Free Calendars

Writen by Richard Romando

Calendars have become essential components for organizing daily life. There are different kinds of calendars catering to everyone's needs. It is not always necessary to spend money on a calendar. Most big business concerns and reputed companies distribute calendars free of cost. With the advent of a new year everyone seeks to promote their own concerns and business. Distributing free calendar gifts is a popular promotional measure. Some hotels and big retail shops give free one-page pocket calendars to customers. Most diaries have a calendar attached to them.

There are many online sites where one can download free calendars. These sites also offer the option of adding some personalized touches. Calendarsthatwork.com offers many options for printing out free printable templates for calendars. Yearly, monthly and weekly calendars from the years 2000-2030 can be printed out. Printablecalendars.com provides free online interactive web calendars that can be used both as personal calendars and web calendars as well. These can be edited online with the opportunity to display personal events and post them for viewing by others. There are demo calendars available for instructing those who require them.

These calendar-maker websites present numerous opportunities to experiment and add personalized touches, as well as customize calendars to suit one's needs. Printing out calendars does not require any special software installation. They are printed out in PDF, postscript or Word format, which are available in most computers. Websites like http//singleparents.about.com offer free printable calendars for single parents. The calendar formatting is specially designed to address the needs of such individuals. Printable calendars can be created to mark court dates, visiting schedules, child support, and various other dates and events in the life of these busy individuals. Free printed calendars can be of various kinds, like desktop calendars, wall calendars, monthly calendars, special craft or project calendars for children, small pocket-sized single-page calendars, and many more.

Calendars provides detailed information on Calendars, Free Calendars, Printable Calendars, Custom Calendars and more. Calendars is affiliated with Atomic Alarm Clocks.

Getting Rid Of Spyware And Viruses

Writen by Sezer Bozkurt

Whether you run anti-virus and anti-spyware or not, your computer can still be infected. This is due to the ever evolving nature of the internet allowing new innovations for good and bad. Now that your computer is infected, what can you do?

There are several things you can do. One of them would be to format your had drive. This is the most time consuming and costly method. You will lose all your files and it will take you a very long time to re-install all your programs. This path should only be taken if there is no other course of action available, and if there is a deep infection. If the infection is less severe there are several things you can do. You can clean up your hard drive with anti-virus and anti-spyware software. There are many free programs out there that will do the job.

Once you have these programs you need to run a scan to determine where the infection is. Once the infection is located there are one of two things you can do. You can either quarantine the infection, or you can delete it completely. Deleting it would be the more effective option as it ensures you don't accidently use the file again. An important part of running these programs is keeping them upto-date. They need to be updated regularly to be able to combat the new viruses and spyware that pop-up on a daily basis.

A boot-time scan is recommended as a good course of action to remove your infection. Should you continue to experience slower PC speeds, you could try using a virus scanner to not only scan your hard drive, but prevent your PC from getting more spyware. Usually with spyware, once you have even a few files infected, they spread like a virus and attempt to propogate themselves. It's important you have a virus scanner to not only delete old spyware, but prevent new spyware from popping up. Avast is great for this.

Keeping your computer 100% free from viruses and spy-ware is difficult but following the procedures above you can continue to enjoy the use of your computer.

For more great technology related articles and reviews visit http://www.technologyslice.com

How To Put Music To Ipod Easy As 123

Writen by Brad Newman

Unless you haven't noticed, the enormous popularity of the iPod mp3 player has made it necessary for people to learn about how to put music to iPod. Really, the process is very simple but can be a little frustrating if it's your first time. This article will give an overview of how to put music to iPod and explain exactly how it is done.

Firstly, how to put music to iPod involves two parts: Download the music from the internet or another device onto your computer, and then putting the music from there onto your iPod.

Really any music in a format like mp3 can be imported onto your iPod. There are many places on the internet that you can download music, from websites to file sharing programs such as Kazaa or Limewire. The information is transferred from the web or another persons computer, to yours where it is stored ready for you to export it to an iPod or other device. There are now even a few sites that allow the download of music and movies specifically for iPods.

The second part of how to put music to iPod is getting the data onto your iPod. This is done with the use of a program called Itunes. Itunes is a software application that comes standard when you purchase your iPod. Basically you install the program and build a library of songs in Itunes that is then easily transferred to your iPod. The Itunes software allows for the easy manipulation and organization of the music files on your computer and is the only program compatible with iPod data transfer. Connect your iPod to your computer via USB, and once you have built your library of music in Itunes it's as simple as clicking and dragging those files from there into the removable disk (USB – iPod) icon in Itunes.

As you can see, how to put music to iPod is a very simple procedure. Once you are familiar with the workings of Itunes and have a good source on the web for quickly getting the music you want, you can think of a song and be listening to it all within the space of a few minutes.

Brad Newman is a computer specialist and iPod enthusiast. Don't have good iPod converter software or access to a large iPod movie and music database? You can learn more about it at www.usefulresources.info/how-to-put-music-to-ipod.html How To Put Music To iPod

Is Spyware Prevention Necessary

Writen by Bill Stafford

Most people believe that once they have anti-virus software installed on their computer, they are adequately protected from malicious intruders into their PC. This is a serious mistake.

Viruses can ruin your computer, but some spyware can ruin your life. Some of the more malicious forms of spyware are capable of collecting keystrokes ("key-loggers") from your computer and transmit them back via the Internet to the cyber-criminals who installed it on your computer without you even knowing it. Another way is that these cyber-criminals can gain access to your computer via a 'back door' and obtain your personal information.

The information sent back across the Internet could contain account numbers and passwords to your bank accounts, credit card numbers, including verification codes, and highly sensitive personal information such as your Social Security number. The result is that these cyber-criminals could drain your bank accounts and rack up enormous charges on your credit cards before the banks or credit card companies have time to warn you about unusual activities within your accounts.

In the case where these people get a hold of your Social Security number, they can assume your identity and cause a host of hair-raising problems, such as taking out a mortgage on your house, or even selling your house or conduct criminal activities under your name. I some cases these problems may take years to get straightened out.

Fortunately most of the spyware that can be introduced to your computer is not that malicious. The vast majority of software that is secretly put onto your system consists of small pieces of information, called "cookies" which are designed to keep track of your browsing habits and enable website owners to customize the display and advertisements on their sites according to your fields of interest. Still, these advertising intrusions can also take on annoying proportions in the form of unwanted pop-up ads, useless toolbars and other modifications to your browser's look.

The best way to protect your computer against this type of unwanted software is to install software that is specifically designed to detect and remove these types of intrusions. There are a number of anti spyware software packages out there, some better than others, but the main key is to make sure that the software you obtain is updated frequently, preferably automatically via the Internet. It is highly recommended that you yourself perform a scan of the computer regularly, at least weekly.

Many anti-spyware packages can be programmed to perform these scans automatically. Usually the default time of such software to do this scan is when you boot up the system first thing in the morning. However, this is also the time you will be most active with the computer, and performing a spyware scan and an anti virus scan could slow your PC down quite a bit. It might be better to schedule these scans to be run during off times, such as lunch or dinner hours when you least use the computer.

Scanning the computer only removes the nuisance software after it already has been installed. It is of course much better to try to prevent such intrusions before they happen.

One way is to not to plug your computer directly into the modem, but install a router between your modem and your PC. This will stop many of the attacks, but not all of them. In addition to that, the installation of a firewall presents an extra barrier to intruders. Also, make sure that you regularly update your operating system, as many of the security leaks of the software are constantly being addressed and fixed.

None of these preventive measures are foolproof, but if you combine all these techniques, you may be spared a lot of grief and annoyances.

Bill Stafford has been operating a computer sales and support company for over 20 years. For more information and tips for your PC or the Internet, visit his site at: http://inforesources.wordpress.com

Are You Well Protected

Writen by Roxie Hickman

Winter…the official start of the cold and flu season. Though, technically speaking, things got started a little early. Close to a million computers, mostly home PC users, have been infected.

For many of us our computers are our business. We keep in contact with customers and clients via email, do extensive internet research, and transmit important files electronically.

We know what to do to protect our bodies from viruses. There are some simple strategies, and even free precautions we can take to protect our businesses by keeping our PCs virus free.

Adopting the following six checkpoints will help keep your computer healthy and your business uninterrupted.

Use a Firewall

At its most basic level a firewall is a software security system that acts as a barrier between your computer and the outside world (the internet) by monitoring all incoming network traffic. A more advanced firewall will also monitor outgoing traffic. How you use your computer will determine whether basic or advanced firewall protection is needed.

What a firewall does is make your computer invisible while on the Internet. If hackers can't see you, they cannot attack you.

Windows XP has this software installed; however, it may need to be enabled. If you have XP and would like to enable the firewall, directions are on the Microsoft website.

For non XP users, firewall software can be purchased. McAfee and Zone Alarm are two very popular products. Zone Alarm has a free downloadable firewall, basic version, available on their website, www.zonealarm.com.

Before installing a firewall, you may be interested in learning your computer's vulnerability. This is something that can be checked for free and in just a few minutes. Visit the website of Gibson Research Corporation, www.grc.com, and under Hot Spots, click on Shields UP. It takes a little bit of scrolling to get to but is well worth the extra seconds. In minutes your PC is scanned and its vulnerability rated.

