with is a portable USB flash drive. If Windows recognizes the device then you are set.

Next you are going to need an external hard drive. This is where your files will be backed up. My favorite external hard drive is the Western Digital Portable 40GB external drive. It's small, unobtrusive and needs no additional power supply as it gets its power from the USB port. I like to avoid extra cords if I can. Western Digital has been a good name in hard drives for many years. Another nice thing about this drive is there is no software to install. You just plug one cable in and Windows XP recognizes it. You can purchase this drive from Buy.com by clicking on the picture of the item below. If you think you need more than 40 gigs for your backup they make a 100 gig version of the same drive, but 40 gigs should cover most people's important files.

Before plugging in the new external hard drive go to "My Computer" (Start, My Computer) and take a look at what is under "Hard Disk Drives". You may see a drive labeled (C:) or a (D:) , in any case just take note of the drives you see there. After plugging in your new drive give Windows XP a few seconds to recognize it. You should get a pop up saying something like "Your new hardware is ready to use". Go back to My Computer and again look at what is under "hard drives". You should now see a new drive that was not there before. This new drive is the external drive you just plugged in. Take note of its letter (D: or E: etc).

Now that your new drive is hooked up and recognized by Windows XP, it's time to set up the Windows XP backup utility. If you have Windows XP Professional edition this is already on your computer. You can check to make sure it is there by going to Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools and you should see "Backup". Windows XP Home edition does not ship with the XP Backup Utility. If you follow the above path in Windows and you don't see the back up utility this means you do not have it. In that case you will need to download it (can be downloaded from my site). Once you have downloaded the file it is fairly simple to install. Just double click on the file and follow the directions.

If it is installed correctly you will see the "Back Up" file when you follow the above path in windows. Click on "Back Up". The utility starts in Wizard mode by default, so you will probably see a screen that says "Welcome to the Backup Wizard". Click the Next Button.

The Next screen is called "What to Back Up", choose the one that says Back up selected files, drives or network data."

Here you have a screen that looks a lot like Windows Explorer, and you can see a layout of your folders. Most people keep their important documents in the "My Documents" folder, so go ahead and put a check mark by that folder. Put check marks by any other files you think you need to back up. Expand the folders as need be by clicking the check marks by the folders. When you are done click Next.

Now you need to decide where to back up to. Click the "Browse" button. If a window with "please insert a disk into disk A: comes up just hit cancel. Use the drop down menu to find the external hard drive you just plugged in (remember you took note of what drive letter it was) Click on the drive letter. This window will show that there is nothing on the drive, since you just added it. Right click anywhere in the white empty space and left click "New" and then "folder". Name the folder something like "backup". Once you've created this new folder double click on it to go inside the folder. Once inside click on the "save" button.

Now you should be back at the Backup Wizard again at the window called Backup type, destination and name". Under "choose a place to save your backup" you should see the name of your new hard drive as well as the folder you created. Click Next.

You are taken to a window that says "Completing the Backup Wizard". Click "Finish". Watch it back up. If it went well it says "back up complete". Click Close. You should now be back at the 'Welcome to the backup utility advanced mode" screen.

Click the button again for "back up wizard (advanced)". Click Next, choose "Back up selected files,or network data" again and click next. Again choose the folders you want to back up. Click next.

Again you are at the Backup type, destination and name screen. Under "Type a name for this back up" enter "backupincrement" . Click browse and find your hard drive and the folder you made earlier. When are again inside the folder you made, click in the text field to the right of "File Name". There is probably something in there that says backup.bkf. Whatever is in there, rename it to "backupincr" or just "increment" if you prefer. Click "save".

Now you are back at the Backup type, destination and name screen again. Click "Next". Now you are at the "Completing the Backup Wizard" screen again. This time click the "advanced" button.

Hit the drop down menu and choose "Incremental". Click Next. Check the box that says "Verify Data after backup". Click Next. Check the radio button that says "Replace the existing backups". Click Next. It asks "When do you want to run the back up?" Choose "later". For the Job Name put in anything you want then click on "Set Schedule". Choose when you want the back up to run. I would recommend daily at night, say 9 pm. After you choose the schedule, click "Ok" Click "next".

Choose a password for the backup. This can be anything though I would make it easy to remember; "password" should do fine. Click 'Finish".

That's it. You have set your back up to run on a set schedule. It should run automatically without you having to do anything.

Carlos Cabezas writes regularly about home technology at http://www.HighTechHomes.tv/blog. His business, High Tech Homes, helps work at home professionals, families and small businesses with their technology issues.

Watch Satellite Tv On Your Pc Free

Writen by Emma Drosy

Satellite Internet us the latest, hottest trend for computers. But did you know you can watch satellite TV on your PC with satellite Internet? Not only can you surf the 'Net, but you can watch satellite TV in your PC free and listen to satellite radio, too!

All you need to watch satellite TV on your PC for free, or listen to satellite radio, is a PC with satellite Internet. Then, the world is at your fingertips and entertainment in any form is within your reach. Want to watch satellite TV on your PC for free, where the images will be crystal-clear and digitally sharp? Well, now you can. You don't have to wait until it comes out on DVD – you can watch broadcasts live with satellite on your PC.

Once you watch satellite TV on your PC for free, you may never go back to a regular television set again. Sharp, clear images and live television at the click of a button, or thousands of songs on satellite radio can be yours – and all because you use your computer! Watch satellite TV on your PC free, and you'll wonder how you went for so long without satellite Internet.

Satellite Internet is truly the wave of the future. Why not experience this new, fresh technology now, before everyone else catches on? You can say you were one of the first to watch satellite TV on your PC free – and you'll be right! Wireless Internet technology is sweeping the nation – soon, it'll be everywhere. If you aren't taking advantage of this innovative breakthrough in home/office technology, then you're getting left behind. With wireless Internet, you can watch satellite TV on your PC not just at home, but at the office, at the gym, wherever you like. Satellite technology has been used for years and years. Now, you can enjoy that technology from your PC, so that the entire world is open to you with just the click of a few buttons.

Watch satellite TV on your PC for free. You'll wonder how you ever watched TV any other way in the past. Give it a try, and you'll never go back to regular television again.

Good luck Watch Satellite TV on Your PC for free!

Want more Information On How to Watch Satellite TV on Your PC for free please visit http://www.nudemuppets.com

Computers

Writen by Lenore Chapman

I remember the days when only big businesses had computers. I also remember the day my husband bought us our first computer. I was scared to death of it. I wouldn't even turn it on, for fear I would crash. That is all I knew about them, one wrong move and you can crash your computer. To me, crash meant it would crumble in a big heap. What is the crash that everyone is talking about. Well, after three months of dusting this thing call a computer, I decided to turn it on and see what happens if I touch the keyboard. Real quick I crashed. I panicked and turned the computer off and waited for my husband to get home from work and call the technician to see what I did wrong.

Needless to say it wasn't anything to put the computer out of commission for long. He punched a couple buttons and I was at it again. It took me a long time to get comfortable with the computer but away I went. At first all I did was play games, that is all I knew I could get to without crashing again. After a few months of this, I really got brave and set up an e-mail account for myself. Gee, it was fun to get letters and jokes from friends and family. Then the real task began. I can surf the net and read all kinds of stuff. Just type in a word and hit search. Bingo, all kinds of stuff came up.

Let me tell you, that was 13 years ago, and now I sit and laugh at myself. Here I am, I can't wait to get to my computer, first thing in the morning and the first thing when I walk in from work. Yes I have come a long way since my first crash. I use my computer for so much now, I often think, how did I ever live without it.

It is funny how things can change over the years. My husband was the computer whiz when we got our first one, but that lasted only a short time. Now we have two computers, his and hers and he comes to me when his computer messes up. I do all the fixing. He says I am better on the computer than him.

Yes, computers are becoming a common household fixture. I know people as young as 5 and as old as 79 that have their own computers and can't wait to get on them. Computers aren't just for school and business, you can have fun on them too. I enjoy just surfing the net at times instead of playing a game or writing articles. This is my stress reliever. I love it and can't live without it.

Now, I think it is strange when I hear someone say they don't have a computer, before this, it was strange to hear someone say they didn't have a TV. If you don't have your own computer, get one, you don't know what you are missing. Continue

Computer Diagnostics 101

Writen by Natalie Aranda

If your PC is sluggish, the screen freezes more, the hard disk makes strange noises and/or you reboot frequently due to error messages then computer diagnostics are essential to sort out the trouble.

A complicated machine is bound to have trouble in delivering every time, smoothly. Apart from external factors sometimes, internal factors also might result in the malfunctioning or crashing of a computer. To determine the nature of the problem there are computer diagnostic tools. Though the word diagnosis means identifying and analyzing the problem, computer diagnostic tools go all the way to set things right after preliminary diagnosis. A comprehensive computer diagnostic tool would diagnose dead PCs, motherboard, power supply, memory, hard drive and the central processing unit. Data recovery diagnosis is a part of this process too.

Computer diagnostic tools flood the markets in both software and hardware form. A lot of computer diagnostic software is available for free and can be used by an end user without any technical help. The assistance of technicians may be sought to set problems like stuck keys on the keyboard, mouse related problems, rolling pictures, memory loss and loss of data with the help of computer diagnostic software.

