How to Start Video Blogging? by: Kanicen Nichathavan

Videoblogging is the next generation of posting ideas and products over the internet. Everybody knows about textblogging. Now they use videos for a better way of expression. This form of communication may entail a lot of resources, but it is all worth it. If pictures say a thousand words, videoblogging exceeds that by far.

A videoblog requires larger disk spaces on websites, a faster server, and a whole new set of programs to support it. Videoblogs can be fed through RSS. This is technology of syndicating your website to other RSS aggregators.

Videoblogging works with people on the internet expressing their selves. Now if you put this on a business prospective, you are up to a lot of benefits. Think of it as a powerful tool in making showing your prospective customers your line of products or your services. It’s just like showing a commercial all for free. And if you videoblog through RSS, then most probably you are getting your target market.

People like to see what they are going to buy. Some would like to see proof and be sure that they are getting their money’s worth before shelving their dimes on it. All of us know the influence of a thirty second commercial. The effect of videoblogging is similar to that. You show your product, people watch it. If they like it, they buy it. If you present it good enough, they’ll buy the product even if they don’t need it.

Now on the web, things are pretty much static, unlike in television in which all are moving. If you post something that is mobile, it would most likely catch attention. Now imaging your product parading in all it’s royalty through videoblog. You’ll get phone call orders in no time.

If your business is just starting up, you can create a videoblog right at your own home. All you need is your web camera, microphone, video software, and lights. For as long as you know how to use your camera, then you can create a videoblog.

Invest in a good web camera. The higher its resolution is the better the output. And you like to present your goods in the optimum way so get the best one possible. Make a short story, or just capture your goods in one go. Just make sure you are getting the best profile for each. Get those creativity juices flowing.

Lights are important in a production. Make sure you illuminate entirely the area you are going to use to create videoblog. The brighter the area, the crispier the images will be. You can also use lighting effects for added appeal to the presentation.

Should you require sounds for your videoblog, you need a microphone. Record you voice as a voice over for promoting the product and its benefit to consumers. Sounds are as important as videos on a videoblog. It is advisable to make your sound effects as enticing as the video.

Your video editing software can be any program. You need this to finalize your work. You can add sounds, delete some bad angles, or insert some still pictures in there too. Some programs are user-friendly and can be used even with zero knowledge on video editing. Even simple video editing programs should do the trick. Select your background carefully too. The light affects the presentation so make sure that the background and the light complements each other.

Videoblogging is a great tool but it also has it downside. It may slow down the computer so other may steer clear of it. Download time may also be time consuming especially if customer is still on a dial- up connection.

But don’t let those stop you. Let videoblogging be an alternative for you, though it is best to still keep the text and pictures present in your presentation to accommodate all possible viewers of your site.

Nowadays, the more creative you are in presenting your product to the market, they more you are likely to succeed. Videoblogging offers an interactive way of selling. You involve the customers. You instill in them the advantage of your goods. And at times, those are enough to make a sale.

How to Start Video Blogging? by: Kanicen Nichathavan

Videoblogging is the next generation of posting ideas and products over the internet. Everybody knows about textblogging. Now they use videos for a better way of expression. This form of communication may entail a lot of resources, but it is all worth it. If pictures say a thousand words, videoblogging exceeds that by far.

A videoblog requires larger disk spaces on websites, a faster server, and a whole new set of programs to support it. Videoblogs can be fed through RSS. This is technology of syndicating your website to other RSS aggregators.

Videoblogging works with people on the internet expressing their selves. Now if you put this on a business prospective, you are up to a lot of benefits. Think of it as a powerful tool in making showing your prospective customers your line of products or your services. It’s just like showing a commercial all for free. And if you videoblog through RSS, then most probably you are getting your target market.

People like to see what they are going to buy. Some would like to see proof and be sure that they are getting their money’s worth before shelving their dimes on it. All of us know the influence of a thirty second commercial. The effect of videoblogging is similar to that. You show your product, people watch it. If they like it, they buy it. If you present it good enough, they’ll buy the product even if they don’t need it.

Now on the web, things are pretty much static, unlike in television in which all are moving. If you post something that is mobile, it would most likely catch attention. Now imaging your product parading in all it’s royalty through videoblog. You’ll get phone call orders in no time.

If your business is just starting up, you can create a videoblog right at your own home. All you need is your web camera, microphone, video software, and lights. For as long as you know how to use your camera, then you can create a videoblog.

Invest in a good web camera. The higher its resolution is the better the output. And you like to present your goods in the optimum way so get the best one possible. Make a short story, or just capture your goods in one go. Just make sure you are getting the best profile for each. Get those creativity juices flowing.

Lights are important in a production. Make sure you illuminate entirely the area you are going to use to create videoblog. The brighter the area, the crispier the images will be. You can also use lighting effects for added appeal to the presentation.

Should you require sounds for your videoblog, you need a microphone. Record you voice as a voice over for promoting the product and its benefit to consumers. Sounds are as important as videos on a videoblog. It is advisable to make your sound effects as enticing as the video.

Your video editing software can be any program. You need this to finalize your work. You can add sounds, delete some bad angles, or insert some still pictures in there too. Some programs are user-friendly and can be used even with zero knowledge on video editing. Even simple video editing programs should do the trick. Select your background carefully too. The light affects the presentation so make sure that the background and the light complements each other.

Videoblogging is a great tool but it also has it downside. It may slow down the computer so other may steer clear of it. Download time may also be time consuming especially if customer is still on a dial- up connection.

But don’t let those stop you. Let videoblogging be an alternative for you, though it is best to still keep the text and pictures present in your presentation to accommodate all possible viewers of your site.

Nowadays, the more creative you are in presenting your product to the market, they more you are likely to succeed. Videoblogging offers an interactive way of selling. You involve the customers. You instill in them the advantage of your goods. And at times, those are enough to make a sale.

How to Use Authentication When Synchronising to a NTP Server by David Evans

Network Time Protocol (NTP) is used to advertise time to network time clients on an IP network. NTP is a UDP based protocol that is used to synchronise system time on network devices. This article describes how to utilise NTP authentication to authenticate a time reference when synchronising network time clients to a NTP server.
NTP Server Authentication
NTP is used to provide an accurate time reference for time critical processes. Therefore, NTP can pose a security risk if malicious users attempt to modify or replicate a timestamp to create a false time on a network device.
NTP authentication is intended to overcome security risks by ensuring that any response received from an NTP server has actually come from the intended reference. The client sends a request for time to a NTP server. The NTP server responds to the client with a timestamp along with one of a number of agreed encrypted keys. On receipt of the timestamp, the client un-encrypts the key and verifies it against a list of trusted keys. The client can then be sure that the received timestamp was indeed transmitted from the intended NTP server. NTP utilises MD5 encryption (Message Digest Encryption 5), which is a 128-bit cryptographic hash function, which outputs a fingerprint of the key. MD5 is a highly secure encryption, widely used on forums and by online communities for authentication purposes.
NTP Keys
NTP keys are codes that are encrypted on both the server and client that are used to identify the NTP server. NTP keys are stored in a file usually called 'ntp.keys'. Each key consists of a key number, an encryption code and the key itself.
E.g. NTP server keys:
1 M secret 5 M SeRvEr 7 M TiMeLy 10 M MYKEY 11 M TroPical 14 M MaGic
The key number acts as a reference to the specified key. The encryption code specifies the type of encryption to be utilised, e.g. 'M' for MD5 encryption. The actual keys must be identical on both the client and the NTP server. The client may utilise a sub-set of the keys specified on the NTP Server. The keys are case sensitive.
E.g. client keys:
5 M SeRvEr 7 M TiMeLy 10 M MYKEY 14 M MaGic
Trusted Keys
Trusted keys are specified in the NTP configuration file, 'ntp.conf'. Trusted keys specify which subset of keys are currently activeand can be used by the NTP server. This allows a sub-set of trusted keys to be selected from a potentially large keys file. Trusted keys are selected using the 'trusted-keys' configuration command.
E.g.
trusted-keys 5 7 14
This specifies that keys with the key references of 5, 7 and 14 are currently trusted and can be used by the NTP installation.
Summary
Essentially, authentication is used by the client to authenticate that the NTP server is who he says he is, and that no rogue server intervenes. The key is encrypted and sent to the client by the server where it is unencrypted and checked against the client keys to ensure a match.

Mind Your Manners When Using Your Cellular Phone by Mary Lorainne

Cellular phone use has dramatically increased over the years. This could be attributed to the fact that people have realized the advantage of having one as you can basically contact anyone or you can practically be reached on important matters whatever be your location. The mass production of cellular phones has made these devices more affordable for people to buy. The market is filled with a wide variety of models and brands to suit every budget from the high-end units to those that are cheap.
But if we try to observe our surroundings it seems that the people all around us are not practicing proper etiquette when it comes to using their mobile devices. Manners are becoming unacceptable. Where ever we go, several mobile phones always ring and they somehow disturb others. We find cellular phones ringing at funerals, weddings, public performances, during meetings, interviews and even at places of worship where people are sincerely praying. It seems that people are increasingly becoming impolite when it comes to using their cellular phones. What's worse is that some talk in very loud voices enabling other people to overhear their private conversation.
It is time that people learn some manners when it comes to using their mobile devices. When you are at a meeting, dinner, or even class turn your cellular phone off or put it in silent or vibration mode to avoid disrupting what you are attending. Most mobile devices are equipped with caller id and missed calls are registered. You wouldn't have to worry about not being able to return a call after. If it is very important that you take the call, excuse yourself and proceed to a private or isolated location to take it.
Never make calls when inside museums, theaters, libraries, places of worship and when attending performances like stage plays, symphony concerts, etc. Avoid using loud and irritating ring tones so as not to annoy other people. When making calls make your conversation private by speaking in a low tone. I don't think other people would be interested in listening to your affairs. You should be aware of your company's regulations with regards to the use of cellular phones at work. It is important that you do not use your mobile phone when not allowed to so as to avoid being reprimanded.
The increased use in cellular phones should go together with the increased practice of etiquette and good manners towards others in using cell phones.