Antivirus Software

Antivirus software is the "shot" after the epidemic. This software protects your computer from known threats. Many PCs come with antivirus software already installed. Some of the more popular versions are Norton, PCCillin and McAfee.

If you have it pre installed or have purchased it, great. Please be sure to keep it constantly updated with the latest virus definitions. This is important because these definitions are formed in response to the latest viruses. If you don't have this protection, please consider getting it.

Once this software is installed on your computer, you will be automatically notified when new virus definitions are available. Then it is just a matter of a few clicks to download the new definitions.

Likewise you will be notified when your antivirus software is about to expire. The software needs to be updated annually. The initial purchase, renewal, updates and installation can all be done online.

Spyware Eliminator

Why am I getting all of these pop ups? Certain websites that you visit or free software (shareware) that you download, and, in some cases, hardware purchased from major manufacturers will also install tracking devices on your computer (spyware). Spyware is annoying but not illegal.

An internet search will reveal the many choices available for spyware elimination software. The important thing is to get one and use it consistently. Spybot and PestPatrol are popular choices.

I really like Spybot Search and Destroy. Besides the fact that it is free, once spyware is identified, the software will provide a detailed description of just what it is. This is helpful just in case it identifies something that you don't want to get rid of.

Backup, Backup, Backup

How often do you backup? What files/programs do you backup? What media do you backup to?

We all know the importance of backing up our information yet so many of us don't do it. There may be a ton of reasons why it's not done but the one reason it should be done on a regular basis is that it can be a timesaver, possibly a business saver if your computer system is corrupted for any reason.

If you happen to be using Windows XP Professional, the backup procedure is quite simple. For users of XP Home Edition, it is a bit more involved. Complete instructions, however, are on the Microsoft website.

Typically, data files are what most people need to back up and having well organized files will certainly simplify the process.

Whether you backup to disk, zip disk, DVD, writeable CDs, external file drive or utilize one of the online services, it is important to get into the habit of backing up on a regular basis.

Weekly Updates of Windows

Windows users are automatically notified of current updates for the Windows operating system when your computer is turned on. With just a few clicks your operating system is updated.

However, when certain patches become available for your particular applications software (XP, 2000, NT, etc), as was/is the case with the recent worm viruses, a visit to Microsoft's website is necessary.

Once there, Microsoft will scan your computer, tell you what updates are available, and you then have the option of installing them on your system. In some cases, you will need your installation CDs to complete the download.

With the recent run of viruses and with more expected, it is imperative to check for these updates weekly on the Microsoft website as well as do the automatic updates.

Be Careful of Email Attachments

Email is such a widely accepted method of communication, and this has not gone unnoticed by hackers who use email as a means of mass virus spread.

For this final checkpoint, your due diligence is the only software required.

Always delete any email from unknown senders and be very careful of any attachments you are not expecting from any known senders. As we have seen, hackers can quite easily access Outlook address books to spread viruses.

By the way, including a fake email address in your address book will not prevent your PC from spreading viruses. This is an urban legend. If you're interested in the full story, check out this link:

www.snopes.com/computer/virus/quickfix.htm

When it comes to the health of our computers, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Effective prevention software along with plain old common sense, used consistently, can keep you protected.

About The Author

Roxie Hickman, Virtual Assistant (VA), is the owner of The Virtual Connection. The Virtual Connection (www.thevirtualconnection.net) specializes in working with the 'sucstressed' (successful professionals who are stressed because they've been doing it alone). The Virtual Connection provides offsite executive, administrative, and personal assistance (virtual assistance).

roxie@thevirtualconnection.net

Eye Scan For Cows

Writen by Lance Winslow

Tracking our nations cattle is important to make sure our meat is safe from Mad Cow disease in fact it is essential that we pay attention to these things in the future. People are pretty fearful of such things whether or not the fear is warranted or not. The Cattle and Beef Industry is a very important part of our civilization and the added protein in our diets helps our nation stay ahead of the pack and feed our large brains as we carry the torch and the worlds most advanced and leading civilization.

Many ideas for tracking our cattle have been proposed. Some have indicated that bar coding the ear tags has proved to be a great way to use hand held scanners and computer generated lists to track the Cattle from cradle to grave. This makes a lot of sense and is good from a cost standpoint and many ranchers already use these techniques. Recently the idea of RFID or Radio Frequency Identification Tags be used to track cattle and although it is a little more expensive, such an overlay system could track the meat to the actual serving container or individual packaging on the store shelves, which seems to make consumers feel happy knowing their beef is truly safe.

Some are saying that since each animal; whether it be a worthless human animal or a future all you can eat steak or even 1000 hamburgers with four legs; has a unique retina pattern. This is very good to know. In New Mexico scientists are actually trying out this new scheme using eye-scanning technology on tracking cattle, which they hope to integrate into a national animal health tracking system.

Although it sounds very interesting and Sci Fi, this idea and concept could actually work, as the beam of light flashes at their eyes without hurting them and records it as a specific animal since no tow animals would be the same. Think on this.

Lance Winslow

Schedule Your Windows Tasks

Writen by Duane Hennessy

How many repetitive tasks do you perform manually on your PC at home or work?

What tasks do you perform which need all users to logout of the system during work hours?

If you are working within Windows then you can use Schtasks, which ships with Windows, to perform those tedious tasks for you.

Schtasks is a tool you can use to carry out a task at a particular time, date or day. You can use Schtasks to run VBScripts, Batch files or any kind of executable application that can be fired up from the command line within the console window. For instance, if you have a Windows service running, which for whatever reason needed bouncing every morning or after a weekend power down, you could write a VBScript to bounce the service and schedule it to run at an appropriate time. Here is an example of how you would set a schedule via Schtasks to bounce a service via a VBScript at 3 am every morning on business days Monday to Friday:

schtasks /create /tn bounce_service /sc mon,tue,wed,thu,fri /st 3:00 /tr "c:my scriptsbounce.vbs"

If you are using Schtasks on your PC, and not on a server, then you would not switch off your PC running when you leave work and let SchTasks can run your tasks overnight. Your last task on your PC might be to shutdown your PC. Schtasks does provide the ability to start up your computer at a specific time but I have found this a bit problematic to get working on some PCs.

Here are some ideas for using Schtasks:

• Backup files when your computer is idle or at the end of a working day.
• Run overnight processes when no users are logged onto a server, database or application.
• Start up or shut down your PC.
• Compact databases.
• Compile multi-developer applications.
• Perform web publishing overnight when resources are free.
• FTP data across a network when bandwidth usage is low.
• Start, stop or bounce Windows services.

Using Schtasks will reduce your manual labour, ensure consistent processing without human error, and buy you time to do other things.

For complete instructions on using Schtasks see: http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/schtasks.mspx

Duane Hennessy Senior Software Engineer and Systems Architect Bandicoot Software Tropical Queensland, Australia (ABN: 33 682 969 957) Your own personal library of code snippets. http://www.bandicootsoftware.com.au Moderator of http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AccessDevelopers

Risk Of Deafness With The Ipod

Writen by Brian Lupichuk

Risk of deafness with ipods! Today's young kids love their music loud but they risk the chance of going deaf by the time they are in their 40's.

A survey done recently has found out that an mp3 player at top volume is as dangerous as standing beside the speakers at a nightclub.

By the time the music lover starts getting ringing in the ears, it's too late to turn down the volume and save those ears. When this is done over and over again , you will get some major damage done to your hearing.

Delicate hair cells, including your ear drums and other important parts will be damaged by repeated loud music causing partial deafness or deafness period.

How much is too much? It's a matter of risk!

The survey found: Fourteen percent of all British listen to MP3 Players at least 28 hours per week.

Among those who report having ringing in their ears after a rock concert or night club visit, one-third went right back to playing MP3's every day - raising the risk of permanent damage to their hearing.

Twenty- eight per cent of 16 - 34 year olds visit noisy bars or pubs or nightclubs once or twice a week. Yet this age group is mainly unaware they can go deaf prematurely from the noise.

Hearing damage can start after just 15 minutes of steady noise at or above 105 decibels. Heavy traffic is around 85 decibels, a loud nightclubor someone shouting into your ear at close range is about 110. MP3 Players can reach 112 and some car stereos can reach 125 decibels.

So what's the best plan? Be more careful and protect your ears from getting permanent damage.

Here's an idea some may think it is stupid and some may not , but why not wear earplugs when you go to a loud bar, pub, or night club or concert. You can still hear but cut down the high noise by quite a lot. And turn down the volume on anything you plug into your ears.

We hope that we have raised or increased your awareness to how important it is to not have music blasting into your ears. Because we care and do not want the young generation to become deaf or even a partial bit deaf when they all in their 40's.

Brian Lupichuk invites you to Mp3 Players. An information based web site on MP3 Players.

The High Tech House

Writen by Phil Morettini

So, looking around for a really big opportunity that isn't yet being served? Look no further than the High Tech house.

Yes, I know, all the big computer and consumer electronics companies are investing billions in the market for pumping entertainment content via fat pipes into and throughout the home. And no doubt, this is becoming a very large market that will ultimately be huge. But that's not what I'm talking about. I believe that there is an even larger, but more mundane opportunity for software, semiconductor and electronics companies that has been largely ignored.