Most of the computer diagnostic programs are easy to run and come with useful instructions that can be performed by PC users themselves, unless there is a serious problem concerning the hard disk or the CPU. Computer diagnostic programs should be run periodically by end users even when there is no obvious problem to check for troubles that might be lurking in the system. It is advisable to leave some space in the drives to accommodate the computer diagnostic software. Computer diagnostic programs would run a set of tests either individually or simultaneously to identify the problem and prepare a report. This report may be saved for future reference. After this, the computer diagnostic program would proceed to trouble shoot.

Computer diagnostic software can retrieve lost data in minutes. However, complete testing of a PC by using a computer diagnostic program may take as long as 100 hrs. The costs of computer diagnostic software is higher than the cost of computer data recovery software, as the later does a myriad of functions that includes identifying, analyzing and trouble shooting that also includes data recovery.

Windows mode computer diagnostic software is compatible with 2000, 2000 Pro, XP and 2003. DOS mode computer diagnostic programs are compatible with IBM XT, PC, AT and Pentium, Pentium Pro, Pentium I, II, III, and Pentium IV to name a few.

Natalie Aranda writes about computers and information technology. If your PC is sluggish, the screen freezes more, the hard disk makes strange noises and/or you reboot frequently due to error messages then computer diagnostics are essential to sort out the trouble.

Itunes Fails In Motorola Rokr Cell Phone Bid

Writen by Damian Julien

Marrying iTunes capability with Motorola Rokr cell phones was theoretically quite sound.

MacNewsWorld has reported, however, that the new Rokr phones by Motorola are proving to be virtual hot potatos.

The mobile phone return rate is roughly six times the usual for these new iTunes phones, according to the article.

Apparently storage has proven to triumph over functionality with consumers, leaving them blindly apathetic to the over-hyped MPEG-4 playback of these devices.

The Rokr iTunes phone only stores roughly 100 songs, a tiny portion of the relatively gigantic iPod storage capability.

Pocket PC owners fortunate enough to have SDIO slots are laughing by comparison, albeit hobbled by a one gigabyte secure digital card.

Couple it with the fact that quite a few PDA cases can store an additional SD card, and it's easy to see what occurred.

Presumably, mobile phone owners simply couldn't stand the combined pointing and snickering of the iPod and Pocket PC masses.

When Pocket PC owners are bedazzling you with their devices' versatility and fifth generation video iPods are becoming increasingly commercially ubiquitous at the same time, a swap is definitely in order.

Throw on a Pocket PC iTunes counterpart like PPCTunes by the PocketMac Team, and you're off to the PDA races with iPod-like functionality, adding serious insult to injury.

If PPCTunes really does halve the storage space that iTunes music files occupy on your device like it claims (I've admittedly haven't tried this download yet-- too busy gaming), this completes this sorry picture of mobile Motorola emasculation.

Apple blames a poor marketing campaign, but it really seems like a case of bad timing with the video iPod newcomer knocking the Rokr to its knees.

I'm opting to stick with Windows Media Player on my iPAQ for the time being.

Damian Julien is a Pocket PC gaming authority and long time general gaming hobbyist and reviewer.

He is an IT specialist by trade and has posted numerous articles on Pocket PC emulators, gaming and trends in the industry.

http://www.pdagameguide.com/

The Itheater Bringing The Future To The Present

Writen by Lewis Gunter

For years, man has been prognosticating the future in technology. Doc and Marty made it to 2015 to see flying cars and a fake-looking Jaws hologram. Star Trek fanatics live in a dream of phasers and transportation via 'beam-me-up' beams. The Jetsons had a robot to cook and clean. While the iTheater doesn't promise to press your pants, it is a huge step forward in personal entertainment technology.

Applications

Dentistry
I hate dentists. I take that back. My best man at my wedding is studying to be a dentist. I hate the dental experience. I hate the chair. I hate the smell. I hate the noise of the drills and crying children in the next room. I hate the poking and the jabbing and the picking and... well, you understand, I'm sure. The iTheater is the perfect friend for the dental chair. Watch Wallace and Gromit shorts rather than that blasted light and the built-in ear buds help drown out the pain-induced groans from all around you. You still feel the poking, but maybe you won't notice it as much.
Exercising
When I first tried one of these on, I was actually surprised at how light it was. It makes sense, I guess, since the only thing you actually wear is the screen and ear buds (the video processing and batteries are stored in a little box attached to the head unit). This means that you can finally watch movies at the gym without hurting your neck to keep your eyes on the screen. Plus, you get to pick what you watch. The iTheater rests comfortably on your nose and ears while you jog (not recommended for swimming yet, sorry).
Flying
So you've got the red-eye from New York to Dallas and you got a new Video iPod. Great. Four hours with your tray table, Lord of the Rings, and a 2 inch screen. What you di dn't think about was the horrible crick in your neck, the sore wrist, and the squinty eyes. The iTheater answers it all. Enjoy your movie in privacy and comfort while you're in the air. Simply fold it up (like sunglasses) and tuck it into your purse or manbag when the flight is over.
Specifications
The iTheater comes with built in stereo ear buds and plugs into any RCA source (adapters are available for iPod Video). It is powered by 2 "AA" batteries. It is only 3.5 ounces (head unit only) and runs for 6-8 hours on the 2 batteries. It works with NTSC, PAL and SEACAM systems.

Lewis Gunter is a business developer with sewelldirect.com and a technology admirer. More information on the iTheater as well as purchasing information can be found here.

Little Ipod Wonders

Writen by Fred Harvey

iPod

It is no wonder that ipods are getting fun poked at them by movies this year. It seems as if the ipod is taking over the world. Everywhere you go you see them, they are attached to adults and children alike and they are all over the television and in the movies, it is getting a little insane. But it is not as if there is not good reason for such devotion to this wonderful little device. It might just be the coolest thing ever created!

Not only is an ipod functional and practical, it is cute too. There are basically three different shapes and sizes of ipod to choose from. You have the skinny little ipod shuffle, then the slightly larger but even thinner nano and the ever popular regular ipod that can actually play all of your favorite TV shows as well as your favorite songs. How is it possible?

It is all possible due to Macintosh technology, they obviously have the greatest engineers and inventors in the world working for them. I mean seriously, none of the other MP3 players out there can compare to the wonder that is the ipod. Not just in terms of how many songs they can hold but in the overall quality and look of the machines themselves. These little things can hold tends of thousands of songs and pictures and they are so tiny. AND they come in all kinds of fabulous colors.

Look at the ipod mini. That little darling came in pink and green and blue and all kinds of other great colors. Now the nano and the ipod they come in white and black. While that isn't exactly a rainbow of colors they are still pretty darn hot if you ask me.

The bottom line is that when it comes time for you to get a new music player you want to get an ipod. It will hold hundred of CDs worth of music and the battery life is out of this world. You are looking at over 20 hours of play before you need to charge it again. Some of the other MP3 players offer like 3 hours of continuous play, that is all. You cannot compare the two, it is not even possible. Ipods blow all of the competition out of the water.

Just make sure you get the ipod that suits your needs the best. They all have their own unique aspects so read about them and then buy the one that is right for you.

He's a guy who likes to find informations, articles, etc.. about the latest portable music players.

Mp3 Players Theyre So Cool

Writen by John Gibb

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last few years, you'll know that the most popular mp3 player in the world by far is Apple's iPod. It comes in all sorts of editions, including the Mini, the Nano, and the Shuffle – and every single one is a best-seller.

What you might not have realised, though, is that Apple isn't at all the only game in town when it comes to mp3 players. In fact, they're quite a recent entrant into the market. Companies like iRiver and Creative have been around a lot longer, and their players are usually worth considering too, as they can often be cheaper than the equivalent iPod or have more features.

When you're comparing the prices of mp3 players, the one feature you should look at more than any other is capacity. Don't lose sight of the fact that a 40GB mp3 player can store twice as much as a 20GB one.

However, there other features to look for. Even though everyone calls them mp3 players, mp3s are not the only format you might want your player to be able to play – if you want to use it with Microsoft's Media Player, for example, you'll need a player that is also capable of playing wma (Windows Media Audio) format files. If you want to buy music from the iTunes Music Store, you need a player that can play aac (Apple) format files.

Another issue is battery life. Almost all mp3 players are now powered by mains chargers rather than by changing the battery, but battery life varies wildly, from as little as 2 hours up to as high as 10. Make sure you don't get saddled with a player that won't work for a long time if you want to use it for extended periods away from a power outlet.

Of course, the most important feature to many people will always be how their mp3 player looks when they're using and wearing it. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but don't be fooled into buying a turkey just because it has a pretty design

John Gibb is the owner of MP3 player guides. For more information on MP3 players please check out http://www.MP3-Players-guidance.Info.

Computer Courtesy

Writen by Thea Westra

The tips that follow should help you to write e-mail that will be well received every time...

Pay attention to punctuation, spelling, grammar and capitals. It shows that you value us and that you've thought about what you've written rather than an off-the-cuff rushed message in the heat of the moment.