Replace your desktop with a laptop by Elizabeth Lord

Gone are the days when a businessperson needed a desktop at work, a desktop at home, and a large, cumbersome laptop for travel. With the steady march of technology come lighter, more portable laptops with higher performance than ever before. Processors are advanced enough on almost any laptop to consider completely doing away with your desktop PC altogether.
For the gamers out there, laptops have always been too slow and too far behind the technological bandwagon to consider replacing your gaming computer with one. Now, however, laptops are being designed with the gamer in mind with faster processors, bigger screens, and high end graphics.
For the student going off to school, a small, lightweight laptop means that you can take your laptop to class with you to take notes as fast as you can type (which is often a lot faster than you can write), and be sure that they will always be legible. Additionally, laptops can have planner features to help you remember when that next assignment is due, and you will never lose your notes or keep them in a disorganized pile. Even if the rest of your life is a little hectic, keeping a laptop as your new PC can help your grades considerably.
If you decide that it is worth the investment to be able to bring your laptop to work and home with you, technology is allowing for easy set-up of your laptop with a docking station that makes time-consuming plugs a thing of the past.
There are so many benefits to consider to using a laptop as your new desktop computer. These include:
1) having your work with you at all times2) creating far more desk and floor space now that your huge tower and monitor are gone3) the ability to work from any location with a wireless network set up
With the only negative aspects being: if you feel the need to have the most modern technology available, you will find it difficult to upgrade many laptops, and laptops are more expensive than a desktop because of the size and convenience.
Laptops for the Businessperson:* Dell Latitude D820* Acer TravelMate 4650* HP Compaq nx9420 (2.16GHz, 1GB RAM)* Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch)
The Dell laptop is an excellent business portable, and is priced around fifteen hundred dollars. It is one of the highest rated laptops for replacement of a PC, and the reviews call it perfect for the modern businessperson.
The Acer TravelMate is a great value for the price. It has a good battery life and nice processing power with all the features a home-office user will need. The Acer costs around twelve hundred dollars, making it the least expensive laptop on this list.
The third laptop, the HP Compaq, offers corporate caliber security according to the reviews, and has a nicely sized seventeen-inch screen for ease of use for those of us who stare at computer screens all day. This model is a lot more expensive, though, running between two thousand and twenty-two hundred dollars.
Last on our list, the Apple PowerBook delivers the features and power that most users require, but at two thousand dollars is more expensive than comparable Windows laptop. Still, it is a good option for replacing your bulky desktop PC.
Laptops for the Gamer:* Dell XPS M1710* Toshiba Satellite P105-S921* Toshiba Qosmio G25-AV513* HP Pavilion zd8000
Hard core gamers will appreciate the Dell XPS, which will play the newest games at the highest settings. Running at thirty-four hundred dollars, though, this laptop does not come cheap. With all the technology packed into this case, it will at least be a long time before you need an upgrade.
The Toshiba Satellite offers lots of features for an affordable price, but will not play the most intensive games at their highest performance levels. This is still a wonderful machine, and will cost about two thousand dollars.
The Toshiba Qosmio is designed to deliver the most high-quality multimedia experience available in a laptop. The Qosmio combines TV, DVR, stereo, DVD player, and high-performance PC in one big laptop. Replace your entire entertainment system (except maybe the speakers) for anywhere from fourteen hundred to twenty-four hundred. It seems like shopping around for this model might be well in your best interests.
The HP Pavilion's price is a relief at only twelve hundred dollars, is powerful and can play many of the newer games, if not quite the newest according to reviews.
Accessories to Consider
These laptops are all wonderful replacements for the bulky desktop computer sitting in your home office right now. There are just a few more things you need to make your laptop absolutely perfect for your office or game room.
When you go on the road all you need is your laptop and power cable, but when you bring your computer back home, you might feel more comfortable using an external keyboard, mouse, and monitor. The hook-ups for these can be painful if you have to do it frequently, but a docking port takes away the stress by mirroring all the ports, plugs, and slots on your laptop.
The first accessory that everyone should consider is a docking port. Especially wonderful for business users, these ports hook up to your printer, scanner, keyboard, monitor, mouse, network cables, power source, and any other gadgets you need them to. Instead of connecting a dozen or more wires and cables every time you move your laptop, push the laptop into the docking port and one little connection brings you back online with everything you need.
The rest of the accessories suggested here are just options, so we'll be brief. An external mouse, keyboard, and monitor might make you more comfortable at your desk, and a joystick or controller of another sort might be essential to the hardcore gamers.
No matter what you are considering your new laptop for, replacing your space-eating desktop PC is a move that you will never regret. Your new laptop will be portable, powerful, and just more fun because of all the things you can do with it. Save yourself some time and effort and consider replacing your PC with a laptop.

Unlimited Software Downloads: Data Recovery by mike

Data Recovery
Data Recovery Information
How Secure Are Online Data Backups? Processing DATA is what all businesses do. Protecting data is what SMART businesses do.
Offsite Data Backup Not Just for Fortune 500 Companies Anymore In today's high paced digital world there is a very high value placed on information. Not just the kind of information you read in the newspaper or your favorite trade journals, but the type of information that we generate on a day to day basis with our digital devices.
Online Data Backups for Newbies How long have you been doing business online? Whether you are new or an old timer you need to understand the one important truth of the e-world. That being that the largest threat to business survival is data loss.
Disaster Recovery Made Easy With Online Backups Whenever disaster strikes the most critical asset that every company should have protected from sudden loss due to fire, flooding, or theft is their data. No matter what happens to your hardware you can be sure to be able to be up and running no matter how sudden or how severe your damage or loss is - if you use an online backup system.
Big Time Disaster Recovery Solutions Available for the Little Guy There was a time - not too long ago - that Data Disaster Recovery solutions were available only in the domain of multinational corporations and big business in general. However, with the proliferation of high speed internet access and the ability to store large amounts of data in a much more cost effective manner due to plummeting storage costs, the ability to perform a secure backup of data to a remote location engineered specifically for the purpose of securely storing massive amounts of information is now in the reach of the general public.
Hard Drive Crash? The Essential Data Recovery Report Your worst nightmare just became a horrifying reality. You keep hearing that little voice in your head mockingly shout "you should have backed that stuff up" The voice keeps echoing throughout your head as you perform a quick inventory all of the important information that you just lost?.
Data Recovery - What Not to Do! Data recovery is a tricky thing, and if you've somehow deleted or had your important files corrupted or lost due to human error, business espionage, faulty hardware or software or any other reason; the good news is that your lost data is probably recoverable. This article will show you a few things NOT to do when an event such as this occurs.
Data Recovery - You Can Get It Back! Data recovery is a process whereby you can save data and files you accidentally deleted, had eaten by malicious software or viruses, hardware failures, corporate espionage and many more scenarios. Most people believe that when the hard drive crashes their world ends also, but that's not usually the case.
Data Recovery The Easy Way If you aren't prepared in advance, you will most likely have to use a data recovery service or data recovery software solution to help get back as much as you can of what was lost. This can be a very good idea if there is no other way to recover your files, but it doesn't have to come to that in most cases.

Worm creeps into computers via USB ports by Btv Raj

Security Experts at MicroWorld Technologies inform that they are witnessing increased incidents of a Worm with Trojan capabilities infecting Enterprise systems and home computers, in the last two weeks.
The Worm 'Win32.Agent.wj' copies itself to the root folder of USB flash Drives, MP3 players or other removable storage devices in the machine. Then the worm moves on to create 'autorun.inf' configuration file which activates the malicious code as soon as the infected drive is plugged into another computer.
Every time an infected computer is started Win32.Agent.wj too is run automatically and a text in Chinese is displayed on the desktop for some time. Internally, the malware conceals itself with the help of Windows "SetFileAttributes" and tries to evade detection.
"Malware writers are continuously searching for new devices and vectors for spreading their nasty creations into as many computers as possible," says Govind Rammurthy, CEO of MicroWorld Technologies. "This one seems to be affecting Enterprises particularly just as one and all have suddenly woken up to the exceptional convenience and easy portability that thumb drives offer. And no wonder it provides an equally easy mode of malware proliferation for Virus writers as well".
The threat of Trojans and Worms targeting USB Drives and other removable devices to advance their cause poses a clear and present threat to the Data Integrity of Enterprises. As the line between the office, home and a hotel room continues to blur for the executive living on the fast track of business, it's very important that he or she employs adequate safeguard against all sorts of malicious programs, Govind Rammurthy adds.
MicroWorld protects organizations and Enterprises against a wide spectrum of security threats with futuristic technologies and advanced products. Powered by the MWL technology, eScan from MicroWorld Technologies provides round the clock protection for Servers and Desktops against Virus, Worm, Trojan, Adware, Spyware, Spam, Phishing and content security issues.
The recently launched MailScan 5 from MicroWorld is the world's most advanced security software for Mail Servers. MailScan blocks malicious programs in emails at the Mail Server level itself while it also uses a revolutionary technology named NILP that works on the principles of Artificial Intelligence to weed out spam and Phishing mails.
MicroWorld
MicroWorld Technologies (www.mwti.net) is the developer of the world's most advanced AntiVirus, Content Security and Firewall software eScan, MailScan, and eConceal. MicroWorld Winsock Layer (MWL) is the revolutionary technology that powers most of MicroWorld products enabling them to achieve several certifications and awards by some of the most prestigious testing bodies, notable among them being Virus Bulletin, Checkmark, TUCOWS, Red Hat Ready and Novell Ready.