This new concept has been alluded to and talked about in theoretical, general terms by futurist speakers at trade shows and TV sound bites for many years. So in that sense it's not really new. But little has been done in terms of actual investment in companies and product development to attack this potentially enormous market. So what exactly am I talking about? Do you remember several years back all of the snickering about the Internet Toaster?

Let's call this the Internet Refrigerator market.

What's so compelling about this potential new market segment vs. the home entertainment opportunity that nearly every monster high tech company is already chasing? Well, of course, the first attractive thing is that not everyone is chasing it yet! As far as I can tell, very few are. The second thing that pops up when considering this potential market is that there should be an attractive payback available to the customer. That's something the entertainment space will never be able to say—it's sexy, fun and high profile—but it's looking to take a share of the already stretched consumer wallet for discretionary purchases. Thirdly, all of the technology necessary is already in existence. In the most recent study on broadband penetration this year, Nielson/Netratings found that 56% of US homes connected to the Internet are now using a broadband connection. Worldwide, almost two thirds of all Internet connects are broadband. The broadband world has arrived, and it's time to start utilizing it for something other than simply surfing the World Wide Web. And finally, this concept should yield substantial benefit the US and world economies by driving costs out of some of the most labor intensive, inefficient tasks in modern western society. Yes, I said substantial economic benefits. Curious yet? Read on!

I'm proposing that all of the major systems and appliances in our high tech homes be Internet-enabled and connected to our home network. Let's look at the benefits of this concept using an example of our Internet Refrigerator.

The Problem

This example is an amalgamation of similar experiences I've had many times since reaching adulthood. You're employed full time at a job that you drive to 15-45 minutes away from your house. If you're married, your spouse also is likely similarly employed these days. A major appliance such as your refrigerator breaks down—and of course it's outside of the warranty period (they plan it that way!). You either call the store you originally purchased the appliance from, or if you're the thrifty type, shop around for a lower cost independent service provider. What happens next? Mostly frustration, if my experience is typical.

First off, no one can make it out on a service call for three days (there's a reason for this—these are highly inefficient businesses). You still don't even know what's wrong with your Fridge, and by the way—the food is starting to rot. In addition to having to wait three days, no one will give you an actual specific "appointment" these days. Most often they give you the dreaded "4 hour window" appointment. Oh, and by the way, there is a minimum charge of $65 just to come to your house. No guarantees, no refunds even if they can't fix it. But what can you do? You swallow hard, eat out for the next 3 days (at added expense to your budget and waistline) and wait for your appointment.

The day of the appointment finally comes and you head home for your 4-hour window, much to your boss's consternation. Four hours come and go, and of course no one shows up. You call the service company, and as usual, "they're running late". (This happens because these inefficient service companies are in such demand that don't need to have a customer orientation, and utilize very little technology to optimize their business). So you wait an additional hour for them to get there, and then another hour to diagnose the problem. Pretty much a whole day of work productivity shot—I hope that you weren't getting paid by the hour! But it gets even better. Upon diagnosing the problem, the repairman says "It's $200 for the part and $150 for the labor. Unfortunately I don't have the part available in the truck—I'll have to order it." Great! Now you're scheduling another appointment with a 4-hour window—you get the drill at this point. It's pretty ugly. In this modern world, there's got to be a way. And I believe that there is.

The Solution

What if that refrigerator was instrumented and outfitted with a cheap microcontroller, embedded web server software and Ethernet or WI-FI Port? Well, especially with all of the broadband households now online, you could make major changes to this productivity-sapping service fire drill.

The first thing you would do under this new scenario is to call up your preferred service provider and explain the problem. After granting them access to the Refrigerator's IP address using the "Home Network Console" software on your PC, the service provider would run a diagnostic software program on your Fridge. With luck they could diagnose the problem right then and there. Maybe all that's required is a minor tweaking of the appliance setting that can be done remotely or by you, and only a small service charge is due. Even if it's a failed part, the service provider could check their parts inventory immediately and order the part if it's out of stock. Only when the part is available would a service truck be dispatched for a quick installation.

Think of how much service technician time would be saved. Or how much gas saved, fewer trucks on the road, not to mention the productivity regained by the hapless customer waiting at home. The service providers would become much more efficient, allowing them to provide better service, at lower prices, using less techs. Customers would be thrilled and have added productivity in their own jobs. And I believe that the first Appliance manufacturers offering this capability would have a huge advantage and an opportunity to quickly gain market share while enhancing their brand as "cutting edge". This opportunity applies to just about every capital purchase in the home: Refrigerators, Washers & Dryers, Home Entertainment, Furnaces, Air Conditioners, Stoves, Dishwashers, etc.

Some of you may think this sounds great but it's too futuristic and not realistic. Yet as I mentioned above, all of the necessary technology exists today. When you think about it, this idea is really just an extension of the software being installed in most modern computers which allows control and problem diagnosis remotely by an IT professional. And the campaign for acceptance of this concept could piggyback the huge investment by companies pushing entertainment and communications products/services over broadband pipes, which is already in process.

Who and When?

So why hasn't this happened yet? Why is this being ignored, while everyone dukes it out over home entertainment? It's hard to say because it could really be the proverbial "Next Big Thing.". But again, it's not very sexy. And the Appliance manufacturers are not technology-driven companies, and as a result don't' innovate or adopt new technology very quickly. But this is going to happen, it's just too big. It is only a question of when. So what's it going to take? Maybe it will be a smaller appliance manufacturer who needs an edge to compete, and is nimble and more willing to innovate and take risks. Or it might possibly occur when a network/systems management software company looking for a way to grow, decides to extend their core competency from B2B to B2C by approaching appliance manufacturers with market-ready software. Or an embedded software or silicon company that sees the opportunity to extend their microcontroller or embedded web server from the industrial world to the enormous consumer market.

When will it happen? I don't know. I expected it to be well underway by now. But sometimes, big ideas are slow to catch on. With this one, I'm convinced it's just a matter of time. Will your company be the one to capitalize?

Phil Morettini is the Author and President of PJM Consulting, a Managment Consultancy to Software and High Tech Companies. PJM Consulting executes special, strategic projects and can also supply interim senior management in General Management (CEO, COO, Division Manager), Product Marketing, M&A, Distribution Channels and Business Development. You can contact Phil on the PJM Consulting Website (http://www.pjmconsult.com/data/contactus.htm) or via email at info@pjmconsult.com

Avoid Air Travel Troubles With A Flash Drive

Writen by John Retzer

With the latest terrorist scare, many flights no longer permit you to travel with your laptop and other electronic devices. That's understandable -- no one wants to be blown out of the sky -- but it makes things difficult for the business traveller.

Of course, when you get to your destination, you can always use computers in your hotel's business center, a loaner from the office at your destination, a local internet cafe, a friend's house, or even the public library. The problem, however, is that to be productive, you need your files, applications, internet bookmarks, and other things that your normally keep on the laptop.

Even more important: when you use the borrowed computer, you dont' want to accidentally leave behind any evidence of what you've been doing.

Fortunately, there is a way to finesse these problems: carry everything you need on a large capacity flash drive. Not only can flash drives carry reams of data, they also can run an amazing variety of applications straight from the drive. For security purposes, that's a key factor, because when you unplug the drive all traces of your visit go with you.

Several key applications can be run directly from a flash drive:

Your average businessman may need nothing more than files and Microsoft Office. OpenOffice is an free, entirely Microsoft Office compatible suite that can be run from your flash drive. It includes a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tool, drawing package and database. The portable version takes up just 144MB, so you'll have no problem fitting it on larger flash drives.

FoxIt offers a Foxit Reader, a free portable pdf reader.

CoSySys' Carry it Easy software lets users synchronize, consolidate and access Firefox Bookmarks from any computer and store them on flash drives. The No Trace Browing feature makes sure that all privacy related data like cookies, history, etc. are stored on the flash drive.

Portable Firefox installs a version of the popular internet browser on your drive -- including your bookmarks. It takes up 16.2 MB of space and has all of the neat features of the regular version, including tabbed browsing.

For totally anonymous surfing, you can install Torpark on your drive, using Torpark's servers to mask your real IP address.

For web developers, FireZilla offers a flash drive portable FTP Client. Webserver On A Stick from CH software installs on your stick a full powered Apache server with PHP and MYSQL. Portable NVU offers a complete web authoring system like Frontpage or Dreamweaver.

Graphics designers have fewer options, but a good one is the Photofiltre Image Editing Software. Open Office also has a drawing module.

To make sure that you don't pick up something nasty from those public computers, you need an antivirus. Avira offers a portable and free antivirus program. It takes up 30MB of space.

And finally, to ensure that all of this data is safe in case you lose the stick, you should get a flash drive with built in security measures, such as a fingerprint reader, or password protection -- or both. If your drive didn't come with encryption, TrueCrypt is a free, open source security program.

Links to all of the software mentioned above can be found at the Flash Drive Blog at www.flashdriveblog.com.

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 Flash Drive Blog at http://www.flashdriveblog.com and Golf Blogger at http://www.golfblogger.com

Noise Cancelling Headphones And Ipods

Writen by Steve Joseph

Wouldn't it be nice if you could just shut off those sounds that can be so irritating? Those rattles, hums and hissing noises can be extremely annoying, especially when you are trying to focus on something else. Well it appears that a solution has finally presented itself in the form of noise cancelling headphones.