Your subject line should be descriptive, especially when we get so many emails or if we like to save the emails in a file. It'd be great a practice to start the subject with "Recipient or group name" then a hyphen, your subject (specific and changed for each email), another hyphen and then the date. E.g. Thea–Email tips attached–15Oct05 Make the subject crystal clear.

Use short paragraphs and leave lines between them. This makes for more easy and quick reading when you experience a lot of email activity on a regular basis.

Tidy up all those ">" characters when replying or forwarding. I use a handy tool for this http://www.dsoft.com.tr/stripmail/ I've downloaded it and I keep it on my desktop.

Check the source of any "news" or "chain" mailings before passing on. Here is a good resource for that: http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/hoaxes/ alternatively, simply select pertinent keywords from the email and do a Google search.

Avoid sending unsolicited, large attachments. That 3MB movie file may be the funniest thing you've seen for a long time, but don't automatically send it to everyone to know. Ask them first if they want to receive it. There are many free, online tools for large file size sending.

Ensure that your PC is protected against viruses. Your virus scanner might not protect against Spyware and Adware. Good quality, no-cost tools are listed in my article titled "Computer Security and Maintenance".

Remember to set your email service to scan viruses for emails coming in and going out.

Use lower case font. When in all capitals, it is harder to read and may be perceived as aggressive.

Thou shalt not spam! Find great information here http://yatuc.com/a0

Re-read your message before sending. Read it from the perspective of the recipient.

Consider first if your message needs the "Reply To All" treatment, or if it is sufficient to simply "Reply To Sender" only. Always ask permission if wanting to pass another's contact details forward. If you need to keep another's email details hidden when you "Cc:" then place their email address in the "Bcc:" text box.

Limit your "non-group related topic" emails to e.g. one per week, when using the group email option. Keep emails short i.e. to a single screen page. When it's a more complicated issue to discuss, why not use the telephone and speak? In emails to busy people, tell recipients if/when you do/don't want a reply or action.

Be mindful of when you use the 'priority' or the 'request receipt' options (these are under 'Tools' and 'Message' when you have email open & ready to send). Less use has greater impact when you need it.

Is it clear who is the sender? Use an email signature that has contact details and change the "From:" option for your emails. As an email signature I use http://www.addbranding.com/ or you can go to your task bar Tools, Options, Signatures. To change what shows in the "From:" box, go to Tools, Accounts, Properties and change "Your Name:" in User Information. It won't impact account settings, it's safe to do.

©Thea Westra is an international life coach who resides in Perth, Western Australia. She is editor and publisher of a free, monthly newsletter at http://www.forwardsteps.com.au Thea also publishes a few blogs, visit here http://inspiration-daily.blogspot.com/ for directional links to each.

Put Your Office On A Flash Drive

Writen by John Retzer

Flash drives (a.k.a memory sticks, usb drives, usb keys and thumb drives) make it increasingly easy to take your data on the road. With gigabytes of storage available, you can take all of your spreadsheet, presentation and document files wherever you go.

Unfortunately, your data isn't any good if you don't also have the appropriate applications. Public computers at libraries, internet cafes and hotel lobbies often have only a browser installed. Business offices will have a full suite of applications, but not everyone uses Microsoft Office. And even if they do, the applications may be locked behind password protected security systems.

Using another person's computer also presents a security risk. Any time you use an application, you leave behind traces of your visit. Productivity software often will store older versions of files as a courtesy to the user. That courtesy can become a real threat if you have proprietary information.

The good news is that, as the capacity of flash drives continues to increase, it has become increasingly easy to take simply take your applications with you. And in doing so, you dramatically reduce your security exposure.

Running software from your flash drive, however, is not as simple as installing Office to the stick instead of to your hard drive. Flash drive portable applications need to be able to run entirely off the drive, without installing anything on the host computer. They can't rely on the host having Visual Basic, .Net or Java. They can't be location dependent, because when you plug your drive into a host, you can't control what drive letter your device will be assigned. And settings and files also need to be stored on your portable drive, not on the host.

Fortunately, there are an increasing number of applications that meet these requirements. Even better: the best of these are FREE.

Portable Open Office

Open Office is the amazing, free, Microsoft Office compatible suite that includes a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tool, drawing package and database. While some of the interface is a little different, for the most part, if you know how to use MS Office, you know how to use Open Office.

While Open Office was designed to run on desktop machines, there's also a "portable" version that runs off your flash drive. The applications take up 144MB installed, so you'll need a bigger drive, but these days, that's no problem.

Portable Firefox

Firefox is another desktop application that has made its way to the portable world. Whiles any computer you use will have a browser, Portable Firefox will make your life easier in several ways:

First, it allows you to import your bookmarks from your desktop version. So when you are on the road, you are never at a loss for the url of that important site. Second, it lets you use all of the plugins that you have become accustomed to. And finally, it won't leave any traces of your web surfing on the host. No one will be able to see your "history", or a cache of the sites you visited.

Photofiltre

If you need any proof that big things can come in small packages, you jut need to take a look at Photofiltre. Its a full featured painting / photo editing package that fits on, and runs from, a flash drive.

Foxit Reader

The Portable Document Format (pdf) file has become the defacto format for transfering documents between users while retaining formatting. Foxit Reader is a small, fast pdf reader for your flash drive.

PStart

To manage the applications on your flash drive, PStart is then ideal launcher. Because it uses relative paths to launch the applications, PStart doesn't get confused when the drive gets assigned different letters on different computers. To add applications to the main menu list, you just right click. PSmaart also offers search and not taking functions.

Links to all of the programs discussed above can be found at The Flash Drive Blog.

John Retzer has worked as a professional journalist, photographer, editor, public relations professional and golf coach. He currently teaches economics, political science and history. In his "spare time" he runs several websites and blogs, including The Flash Drive Blog at http://www.flashdriveblog.com and Golf Blogger at http://www.golfblogger.com.

Tips For Improving Pc Performance

Writen by Natalie Aranda

You have probably heard that tweaking your system you can significantly improve your PC's performance. Although, that statement is true, do not try to do it just by moving settings or altering the system's registry if you have no idea about Computer Diagnostics, or at least the basics of your system settings, use and abuse.

In cases like this, PC diagnostics software is particularly rewarding, because not only you can determine if there is any failure or wrong setting affecting your system performance, but also to find where the settings are that you need to modify manually to improve the performance.

After running the PC diagnostics for the first time, try to clean up your system registry on a daily basis. Most users are unaware of the huge amount of useless information that the registry saves. Computer diagnostics often return a list of "orphan" entries recorded in the registered and staying there forever.

Those orphans are the result of installed and uninstalled programs with information that is retained in the registry, the same as unused drivers, spyware and other issues causing conflicts that slow down the system. Running PC diagnostics software or editing the registry manually using regedit.exe or other utilities will help you to improve performance.

However, be carefully making changes to the system register because you can cause major problems. That is why it is preferred that one uses Computer diagnostics applications instead of doing a manual change of the settings.

Another problem causing system slow down is a Recycled Bin full above the 80% mark. Due to the large amount of data that can be stored on modern hard drives, the Recycled Bin usually sets up automatically a large amount of disk space to let you throw away whatever you do not want... and sometimes what you want, discarded by mistake.

You do not need any PC diagnostics software to know that your desktop trashcan is almost full. Empty your Recycle Bin at least once a week to release hard drive space that improves PC speed performance, even when Computer diagnostics tools are used, as they will not have to scan the useless files when running.

Whether manually or with the aid of PC diagnostics applications, one of the most tedious, but necessary tasks to do in order to improve your PC performance is run your disk defragmentation. Due to the large size of actual hard drives, this process may seem never ending so run it once quarterly, but do it.

Some PC diagnostics software includes a defrag utility, otherwise you need to use that which is part of the Windows operating system, but before starting you need to run another native PC diagnostics application "scandisk". Without scanning your disk first for possible errors, defrag may refuse to continue its defragmentation routine.

Natalie Aranda writes on information technology and computers. After running the PC diagnostics for the first time, try to clean up your system registry on a daily basis. Most users are unaware of the huge amount of useless information that the registry saves. Computer diagnostics often return a list of "orphan" entries recorded in the registered and staying there forever.

The Charm Of The New Ipod Video Explained

Writen by Gregg Hall

You do not have to be a kid to know that there is a wide array of great uses for a personal mp3 player. You can do more than just listen to music. You can listen to all your music! The iPod is a great way to download al your music into one central location. You can also put audio books and other audio files onto your iPod. The latest addition to the iPod is the video feature.

The new iPod video is one of the best sellers of all the iPod series, begun in 2001 by Apple Company. Recent sales have placed this new device everywhere today as Apple continues to acquire more customers through iPod charm.

Accessories

Accessories of this new iPod include: the universal clock, the contact book, and various games. From the last iPod model in 2004, iPod Video offers a new feature for photo storage. This includes full size thumbnails for the pictures, along with the option to organize them into slide shows.