Nude Digital Photography by Low Jeremy

Nudity is an art form even in the time of the Greeks. This can be seen in the various statues that were made which depicted the Gods to the paintings done by sculptors and painters until today. Not everyone is talented in doing this so people who want to excel in this art form will use the camera and bring this out.
Nude photography can be done showing either half or the entire body. This can be done in various poses and locations, which has made people perceive this to be pornography. There are no rules classifying one from the other and this will all depend on the opinion of the viewer.
Anyone can shoot a nude model using a camera. In order to save time, more professionals prefer to use a digital model so that an image can be taken again if the proper lighting was not achieved.
This also allows the specialist to shoot more than a hundred shots in one session without the need to change the film that was done conventionally in the past.
Point and shoot is the only way to get the desired image. First timers who want to get into the business of photography are advised to use digital cameras because the user an adjust the settings to get the right contract and color.
This will make the individual more focused in shooting at different angles instead of worrying how it will look when it is developed.
The key to getting the right nude photograph depends on three things. The first is a good digital camera. There are different brands out there and each of these can help start the artist's career.
The second is the model. This person should be someone who is open and comfortable being nude in front of the camera. Some people have shot the woman with clothes on first before deciding to take it all off.
The location is not that hard to find compared to the first two. This is can be done anywhere such as the beach or the park because natural light can really bring out the skin color of the model.
Nude photography may have some erotic element every time someone sees it. This just proves that sex sells and magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse among others are making a lot of money from it.
Those who want to start a career in nude digital photography should use these three elements and become famous from it.

Director by John King

The time for Computer Forensic and Cyber Investigations training is now. The simple definition of Computer Forensics, "is the use of specialized techniques for recovery, authentication, and analysis of electronic data when a case involves issues relating to reconstruction of computer usage, examination of residual data, authentication of data by technical analysis or explanation of technical features of data and computer usage. Computer forensics requires specialized expertise that goes beyond normal data collection and preservation techniques available to end-users or system support personnel. Computer forensics is done in a fashion that adheres to the standards of evidence that are admissible in a court of law. Thus, computer forensics must be techno-legal in nature rather than purely technical. Our intensive instructor led course is designed to give a solid foundation in the theory and practice of essential computer forensic techniques. High-profile cases of corporate malfeasance and increased attention paid to cyber crime and cyber terrorism have elevated electronic evidence discovery to an indispensable component of any organization's security plan. The demand for computer forensics investigators is HOT.Several labor forecasts predict a shortfall of nearly 50,000 within the IS security profession, too. The time for Computer Forensic and Cyber Investigations training is now. With advanced skills, Computer Forensics professionals are among the technology industry's highest-paid workers, according to a recent survey by the System Administration Networking and Security Institute. Who Should Attend Anyone involved in the security of Information Assets including: Information Security Officers, Information Security Managers, Computer Crime Investigators, IT Auditors, Consultants, Systems and Network Administrators, Law Enforcement Investigators, lawyers, HR Managers, and others interested in information security are welcome. Prerequisites: Students must ideally have some work experience in any of the following three areas: Computer and software support, Computer networking or Information security
Courses we offer: Introduction to Computer Forensics - 4 days
How to Create Images and Forensic Imaging Methodologies - 2 days Email Investigations - 2 days
Server Investigations - UNIX, Windows, Linux - 2 days
Advanced Forensics (Network Based Investigations) - 4 days
Hacking Countermeasures - Certified Ethical Hacking (CEH) - 5 days Why Choose KCI for Computer Forensic Training? * Our courses emphasize technique and methodology, regardless of the software package used. * Recovering Data from a "Live System" * Real World Training Environment * The training environments are interactive * Work on case files in a hands-on environment. * Learn the Latest Techniques * Experienced Investigators Teach The Courses * Small Class Size * Vendor Neutral - Learn To Use Many Forensic Tools
The information learned in class will have an immediate impact upon return to work.
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be prepared to obtain certification in the Computer Forensics field.

What To Do If Your Mobile Phone Is Stolen by Armughan Riaz

Loosing a mobile phone is not an uncommon thing for anyone in this world. You must have heard that your friend or any other person forget his or her phone in a hotel, car, garden, park. and when he or she goes to pick up phone, mobile phone was not there where he or she left it. Now what to do if your mobile phone is stolen.
In many countries like Uk, there is mobile phone database, which can prevent lost or stolen mobile phones from being used on any mobile network, thus these stolen mobile phones are worthless to anyone. This system exactly works like a stolen credit card, whenever you loose your credit card, you simply make a phone call to your requisite bank to deactivate your credit card. Similar is the case with mobile phones, you call your service provider and give them a specific number to deactivate your stolen mobile phone. This system applies to both prepay and postpaid packages.
Every mobile in this world has a unique code called as International mobile equipment identity (IMEI Number). This is a unique serial number of every mobile phone. If you provide this serial number to your network operator, they will deactivate your stolen mobile phone. No one can use your mobile phone even if the person who has stolen your mobile, insert new sim in the mobile. This mobile will be useless for all networks or service providers. All mobile network operators will deactivate or disable the phone by reference to the unique IMEI nomber of the mobile phone.
Now question is how to get this IMEI number? This number can normally be found under the battery of mobile phone (looking something like 004400/01/123456/7). You can also get this number from the phone software, by entering following usefull code. Simply write down on your mobile phone following code.* # 0 6 #
A 15 digit code will appear on the screen after pressing send button, or in some phones it comes automatically just by writing * # 0 6 #. So whenever you buy a mobile phone, get this code from the battery or simply write above code on your phone and get IMEI number.
After this record this 15 digit IMEI number and your phone number on your personal note book, place this book at a safe place and thats it. Now suppose if you lost your phone, make a call to your service provider and give them your phone number and this particular key,i.e IMEI number. They will deactivate your stolen mobile phone. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones
Remember your mobile phone is very valuable for you. You may have very important data stored in it. So take care of your mobile phones. Don't use your mobile in crowded areas or where you might feel unsafe. Govenment is trying to encourage mobile phone companies to give more options for improving mobile phone security.
So remember this simple code * # 0 6 #. Tell all your friends and colleagues to get IMEI number with the help of this code. If all of us simply follow this tip of making mobile secure, believe me no one will try to steal anyone's mobile phone.
Send these beautiful mobile phone smsFunny sms, Love sms, Friendship sms, Birthday sms for mobile to your friends and colleagues.

Protect Your Computer Data by Daniel Millions

Computer data can be very important to us, especially those of us who make a living on the computer. Over the last several years, the computer has grown on all of us, making our lives so much easier. For that very reason, it's easy to tell that if we lost our computer data, it would completely destroy a majority of us.
Losing data can be an overwhelming thought to say the least. Computers store data, although machines have been known to fail. Even though the computer has become a lot more reliable over the years, it is virtually impossible to prevent computers from losing data.
You don't need to take this lying down through, as you can indeed fight back. The ideal way to ensure that you never lose your precious data, is to back it up and keep backing it up. You should back up your computer data at least once a week, with once per day being the recommended way to do it.
In the past, and even some today, the floppy disc is the main method used to back up computer data. Even though they store a small amount of data, they are easy to access, easy to use, and nearly every computer has one.
Those of you who are looking to take things to the next level should look into backing up your entire hard drive. Backing up your entire hard drive is something that everyone should do, as it is indeed one of the best and most reliable ways to backup your computer.
When you create a backup of your entire hard drive, it will copy all of your information, so if something happens you'll always have your data. Doing a full backup of your hard drive is great, although it can be very time consuming. To make matters worse, it is recommended that you create a backup at least once a week. On the other hand, if what you have on your computer is very important, you'll find it more than worth the effort and time needed to back things up.
Another way you can back up your data, programs, and files, is to burn them directly to a data CD or DVD. This way, you can select which files or folders you want to keep. If you use CD/RW or DVD/RW disks, you can continue to add information to them when you create a backup. If you don't use the RW (re-writable) media, then you won't be able to go back and add more information to the disc.
Burning data directly to discs are the method of backup that most people are using these days, although backing up the entire hard drive is the preferred way of backing up your data. If you plan to use discs, you'll need either a CD or DVD burner, which you can get for a great price these days. The discs are cheap as well, which only makes this method of backing things up that much better.
Whether it's for your business or for personal reasons, you can't go wrong backing up your data. You should always strive to back things up properly, as this will ensure that the data will always be there when you need it. This way, if you computer happens to crash or you lose everything on your hard drive, you'll always have your backup files to go back to. This in itself can save you a lot of time, effort, and quite possibly even money - just for the simple fact that the files are all but a copy away to restore.