In fact noise cancelling headphones have been in existence for some time, although high research and development costs have previously kept them out of the hand of consumers, until now that is.

Big brand names like Bose and Sony have jumped at the chance to bring noise cancelling headphone onto the consumer market, with a range of reasonably priced products. Some consumers might see the headphones as a little bulky but they certainly outperform their smaller counterparts and reward the listener with clearer sound and more importantly, clearer sound at lower volume levels.

The importance of being able to listen to music clearly at low volume levels has been highlighted by the advent of the iPod, which has taken the music world by storm. According to http://www.cancelingnoise.com an iPod is capable of producing somewhere in the vicinity of 85dB of sound, which if listened to for long periods is likely to cause permanent hearing loss. With noise cancelling headphones however, listeners are able to listen to their favorite tracks without competing with ambient noise by boosting the volume to dangerous levels. This makes noise cancelling headphones a must have accessory for anyone who listens to music regularly and particularly those who listen to music while commuting.

Aside from the obvious draw back of being a little bulky, the headsets do use more power than regular headphones. Once again, I would say that the increase in quality and ability to listen to music at lower volumes outweighs this negative. Although noise cancelling headphones are very effective they do have their limitations and short sharp sound is one of them. The headphones are unable to adjust to short sharp sounds, rather they are suited to humming or hissing sounds.

Otherwise they are fast becoming an essential part of audio equipment and a sure fire success as a gift for anyone with an iPod.

The author is a regular contributor to http://www.cancellingnoise.com and permission to reproduce this article is given only on the basis that all links remain active and intact.

The Help Desk

Writen by Ben Shar

When you think of a help desk, what do you picture? Do you see a large desk with an elderly woman sitting behind it pencil behind the ear? Maybe it has a computer or two? Of course the person is smiling, but you know it's not going to be much help to talk to them. Now, transform this image to the computer help desk. Now, erase those images and focus on the computers. The help desks of the internet are much more computer powered and, as it should be, helpful!

A help desk is found throughout the internet on websites that require your input. Web merchants have them. Websites with message boards often have them. Their main point is to allow you the opportunity gather the information you need to finish your task. Let's say that you are in need of a password for a website. If there is an icon labeled help desk, you can click on it. You may have to do a search for the topic you need. You may have to browse through a list of frequently asked questions. But, often it will take you to a web page that you can send an email to the actual help desk. That "desk" is a contact that can answer your question for you. While it is not an immediate response, it can be responded to within a day or so. Some websites offer help desks that move much quicker, others slower.

The point of a help desk is to allow the user to communicate with the owner of a website. It serves as a way to ask questions and get information. The help desk is such a great tool on websites because of this. To find out if a website has a help desk, you can simply look on the home page for a link to it. Usually this tends to be near the bottom of the page or at the very top. The next time you need some help, try utilizing the help desk feature!

The Help Desk Resource Site is an all-in-one Resource for everything about Help Desks.

Artificial Intelligence And Map Reading

Writen by Lance Winslow

Can we design an artificial intelligent machine to read a map and give out directions? Well, we already have really and this is how GPS units work in your car as they call out which way to turn next. But can we design a 3D artificial intelligent map reading machine? Well, we already have those too you see they are in aircraft and they can literally take a 747 and fly it from take-off to a zero-zero landing in the fog where the pilots cannot even see the run way.

Well can we design an artificial intelligent machine to read ocean topography and guide a submarine? Yes, you will be glad to know we already have those as well. How about an artificial intelligent map reading and trajectory system to go to the moon or guide the Space Shuttle? Indeed, NASA has these already and thanks to their efforts and much of the hand-me-down transfer technologies, that is where all this other great technology came from too.

Now the hardship comes when you ask a computer to reach into the glove box, find the correct map, open it without ripping it, locate where you are, then give you directions. And once scientists and artificial intelligent researchers can master that and build a robotic artificial intelligent haptic enabled android, well that will be spectacular indeed. Consider this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Calculator Tips Improve Graphs With The Ti83ti84 Formatting Screen

Writen by Samuel Mela

There are many options to control the display of graphs in a TI-83 / TI-84 series calculator. To format a graph in a TI-83 / TI-84 calculator, you must use the format menu.

Access the Format Menu

1. Press the 2ND key then the ZOOM key.
2. You should now be in the "Format Menu Screen".

The default setup of the Format Menu Screen looks like this:

RectGC PolarGC
CoordOn CoordOff
GridOff GridOn
AxesOff AxesOn
LabelOff LabelOn
ExprOn ExprOff

Change Formatting Options

To change formatting options, you use the cursor keys to move the cursor on the screen and select a new option. The cursor keys are in the upper right hand corner of the calculator, to the right of the [DEL] key, and above the [VARS] and [CLEAR] keys.

1. Use the cursor keys to move around on the screen.
2. When you have selected the formatting option you want, push the ENTER key.

For example, if you select GridOn and push ENTER, this is what the screen will look like.

RectGC PolarGC
CoordOn CoordOff
GridOff GridOn
AxesOff AxesOn
LabelOff LabelOn
ExprOn ExprOff

Formatting Options

Polar Versus Rectangular Coordinates

If you select RectCG the coordinates of the graph cursor will be displayed in X,Y (rectangular) coordinates. If you select PolarCG, the coordinates of the graph cursor will be displayed in r,θ (polar) coordinates.

CoordOn Versus CoordOff

If you select CoordOn the coordinates of the cursor location cursor will be displayed at the bottom of the graph, as you move the cursor around. If you select CoordOff, the coordinates will not be displayed.

GridOn Versus GridOff

If you select GridOn the graph will be covered with grid points the same distance apart as the tick marks that appear on the X and Y coordinate lines. If you select GridOff, no grid points will be displayed. Try it!

AxesOn Versus AxesOff

If you select AxesOn the X and Y axes will be displayed. If you select AxesOff, no axes will be displayed.

LabelOn Versus LabelOff

If you select LabelOn X and Y axis labels will be displayed. If you select LabelOff, no labels will be displayed.

ExprOn Versus ExprOff

This only applies when you are in the Trace screen. If you select ExprOn the expression you are tracing will appear in the upper left corner of the screen,. If you select ExprOff, no expression will be displayed.

Sam Mela runs a math tutoring business in Springfield Virginia. To see a version of this article with nice pictures, go to http://www.weekendsuccess.com/Docs/FormatYourTI84Graph.pdf

Gtd On Pda Back To Basics

Writen by Eric Ericlodi

A PDA is a very effective tool to implement GTD. My piece of advice would be to keep things simple and stick to the basic, native applications that make the PIM (Personal Information Manager): calendar, contacts, ToDo and memo or notes.

This may sound quite a strange statement: forums are filled with enquiries and testimonials about so many attractive softwares, used for GTD or even designed for it. Well... if you like to experiment with applications and spend loads of time on it, my advice is not for you. But if you intend primarily to implement GTD and if wasting time tweaking hardware, software and synchronization is not in your objectives and projects, read further!

Implementing GTD on PDA means actually on PDA and computer - at least - in order to be complete and effective with mail, files,...

Then, as a matter of fact, it is highly unusual to keep the same hardware / software configuration for long. Only to illustrate this point, in the past year my work computer was changed, the e.mail client and the PIM changed twice (not to mention the upgrade). My PDA and phone were replaced. I was not calling for these changes, and it sounds a lot for a year, but stuff get obsolete, stop working, get replaced, company IT policies do evolve, OS and software are upgraded, compatibility changes... Of course, adding home devices in the picture (in order to be in sync there) only multiplies the combination of changes and reduce the life span of a given configuration.

In this context of frequent migration, the beauty of sticking to basic native applications is that standard data and standard organization will transfer seamlessly (or almost, crossing fingers...) to new systems.

Then... is it possible to implement GTD effectively on a basic PDA PIM? Absolutely! Let's review how another day...

Keep it Basic, and you will Migrate without Headache !

Ericlodi

Ericlodi has managed manufacturing, innovation, business units and companies for 20 years. He is convinced that good methods and sound organization leverage fruitful exchanges and concrete results. When time allows, he likes to present effective methods. http://web.mac.com/ericlodi/iWeb/Orgameth/

How To Buy The Perfect Pc

Writen by Dee Kerr

PCs have become a staple in every home. Without PCs, you will find it hard to stay connected and to even do the work required of you in school or in the office. With so much PC packages being shoved to our throat every time we go to department stores and computer shops, you'll really get quite confused on what you really need and what PC package will fit your budget and lifestyle. To help you through this dilemma, here is a brief backgrounder of the parts of PCs that you should get to know.

Processor.

This is one of the three primary components of your PC. The processor is the part that determines how fast your computer process information. Intel is still the leading brand in processors but competitors such as American Micro Devices (AMD) are slowly catching up, offering cheaper alternative. In shopping for a processor, one should consider the following:

Clock speed - this will show the number of instructions that a computer can execute in a second. This usually comes after the brand name. Processors nowadays are already set at the gigahertz range.

Cache memory - this stores the data that were previously accessed. This simplifies the work of the computer as it would not take twice as long to access information already stored in memory bank. Without a cache memory, much of the work will fall on the RAM (Random Access Memory).