Improvements over last Model

The newest iPods are bigger than the last model. This iPod is capable of watching music videos, as well as full length movies. iPod has many advantages with the addition of its larger screen, but the surface is easily scratched. This is not favorable. The new iPod has added additional improvements, that make it appealing for every user. iPod offers multiple choices for entertainment, with a battery that holds 20 hours of life. This is a relevant feature for continuous daily use.

Two Million Songs

The iTunes Music Store has more than 2 million songs that are available for all ages and preferences. Downloading is easy and it can be completed directly. If connected with special cables, these downloaded files can be seen on TV. iTunes also makes available 2000 videos, ABC and Disney. With all of these activities, you can use the universal clock and the remote control. Another outstanding quality feature of iPod is its easy control. Currently the the video feature of iPod is drawing criticism for flaws that cause interruption of the sound between the tracks.

Dimensions

The new iPod comes in back and white, as did the previous model (the nano model of the 4th generation). The new iPod has a wide range of applications and improved features: Screen Lock applications, a smaller earphone, a thin slipcase, AC adapter and FireWall cable. Dimensions of the new iPod are 4.1 x2.4 x 0.43 inches for the 30 GB version and 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.55 inches for the 60 GB version. With this new video iPod model, both versions are the same price on the market.

Revolutionary Features

This new member of the iPod series has changed the market with its unusual capabilities. With the emergence of new technology, use of these features will result in more innovative possibilities. In comparison with the 2004 model, the new iPod offers a spectrum of accessories that are available along with the video capacities of the new iPod. The evolution of this new iPod has brought increased interest in improving this device. Many great expectations are forthcoming as the next generation of iPods continues to improve. Various changes in video settings are expected, in addition to innovative accessories.

Before you run out an buy any iPod or mp3 device you should spend a little time on the computer doing your research. Find reputable stores that will offer you information on the iPod as well as a variety of options pertaining to the product. If you are buying online you will want to check into the company to make sure they offer customer support and returns for their clients.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as Latest Electronic Gadgets at http://www.wegotgadgets.com

Creative Zen Mp3 Player

Writen by Brian Lupichuk

The Creative Zen MP3 Player is a really cool and eye-catching MP3 player to date! The exciting new ZEN Micro is a micro-sized player and treats you to an amazing array of electrifying colors to choose from.

This micro-sized mp3 player was recently awarded the prestigious "Best of DigitalLife 2004" and "Editor's Choice" awards from CNET, the ZEN Micro continues to offer the most variety, without any compromise in features.

This Creative Zen MP3 Player comes in 3 storage sizes:

6GB holds 3000 songs at 64kbps WMA or 1500 songs at 128kbps MP3
5GB holds 2500 songs at 64kbps WMA or 1250 songs at 128kbps MP3
4GB holds 2000 songs at 64kbps WMA or 1000 songs at 128kbps MP3, so you can keep your music going for up to 12 hours or more on a single battery charge with its removable, rechargeable Li-ion battery.

You can shuffle your songs or albums with the DJ feature, or tune in to the latest songs on the pop charts with the FM radio. Whatever you're listening to, enjoy the best sound quality and clarity of a hi-fi that fits easily in your pocket.

The Creative Zen mp3 Player is compatable with all mp3 format downloadable sites. This is a great feature. This mp3 player not only plays all your favorite mp3's that you put on it, it also helps you keep your life organized too. The mini-organizer consists of a calendar, an address book and a to-do-list.

You will be able to keep track of all your business appointments or classes. You can also keep email addresses, calendar notes in your home or office PCs with the ZEN Micro. You will really like the built-in microphone lets you to create and store voice memos with the built-in voice recorder.

This micro-sized mp3 player also has a blue backlight glow, FM tuner with 32 preset stations, USB 2.0 so you'll be able to transfer songs in a flash, spending less time at your computer and more time enraptured in your music and 8 preset EQ settings.

Curved to fit: ZEN Micro's feels great when you hold it in your hand, scrolling through thousands of your favorite songs. The smooth round edges also let it slip effortlessly into your pocket. However, its stunning looks will probably make you want to keep it out where everyone can see it.

You get to choose from 10 great colors, there is up to 12 hours of playback time on a single charge, the removable battery is easy to swap with another fully charged battery. Creative MP3 players are renowned for their superior audio quality, and the ZEN Micro is no exception. Last but not least do not forget about the leather case to protect your Creative ZEN MP3 Player.

Brian Lupichuk, invites you to World of mp3 players an information web site focused on Mp3 Players.

Birthday Clip Art

Writen by Kristy Annely

Birthdays are special occasions. This is an annual occasion wherein people commemorate the day of their birth. Indeed, this is one of the events which people look forward to each year, taking great lengths to celebrate it. To assist in celebrating this special day, there have been many birthday clip art images that have been created to make any birthday much more festive.

What is birthday clip art?

Birthday clip art are images, pertaining to birthdays celebrations, that have been copied or cut. These could come as printed images or they could also come as electronic images.

These birthday clip art could actually be used in many activities when it comes to celebrating birthdays. They could be used in decorating or in adding some life to a birthday card, a birthday invitation, or a birthday announcement. These images could also be enlarged to be used as decorations on the day of the celebration.

What are the designs or drawings that these birthday clip art have?

Birthday clip art are available in various drawings or designs. They include birthday cake drawings in various shapes and sizes with candles and colorful icing designs. Birthday clip art also come available with colorful balloon images with birthday text. One could also find other designs like animals celebrating, people giving a toast, confetti, and gifts among many others.

Where can birthday clip art be found?

Magazines, books, coloring books, newspapers, and other printed materials could be sources of birthday clip art. Or you may also utilize the World Wide Web and search through it with your favorite search engine. Chances are, you would be given access to a very wide range of birthday clip art. You would have a hard time choosing which ones to use for your project.

Clip Art provides detailed information on Clip Art, Free Clip Art, Birthday Clip Art, Wedding Clip Art and more. Clip Art is affiliated with Free Catalogs.

Internet Basics Zip Files Are Like Dehydrated Food

Writen by Grant Pasay

Ever have one of those backpacker meals? The type that are super lightweight because all the water has been sucked out of them? When you finally sit down at the end of a long hike you simply add water and heat and presto! Meat loaf! Or something that kind of looks, feels and tastes like it.

That's what Zip files are like (only better).

All computer files, just like meat loaf, have stuff in them that can be taken out to make them "lighter." In the case of computer files, taking stuff out of them actually makes them smaller in size, not lighter. Smaller means they take up less space on your computer, but even more important, smaller means easier and quicker to send over the Internet.

But what's the stuff they take out of the files? Isn't everything in there important?

It's not so much that zipped files have stuff taken out. It's more that the files have been reformatted to have the same information as before, but in a type of shorthand that computers can understand while still retaining all the same info as before.

And just like the dehydrated meat loaf, before you can dig in to a zipped file, you have to revert it to its former state. In the case of a zipped file, that means unzipping the file. This simply reformats the file back to its original state (and size). Unlike the meat loaf, though, this reconstituted file will be exactly as it was originally, not an imperfect match.

So how do you zip a file? Well, to zip a file (or compress it), you need to buy software like WinZip (http://www.winzip.com/) or StuffIt (http://www.stuffit.com/win/standard/).

And how do you unzip a file? To unzip a file (or expand it), there's FREE software like Stuffit Expander (http://www.aladdinsys.com/expander/index.html).

There's other ways and formats for compressing and expanding files, but the end result is the same -- smaller files.

And that's why Zip files are like dehydrated food.

Copyright (c) Grant Pasay 2005. All rights reserved. You may forward this article in its entirety (including author bio/links) to anyone you wish.

Grant Pasay is a professional website copywriter, advertising copywriter, and SEO copywriter serving clients in Vancouver, BC and everywhere. Grant is also the author of the FREE e-book, "The Internet Is Like A Refrigerator."

For copy that captures your business message without any of the hassle, go to http://grantpasay.com/

Check out Grant's FREE e-book at http://grantpasay.com/refrigerator/

Best Pc Pocket Gps

Writen by Dan Ayala

Stop Getting Lost

One of the greatest uses for a pocket pc is for gps navigation. Now all those people who continually get lost can find their way anywhere with the various types of gps navigation software available. No longer will they have the excuse of not wanting to ask for directions. The directions are easily accessible from their palm pilot.

The best pocket pc gps software has a gps receiver with it. This allows you to receive constant updates. Many of the best software products for your ipaq have some other great features, too. Some of these features include detailed maps for roads and streets in the U.S., Canada and Europe. These maps can be downloaded to and from your computer and often allow you to enter personalized information.

Other gps navigation software offers topographical maps, aviation maps and marine maps. For whatever kind of travel you do, there is a gps system for your pocket pc that will work splendidly. You no longer have to worry about being lost hiking in the mountains, flying a small personal aircraft or piloting your own boat.

The best gps software packages have extremely detailed voice guidance to keep your eyes on the road instead of on your pda. This safety feature should impress even the most careful driver.

Having gps navigation software on your pocket pc makes the world a much smaller, safer place to be and a heck of a lot easier to navigate. So, find the best pc pocket gps for you and never get lost again.