Password Entropy and Length Correlations by Gary Hammock

Passwords are one of the oldest and most readily available methods of securing computers, data, and other information deemed sensitive. They are also one of the most sought after pieces of information by malicious crackers and other nefarious individuals. Passwords are a double-edged sword for those seeking to secure information--the data must be secure enough from unauthorized access, yet easily accessible for legitimate users.
Complicated passwords requiring a wide character set are a pain for users, yet simple passwords with long string lengths aren't entirely good enough. The best passwords are those that make good use of both string length and password entropy. Password entropy is the amount of variation of characters in the password. Think of a fair coin. One side of the coin is labeled "heads" while the other side of the coin is labeled "tails". On any given flip of the single coin, it is equally likely to have one of the two outcomes. This implies the coin flip situation has one bit of entropy.
Entropy is calculated as
h = L log2 W,
where W is defined as the character set width and L is defined as the password string length. By the nature of logarithms, the limit as W approaches infinity is equal to infinity. This means that a larger character set will give the password more entropy. Since for most uses and applications, passwords are bounded by a subset of the 256 extended ASCII set, namely the 94 printable characters of the standard ASCII set. Using W = 94 this gives an entropy of (6.555)L bits. This means that a password that contains the characters A-Z, a-z, 0-9, and the 32 "special" characters and punctuation will have an entropy of (6.555)L bits. Conversely a password that only uses 62 characters (namely those members of the set A-Z, a-z, and 0-9) will have an entropy of (5.954)L bits. This is a decrease of approximately ten percent. It is left to the reader to weigh the increased 10% entropy against the increased complexity seen by the user (i.e. is it worth the cost of increased password resets).
Keep in mind that these calculations assume no single byte is repeated. For example, the password, "password7" chosen from a set of the aforementioned 62 character set has an entropy, h, of 54 bits. If it is known by an attacker that there are two repeated characters in the password, the entropy is reduced to h = 48 bits. If it is known that the password only uses lowercase letters and the values 0-9, and that there are two repeated characters, the entropy, h = 42 bits.
Now assume that the password "{1seCRet}" is used with the larger, 94 character set. This password has an entropy, h = 59 bits. If it is known that there are two repeated characters, the entropy is reduced to 53 bits.
This shows that password strength is dependent upon implementation. Now compare the entropy and relative strength of the password, "MyLittleSEcReT40" from the 62 character set to the entropy and relative strength of the password, "7a*G4$Nb" from the 94 character set. (Many IT departments require passwords to have two uppercase letters, two lowercase letters, two numbers, and two "special" characters.) The password, "MyLittleSEcReT40" has an entropy h = 72 bits. The password, "7a*G4$Nb" has an entropy of 53 bits. In this example, the smaller character set has a larger password entropy than the larger set due to the length of the password (even with character repetition). For most people, "MyLittleSEcReT40" would be much easier to remember than "7a*G4$Nb" without the use of a mnemonic.
In summary, comparing the password string length to a constant entropy value. For instance,
(6.555)L94 = (5.954)L62yieldsL62 / L94 = 1.1
This means that for two passwords (one from each of the two character sets) to have the same entropy, the password from the 62 character set must have approximately 10% more non-repetitive characters. This means that a 9-unique-character password from the 62 character set has the same entropy as an 8-unique-character password from the 94 character set. It is left to the reader to determine password entropy versus password complexity as it applies to specific purposes. One primary factor in determining acceptable password entropy requirements is cost. It is prudent to determine which is greater, increased information technology support cost (for password resets), or the cost of leaking proprietary/confidential/personal data through improper password management.

Digital Cameras: More Than Just A Camera by Robert Coram

So you're ready to buy a digital camera? You've been leafing through the brochures and looking at all the models. Maybe you've been standing in front of a few shop windows and looking at the rows of glistening bodies ready for you to purchase and start making your own collection of superb digital photographs. You've probably been on the web, too, surfing around the websites of the various electronics and pure camera retailers. Now you just have to make your choice.
The first thing to remember as you sail into my-first-digital-camera land is that digital cameras are now cheaper than they have ever been. You can buy a model now for a reasonable price that just a few years ago would have cost a small fortune. You can have practically all the features you want and still not break the bank or come home with a wilted credit card.
The second thing to remember is that the beauty of digital means that the camera is not taken when the shutter button is pressed. What does that mean? Obviously, with a digital camera, you can retake the photo easily, and without having to waste roll upon roll of film.
But the really great thing about digital photography is the stuff you can do once the photo has been taken. Take that digital photograph and put it onto your computer, and then with a bit of software you can often transform a mediocre (or sometimes really bad) photograph into a winner, or at least into something passable. Photograph too dark? Lighten it easily. Photo too bright? Darken it easily! And change the contrast. Not to mention cropping the photograph in a million ways.
This is the real benefit of digital photography. Almost any photograph can be salvaged. And sometimes turned into something that you can really be proud of with just a little work!
Have fun shooting!

Podcast Audio Recording Tips by Sharon Housley

Before you begin podcasting develop a plan and a format for your show. Determine the focus of your podcast and what types of guests you would like to interview. Time spent planning your show will contribute to it's success.
Location, Location, Location When you are producing a podcast on a regular basis it is important that you select an appropriate location for the recording to take place. The location should be free of external distractions and relatively quiet. It is easiest if you use the same location each time, that way the equipment can remain in place and will not require moving or setup each time you produce a show.
The room should have a carpet or furniture that will absorb echoes and dampen the sound. The room should also have a door, so that you will not have unexpected interruptions. Reduce extraneous noise by turning off fans or any equipment. Consider hanging a note on the door, so that you will not be disturbed while recording.
Recording Away from Home When taking your podcast on the road it is equally important that the quality of the podcast is not compromised for the sake of portability. Consider using a directional microphone or finding a quiet alcove for interviews when on the road.
Equipment Make every effort to minimize background noise, at the very least use software that will allow you to edit out extraneous noises that occur while recording.
While Recording Before you begin recording sample different volumes and microphone distances and determine what levels result in the best recordings. To save time, do a test recording and listen to it prior to every show, this will help you catch anything that was inadvertedly unplugged. Spending a little more money on your microphone goes a long way.
Permissions and Contracts The legalities surrounding audio recording are a bit muddled. Regardless of what the legalities are in your region, it is best that you request permission prior to recording anyone!
When requesting an interview with a specific individual, be sure to tell them the topic of the show and give them an idea what types of questions to expect. Let them know how long the interview is planned for and the format of the show. Let prospective interviews know whether the broadcast will be edited or will the interview be broadcast live. It is always a good idea to provide interviewees a link to previous interviews. If the interviewee will require any specific equipment or software, provide them ample notice and do a test run to ensure that everything is working properly.
Interviews A little preparation goes a long way; if you have an interview scheduled, be sure to adequately prepare. Make sure that you can accurately pronounce the interviewers proper name, and ask them prior to the interview how they would like to be addressed. Research the interviewee and come up with a list of questions. In some cases it might be appropriate to provide the interviewee the list of questions prior to the interview, this will not only help them prepare but help them relax and prepare for their on-air debut. If you prefer not to tip your hand in providing the questions prior to the interview, then be sure that you have an idea of what their reaction and responses will be. Follow up questions should based on the interviewee's reactions to your queries. While broadcasting, use your research notes as talking points to direct the conversation. When you guest is talking let them explain their point of view; don't interrupt them unless there is a point to clarify.
Biographies of show guests should be included in the show notes or on the shows websites. Request the interviewee send a photo to be included along with the biography. After the show is published be sure to thank the interviewee and provide them a link to the finished interview along with instructions on how they can listen to the show.
Have Fun Use voice inflections to add emotion and passion to your comments and questions. Use music between segments not only does theme music create a brand and audio identity, it also helps transition one segment to another. Intro and outros can soften a podcast and give it a little extra polish. Introduce your podcast at the beginning and end of the show. Remind listeners who and what they are listening too. This is your opportunity to establish your audio brand. And finally have fun, listeners will be able to tell if your podcast is a labor of love or a painful rendition, keep your spirits up and your mood light!