Operating temperature - some processors easily heats up. Before buying, make sure that you have asked about the operating temperature just in case you need to buy additional fans or put the computer in an air-conditioned room.

RAM (Random Access Memory)

RAM serves as the temporary memory of the PC, containing information that are needed for the computer and the programs to function. In addition to processors, RAM also determines the speed of the computer. The higher the RAM, the faster the computer is in accessing information and responding to commands.

Motherboard

This is where all the parts of the PC's CPU (Central Processing Unit) are attached. Some motherboards already have videocards and soundcards embedded on it while others don't. what is important however is to choose a motherboard that is compatible with your RAM and processor. Incompatibility of PC hardware can cause major problems and may even lead to the breakdown of your computer.

Hard drive

This is the part where you store all the information in your PC. Picture a floppy disk with much much larger storing capacity. The hard drive serves as the permanent memory of your computer. Here you install all your programs and save all the documents that you need. It is also important that you buy a hard drive with really big capacity especially now when people are so used to storing multimedia files that may use up a lot of hard drive space.

Video cards

This is the part of the computer which determines the quality of the multimedia images that you will view. The higher the memory of the video card, the better is the picture quality and the colors. Also, video cards are also responsible for how fast multimedia images are accessed. This is especially needed if you use your computer for multimedia activities such as watching a movie or playing video games.

Dee Kerr makes it easy to find a PC that suits your needs, quickly & easily. Learn the essential keys to look out for. visit: Pc buying guide website, or want to build a PC?

Basic Changes To Make In Your Internet Explorer Options

Writen by D. David Dugan

Most people get their computer with Internet Explorer already installed and set to all the default settings. The default settings are what Microsoft calls "recommended settings". These settings are not always the best for your usage. One size does not always fit all. But how do you change the settings and what do they all mean? I'm glad you asked . . .

In this article I am going to take you step by step through these settings to explain them to you. Open a new browser window before you start, so you can follow these steps as you read the article. At the top of your new browser window, click on "tools" then "Internet Options".

The first tab you will see is the "general" tab. The very first option you have is where to set your home page. Type in http://forum.dugancom.com/ I'm just kidding. That is my website. Pick a website that you want your browser to open to every time you go online. If you have a favorite search engine, put it there. If you have a home page enter that. Hit apply when you have done this and that will be your home page from now on. Anytime you hit the home button at the top of your browser it will automatically go to that page.

The next option you have is to "delete cookies". There is a lot said about how to manage cookies and what they are for on the Internet. But for the purposes of this article I will just tell you that cookies store information like websites where you want to be automatically logged in rather than having to type in a username and password every time. There are other cookie uses and hopefully I will have time to write about that in another article. If you delete the cookies, you will have to login to websites you use often and it won't remember your username etc.

The next button says "delete files". These are the temporary files Internet Explorer stores on your hard drive so if you go back to them they will load faster because the images and other files are already downloaded. Later we will get to another area with a setting that will help you manage this. You can go ahead and delete these files if you want to and every now and then you should.

The next button is called "settings". Click on that button now. It says, "Check for newer versions of stored pages . . . " then gives you several options. Clicking "every visit to the page" will cause pages to load slower because rather than going into the temporary Internet files for cached files, it queries the server for the newest version of any files on that page.

"Every time I open Internet Explorer" means that the first time you visit that website, "this session", it will check for a newer version of the page. After that, it will refer to the cached page on your hard drive. "Automatically" means you let Internet Explorer manage this for you and that is the recommended setting. "Never" means it will always use the cached version on your hard drive rather than check for newer versions.

I recommend either auto or never, because if you want to check for newer versions of a page all you have to do is push shift and hit the refresh button on your browser tool bar.

The next option in settings is how much space to allow for temporary Internet files. Five to Twenty megabytes is plenty. Internet Explorer tends to override your choice here anyway. Bill knows best I guess.

The next button is "move folder". Don't click that. Back away slowly and do not touch that button. It sends nuclear missiles at several minor countries. Seriously, moving the location of your temporary Internet files is not a good idea. The next button, "view files" is pretty boring stuff and you don't need to do anything here. The same can be said for "view objects". Those three can all be left alone.

Go ahead and click ok so we can go back to the general tab. You will see the next option is about computer history. Now this is a personal choice. You know how links you have clicked on before are a different color than those that you have not clicked on? Well history remembers that for you so you know which pages you have or have not visited. It also records the history of all the websites you or anyone else on your computer has visited. In your address bar, the drop down arrow that shows you all the websites you have been to is put there by the "history" option. It is also used if you have auto-complete enabled for web addresses you are typing into your address bar.

You can set this for the number of days you want to save history for. If you have kids, you can access these files to see where they are going on the Internet as well. If you are using a computer at work you might want to set this to 1 day. To the right of where you enter the number of days is the button to erase history now. Computer experts can still find your history. This is not absolute.

Next button is "colors". The best setting is "use windows colors, but experiment if you want to. Next button is "fonts" and if you click on that, it's pretty self-explanatory. This is not where you choose font size. That is in the "view" part of your browser rather than the "tools" area we are in now. "Languages" is also self-explanatory. "Accessibility" is where you can alter settings if you have special needs.

Ok, now let's move on to the "Security" tab. "Medium" is the best setting for most users and probably is already set there. Be careful when changing security options that you do not understand. Click "custom level". Scroll through. If there are things you are absolutely sure about and want to change, then do so. But if you are not sure, don't change it.

You will see that when we first came to the tab the "Internet" icon was selected in the window at the top. You can also click on "Local Internet" and do the same for your settings there. This is for your local network if you have one. The next icons are, "trusted sites" and "restricted sites". You can add websites to either area that you wish to allow or disallow no matter what other settings are on your computer. This is one way to block your child from visiting a particular website.

Go to the next tab at the top called "privacy". Now this is another area where you need to be careful and understand what you are changing before doing so. This is probably already set to "medium" which is fine for most users. The "import" button probably doesn't apply to you. Click the "advanced" button. Everything here is probably grayed out except the option to check override cookie handling.

Automatic settings mean that you accept both first party and third party cookies. That means you accept cookies from the website you are visiting and from any other websites that the website you are visiting has chosen to set cookies on your hard drive like their advertisers or others who want to track user's habits.

Click 'override automatic cookie handling", then check "block" for the third party cookies and you will block some spyware or adware being placed on your system. If you want to block cookies from a particular website or you want to only allow cookies from specific websites, this is where you add those websites.

Next, we go to the "Content" tab. Again, this is an area that you need to know what you are changing before you change anything. You can click "enable" for content advisor. The first slider bar can be changed to block different types of content. First you can start with types of language you wish to block, then nudity, sex, and violence by clicking the icons in the window and using the slider bar. The "more info" button will help you understand this more.

The "approved sites" tab at the top will let you enter websites that you want to access regardless of the settings you just made with the slider bar. On the "general" tab, you should click allow websites that have no rating because not all websites are rated. You can also check the box that says a supervisor, you, can use a password to access restricted websites.

If you share your computer with your children, this is an option where you can visit restricted websites but they cannot. Be careful when setting this password. If you forget it, you will not be able to make changes to these settings later. If you lose this password, you have to know how to go into the registry to get it removed. Unless you know about rating systems, you don't need to worry about the two buttons at the bottom of this tab or the "advanced tab".

Click ok to make any changes you made and to enter a password if you decided you wanted one. If you understand about "certificates" and "publishers" then you don't need my help here. If you don't understand them, leave those buttons alone.

Click the "autocomplete" button. This is pretty easy to understand. Autocomplete works to help you not have to type the same information on forms and in your Internet Explorer address bar. You can also clear any previous information here. Click prompt me to save passwords and it will ask you each time you enter a password if you want Internet Explorer to remember your password for this website so you don't have to type it in every time. I don't recommend you allow it to remember banking and financial passwords.

"My Profile" is where you can enter information about yourself and use that whenever asked for your profile on a website or it can be automatically accessed by some applications saving you time.

Now, click the "connections" tab. If you are currently connected to the web and reading this article, then it is safe to assume your settings here are correct and you should leave them alone.

Click the "programs" tab at the top. There are drop down menus to help you set the default program for each of the tasks. This is a personal choice that will let you set your default web browser, html editor, and email program.

Now we reach the "advanced" tab at the top. Scary hunh? No, this area is mostly personal choices and your choices don't have near the serious consequences of your settings in "content", "privacy", and "security".

Most of the choices should be left where they are as the default settings. I will only talk here about the ones you may want to change. Do not check notification for EVERY script error unless you want to be annoyed a lot. Not every script in every webpage is error-free and there will be a lot of popups about them if you check that box.

Notify me when downloads complete if checked will give you a sound when a download is done. Underline links is a personal choice. I leave it set on always so I know when I see a link. The next ones again are a choice of whether you want to use Autocomplete.

You can scroll through the rest of the choices and change the ones you understand. Likely if you don't understand an option you don't need to change it anyway. I hope this article has been helpful to you and has helped you personalize your settings rather than have Bill Gates do it for you.