Dan Ayala is webmaster and publisher of PDA-Review-Online.com, offering reviews on PDAs, Palm Pilots, Pocket PC's, software and accessories. PDA Review Online provides free information and recommendations for your online resources that you can download anytime or anywhere.

Elements Of Atomic Clocks

Writen by Richard Romando

An atomic clock is a kind of clock that uses an atomic resonance frequency standard as its counter. While the time base of a conventional clock is the oscillating pendulum, the atomic clock is based on the properties of atoms transitioning between different energy states.

The first person to express the concept of the atomic clock was the Columbia University Isidor Rabi in the year 1945. He suggested that a clock could be made from a technique he developed in the 1930s, called atomic beam magnetic resonance. By 1949, the National Bureau of Standards introduced the world's first atomic clock using the ammonia molecule as the source of vibrations, and the first atomic clock using cesium atoms as the vibration source was announced in 1952.

Both conventional clocks and atomic clocks use oscillations to keep track of passing time. The oscillation frequencies within the atom depend on the mass of the nucleus and the gravity and electrostatic "spring" between the positive charge on the nucleus and the electron cloud around it.

The most accurate atomic clocks available today use the cesium atom and normal magnetic fields and detectors. Cesium 133 is the element most commonly chosen for atomic clocks. The operation of a cesium-beam atomic clock is based on the transition between two states in the cesium atom. Rubidium is also used in atomic clocks, and it lowers the cost; however, rubidium clocks are less stable. Hydrogen masers have short-term stability and low long-term accuracy. Mercury ions are also used in some atomic clocks. A particular isotope of Ytterbium has a particularly precise resonance frequency in one of its hyperfine transitions. Strontium has a hyperfine transition that is not precise. But strontium can be driven by solid-state lasers that can be utilized to make a very inexpensive, long-lasting, and compact clock. Cesium atomic clocks are used in laboratories like the National Institute of Standards and Technology to maintain national time scales.

Atomic Clocks provides detailed information on Atomic Clocks, Atomic Clock Times, Atomic Alarm Clocks, Atomic Wall Clocks and more. Atomic Clocks is affiliated with Printable Calendars.

Choosing The Best Mp3 Player For Travel

Writen by Charles West

MP3 players are now capable of many things including making your life easier while traveling.

With more of us traveling these days whether it be across State, interstate or around the world, often one home comfort we miss is our music. The choice of music player has been limited over the years to either tape cassette or a CD player, the major problem was the carrying of the units and the box of tapes or CD's.

With the invention of the MP3 player, the saving of both weight and space has been greatly improved, and the convenience is just fantastic. But the wide choice of MP3 players available has created a few other challenges, mainly with the huge choice and functionality of MP3 players available today.

Choosing the Best MP3 player for Travel, has not been so easy, until Today.

Imagine combining your CD player, DVD player, Laptop (the important info), voice recorder and extra memory cards for your digital camera all into one small unit.

The following will give you a few ideas as to what functionality is available in MP3 players available today, that you could use while traveling.

First things first:
To Choose the Best MP3 player for travel we need to have an idea as to what we may want to use it for.

Some Ideas, apart from listening to music,
Listening to the radio station (for local interest or emergency)
A podcast (Download a recording of the local places of interest)
A voice recorder (to make notes of where you have been or places of interest)
Reading or listening to eBooks (while in transit)
While jogging (we all need a bit of exercise even when on holiday)
Storing and viewing Photo's from our camera or videos stored from before we left home.
Are you going to go snorkling, if so do you want your music?
Filing our itinary and flight details.
Playing Games, to fill in time.
Use your MP3 player to make a journal of your travels.

This list has just a few ideas as to what the modern MP3 players can do, once you have thought through your own needs you will be in a much better position to 'Choose the best MP3 player for your travels'.

For more information on MP3 players for travel check out www.mp3srock.com Where you can download an eBook on 'Choosing your Next MP3 player' and see many of the latest MP3 players and accessories.

About the Author

Charles West sells Technology products (cameras, DVD's, sound systems and of coarse MP3 players etc) for a retailer. Over the last couple of years he has come across many people who need a little more help in understanding the idea of MP3's and the different types of MP3 players and their uses. So to help he has developed http://www.mp3srock.com for people to understand all the many variants and uses of MP3 players.

Cool Ipod Features You May Not Know About

Writen by Mia LeCron

Here are some iPod features that you may not know about:

--> Parental Supports

The iTunes Music Store also now offers parental controls, so that parents can disable access to Podcasts, shared music, or the iTunes Music Store as a whole. Parents can also restrict music with explicit language.

--> Cool iTunes Tips!

Dp you want to organize your iTunes in a better way? Putting an entire album into a playlist is not exactly the most effective way of organizing your songs, writes Christopher Breen. Here are the convenient ways that you can organize your tunes:

 Song Name
 Time
 Artist
 Album
 Genre
 My Rating
 Play Count
 Last Played

Christopher Breen also mentions the web site of Doug Adams (www.malcolmadams.com/itunes) which offers scripts (many are free and worth downloading) for corralling duplicate files in your iTunes Music Library, converting files from one audio format to another and locating album art on the Web that you can then paste into iTunes.

--> iTunes on your Cellular Phone

Want iTunes on your cell phone so you can carry around your mobile music library with you? Apple, Motorola and Cingular Wireless are introducing the Motorola Rokr E1, the first cell phone equipped with Apple's iTunes software.

--> iTunes Shortcuts

Who doesn't love having a little helpful information to make things easier and more effective? Well, that's what this section is all about!

We'll take a look at all of the shortcuts that you can use on iTunes, which will make your downloading experience faster, easier, and more powerful.

In fact, you'll probably learn a few things simply by looking at these shortcuts; features and ideas that you didn't even know existed! These shortcuts are all gathered from Apple's great website (www.apple.com).

For your convenient reference, these shortcuts are provided to you in table format. This will make it extremely easy for you to jump to this section of the book when you're online, or if you can't remember a particular short cut.

Each table will fall into one of the following categories:

 Playback
 Library and Playlist
 Music Store
 iPod
 Audible
 iTunes
 File Menu
 Edit Menu
 Controls Menu
 Visualizer Menu
 Advanced Menu
 Windows Menu
 Help Menu

Mia LaCron is the founder of IpodFunctions.com - http://www.ipodfunctions.com/ - devoted to helping individuals get the most out of their Ipod.

Getting Started With Html

Writen by Dean Walden

The basic language of the internet is html. If you can do crossword puzzles, if you can write a report for your teacher or boss, you can be creating web pages in a matter of minutes.

Even if you're not a writer or not a 'techie'. It's sort of like your first date. Terrifying to think about, but not nearly as bad as you thought when it's over.

The truth is that you can create your first webpage with just eight words enclosed in symbols.That's right! The following words, with each enclosed in symbols, make a complete usable web page.

-------------------------------------------

html

head

title

/title

/head

body

don't enclose this one, it's your content- hi (:

/body

/html

------------------------------------------

If you copy what's between the dashed lines above, open notepad,paste it into a page, enclose each word in symbols and save it as anyname.htm, you can open your web browser and load it just like any other web page or double click on it and it should load automatically.

Now, that wasn't as bad as you thought, was it? All you need now is to learn some more of those words enclosed in symbols and you'll be a pro.

Those words such as html, head, /head and /html (when enclosed in brackets like these ) are called tags, for instance and . The ones such as html and head are called start tags and the ones with this symbol / such as /html and /head are called end tags.

What you see in the web browser is what you put between the body and /body tags. You could type an entire report or letter without knowing any more than you do now.

If you learn just two more tags you can create links and use images in your web pages. Also, and nearly as important, you could be making changes in web pages that you may own already.

LINKS-

The html below will put a link to Google on your web page when a symbol is placed after the second quote and the /a symbol .

---------------------------------------------

a href="http://www.google.com" google /a

---------------------------------------------

To put the link on the web page you created above just copy the line between the dashed lines above and paste it between the body and /body tags and save it. Then load it or double click it as before.

The tag used for links is the a tag and it's counterpart the /a tag. As you can see there is a little more to this tag. In the tag you add the webpage that the link will load into your browser.

IMAGES-

If you want an image on your web page use the html tag below and place a at the end.

--------------------------------------------

img src="a:mypicture.jpg"

--------------------------------------------

This is set up to put an image called mypicture.jpg (located on the floppy disc in drive a:) on a web page.

Again if you just copy this (replacing 'mypicture.jpg' with the name of your image) and paste it between the body tags the picture will appear in the browser window. (by the way if you make changes to the web page then save the changes, you need to click the refresh button on the browser to see the changes in the browser window.)

Of course, there is also a lot more to html (It doesn't get too complex until you start making tables). In fact complete books (many of them) have been written on the subject, but if you look at the html for most web pages you will find less than ten different tags, including the ones above.

Well, that's enough to get you started. If you'd like to learn more just send an email to morehtml@voltsearch.com. I hope this has been helpful and encouraging.

------------------------------

the author is webmaster of freewebbook.com.

Copyright 2004 Dean Walden

About The Author

I'm an internet veteran since 1994 with skills in programming, css, html, java and publish love poems to 1500 subscribers. The password to my site at this time is password.