What Is DRM? by John Roberts

DRM stands for Digital Rights Management, or as some people call it, Digital Restrictions Management. Put simply, DRM consists of various restrictions applied in music or video files, so their use (such as playback) can be controlled by a third party, usually the company holding the copyright for a song or movie. DRM is not just a copyright protection technique but a whole set of technologies that aim to implement the DRM strategy each distributor of digital content specifies. As an example, DRM can verify that the user that bought an audio file is actually the same user playing the file. DRM technology can also be used to limit the number of PCs a file can be played on. The major disadvantage of DRM is that these restrictions are not always clear when a user buys a digital product.
Which Multimedia Formats Support DRM?
If you're expecting to see MP3 in this list, guess again. Due to it's open nature, the MP3 standard is unable to support DRM. Furthermore, there is no centralized coordination in the development and evolution of the MP3 format so don't expect digital music stores to offer songs in the MP3 format.
Advanced Audio Coding: The AAC format, used by iTunes and iPod, is based on Apple's QuickTime. It was originally designed as a replacement of the MP3, and can actually compress files better than the MP3 format can.
Windows Media Audio: WMA is a closed-source standard of digital music. It was designed to compete with the MP3 but in reality, it's actually AAC's main competitor, especially with regards to DRM support and buying music online. The latest version of WMA offers similar quality to that of AAC and better than that of MP3 files. This means that much smaller files can have CD quality. WMA is based on the ADvanced System Format (ASF) which can integrate different streams of audio and video as long as they belong to the Windows Media family.
RealNetworks & Sony: Both of these companies offer music download services. Real mostly uses the AAC format with the Helix DRM system, while Sony uses the OpenMG DRM system on ATRAC3 files. It is expected that Sony will support other music formats in the future.
Limitations of iTunes and iPod
Finally, here are certain things that you should know about iTunes DRM:
1. Music you buy from iTunes can only be played on an iPod. 2. Files from iTunes can be played on an unlimited number of iPods. 3. iTunes allows you to download each song you buy only once and of course, you're not allowed to re-sell that song. 4. An iPod can also store and play non-DRM music files. 5. Any certified .m4p files can only be copied/played on 5 authorized computers. 6. Music you buy from iTunes can be copied to a CD without any DRM limitations. 7. A playlist consisting of songs you bought from iTunes can only be turned into a CD 7 times (you can make 7 CD copies of the list). 8. You are not allowed to convert a song to a different music format.

Windows Hosting Versus Linux Hosting - Which Is Right For You? by Neoone

There are literally hundreds of thousands of netting hosting companies out there. Many of these companies adduce both Windows hosting and Linux hosting plans. Windows plans usually equivalent supplementary since of the license costs imposed by Microsoft. Knowing this, how can you discern when you ravenousness Windows hosting and when Linux hosting entrust hoopla applicable as well or better? Keep reading to find out.
Windows operating systems are begin on relevant fancy 95% of all inherent computers in the world. With agnate a maraud dominance, Microsoft Windows is blessing of certainty to markedly deeper people looking for web hosting.
In the netting server creation though, Windows based servers are dilatory less than 20% of all websites on the internet. This is according to the late lacework server analyze from http://securityspace.com. By choosing a Linux hosting plan, you leave pride yourself in opportune company.
When finish you have to blessing Windows Hosting?
1. .NET technologies including http://ASP.net are not available on Linux platforms. If you have a website built with Microsoft .NET technologies you entrust have to round up a Windows hosting plan. In fact, if you itch ASP without .NET features, powerfully Linux hosting plans bring about not advance sustain for it.
2. Access Databases are unitary available with a Windows hosting plan. Access runs on a Microsoft Windows meaning and cannot beat on a Linux Operating system.
3. MSSQL is an vitality shapeliness database root out by Microsoft. If you avidity an commotion loveliness database trained are some alternatives that circuit on a Linux trick but if you rapaciousness Microsoft's MSSQL database, a Windows hosting plan will have to be your choice.
4. If you are using Microsoft's Sharepoint services relish some of the Sharepoint disposition activate in Frontpage 2003, a Windows Hosting going is your alone choice.
What is the headway to selection Linux Hosting?
All the leading services you motive to migration an movement comeliness website are available on Linux based systems for free. Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP are over used deep to protect the infrastructure unpunctual some of the strikingly traffic intensive sites on the internet.
PHP runs larger on a Linux server than on a Windows server. Having said that, unless you are putting a trying deadweight on your PHP scripts, this consign not be noticable.
In general, Linux hosting plans are at anterior 20% cheaper than Windows hosting plans. If you don't craze measure of the one's thing mentioned above, Linux hosting is a shapely superior for your needs.
For Microsoft peculiar technologies, Windows hosting plans are usually your finest bet. For everthing else, Linux hosting plans leave usually sign exorbitantly well. With the appraisal capital usually mount with Linux hosting plans, Linux hosting is usually the right more useful for you.
This fantasy was written by Joe Duchesne, baton of http://www.yowling.com/, a lattice hosting mission that offers Linux Hosting plans. Copyright 2004 Yowling. Reprint Freely as big league as you safeguard a clickable bracket traject to my website from this resource box.

Windows Vista, A Killer OS by Budi Febrianto

Windows Vista, A Killer OS
Yup, I mean in. Windows Vista, A killer OS (Operating system). It really will kills (you).
You can see windows Vista requirements at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista
/editions/systemrequirements.mspx
You see know, why I says Windows Vista: A Killer OS. It will kill your budget and wallet. If you have any plan to use one, you can say good bye to your old computer. Simple upgrading the memory simply not enough, this beast will require new processor and new graphic card too.
The rules is simple. If you wan to use it, buy a brand new computer with the latest hardware and huge amount of memory. Event the home basic edition require minimum of 512MB of memory, that just for the OS! If you need to run applications like MS Outlook 2007, that you need at least 1GB of memory. That minimum configuration. The 'Wow' starts now - that's True!.
These are just a few words about vista that I got from mailing list that I join. These people mostly computer consultant with years of expertise. I think I listens for what they says.
* I'm running Outlook 2007 on a dual Xeon 3.06Ghz (not HT either) with 4G of RAM and it still drags.
* I just tried Vista with the latest MS Office. It ran quite well. Of course, you have to have a system with the nuts to handle it. This was on a Dell with an Intel dual-core (3.8 Ghz I believe) system. Tons of memory. I would never use it on an outdated single core system with 512memory.
* I find Outlook 2007 to be MUCH slower than 2003. I'm am not impressedby Vista or Office 2007 so far.
* Yeah, and what will be the requirement in the next version on windows, a supercomputer, and that's just for basics :P
* Quad processor, 4 GB ram, 2GB will be used upon successful bootup. In order to have the cool graphics as MacOS XII, you will need an SLI-2x4 4 - GPU video card that costs twice as much as the motherboard and processor chip.
* I used Vista for a week on a laptop that was purchased within the last six months and branded as "Vista Ready!" It ran like crap, the driver support for the touchpad was abysmal, and it lived in virtual memory. I'll run XP until I can't anymore. After that, FreeBSD on the desktop is looking more and more attractive.
* I don't object to Microsoft taking advantage of the power of newer machines, but I do find it rather annoying in the case of Vista that the *requirements* for the OS are so high. I've seen nothing in Vista that justifies using so much machine for just the OS. I do need to run a Vista box so that I can be familiar with the thing when my clients call with questions about it.
* Currently I'm running Vista Ultimate on a Core 2 Extreme X6800 with 2G of very nice RAM and an X1950XTX graphics card. I have a very fast array of 3G SATA drives, and Vista does look pretty and it's quite snappy. But... The same box feels faster with XP SP2.
Sure they are also some good words about Microsoft Vista, but hey... I'm not gonna quote them. :)
I'm not yet running Windows Vista, but for the prices of the OS and the price for the new hardware, I think I never will.
I'm not prepare to buy a new computer, and I think many people are like me, have a tight budget. I think I will stick with my old notebook powered by Pentium III 733 Mhz with 512 MB, running dual boot nicely with Windows XP Home edition and with Open Suse 10.1.

Finding Free Antivirus Software by Michelle Bery

The advent of the computer, as anyone can tell you, certainly brought with it benefits of such proportions we could never have previously imagined them. But, as with anything, the good always comes with the bad. The computer, while handing us the world, has also exposed us to the dangers of it. Part of the danger, exclusive to the operation of computers, is exposure to viruses that can wipe out our hard drives, render our software unusable, and in some cases, completely eradicate normal function of our computers. For most of us, who store personal, professional, and even legal information on our computers, virus exposure can be devastating. Luckily, most people employ the use of antivirus software that protects our computers from attack; much like hiring a bodyguard. And while some software can come at a hefty price, there is free antivirus software available on the market today.
Free antivirus software can protect your computer without you having to pay a large price for software purchase or download. This free antivirus software should protect your computer from all forms of viruses and prevent the entry of anything that will damage your internal and external systems.
Keep in mind however, that free antivirus software still comes at a price. And the price is being unsure as to the quality and effectiveness of the software. Reputable computer and software manufacturers all offer their own variety of antivirus software available for purchase. And because of their standing in the industry - and the fact that you are paying for the software - the quality of the product is assured. Manufacturers of this sort have a vested interest in standing behind their products and designing software that will effectively protect and serve their customers.
Those companies - mostly found on the Internet - that offer free antivirus software do so at risk to the consumer. If getting free antivirus software makes the most sense for your financial position right now, then do so with consideration to the reputation and reliability of the company.
Free antivirus software will provide you with a minimum of protection in the short run; but when you are able, you should invest in proper and thorough antivirus protection.