D. David Dugan personally helps to maintain their computer support forum at http://forum.dugancom.com as well as their Spyware Information site http://spyware.dugancom.com

Screensavers

Writen by Kevin Stith

A Screensaver is a program which gets activated automatically after a computer monitor or a cell phone has been inactive for some time. When it gets activated, it displays a blank screen or moving images. The time duration after which a Screensaver gets automatically activated can be defined by the user. For instance, if the user defines twenty minutes as the time duration, Screensavers get activated the moment there is inactivity for twenty minutes.

Originally, the purpose of a Screensaver, as the name implies, was to save the screen by preventing a fixed display from damaging the screen. Fixed displays would attack the screen at the same places, by virtue of their fixed nature, and would cause damage to those portions of the screen which were under attack. In scientific parlance, this phenomenon is referred to as "screen burn".

Screen burns often damaged Cathode Ray Tube or CRT monitors, causing distortion, such as blurred images, additional vertical or horizontal lines, and faded patches. In CRT monitors, images are formed by electron beams that focus on the same points on the screen. The repeated formation of the same images would target the same points on the screen and damage them. Therefore, the objective of the Screensaver was to constantly change images on the screen so that no particular points were constantly under attack. However, with the evolution in technology, Screensavers are not essential. More and more people have discontinued the use of CRT monitors. Yet Screensavers are still used for other purposes.

These days, Screensavers are used for what can be called "visual relief". Often when users are working on something, instead of staring at the same screen the sight of a colorful Screensaver is a sight for sore eyes. This probably explains why there are millions of Screensavers that users can choose from. Some people like to look at the changing facial expressions of their favorite celebrities while taking a break from work. Others like to look at picturesque locations that are replete with natural beauty. Still others love to watch animation which features their favorite cartoon characters. Some people also like to look at their favorite sport being played on screen. Screensavers can also be accompanied with music. There are almost as many Screensavers as people, and, therefore, plenty of options to choose from.

Sometimes, particularly at the workplace, people use Screensavers for branding and advertising. The Screensaver displays the logo of a company, the vision statement of the company, the quality policy or the values of a company. In addition to advertising and branding, this use of the Screensaver also adds a touch of professionalism to the workplace, by generating uniformity.

Screensavers provides detailed information about screensavers, free screensavers, nature screensavers, animated screensavers and more. Screensavers is the sister site of Computer Projector Rentals.

Stop Pushing Delete

Writen by Angie Hodges

Stop pushing delete-simply un-subscribe. Although a topic may have been of interest to you four years ago, when you were snowed in with nothing more to do but surf the web for tips on knitting your dog a tail warmer, you may have since grown as a person, and evolved. Maybe you moved on to Paper Mache', or thumb wrestling.

You complain each time you open your email box and there are 23 emails filled with information on where to buy yarn by the pallet, and links to patterns for doggie mittens. Habitually, you grumble under your breath something about spam, and hit delete, delete, delete. If you know you subscribed to the site, and no longer require the information, simply open the email and un-subscribe. Granted, this isn't always easy. Sometimes the site owner of that knitting circle will harass you with a pop up or two, trying to lure you back.

Sure, they'll tempt you. They'll remind you that by leaving the group, you're going to miss out on their list of nifty new uses for knitting needles (kind of interesting, I must admit) but be strong. They may even try to sweeten the deal by offering you helpful hints on creating potholders for all occasions. Unless you truly see yourself breaking out your dusty old knitting needles to create the next fad in leg warmers, just click un-subscribe. It will make your life much easier. (Send me that link for the knitting needles uses, would ya?)

Angie Hodges, GVA Angie Assist Virtual Purchasing and Business Support http://www.angieassist.net

Ccna Ccnp Home Lab Tutorial A Guide To Cable Types

Writen by Chris Bryant

When you're putting your CCNA and/or CCNP home lab together, you're not just buying routers and switches you're creating a blueprint for success. There is no better way to learn about how real Cisco routers and switches work than to work with the real thing!

Of course, it's not enough to just get the routers and switches you've got to have the right cables and other devices to allow them to communicate. Let's take a look at the different cables and connectors you need to know about when putting together your CCNA and CCNP home labs.

The basic cable you'll need is a straight-through cable. These are used to connect your switches and routers also, if you have an ISDN simulator, you'll need a straight-through cable to connect the router's BRI interface to the simulator.

A more specialized cable type is the DTE/DCE cable. If you plan to use the serial interfaces on your routers (and you certainly should be!), you'll need some of these cables. To connect two routers directly via their serial interfaces, you must have a DTE/DCE cable. (If you have a Cisco router set up as a frame relay switch, you'll need more of these cables.)

If you have multiple switches, you'll want to connect these switches in order to create a trunk line and possibly an Etherchannel. To successfully create a trunk between two switches, you'll need crossover cables.

To connect your PC directly to the router or switch you're configuring, you'll need a rollover cable, also referred to as a rolled cable. This cable has an Rj-45 connector on one end and DB-9 connector on the other.

Once you've added multiple routers and switches to your CCNA / CCNP home lab, you'll get tired of moving that rolled cable around. An access server (a special model of Cisco router, actually) will allow you to connect the rolled cable to it and communicate with all your devices via that connection. To use an access server, you'll need an octal cable. This unusual cable has a large serial connector on one end (this won't fit just any serial interface, so when purchasing an access server, make sure to get the right type of Cisco router) and has eight separate RJ-45 connectors at the other end.

The best news of all for all CCNA and CCNP candidates is that like used routers and switches, all these cables are affordable. You can find vendors that sell these cables on ebay and through search engines, and the odds are that the vendor that sold you your lab equipment also sells these cables. This also gives you first-hand experience in cabling your own lab - and that is the best exam preparation of all! (Multiple-choice questions on cable types are easy when you've actually worked with them!)

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, "How To Pass The CCNA" and "How To Pass The CCNP", visit the website and download your free copies. You can also get FREE CCNA and CCNP exam questions every day! Pass the CCNA exam with The Bryant Advantage!

Interface Design Its Not Yahtzee

Writen by Duane Hennessy

The interface is the face of the application behind which all of our instructional code is hidden; the interface between the user and the machinations for data crunching. It is imperative that the interface is well organised and easy to traverse with a mouse. I have seen command buttons thrown upon a form as if the developer were throwing dice in a game of yahtzee! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yahtzee%21)

Ugly or disheveled design does not entice a user to utilise the application we put our blood, sweat and tears into and after all of our effort we want to motivate the user to utilise our application as much as possible.

One of our purposes as programmers is to improve the user's experience of their working environment. Well ordered and aligned controls upon a form and well spaced details within a report will be easier upon the user's eye and easier for the user to navigate the information presented. The user often uses the mouse cursor to guide their eyes around the display screen in a more focussed way. This is a similar principal to using a pencil to guide one's eyes as a speed reading method (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_reading).

It is important to understand the psyche of the user. Most users live in a very different work space to us developers. A user who works for Administration services relies heavily upon grammatically correct written language and a particular spatial sense of proportion and balance with regards to information printed upon a report which also extends to an application's forms. Inconsistent use of capitalisation within a report or spelling mistakes within an application will be revealed by the user or client. Some programmers may conclude that the user or client is being pernickety but would we want this type of grammatical or syntactical error to appear within our code? For instance; would we want to find the word employee to be misspelt as employea and appearing as employea or Employea within a case insensitive language?

Accurately named buttons upon a form are preferable to images. An image can speak a thousand words but what does an image of a tree say? I've seen trees and fish used as images upon buttons. Really, it is not kindergarten and images are always open to interpretation. Write out a button's intentions clearly in written language. Images are useful for toolbars or coolbars and there are well defined and almost universally acceptable sets of icons available for these purposes and I suggest buying a quality set of icons from a graphics house like IconExperience or IconFactory.

Application colour is also a critical aspect of usability and application identification. Brand colours of a client's organisation or your own is often a good choice. You can give the user the option of changing the primary colour of an application specific to their PC. The main proviso in colour choice is consistency and as few as possible. I have seen many programmers first attempts at an application become a fairground of diversely coloured forms or having a form within the application that changes colour from green to red during data validation errors. My first application was an example of the full colour spectrum. When I first started programming, colour computer screens had not long been on the market and I used the new functionality to it's fullest extent! It drove the user batty and someone else edited the application to use more uniform colours.

Limitations to a user's access to data within an application needs to be made obvious. If a user cannot access a control's data then disable that control and colour it a non-intrusive grey. Profligate use of error notifications with phrases like "Access Violation!", "Warning!" or "Security Breach" when a user clicks a control that has data they do not have access to, is an absolutely ridiculous waste of time and an unnecessary cause of user anxiety.

In most cases it is preferable to allow the user to see all of the controls upon a form including features they cannot access; features which can be disabled. If you hide controls upon a form you risk discombobulating your well organised form layout which violates the guideline of improving the user's working experience. Even more disconcerting is hidden controls that magically appear in front of the user: Yes I know the controls have a visible property but it does not mean we have to use it.

In summation of the above:

• Well ordered and laid out controls are easier upon the eye and easier to navigate with the mouse cursor.
• Check for grammatical errors or inconsistency in the way words are used.
• Use written names instead of icons or images for a form's controls.
• Use a uniform colour identifier for applications. Corporate branding colours are a good choice.
• Do not hide controls from the user. If the user cannot access a control then notify them of the limitation in a a non-intrusive way.
• Do not make controls appear and disappear upon a form.