So You Want To Be A Games Developer

Writen by David Bolton

In the good old days, back when the Internet had about 10 users and the web was a far off vision, PCs were called Home Computers and anyone could learn to write computer games. Three of us set up in business to write and sell our own games for the ZX Spectrum (Aka Timex/Sinclair) and Commodore 64. We didn't sell many games but we were saved by getting into the game conversion business. A publisher would release a hit on the Commodore 64 and we'd write the Timex, Amstrad, MSX, CBM 16 etc versions. It took about 3 months for one person to produce a game.

That was 20 years ago and things have changed a lot since then. The games industry is now a massive multi billion dollar business and development teams can number 50 or more. My first game had me as programmer, artist, and beep designer – (well it wasn't proper sound!). I did everything. Back then games were written in assembler and you had to learn 6502 and Z80. Nowadays with a few exceptions games are written in C and C++. The days of back room programmers aren't entirely gone- there is also 'retro remake' and 'indie' scene, e.g. http://retrospec.sgn.net/ but unless you have an exceptionally brilliant idea, you are not likely to get into the mainstream game business as a one man outfit writing Blockbuster PC games.

It's not all bad news though- if you can program to a very good standard and have learnt some of the techniques- eg 3d maths, artificial intelligence (ai), and can produce demos of your code then you may be able to get a job in the market. There are plenty of books and websites that will guide you through the intricacies of DirectX and before long you'll be a guru on vertex shaders etc. Sign up on games development sites like http://gamasutra.com/ (it's free) and look for jobs. You will have to be good to get a job and prepared to work long, in some case very long hours. It is quite a tough business – when a game is under development, you'll live breathe and eat it for 18 months-two years. And you probably won't work 9-5 all the time.

There are however other ways to get into the games business and I don't mean console development. There are other 'genres' of games that are much easier to get into.

1. MUD – Multi-user dungeons. These have been around for 30 years and were the precursor to the MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games) that now exist. These are still popular and you can find the source code to several of these. I don't know if any make money- most people are now used to playing them for free. Look here: http://www.ability.org.uk/mud.html

2. Internet/Web based games. There are hundreds of these around. A good starting point is the vast directory at http://www.mpogd.com/ . These range from free to monthly subscriptions. Anyone can set up their own website and games using any web technology- e.g. Perl, PHP, Java.

3. Play By Mail. This has now largely but not entirely moved into the Internet/Web Games area. Flagship magazine is a good source of information – their website is http://flagshipmagazine.com/

4. Flash Games. Flash development is a skill in itself, though programming in ActionScript (which is JavaScript under a different name) is not that hard. There is a definite career path available through programming Flash games and there are plenty of books to teach you to write games in Flash. Flashkit website http://www.flashkit.com/index.shtml is a good starting point online.

5. Mobile Phone and PDA games. This has become a big growth area recently and is likely to continue its growth as phones get more powerful. Its also one of the easiest to get into though not all phones are the same. All you need to know is how to write Java games running on the J2ME (Java 2 Mobile Edition) platform. Unlike the console world, Software Development Kits (SDKS) are available for free from mobile phone manufacturers. E.g. http://www.forum.nokia.com/main.html and the best IDEs for J2ME development (Netbeans and Eclipse) are available free. Expect to see MMORPG (Mobile Multiplayer Online Role Play Games) before too long.

Much of this can be done part time in your evenings/weekends but be careful that you don't let it take over your life and also that your employer doesn't have any claim on software that you develop. Some employers have clauses that let them claim anything you develop. There are ways round this, often involving a wife or loved one who can be assigned ownership but take legal advice if in any doubt.

If you are learning to program games, don't neglect the power of the web. Sourceforge.net is home to thousands of open source projects and many of those are games. Also game source for commercial games Quake I, II and III has been released by ID and can be found here http://www.idsoftware.com/business/techdownloads/

These are GPL'd so you wouldn't be able to write games based on them and sell them without giving away the source code but you could write Mods. Several game modders have released very popular Mods free and have managed to get into the industry because of their quality. There are many games projects where you can sign up and program- this is an excellent way to learn new skills and make friends.

David Bolton is a software developer with an extensive past programming games. He co-founded Choice Software in Carrickfergus, N. Ireland between 1984 and 1987 and won an award for his original computer wargame Johnny Reb II (published by Lothlorien). He designed and programmed the Postal game Quest, which has also won awards and is still played (postally and online) 15 years after it was first developed. He worked for 12 months as game designer at Microprose (Manchester) in 1992. He is currently designing a large multiplayer role-play game, but it's not due out until 2006.

What The Heck Is A Hyperlink

Writen by Mark Walters

A hyperlink, also called simply "a link", is a reference in a hypertext document to another document or other resource. It is an integral part of the hypertext transfer protocol (http) for the World Wide Web, but it is used also in offline documents, such as .pdf (portable document file, Adobe Acrobat native format) and in .XML (extended markup language). Hyperlink can be used to capture content and save it, view it as a separate document or display it as a part of the reference document.

The history of the hyperlink

The history of the hyperlink began in 1965. Theodore Nelson in "the Xanadu Project" transposed the idea from a fictional microfilm cross-referencing system into the computer world. In a series of books and articles published from 1964 through 1980 the general concept was changed from linking whole microfilm pages to connecting specific lines of computer text.

The primary concept was intended to be used on single computer, however introduction of the DARPA network transformed the idea into creating links between documents and files stored on several networked computers. The idea of connecting parts of a single document via hyperlink arose independently, but was quickly merged into the hyperlink system. Both concepts together were fundamental in creating World Wide Web.

How does a hyperlink work?

A hyperlink has two ends, called anchors, and a direction. The link starts at the source anchor and points to the destination anchor. However, the name hyperlink is often used for the source anchor, while the destination anchor is called the hyperlink target. Every browser shows text hyperlinks somewhat exposed (they usually mark it with a different color). Clicking on the hyperlink activates it and displays the target document.

Hyperlink - Measuring the Net

But hyperlinks are not only the way we surf the Internet. Life on the Web without search engines is almost impossible today, because of unbelievable amount of networked information. Most search engines use so-called "page ranking" to measure which site may contain useful information. This mechanism is mostly based on hyperlink popularity. Although whole idea of "page rank" is more complicated, its general concept is based on a simple rule: the more hyperlinks pointing to a page, the higher rank that page gets.

Of course, each hyperlink has different a value, based on the popularity of the "source" site (This means simply that if your website is a target for a hyperlink placed on big site like CNet, it has a much higher page rank than a site with several hyperlink connections from smaller less important sites). This process is based on the measuring of a hyperlink's quality. Although not perfect, both mechanisms usually work well enough to determine which website has good content and which hasn't.

Mark Walters invites you to visit http://www.LinkingUniverse.com where he explains more about hyperlinks and the importance of One Way Links.

The Benefits Of The New Firefox Browser

Writen by Jakob Jelling

You probably heard of the new Firefox browser version 1.0 recently released by Mozilla. If you are currently using Internet Explorer or Netscape, you are probably wondering if Firefox is better and why is it better. In order to answer these questions it is necessary to take a look at all the benefits that Firefox offers you as a user.

First of all, Firefox is free, which is definitely a plus. It is an open-source web browser based on the Mozilla code foundation and will work for Windows, Linux and MacOS X operating systems. These are the technical specification, but what is more interesting to you as a user is that Firefox is very fast, secure, and is easy to use and navigate. The user interface is straightforward and uncomplicated.

There are numerous benefits that Firefox has. One of them is the popup blocking capability. You no longer have to see all those frustrating popup windows since the browser will take cake of them. You also don't need an alternative popup blocker program. Firefox also allows you to use tabs to open new web pages instead of using a new window. This feature is similar to the one that Netscape offers. However, with the Firefox, you can also open web pages in the background.

If you are trying to download some file, it will be automatically saved to your desktop. If you are using Google search engine for your search needs, you will appreciate the built in Google toolbar. Your Firefox toolbar will also include usual features like bookmarks, history, and text size and is customizable to include additional tools and features. If you would like to have an access to an email client you will need to download the Mozilla Thunderbird mail client software.

You don't have to be a computer professional to install this new browser. The installation and setup are very simple and straightforward and were designed to minimize the amount of work that needs to be done by the user. All your settings will be imported into Firefox. For example, you will see the same favorites as you saw when using Internet Explorer. Firefox is also available in several languages so if you prefer to use some other language then English, you can just install your language version of this browser.

In addition to all the benefits described above, Firefox browser is also offering you a higher level of security. For example, spyware and adware programs cannot automatically install in the Firefox browser.

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.centernet.dk. Visit his website for the latest info on search engine optimization.

Best Passwords

Writen by Richard Romando

No sane person would ever like someone else reading her email. Or for that matter some other person using her password and breaking into a financial institution. You should, therefore, choose a strong, secure password in such a manner that would be a hard nut to crack for others and easy for you to remember. The more random and mixed-up you make it, the harder it is for others to crack. Mind you, if your password is compromised, the password crackers will even take over your identity.