Registry Smart: The Importance of an Error-Free PC by Chris Wight

I work at an interactive marketing agency in the Boston area. For those of you who don't know, working at an agency means long hours and late nights. Being a bit of a techie guy, I have a pretty advanced setup at home, at least to the point that I'm still running Windows and not Linux, but that's another story. So I spend a lot of nights working from home on projects for my Fortune 1000 clients, and that means tight deadlines and a lot of money on the table. It also means that I depend on my computer, a lot, so it needs to be running in tip-top shape.
I didn't always take such good care of my computer, however. One particular evening, I was working on a project and the unthinkable happened. It was late, very late, and had spent the better part of an evening at my computer. I was getting ready to call it a night and decided to take one last look at my presentation. When I went to open it, however, I received an error window and my computer shut off. Upon restarting, I got another error and the computer turned off again, before it even finished booting windows! Now I had a problem on my hands. Several hours of work on a presentation were being held hostage on my computer, and this was due in the morning. It took a couple hours of tinkering before I could copy the file to another location and retrieve it there, but thankfully I got it.
The next day, when I had some time to address the cause of the error instead of just frantically trying to rescue data, I managed to get windows to finishing loading. After that, however, I was lost. I had o idea what was causing the error or how to fix it. I really didn't want to reinstall windows or buy a new computer, so I started doing some research online. It was then that I learned about registry cleaners. Registry cleaners scan your Windows registry for invalid entries that inevitably happen over time. These invalid entries cause many of the problems that most people have with their computers. Whether it's running slow, giving you error messages or shutting down suddenly, all this can usually be fixed by repairing your Windows registry.
I've now invested in a registry cleaner, called Registry Smart, which I use on a regular basis to keep my computer running smoothly. I no longer have any computer trouble, which gives me the peace of mind to focus on what's really important, my clients!

Why Do Computer Users Need Backup by Makabongwe Maseko

First what's the meaning of backup? Back up is the name given to diskettes, or disks that can store copies of programs and then stored elsewhere.
Even with the best of care, any disk can suddenly fail for reasons you can't understand. Many computer users have found themselves unable to retrieve data from disks that worked perfectly the day before, because some defect has damaged a single track or small sector. Hard disks do crash. Any personal computer system can be hit by power overloads, water or misconducts.
Thus, users and big or small companies should always think about backup. The best protection if you're writing, designing, researching something is to make two copies of your data. One copy may be on your hard disk, certainly, but duplicates should be on tape, disks or removable hard disks cartridges, recordable CD-ROMs or flash drives.
If you are backing up less than 10MB, you can use diskettes since that is the most they can take, if you are backing up more than 10MB, then a tape, disks or flash drives can be more efficient. If you work with files daily, then you would be most secure if you backed up all your files every day. If you work with files only occasionally, you need to determine how often backup is needed. And remember to keep the backup media in a different place. If your computer system and your backup disks are in the some structure and the place burns down, your backup is obviously worthless. So consider moving them to a different place or location.
Some microcomputer software programs provide automatic backup. One program would be with Colorado scheduler. What you do is you insert your disk in the disk drive and with a single mouse click on the Colorado scheduler icon, the computer takes care of the backup.
Almost all large computer systems have scheduled automatic backup of either full backup or only those files that have changed since the last backup session.
You should note that some storage media's last longer than others. We have seen tapes deteriorate day by day. And will eventually deteriarate in the next 5 years. But this also depends on how it's stored. Hard disks cartridges have shelf life of about 10 years, according to most hard disks manufactures. You can get MO drives but they are more expensive yet also more durable.
The life span of a CD-ROM disk is almost unlimited. Thus you need to archive your backup material before deciding on a storage medium.
Now, be sure to have a timed backup strategy. By this, if you add and change data every day, set your backup software (if you have one) to back up those files every night. And you could keep two storage cartridges: a working one and one stored in safe place. Then exchange the cartridges on weekly bases.
Backing up your information and research has to be a must in your life. If you have not lost any work due to computer crushes, disk damage, or viruses then you better backup you data before it happens. Don't wait for it to happen to you.

Windows Vista Top 10 Tips and TricksBy Zoran Petrovic

1. Power button default action
The default action for the Power button on the start menu in Windows Vista is Sleep, which isn’t necessarily useful for everybody. You can configure this setting easily by using the advanced power settings panel, which is a little tricky to get to normally, but we’ll take the shortcut. Open a command prompt (type cmd into the start menu search bar), and then type in the following: powercfg.cpl,1. You could also take the long route (Control Panel Power Options Change Plan Settings Change Advanced Power Settings) Once you get to this dialog, browse down as shown to “Power buttons and lid”
From here, you can change the options:
Power button action - Changes the hardware power button action
Start menu power button - Changes the power button on the Start Menu You can change the power button to either Sleep, Hibernate or Shut Down, or even nothing for the hardware power button.
2. Hide Desktop Icon Text on Windows Vista
Some icons are just obvious enough that nobody should need text below them to tell them what the icon is for. A good example of this is the icon for Internet Explorer. We’re all really used to it by now, and the text just makes it ugly. Just right-click on the shortcut, and choose Rename. Now hold down the Alt key and type in 255 on the keypad to the right of the keyboard. You can’t use the number keys right above the keyboard, they won’t work. If you have a laptop, you can turn on numlock and then use the little number keys next to the regular letters. (You know you always wondered what they were for)
For the first shortcut on the desktop, a simple Alt+255 will do. For the next shortcut, you’ll have to enter the combination twice (Alt+255, Alt+255). For the third, 3 times… you get the idea. The way this works is that the Alt+255 character is blank, so the shortcut filename is actually just named with a character that is completely blank. Since you can’t have two shortcuts or files named the exact same thing, the second shortcut will have to be named with two blank characters.
Now we have a sweet looking icon on the desktop, with no bothersome text beneath it. If you use this tip to rename a folder, you will not be able to rename the folder back using the right-click rename. I’m not sure why this is. What you’ll have to do is open a command prompt and change directory into the containing folder (For instance, the desktop folder), and run this command: ren “Alt+255” “NewFolderName” You will need to actually type the Alt+255 characters where illustrated in the command. It will appear as a space. Note that the Recycle Bin icon won’t work this way.
3. Enable Hidden BootScreen in Windows Vista
The Windows Vista BootScreen is pointless, but Microsoft decided to hide a more visually appealing boot screen that can easily be enabled with very little trouble. I’m not sure why they didn’t make the boot screen better.
1) Press Win+R, type msconfig and press Enter.
2) If User Account Control prompts you to allow the action, click on Continue.
3) In the "System Configuration" window, click on the Boot tab.
4) Select your Windows Vista installation and under "Boot options", check "No GUI boot". Press OK.
5) In the dialog that appears, check "Don’t show this message again", and then click on Restart.
6) Your computer will now reboot, and you will see the Aurora boot screen with text that says "Starting Windows Vista".
Note: You may get a Windows Defender error on the next startup. You can enable the system config utility using the tray icon and this error will go away.
4. Fix for COM Surrogate Has Stopped Working Error in Vista
If you’ve been getting the error COM Surrogate has stopped working whenever you browse folders containing Divx avi files, it looks like the latest Divx update to codec version 6.5 fixes the issue, but it also seems to remove the thumbnails. If you want to upgrade, just use the divx update checker to grab the new version. Looks like it’s finally fixed, at least the error message is now gone, although I really wish they would have just gotten the thumbnails working instead.
If you are using Nero, you will need to update to version 7.7.5.1 to fix the problem. I think this is the source of the error for most people.
If you’ve upgraded Nero and Divx and still have the problem, you can try renaming the file C:Program FilesCommon FilesAheadDSFilterNeVideo.ax to NeVideo.ax.bak This will break Nero Showtime, however.
5. Stop an Application from Running at Startup in Windows Vista
Back in the old days, there were a lot of places an application could hook itself to run at startup. You had to check the registry in more than one place, as well as your start menu. With Windows Vista, there’s a built-in panel that handles all that for you. To quickly get to this panel, you can open Control Panel, and then type “startup” into the search box. The link for “Stop a program from running at startup” shows up immediately. You could have also opened Windows Defender and fooled around with the menus until you find the right spot, but this seems quicker to me. Now you can see the Windows Defender screen that lets you manage the startup programs. You can choose to Remove or just Disable any startup item using this panel, as well as lots of other useful information so that you can see what each item is.
6. Emptying Windows Vista Temp Files Directory
Windows Vista Disk Cleanup wizard is really not all that bad, but I did find a small problem with it… It doesn’t fully empty your temp folder. It only allows you to delete temporary files that haven’t been modified in a week. If you’ve recently done a lot of editing or something that generates large temporary files, you may want to manually clean up. Just type in %TEMP% into the start menu search box, and hit enter. You’ll immediate be taken to the temporary files folder, where you can delete whatever you feel like.
7. Disable User Account Control(UAC) For Administrators Only
If you can’t stand the User Account Control prompts, but you’d still like to retain a little bit of security, you can disable it for Administrator accounts only. What we’ll be doing is actually changing Windows Vista to automatically elevate the privilege level for administrators without prompting. The nice thing about doing it this way is that regular users as well as Internet Explorer still run as regular users, and would still use the normal security mechanisms. To configure this setting on Windows Vista Business and Ultimate, you can use the Local Security Policy configuration.
Just type in secpol.msc into the Start menu search box and hit enter.
Now browse down to Local Policies Security Options
Find the following in the list: “User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in Admin Approval Mode” and double-click on it.
Change the setting to “Elevate without prompting”. You should be all done. This is an easier method that you can use to do the same thing from the GUI interface.
Open up Control Panel, and type in user account into the search box.
You’ll see the link for “Turn User Account Control (UAC) on or off”. Click it.
Uncheck the box, and reboot your computer. You should be done with obnoxious prompts!
8. Using Windows Vista System Restore
Windows Vista has a feature called System Restore that automatically backs up registry and system files whenever you install new software or drivers. This feature is useful when you install evil software that makes your computer run really slow. But don’t worry, System Restore won’t remove Windows Vista.
Using System Restore in Windows Vista
There are two places that you can use the system restore feature from. From within Windows, you can just type restore into the Start menu search box, and you’ll immediately see System Restore at the top of the start menu, or you can type rstrui into the search box and hit enter. Your choice. You will immediate see a screen where you can choose to roll back the system to the last restore point. You can select “Recommended restore”, and just click next, or you can choose a different restore point. If you do choose a different restore point, you will see a list of restore points that you can choose from. Click one of them, and you will have to confirm and then restart your computer to roll the system back. If your system won’t boot If you can’t even get into windows, you can boot off the installation dvd, and choose the “Repair your computer” option on the lower left hand side. Click next on the next screen. Now choose System Restore from the System Recovery dialog. It will take a few seconds to come up, and you will see the same screen that you would see in Windows. Click next, and on the next screen select the drive that your copy of Windows Vista is installed on. Click Finish, and Vista will roll back to the previous restore point. Really pretty simple stuff. I absolutely recommend keeping the system restore feature on in Vista !
9. Verify the Integrity of Windows Vista System Files Windows Vista includes a utility that will scan your system for corrupt, changed or missing system files. Running this from the command prompt is much easier than booting off the dvd into repair mode. To run this utility, you will need to open a command prompt in administrator mode. You can do that by right clicking the Command Prompt in the list and choose "Run as Administrator" Once you have an administrator command prompt open, you can run the utility by using the following syntax: SFC [/SCANNOW] [/VERIFYONLY] [/SCANFILE=] [/VERIFYFILE=] [/OFFWINDIR= /OFFBOOTDIR=] The most useful command is just to scan immediately, which will scan and attempt to repair any files that are changed or corrupted. You can run that command with this command: sfc /scannow
10. Disable Hibernation & delete the Hibernation file
Windows places a file on your hard drive that it uses when your computer goes into hibernation mode. If you do not use hibernation mode, or your computer does not properly support it, you may want to disable hibernation and clear the file off your hard drive to free up some space (the file will use as much space as you have in physical memory, so if you have 1GB of RAM, it’s going to use 1GB of your hard drive space).
Disable Hibernation: 1. Click Start, All Programs, and then right click on "Command Prompt". 2. From the context menu click on "Run as administrator". 3. If User Account Control prompts you to allow the action, click on Continue. 4. In the command prompt window, type "powercfg –h off" (without the quotes). 5. Close the Command Prompt window.
Delete the Hibernation File: 1. Click Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and then click "Disk Cleanup". 2. If prompted to choose a drive, select the drive in which Windows Vista is installed on to and press OK. 3. Disk Cleanup will scan the hard drive and present you with a list of options. 4. Check "Hibernation File Cleaner", and then click OK. 5. When asked "Are you sure you want to permanently delete these files?" click on the Delete Files button .