For those interested in improving the grammar and punctuation within their applications I highly recommend the following book:

Renton, N.E. (2004) Compendium of Style & Good Writing - Third Edition, John Wiley & Sons Australia.

The older copies, of which I own one, were: Renton, N.E. (1990) Elements of Style & Good Writing, Schwartz and Wilkinson, Melbourne, Australia.

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

Bandicoot CodeClipper, your code snippet organiser. http://www.bandicootsoftware.com.au

Moderator of http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AccessDevelopers.

Did Redhat Linux Or Windows Xp Computed 2 Power 9999999

Writen by George Chamoun

If you ask any computer expert about the advantage of computer use, two of their answers will be: The numeric computation capability, and the speed at which any task is done.

There many more advantages for using computers, but I will stress on the numeric computation aspect of those advantages.

I have done a test involving numeric computing to test the power of my Central Processing Unit of my computer. What I also did the test using Windows Xp and Redhat Linux, which are both installed on the same computer.

One of the reasons why I did the test, that I am about to explain, was my urge to sense the power of computer by looking at the screen.

Another reason was, I was getting fed up with Hearing about computer specs, without even knowing what they can do, or mean.

Here is an example:

Pentium II, 350 MHZ, Ram=256MB
Pentium III, 500 MHZ , Ram=512MB
and so on...

What is the power of the above specs?. How to approximate how many times the above P III is more powerful than the P II?.

Here is what I did:

I used my Pentium II, Ram=288MBs computer that has Windows XP and Linux installed on the same Hard disk in the same computer.

I tried to use the maximum numeric computational power of the computer by trying to get the result of multiplying the number '2" by itself 99 times and every time I got a result, I added another "9" until the computer can't handle the numbers anymore.

Using Windows Xp, I ran the calculator by typing "calc.exe" in the Run box. Then, I used the scientific calculator to handle the exponential calculation.

The most I was able to compute was 2 power 99,999. When I tried 2 power 999,999, Windows XP resulted in an error saying: "Invalid input for function"

Then, I rebooted my computer, and picked Redhat Linux to run on the same computer instead of Windows Xp. Once Linux prompted me to login, I used the mathematical utility Linux has. It is called by typing "bc" at the command line.

Once I ran "bc", I typed 2^99,999, the same maximum number I used in Windows Xp calculator . In about 2 seconds, i got the result.

Then, I tried a bigger number, 2^999,999 which Windows Xp scientific calculator could not handle. In about 5 seconds, I got the result on the screen. then, I added one more digit to compute 2^9,999,999 which is 2 multiplied by itself 10 Millions times minus one.

I waited about 35 minutes, then Linux BC application produced the result on the screen by showing few screens full of numbers from left to right, and top to bottom.

Now you probably thinking, how does this computing relate to the performance of the CPU, or the whole computer as a whole.

Here is the answer:

What I discussed so far is using certain numbers to get the result of the formula 2 power 9,999,999. While running the calculation using "bc" in Linux. there another command to track the running processes in real time.

So, as you are running the calculations, you use another utility called "top" in RedHat Linux.

Once you run "top", the system shows you on the screen a list of applications, with all details about the resources consumed for each. The list is updated every few seconds, and each line shows the name of application.

So, to see the computation performance of "bc", you look up the line that says "bc". Then, you look on the same line that will show you information about "bc" like:

1-the time it is been running 2-The memory consumption in % of total ram 3-How much CPU power is being used for the application in % and more variables.

You can watch the screen for the updated time the application has been running for the current moment. Once the calculation is presented on the screen, you will know the calculation is done. You look at the time you just recorded right before the application ended.

The time the application took to calculate the formula: 2^9,999,999 and the memory used, in addition to the CPU power will give you an approximate idea about what your computer can do.

Also, you can use the above test to compare two computers and get and idea about the power.

Here is an example:

If computer P II, Ram=256Mbs took 30 minutes to compute 2^9,999,999; then, you ran the same test 2^9,999,999 with P III, Ram=512Mbs that took about 15 minutes, which is 1/2 the time it took before.

Then, you can approximate that the power of P III is about twice that of P II. Do, you get the idea?

In summary, there is an easy way for you to explore the power and performance in front of you, right on the screen. I was able to achieve this task by using Linux, and Windows XP that are installed on the same computer. I also found out that Linux can do better computation that Windows Xp.

Thanks,

George Chamoun created a Free guide that shows you step by step how to install two operating systems. To get the free guide, Click this link: Get the Free Guide: http://www.dualbootguide.com/join1.html

The Ipod Mini Why Its Not That Hot

Writen by Sergio Camarena

I got my eyes set on a iPod mini, as it looked good for quite some reasons: it's small enough to put inside a pant's pocket, it has a lot of accessories to choose from and it obviously has enough hype you begin to wonder what all the fuss is about.

But you really have to see the cons of it and cut all the hype. It looked good from the start; it's small and simple, easy to use and has that nice Apple logo. But quickly the downsides surfaced, and they sure are annoying.

Firstly, the headphones are horrible: they are so uncomfortable they are totally unusable, and also they do not sound good at all. Well, any other $5 headphone will do, so that's not that bad. (It's also not advisable to use them, as the white color alerts any potential muggers you have an easy sellable item.)

The interface seems a good idea, with the scroll being able to be controlled with a circular motion. For scrolling fast it's great, but for selecting carefully one item, it's difficult. Also, for 'marking' a song for how many stars, it sometimes works, sometimes you spend a full minute twiddling it to get it right. Any other player with a sensible scroller works much better.

I was excited to know it had games to play, so when I'm bored waiting in line or on a bus, it could be a great way to pass the time; but even the breakout rip-off is only entertaining for about 5 minutes.

I even thought that maybe I could upload some text files to read some e-book, but the screen is not big enough for that, and reading is so cramped it's just not worth it.

The biggest gripe is that you cannot change the volume, unless you are on the 'Now Playing' menu! Any other player has dedicated buttons for this basic function, but in its decidedly minimalist point of view, it's a pain to go search for that specific menu just to adjust for a small change in a song. It supposedly was thought out carefully, but I see a lot of problems in the interface.

Also, there seems to be a big problem with the duration of its internal, non-replaceable battery. After 2 months of use, I did notice, it does not hold a charge for long now. After two house of continuous play, it just shuts down. Other reports on the web also say the battery fails, and has to be replaced.

I have also read on the web that the headphone connector is badly soldered and you eventually have to open it up and resolder it again.

I wouldn't buy it again. The iriver or the Creative seem to be a lot better options.

For more reviews, news and updates on the latest and best mp3 players, go to http://www.mp3playerguide.info

Can An Intruder Get Into Your Laptop Computer And Get Your Credit Card Info Using These Methods

Writen by Steve McArthur

Okay, you've just got your brand spanking new super duper laptop computer home and unpacked. You went ahead and spent the extra money for a few more bells and whistles just in case you might need them. Of course, you don't know what these bells and whistles are used for, but you surmise that they must be useful for something.

The problem with new laptop computers is that right out of the box they run extremely smooth and fast, lightning fast. You can click Mr. Mouse and whamo, the screen pops up faster than you can say "Jack Sprat". You may even be able to play movies on them with crystal clarity. However, over a period of time your laptop computer can start running like honey on a cold winters day.

So, what do you do? Well, the first thing you want to make sure you do is set up a firewall for your Internet connection. What a firewall does is put up a line of defense against intruders who may have an evil intent. They would love to get access to your hard drive on your laptop computer and poke around in there to see what personal secrets they could find, like your credit card information.

Steve McArthur

Visit the author's Laptop site to read more.

http://laptopnotebook.biz

A Guide To Digital Cameras

Writen by Mike Bryant

When my wife and I first found out a few years ago that we were going to have a baby, we both automatically shifted to baby-prep mode. She spent her time buying pretty things for the nursery and shopping for cribs and car seats. Like the ultra geek that I am, I started shopping for a digital camera so we could forever celebrate little Haley's birth with pictures. She's now almost three and little Will has joined our family as well. Of course, daddy still has to carry that little digital camera everywhere so I can capture any moment at any time. With the sheer number of pictures taken, if we were to have used a traditional film camera, we surely would have gone bankrupt within a year considering the price of film and processing. A digital camera can be very cool, but it helps to know what features to look for. Whether you want to commemorate your children growing up or just want a cool toy to play with on weekend outings, a digital camera is a very wise and money-saving purchase. This week, we'll discuss some things to look for when making that purchase.

The most obvious perk of having a digital camera is that you will never again have to buy film. Digital cameras store pictures either into internal memory or an external memory card. You simply download the pictures onto your computer and then reuse the memory to take more pictures. Also, you no longer have to pay for film processing, though you can still buy prints of your pictures by simply taking your memory card into most department and dug stores and using a digital print kiosk. As a better alternative, you can print some fine pictures from a photo or color printer using specially-designed picture paper.