A password, if too short, is vulnerable to attack if an attacker gets hold of the cryptographic hash of the password. Present-day computers are fast enough to try all alphabetic passwords shorter than seven characters. We can call a password weak if it is short or is a default, or which can be rapidly guessed by searching a subset of all possible passwords such as words in the dictionary, proper names, words based on the user name or common variations on these themes.

On the other hand, a strong password would be sufficiently long, random, or which can be produced only by the user who chose it, so that 'guessing' for it will require too long a time.

For maximum security, the user should follow some simple guidelines:

1) Passwords should preferably be at least 8 characters long and not more than 14.

2) Passwords should contain a mix of numbers, letters, and special characters (%&3ac_ht4@m7).

3) Passwords should not contain a dictionary word from any dictionary, be it French, Spanish, medical, etc.

4) Each password should be different from the user's User-ID and any permutation of that User-ID.

5) New passwords and old passwords should differ by at least 3 characters.

6) Avoid picking names or nicknames of people, pets, or places, or personal information that can be easily found out, such as your birthday, address etc.

7) It's wise to stay away from common keyboard sequences, such as dfgh678 or abc345 .

8) Never form a password by appending a digit to a word. That can be easily guessed.

9) Avoid writing your password down or storing it on your computer.

10) Never share your password with anyone else.

Passwords provides detailed information on Best Passwords, Change Passwords, Password Generators, Password Protection and more. Passwords is affiliated with Electronic Keyboard.

Digital Cameras Experimenting With Digital Photography

Writen by Joseph Then

Digital cameras have given the photographer enthusiast new horizons and ways to experiment in photography. The old fashioned cameras had several restrictions and were often difficult to adjust to the perfect picture. However now with the advent of this modern technology photography has become fun and enjoyable for professionals and hobbyists alike.

The best part about using a digital camera is the fact that you can easily upload photos to photo galleries like Yahoo photo albums. This eliminates the need for sending large image files because you can just send a link to the photo gallery to friends or family.

Part of the fun of experimenting with photography is with different lightings. The ease of the digital camera to adjust to various lightings makes this more fun. You can make some spectacular looking photos by just taking them in different settings. Lighting is everything in photography and you can experiment with many different shades and exposures.

Use different angles to add to the effects. They are light and easy to handle with not too many accessories to worry about. This will make it easy to take different shots for different poses and angles.

Zooming in and out is another way to get interesting photos with digital cameras. Because of the ease that you can do this you can experiment with different focuses. This is especially fun when you take portrait photos. You can also make some interesting pictures with objects. Have fun experimenting with different focuses making part or the complete background out of focus for different effects.

Perhaps the most useful and intriguing way that digital cameras can be used is the ability you have to adjust and fine-tune your pictures even after you have taken them. This will take a little expertise in graphic programs like Photoshop but will be well worth it.

You can create many effects and adjust photos with these graphic programs. This means you can achieve a picture perfect photo before you print it, even if your original one may have been less than perfect. You can even change the file format to get a sharper, clearer image.

There are many exciting things you can do with your digital camera. It has opened the doors to a new and exciting world for photographers. Whether you are doing photography for a hobby or professionally you will enjoy this new and exciting way of taking photos.

Learn more about the functions of a camera. Check it out at Digital Cameras Reviews.

Using Permanent Ink Markers On Cds Amp Dvds

Writen by Steve Roche

The easiest way to label a CD-R is to whip out that permanent marker and write directly on the disc. It's also a great way to assure that the disc won't be readable later on.

The damage won't happen today, or even next month, but at some point the ink will leach into the reflective layer of the disc and it'll be the end of your data.

Now, we're not saying you can't label your discs. But you do have to be careful of the kind of writing instrument you use to do so. In order to understand why certain markers and pens can harm your CD-Rs and DVDs, we first need a basic lesson on the physical properties that make up the disc:

CD-Rs and DVDs are made mostly of polycarbonate substrate, or plastic. The plastic is there to carry the data layer - the shiny metal you can see when you look at the bottom of a disc. The data appear as marks or pits that either absorb light from the laser beam or transmit the light back to the laser/photosensor by way of the shiny metal reflective layer.

Most people know that it is very important to keep the bottom of your discs clean and scratch free. Scratches, fingerprints, and other debris can stop the laser from reading the data.

However, most people don't realize that the tops of discs are just as prone to damage as the bottom - if not more so! Although you can physically see the shiny data layer from the bottom of a CD-R, it is actually applied to the TOP side of the disc, just under the label. On some CD-Rs, the data layer is under nothing but a thin layer of lacquer. Damage to the top of the disc can destroy the data all together.

There are a few side notes that we cannot ignore here: The first being that CD-Rs and DVDs are constructed differently. The data layer in a DVD is more protected than that of a CD-R. However, this does not make it immune to damage.

Second, it should go without saying (but we'll say it anyway) that you should never write on or label a double sided DVD - since both sides are read by the laser.

Last, some CD-Rs have additional protective layers on the top of the disc, for example those with a "white printable surface." These CD-Rs, while more expensive, are far less susceptible to damage.

So what harm will come from writing on discs? Obviously, ballpoint or hard tipped pens can scratch the surface of the disc where the data reside, possibly rendering it unplayable. Anything that puts high point-pressure on the surface can damage the delicate layers beneath. Although this might not happen every time, it would be worth not taking the risk.

But what about those soft tipped permanent markers that everyone uses? Can those cause harm, too? Possibly. The tip won't harm your disc, but the ink might.

There is growing concern that components of ink from markers previously thought of as "safe," such as many commonly used permanent markers, will eventually penetrate and be absorbed by the inner layers of your disc, damaging the surface where the data is stored and rendering the disc unplayable.

Use of permanent markers

Various postings are surfacing across the internet from professionals and hobbyists alike, reporting that over time permanent ink has made their properly stored discs unusable. There is no apparent reason for the corruption other than the ink used to label the disc.

So what should you do? Consider the purpose of the disc. If all you're doing is making a music disc for your car, it really doesn't matter. You'll have a new favorite band before the ink has time to ruin it. However, if you are archiving precious family memories or other highly important data, don't write on top of that disc!

Instead, label the disc where no data is recorded. The inner hub area, though small, is a perfect location for labeling.

Alternatively, if you didn't use the entire capacity of the disc during recording, you can write in the area that wasn't burned. Discs are written from the inside out. The area that was recorded is darker. The lighter area wasn't recorded and has no data, so it's safe for labeling. But, be careful that you don't cross over the line and into the data (see illustration). Note: Don't do this with rewritable discs.

Write in the area that was not burned

If you really want to be safe, use a specially formulated disc marker. It contains ink specifically made for labeling the tops of CD-Rs and DVDs.

What do I do if I have already labeled my discs with a permanent marker? Transfer the data to a new ink-free disc as soon as possible.

Don't even think about trying to remove the ink. Permanent ink and the soft porous resin of a disc are quite happy together, and don't want to be separated. Attempting to remove the ink will most certainly ruin the disc.

According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a properly cared for disc which is stored under recommended storage conditions can have a very long life expectancy. NSIT's research has concluded that CD-R, DVD-R, and DVD+R discs should have a life expectancy of 100 to 200 years or more. CD-RW, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM discs should have a life expectancy of 25 years or more. Less testing has been done for CD-ROM and DVD-ROM discs, however lifetime expectations vary from 20 to 100 years for these discs.

One thing is certain - proper care of any disc will extend its life.

Comments?
We'd love to hear from you. Give us some feedback about this article or tell us about your CD-R experiences. Email us at: comments@tapeonline.com. To read the article and see the illustrations, visit www.tapeonline.com.

http://www.tapeonline.com

More Dvd Burning Tips

Writen by Jasmine Ong

Are you looking for tips to make DVD burning a stress-free experience? Below are a few practical and sensible tips that will help you circumvent common DVD burning and playback problems.

As veteran disc copiers will tell you, DVD burning isn't rocket science. There's no secret formula to success. Nor is there an IQ requirement to get the job done. There is, however, a need for a bit of common sense. Read on and discover things you probably already know but don't necessarily practice.

1. Always use reliable media. The quality of the blank DVD-R used often gets the blame for the bulk of burning errors. And while it isn't always the only culprit, neither is it merely a scapegoat. The kind of blank media you use can and does affect the integrity of your finished product. Burning starts with selecting the right blank media. Right doesn't always mean expensive though. Many reliable brands are reasonably priced. Generally, however, very cheap discs fall short of being right. So think twice before scrimping on DVD-Rs. In the long run, the little that you do save may cost you more in the form of defective copies.

2. Examine each and every disc. Occasionally, faulty discs can slip through the quality control inspection of even the most reputable manufacturers. Before burning, inspect the recordable underside of each DVD-R for cracks, scratches, spots and blotches. Physical defects, especially those on the disc's photosensitive layer, will cause recording flaws and playback distortions.

3. Keep things clean. Burning errors can arise from the use of unclean hardware or media. Dust the outside of your DVD burner regularly to prevent contaminants from reaching the laser eye. Also handle and store discs with care. Keep them free of dust, grime or grease that may result in imperfect and unplayable copies.