Do You Keep Windows XP or Upgrade to Windows Vista? by Don Cundiff

History of Vista
Windows Vista is one of the biggest software projects ever taken on by Microsoft. They first started work on it in May of 2001, before the release of Windows XP, under the codename "Longhorn". Originally, it was expected to ship towards the end of 2003 as a minor release between Windows XP and the next version of Windows (codenamed "Blackcomb"). At that time, it was integrating many new features and technologies of "Blackcomb", causing its release to be shelved.
After many delays and concerns, Microsoft announced in August 2004, that development of "Longhorn" was basically starting over and will only re-incorporate the features that would be intended for an actual operating system release. Eventually in July 2005, "Longhorn" was renamed Vista and beta testing began in September. On February 22, 2006, Windows Vista was considered feature-complete.
Most of the work left to be done prior to the final release in January 2007, focused on stability, performance, application and driver compatibility, and documentation. In the meantime, Windows XP which was initially released in 2002 is now pushing five years old and is used by over 75% of the Windows operating system market according to Gartner. Making the switch to Vista is a major concern for Microsoft.
Windows Vista Editions
Windows Vista comes packaged in five different editions, three for home users, and two for business. The home editions include Home Basic, Home Premium, and Ultimate. The business editions are Business and Enterprise.
Home Basic edition is the least expensive (suggested retail price of $199, USD), and it really should not be categorized as an upgrade from Windows XP. It lacks most of the new features of Vista, such as Windows Aero glass effects (Flip, Flip 3D, taskbar thumbnail views), Media Center, Tablet PC, Meeting Space, no capability to perform scheduled backups, and more. Essentially, Home Basic is not much of an improvement over Windows XP.
Home Premium edition balances features with price. It has all the features of Home Basic, Windows Aero, Advanced Mobility Center and Tablet PC support, Windows Meeting Space, Media Center and HDTV support, and DVD authoring software. The suggested retail price is $239 (USD).
Ultimate edition includes all the features from both Home Premium and Business editions with a suggested retail price of $399 (USD).
Business edition includes a lot of things such as IIS Web Server, faxing, network projection, and all the features of Home Premium except Media Center. The suggested retail price is $299 (USD).
The Enterprise edition is designed for major corporations and is not included in this article.
Windows Vista, internally known at Microsoft as Windows version 6.0 has been five years in development. With over 50 million lines of code, and approximately 10 GB's in size, it is by far the largest Windows operating system ever. This is primarily due to the "Ultimate Edition", which contains all available components and features, including complete versions of both Tablet PC and Media Center.
The Features in a Nutshell
When it comes to new or improved features, Vista is packed with 100's of them. For this article, I have not listed individual features, but major categories of them.
Security - Improved from Windows XP, the firewall provides outgoing as well as incoming filtering along with Network Access Protection that helps prevent unauthorized computers from connecting to a user's internal network. Also, Windows Service Hardening monitors critical Windows services for abnormal activity, while User Account Control (UAC) focuses on alerting the computer administrator for permission before running programs and tasks. However, even with all these enhancements, security will best be proven by the test of time.
Performance - Vista System Performance Assessment benchmark tests CPU, RAM, Graphics acceleration (2D and 3D) and disk access for optimum performance. There is also SuperFetch that tracks frequently used programs and preloads them, ReadyBoost that lets you use flash memory on a high-speed USB drive, and ReadyDrive that supports hybrid hard drives with built-in flash-memory caches.
Media Center - Now Media Center is integrated within the Home Premium and Ultimate editions instead of a separate OS edition as in Windows XP.
Windows Aero - Stands for Authentic, Energetic, Reflective and Open. It's the graphical user interface for Windows Vista that provides modern 3D graphics accelerators for such features as translucent "glass" window frames, live thumbnails, animations and live previews of documents and windows
Windows Instant Search - It allows users to perform instant search functions for applications, documents, favorite links, and e-mails from almost every screen in Windows. You can also create virtual search folders to call up old searches.
Backup and Restore Center - Users can now schedule periodic file backups automatically. The Complete Backup feature backups the entire computer as an image allowing users to automatically recreate machine setup onto a new computer.
Windows Photo Gallery - Using Gallery view users can add titles, ratings, captions, and custom data tags to photos allowing them to organize large amounts of their digital photos into a collection.
Windows Mobility Center- It has a control panel that centralizes information related to mobile computing. Users can adjust brightness, sound, battery level / power scheme selection, wireless network, screen orientation, presentation settings, and more.
Networking - Users can now interact with network devices in their PC and on their network. There are many new built-in tools to help diagnose network problems, view computers and devices, connect to various types of networks, diagnose internet connections, set up connections or networks, add devices to networks, and more.
Parental Controls - Parents can restrict access to applications and Web sites, limit the hours kids can log in, and create utilization logs.
DirectX 10 - DirectX 10 is only available on Windows Vista and with claims that games can perform six times better than the same game running in DirectX 9 on Windows XP. Currently, there are almost no games available to test this feature.
Internet Explorer 7 - Big improvement over Internet Explorer 6, although it still far behind Firefox 2. It does have tabbed browsing, many new security features, and it scales down printed output better. However, is still does not support in-page searches. These are just a few of the many new features available. More information about Windows Vista or Windows XP can be found at Home-Computer-Maintenance.com
Hardware Requirements
In keeping with Microsoft's long standing reputation, when a new operating system is introduced, it will also require an additional hardware upgrade.
If you purchased a new PC within the last two years, it probably has a Vista logo on it that states either "Designed for Windows XP, Windows Vista Capable", or "Certified For Windows Vista". These computers have been built to run Windows Vista.
A "Windows Vista Capable" PC is able to utilize the core features of Vista such as new desktop search, security, and networking. It requires the following minimum hardware:
800 MHZ, 32 bit processor
512 MB of system memory
A graphics processor that is DirectX 9 capable
20 GB hard Drive (15 GB free)
CD-ROM Drive
A "Certified For Windows Vista" PC (Vista Premium Ready) is needed to utilize the many extra features of Vista such as Windows Aero and full media center support. It requires the following minimum hardware:
1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
1 GB of system memory
DirectX 9 graphics support with WDDM driver, minimum 128 MB of graphics memory, Pixel Shader 2.0 and 32 bits per pixel
40 GB hard drive (15 GB free)
DVD-ROM Drive
Audio output capability
Internet access capability
Beware though, a PC carrying the Vista Premium Ready logo might not come with all the necessary hardware to support specific features such as a TV tuner card, so you would not be able to use the HDTV feature of Media Center. Be sure to compare and check what's supplied with the PC before buying.
Conclusion / Recommendations
The following conclusions are intended for the typical home user or small business owner environments and are solely the opinion of the author. First off, before continuing, much of the new software that is part of Vista can be downloaded and run on a Windows XP machine free: Internet Explorer 7, Windows Media Player 11, advanced search utilities, Google's Sidebar, Yahoo Widgets, etc.
Windows Vista is a great operating system even taking into consideration that many of the features have been copied from existing Mozilla, MAC, and Linux technologies. Security has been beefed up substantially and one can now monitor the network and system performance like real world computing should be. Parents now have a method of setting controls for what their children can and cannot do or view. With Windows Photo Gallery, HDTV, and Media Center, home users have all their entertainment issues finally addressed.
However, the overall price tag including software and hardware is pretty hefty. To get all these features, the average user will have to spend $239 for the Premium edition or $399 for the Ultimate edition, plus the cost for the new hardware that will support features like Windows Aero and HDTV. Even if they purchase an OEM system from a mass market retailer, there are still the compatibility issues from existing software that you may want to reinstall from your current home computer.
As far as doing an upgrade from Windows XP or doing a clean install, I whole-heartily suggest the clean install. Upgrades have always seen problems for Windows, from functionality to compatibility issues. The Vista clean install procedure has been refined to a point that very little user intervention is needed.
My recommendation would be to wait at least 6-12 months and let the bugs get worked out first. Windows XP has spent five years taking care of and fixing problems, has industry wide support, and is a solid, well designed and highly functional operating system. According to Microsoft's life cycle policy, support for Windows XP will be available for several years to come. There is even a service pack 3 that will be coming out later this year.