One thing to watch out for when buying a digital camera is the number of mega pixels. This is a number that indicates how large a picture the camera can take. Don't be fooled into thinking that you have to have a 6 MP (mega pixel) camera. A 3 MP model will print very nice looking 4X6 pictures and will be more than enough to take a picture to use as wallpaper on your PC desktop. 4 MP cameras will take pictures that will print up to 8X10 pictures quite nicely, while a 5 MP will print up to 11X14 pictures. For most usage, a 3 mega pixel camera will work just fine. I suggest you buy as much camera as you can afford, however, as it never hurts to take pictures that are larger than you need, and you never know—you might want to print a poster of that image some day…

One of the single most important features to look for in a digital camera is its zoom ability. There is a very real difference between optical and digital zoom. Optical zoom means that the camera's lens will zoom in on the subject, retaining the original quality of the image. Digital zoom, on the other hand, uses software within the camera to modify the image to make it appear closer that it really is. This leads to something called 'pixelation' and is a very bad thing. Using digital zoom can ruin an otherwise very nice photo. When buying a digital camera, I completely ignore the digital zoom capabilities, instead looking only at the optical zoom. Try to get a camera with at least a 3X optical zoom.

There are a number of memory card formats on the market today. These include Compact Flash, Secure digital (SD), Memory Stick and xD. Any of these will work just fine, just be sure to buy the kind of memory card that fits your camera, and get a card that will hold as much memory as you can afford. Well, a 1 gigabyte card might be overkill, but try to get at least a 128 or 256 megabyte card.

Now, for the Cool Site of the Week... This week's site is WebMD.com. WebMD is a wonderful health and medical site. No matter what ails you, WebMD will have some useful information on it. It has a really cool feature where you can even answer some questions on your symptoms and it will provide a diagnosis. Of course, this site should not be used in place of visiting a real doctor, but it can give you some very useful information for your research.

As always, if you have any questions or suggestions for future articles, please email me at mike@MikeBryant.com.

Mike Bryant has worked as a professional software developer for over ten years. A born entrepreneur, he currently owns Centrant, LLC, a software consulting firm specializing in custom software for small businesses. He currently resides in Jackson, Kentucky with his wife, two kids, and five computers. For more information, please visit MikeBryant.com.

10 Tips To Stay Safe And Secure Online

Writen by Steve Robson

The Internet can be a dangerous place.

While you're enjoying the convenience of online shopping, Internet banking and subscription websites, nasty people lurk around every corner.

Hackers, fraudsters, identity thieves and many others would love to get hold of your personal details.

And what stands between you and a security disaster?

Your password.

Just 8 little characters long, it's your last line of defense online. Here are 10 tips for choosing and using bullet-proof passwords that will protect you from harm:

Tip 1 - Avoid the obvious

Passwords based on personal details are too easy to guess. Avoid using names, places, favorite sports teams, or "password".

Tip 2 - Make it non-dictionary

One option a thief might try to crack your password is a brute-force dictionary attack. Choose something that you won't find in any dictionary.

Tip 3 - Use the full 8 characters

The more characters a password contains the more secure it becomes, so fill that password field to the max.

Tip 4 - Mix the case

Deter thieves further by using a combination of upper and lower-case letters. A mIXeD cAsE password adds another layer of protection and is ever harder to guess.

Tip 5 - Include non-alphabetic characters

Adding numbers and non-alphabetic characters (like a hyphen) to your password makes it less likely to be cracked than something purely alphabetic.

Tip 6 - Don't write it down

This should be obvious but it's amazing how many scraps of paper surround the world's PCs.

Tip 7 - Assign a different password to each login id

If thieves get hold of your password, they'll try it in every online system available. Use a separate password at each website and you won't have all your eggs in one basket.

Tip 8 - Employ a password manager

Remembering multiple secure passwords can be challenging. Specialist software like http://www.robo-form.com manages your passwords securely and automates the login process.

Tip 9 - Logout when you're done

Always hit the logout button when you've finished using a secure site like online banking.

Tip 10 - Close that browser

Web pages and passwords can be cached in the browser, so close down your browser window for added security.

Follow these simple common-sense tips and you'll enjoy greater online security while benefiting from the many advantages the Internet has brought.

About The Author

Steve Robson is a successful technical author and contributor to 'How To Buy A Laptop.com' - the definitive online guide for buying a laptop computer. Check out: http://HowToBuyALaptop.com

What To Consider When Buying A Computer

Writen by Carol Smith

What will the backup service be like if there is a problem? Will service be on site? Does the vendor offer a collection service if there is a problem? If not, is the vendor close enough for me take the computer back or will I have to pay to send it? Is it worth paying a little more to a local dealer with immediate access to backup services if/when something goes wrong?

Will the vendor sell me something more expensive or complicated than I need?

Talk to them and get a quote from more than one vendor. A reputable dealer will sell you what you want/need, not what they want to sell you.

Is an installation service offered?

Helpful if you are a mature beginner and have never set up a computer before. (Of course if you happen to live near Ledbury, we will set it up for you!)

Do I need a laptop or a PC?

Generally PCs (personal computers) are cheaper. Laptops take up less space and can be stored in a cupboard. A PC will always be on show but set up ready to use. A laptop can do EVERYTHING a PC can do (this is a question we are often asked.)

BEWARE of 'bundled' (free, included) printers.

Often the ones included are the ones they couldn't sell any other way because they are the most expensive to run. Check the cost of replacing the ink cartridges here BEFORE accepting the printer. It might turn out to be CHEAPER to buy a separate printer which uses cheaper, compatible cartridges.

I am an IT teacher working mainly with mature beginners http://www.it-teacher.co.uk

How To Buy An Mp3 Player

Writen by Gary Hendricks

Are you looking for an MP3 player but am not sure which type and model to buy? There is a wide variety of MP3 players out there, from flash memory based players to hard drive based players. Choosing a good player from the market is no easy task. What features should you look for? What are the key considerations? This article aims to answer those questions and more. Now, let's see how we can pick the perfect MP3 player.

Types of MP3 player

There are essentially four types of MP3 players in the market today. These include flash-based players, hard-drive based players and MP3 CD players. Let's look at them in turn.

Flash-based MP3 players

Flash-based MP3 players have a flash memory chip built-in. They tend to be very tiny, ultra-portable and have no moving parts. As a user, you can do all your sports activities without worrying about your music skipping a beat. The downside to flash players is their high cost per megabyte. These players range from 32MB to 2GB, and the most popular models tend to be those from the Creative Muvo line, the iRiver iFP series and more recently, the Apple iPod Shuffle.

Hard-drive based MP3 players

Hard-drive based MP3 players use a 1.8-inch hard disk drive to store your music. The hard disk can hold large amounts of music – we're talking about 10GB and above. If you have a large music library and want to store tons of music, a hard-drive based MP3 player is the way to go. The cost per megabyte is very low. The downside? Well, due to the hard disk drive, which has moving parts, these players are not suited for rough physical activity or extreme sports. One of the most popular MP3 players in this category is the Apple iPod, which is selling like hot cakes out there.

Micro hard-drive based MP3 players

More recently, manufacturers have come up with micro hard-drive based MP3 players like the Apple iPod Mini, Creative Zen Micro and Rio Carbon. Featuring a smaller hard drive (which still gives ample storage space of about 4 to 5 GB), they have a much more compact design compared to full fledged hard disk players. The few models mentioned above are selling like crazy too.

MP3 CD players

MP3 CD players are another type of MP3 player. These units look and feel like regular CD players. You can burn up to 150 MP3 songs to fill one CD-R disc, then play it on the unit. The disadvantage of such players is their large size and their tendency to skip if jostled.

Key Features of MP3 Players

Having looked at the different types of MP3 players, let's look at the key features of an MP3 player.

Size and weight: If you're looking to bring your MP3 player on trips or on sporting activities, a small compact design is very important. In such cases, you should go for a small flash based player or one of the micro hard drive players.

Storage capacity: This is an important factor too. If you need to store your whole music library into the MP3 player, then you probably need a hard drive based player with 10GB of storage or above. If you only want a few select songs to listen to on the subway, then a flash based player would suffice. Do take note that some players offer expansion slots in the form of CompactFlash or SD cards.

Battery Life: This is often overlooked. Battery life is a very important consideration, especially if you're out with your player and have no way to recharge. Hard disk players tend to have lithium-ion rechargeable batteries while some flash players offer AAA battery support. I personally own a Creative MuVo Micro N200 which uses AAA batteries. This is great for me because once it runs out, I can just pop in a new one – no hassles about finding some electrical socket to recharge.

Connectivity Options: The way the MP3 player connects to your computer is also an important factor. The latest models tend to support high-speed USB 2.0 transfers. The better ones like the Apple iPod also give Firewire support.

File Format Support: You will most likely be wanting to play MP3 songs on your player. However, if you want to listen to a wider variety of music files, like WMA or OGG Vorbis, then make sure you see it in the player specs.

Other Considerations

Many of the latest players also include features I've not covered in the above. For example, some players come with a built-in FM tuner, which is very useful if you get tired of your MP3 music. Other have a built-in voice recorder which allows you to record audio as WAV files.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many considerations to think about when purchasing an MP3 player. To get the most suitable player, you want to think about how you will use the player. Usage should drive your purchase decision. The other thing to take note of is to shop around, both online and offline – compare prices before shelling out the cash. Good luck hunting for that MP3 player!

Gary Hendricks runs a hobby site on digital photography. Visit his website at http://www.digital-music-guide.com for tips and tricks on selecting MP3 players, music services and music software.