4. Choose your software and hardware wisely. Look for user-friendly software that you can effortlessly navigate through. If your software has a complicated interface, you can easily make mistakes that can undermine the burning process. Also make sure that both your DVD burner and software have good customer tech support. When things go wrong, it always helps to consult the experts.

5. Keep your software updated. Burning errors are sometimes due to software bugs. Once anomalies are detected, software designers devise patches to remedy them. If you register your burning application and regularly install updates, you could save yourself a lot of needless trouble.

6. Check for compatibility. The format of the disc can dictate its playability. By default, the Universal Disc Format (UDF) specifications of most burning programs are automatically set at UDF 1.5. However, UDF 1.5 cannot be read by all drives and players. By switching to UDF 1.02 you can make your discs readable across the board. Don't panic, it's not as complicated as it sounds. You can easily assign UDF values from a list or dropdown menu.

7. Don't multitask. For quicker and more efficient disc burning, turn off all other programs, including antivirus software, games and screensavers. The burning process is resource intensive. If you have other applications running in the background, the procedure may take longer than necessary. By overtaxing your system, you also leave yourself open to avoidable burning errors.

8. Don't rush things. If you have time on your hands, burn at slower speeds. Doing so will reduce the risk of errors. If you're willing to endure the wait, burning at slower speeds can yield more stable and higher quality DVDs.

9. Label with care. How you tag your DVDs can affect their performance. If you don't want to invest in a new hardware that can print directly onto blank discs, you can choose either of the following options.

a. Simply write on your disc. But be sure to write lightly using a felt-tipped pen. Sharp writing instruments may scrape through the topmost stratum of the disc and damage the fragile recordable layer underneath it.

b. Use adhesive labels. Opt for the full, donut-style stickers that cover the entire disc. Avoid tiny stickers (such as mailing labels) that can affect the balance and performance of your DVD as it spins in your player. Small labels can also easily come loose and damage your player during playback.

DVD burning problems are often the result of a compendium of mistakes, many of which can be avoided using good old common sense.

As the above steps show, if you don't overlook the obvious, burning can be a no-brainer, really.

Jasmine Ong is based in the Phillipines, she is a leading technology and software reviewer and has previously had articles published in Businessworld and other periodicals. She currently writes for http://easydvdburning.com/dvd-burning-for-beginners.htm the best DVD software resource on the web.

Ipod Video The Evolution Continues

Writen by Michael Moody

It's finally here! What you've been waiting for. First, the iPod played songs, then it displayed photos and then podcasts. And now it will even play videos! Wondering what I'm talking about?? The iPod Video, of course!

The iPod has forever changed the way people listen to music and the iPod Video is the evolution of the revolution. The iPod video has raised the bar higher, further enhancing the way you experience music. Packed with a host of amazing never-before-seen-or-heard features that will blow you away, the new iPod Video is slimmer, lighter and cooler!

It is available in 30 GB and 60 GB models starting at $299. The iPod Video can hold up to 15000 songs, full-color album art and up to 25000 pictures. So you have heard that song before; well now, you can see it as well. With the new iPod you can have your cake and eat it too! It supports up to 150 hours of video and has a 2.5-inch color display that lets you take your music videos wherever you go. So, trust me when I say this one is music not only to the ears, but to your eyes as well!

This iPod is under half an inch thick and the new 30 GB model is 45% more compact than the original iPod. Even the 60 GB iPod video is over 10% slimmer than the last 30 GB iPod. What's even more amazing is that you now get up to 20 hours of battery life, (for the record, that is 5 hours more than before), a bigger display and another iPod color option, and that is sleek black! So many features in such a compact package! Well, as usual, with the iPod, less is more…

But, that isn't all. You can also read audiobooks and keep memories fresh with photo slideshows, complete with music. You can watch video podcasts, music videos and your favorite TV shows. You can even consult your calendar or look up an e-mail address. You can even find the time in another city, state or country. Heck, I wonder if it does the dishes, too??

The Apple click wheel lets you access everything with the touch of a finger. You can also control the volume and browse options using the touch sensitive screen. The ease of operating it just gives you one more reason to buy the iPod Video.

There's also a neat list of accessories that you can use with your iPod Video. For instance you can get a wired remote to listen to FM radio, In-ear headphones, USB power adapter, leather case, AV connection kit, Universal dock, Apple remote, Camera connector etc.

So, if you are a music freak, don't wait any longer, go buy an iPod Video. You won't regret it. Happy humming!

Michael Moody is a successful Webmaster and publisher of http://www.buy-iPod.com. He provides information about various iPod products and accessories so you can read about them on the Internet in the comfort of your own home.

Computers Voltage Surge

Writen by Michael Quarles

In all the time I've spent fixing computers, there's one problem that's heartbreakingly common: machines being damaged by a voltage surge. I say heartbreaking, because it is the most easily avoided of all reasons for computer downtime. An ordinary surge protector, costing only a few dollars, can save hundreds.

Occasionally, someone I know will have a modem hit by a voltage surge. If they're technically proficent they'll perform the standard fix, replacing the modem. Soon, their machine will be up and running.

Then, six months later, the computer goes utterly haywire, taking important data down with it.

Surely it didn't have anything to do with the voltage surge!

Surely it did. People should realize that a computer hit by a voltage surge is suspect. The motherboard is often damaged in ways that may not reveal themselves for weeks, or even months.

Another oft repeated tale is that of the online gamer, so absorbed in his pastime that he didn't notice the approach of a thunderstorm. In the blink of an eye, a $2000 dream machine is turned into a worthless box of wires.

To prevent such grief, every computer user should have a surge protector, with a jack for their modem, and electrical outlets. These are often incorporated in a battery backup system that in case of a power failure will give you time to safely shut down your equipment without losing data.

Michael Quarles is the author of Building a PC for Beginners.

Tips For Password Management

Writen by Scott Morris

These days a single computer user may have dozens of passwords. If you use computers at your job you may need to access secured databases, local workstations and numerous accounts online and each is supposed to have its own unique password. Though many people don't require a logon for their home PC, they will definitely have one for email or websites that they manage. Here is a guide to assist you in strengthening your passwords and password techniques.

After reading this article you will know the following:

-How to make good passwords
-Good password practices
-Techniques to manage all of your passwords

How to Make Good Passwords

Choose a password with the following criteria:

-At least 8 characters in length
-At least 1 number
-At least 1 special character
-Upper and lowercase.

Passwords with difficult combinations make it harder for tools like L0phtcrack, Brutus, John the Ripper, Cain and Able and other password crackers to decipher your password.

When creating a password, don't use personal information such as birthdays, children names, or first and last names. Avoid using words or phrases that can be easily guess or cracked with a "dictionary attack." Do not use the same password on the different systems. If you work in a classified environment, passwords should be treated at the same level of classification as the systems they protect.

Good password practices

Never share your password with ANYONE including your Administrators, Help Desk personnel or System Administrators. IT professionals at your job or Internet Service Provider (ISP) will not normally ask you for your password. If they do need it then you should give it to them in person and ensure you change it as soon as they are done with their task. A common "Social Engineering" tactic used by malicious hackers consists of calling up unsuspecting users and pretending to be from the computer support staff. Another tactic is to have trusting users email the password or type it into what looks like a legitimate site; this is known as "phishing."

Be aware of your surrounding when you are typing your password. Watch for "shoulder Surfing" or people watching what you type as you are entering your password. If you use the web to access critical information (such as online banking, or medical information) ensure that the site uses some type of secured method of encryption. You will know this if the site's URL begins with an "https." SSL and Secure HTTP are sometimes indicated by a tiny lock in a corner of the page. If there is no encryption then it maybe possible for unauthorized users to view and/or capture the data you enter and later access the account using a "sniffer." A sniffer is a tool that captures all "clear text" or unencrypted data. SSL and Secure HTTP encrypts data so that it looks like gibberish to tools like sniffers.

Techniques to manage all of your passwords

It is best to memorize your passwords however if you have literally scores of passwords from work, home, online business ventures and the bank and you do not have a photographic memory, you may want to write them down and put it in your wallet. This simple and practical task is what author of Beyond Fear, and system security phenomenon, Bruce Schneier, recommends as does Senior Programmer for Security Policy at Microsoft, Jesper Johannson.

Using Password Management applications such as Password Safe, a free Microsoft application for storing passwords, and Password Vault (also free) can help you to effectively manage your passwords.

Another management technique is to allow Windows (and other Operating Systems) to automatically fill in the data. This is great for trusted SECURE environments such as home systems in which you don not need to hide any account information from anyone, but not such a good idea for the work environment. It should also be noted that systems without a high level of Internet security (protected with firewalls, updated patches, NAT enabled, etc) should not use the auto fill features as the passwords are many times stored on the system in clear text making it easy for malicious code such as spyware, trojans and worms to steal your passwords and account information.

The greatest thing you can do to protect your password is to be aware that at every moment someone somewhere would love to access some or all of your accounts. It is not always cyber criminals looking for you banking information, sometimes it is just curious people who happen upon your username & password. It may even be someone you know. Be aware.

Morris gathers information about wireless ISP provider wireless ISP provider.