Ink Cartridges, Toner Cartridges: Never Run Out Of Office Supplies by Andrew James

Have you ever been working on a really important presentation only to learn that your ink, toner, paper supply or other crucial office supplies are all used up? It happens to everyone that works from a home office and many people who work in small businesses every single day. And, there are times that it can make the difference between landing a contract and missing out on an important job.
So, how do you avoid running out of ink, toner or other important supplies at crucial times? Well, the answer is not the same for small business or home-based business as it is for large corporations. Large corporations purchase in bulk at wholesale prices and then build warehouses if necessary to hold the important supplies. You, however, probably only have a small closet or credenza to store your office supplies not in immediate use.
So, how can you as a small business owner manage to never run out of ink, toner, specialty paper, brochure stock and other critical items? It is really easy if you put a simple plan in place. Only the very smallest operation purchase paper one ream at the time. You probably purchase one case of paper stock so that you can save money. When you stack that paper stock into your credenza or storage closet, place one ream flat on the bottom and on top of that ream stick a brightly colored post-it type note on top of the ream that says in big black letters BUY MORE PAPER NOW. Now, here's the secret of including the word paper in your note. When you reach the ream above the one with the note, you simply pull the note off the unopened bottom ream and use it as a shopping list.
The same process goes for ink, toner, and any other office supply product that you purchase two or three or even a dozen at a time but you never want to run out of that item. The result is that, when you pick up the next-to-last inventory item of ink, toner, or other supply, you pull the note from the last one and use it as a reminder to buy the item now rather than waiting until the last item is in use.
Once you have reach the point of pulling a note from one item, before going shopping or sending someone from the staff to shop for supplies, review the quantity of other items on hand. If you are one ink or toner cartridge away from reaching the last one, it can be more efficient to go ahead and purchase additional ink, toner, or other supplies now rather than making multiple trips to shop. After all, time is money and you don't want to waste either.
When stocking items when you have not pulled the last item from the shelf to use, be sure to stock the oldest items in front rather than adding newer items to the front of the shelf. This will ensure that your stock is rotated properly and ink, toner, and other items with defined shelf-life will not go out of date. Just remember to place your handy sticker on the last one to remind you to buy more before you actually reach the end of your supply.
It's a simple system, but it will ensure that you never, ever run out of ink, toner, paper or other important office supplies at the moment you really need them to get the job done.

The iPod Convenience by Tommy Thompson

A New Compact Way To Listen To Music
The small and smart iPod music technology is here and it is busy changing the way people listen to tunes. The first mobile device to listen to music came out in the 1980's when people were seen walking the streets with big boxes beside the ear on the shoulder. Though not very good to look at, these boxes were nevertheless very popular. The iPod has evolved from this big box and not only is it small and convenient, but it is cute as well. It has already become hugely popular. This gadget, working much like a computer is able to store songs by the thousands when they are downloaded from the computer. The storage capacity is enormous so there is no need for the CD's and cassettes.
Carry The iPod Music Everywhere You Go
Mobility is a major advantage of iPod music technology. Just make a unique installation to your car stereo and you can listen to the iPod music as you drive too. Or you can carry it to your gym and listen to your music while you are working out. An abundance of music can be stored on the iPod so that it can give a much needed lift to the listener when exercising rigorously and to keep one focused and energetic. Planning to go on a holiday or a business trip? Carry your iPod music with you and listen to your music while you travel in flight or in a car. When you are traveling in a group and listening to the radio not all will like the music that is played. But with your music on your iPod and a pair of headphones, you can listen to exactly what you prefer, and not disturb the anyone else.
With the iPod, there is no need to buy compact discs anymore. And anyways, if you are a music lover you may end up spending too much in CD's, and they also get damaged from scratches. Alternatively, just visit a few websites online and at a minor cost for each song, download all the iPod music you need. Or you can also get a few CD's and download the songs into your computer and transfer them to your iPod. A product of cutting edge technology, and the sound system of the speakers in iPod headphones can be superior. The price of the iPod music is going to vary though depending on where you download. It is very convenient, and will not hamper your activity. Perfect for the music lover on the go.

Search engine optimization helps in creating a brand name by Steve Waganer

Success and failure of a particular business depends upon the kind of publicity done. This is true in the case of online and other businesses also. There are different methods that can be used for the promotion of any goods or services, but the key lies in identifying the one method which will be able to put your business to the top without too much of an effort. Advertising on the web is the most widely undertaken promotional methods about any product or service. The news about the existence of your business must reach out to a large number of audiences and only then will you be able to attract customers to do business with you.
The method of promotion on the web is known as SEO or search engine optimization. Search engine is not just one method, but is in fact a combination of different methods for promotion. Online business owners undertake Search engine optimization so that their sites can rank high in all of the major search engines. Ranking high in all popular and major search engines is one of the surest means to attracting huge traffics to your online site. Search engine optimization, if done in the proper manner, is sure to give immense benefits to your business.
It said that only a professional knows what work he has to do and it is not at all different in the case of search engine optimization also. If you are an online business owner, you will do wonders to your business if you hand over the search engine optimization work to a professional firm. Evaluating the existing competition in the market and finding out the methods that has been used for optimization is a good way of going about doing things related to search engine optimization.
This is your business and you have worked really hard to put this up. So do not just sit back and relax once you hand over the search engine optimization work to a firm that has trained professional. You must keep a constant track of the work which is being done and see if this is bringing results for your business or not. You are best judge to know if your business is benefiting from the search engine marketing strategy or not. If the strategy is not working out for you, sit and talk to the professional and try to find out what is wrong. It may be that the strategies adopted for search engine optimization may not be suitable to your business.
Remember each business is different and so the strategies adopted must also be different. The strategy which has proved to be a huge success for your friend's business may not at all be suitable for you. So what you must do is hire professionals who really know their very well, not someone how just has fancy degree and is not capable of doing anything of substance. The idea is to make a wise choice from the huge number of professionals who are working in the field of search engine optimization. Search engine optimization is in fact the most innovative means to do promotion about anything.

Why Pocket PC? by Doug Smith

The Pocket PC is a very versatile mobile device because it can not only be used for work, but also for play. The platform it runs on supports a broad range of multimedia capabilities. The Pocket PC also boasts more overall multimedia capacity, so the games made for the Pocket PC tend to be more graphically advanced than those on the Palm.
Another reason why people like the Pocket PC is because of how small and mobile it is. All of these features it offers, some you won't find in a Palm Pilot, are compacted down into a sleek, light weight device. One of the nicest benefits the Pocket PC offers its users is the ability to seamlessly browse the web. It's simple and enjoyable on a Pocket PC.
There's a lot of new programs coming out for the Pocket PC that really make the device shine. The future of applications for the Pocket PC looks bright. Expect applications that cover mobile surveillance, enhanced voice recognition applications that will enable your Pocket PC to talk (perhaps in other languages as well), PocketTV - watch television on your Pocket PC, PocketBible, and more. The list goes on and on, this is one truly versatile mobile device.
The Pocket PC also caters to many different types of professionals nicely. For example, if you have a career in the health care industry, you'll find handy software tools useful like medical encyclopedias, contact and time management tools, and more
You won't have any trouble finding extra software for your Pocket PC, either. Many of the recently released Pocket PC applications are available for download from the Internet, or at your local mobile entertainment store.
I strongly believe that the Pocket PC is the most revolutionary mobile computing device developed to-date. It's a businessman's dream, because you can easily run your business from any locale you like. Find many compatible applications to make your job easier or browse the web for access to easy information at your convenience. For reasons like these, I highly recommend the Pocket PC for any situation.