A Complete Computer Information Guide

Buying a Computer Online

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:16:00 +0000

Buying a computer can be a tricky prospect because there are so many things to consider before making the final purchase. You have to take into account how quickly technology changes and decide what you'll need to satisfy your computer needs for a few years. There are also some computers that are easier to upgrade than others which could factor into your overall decision. On top of the already confusing decisions, there are a lot of technical terms that explain how a computer works and if you don't know what they mean you could have no idea what you are buying. Shopping online for your new computer can help make things a lot simpler.

Most computer manufacturers have set up websites that make searching through their products easier than ever. You can decide whether you want a desktop or laptop and even choose from a list of possible things you will be using your computer for to narrow down your search. The options are usually casual computer use, work, and gaming and selecting from those choices will give you a list of computers that will already have the right components in them to do what you want to do. As an example, a gaming computer will have a better than average graphics card and more RAM, both of which are needed to play games.

Shopping for a computer online also gives you more personalized customization. You can choose the color of your computer, although some websites will give you more options than others. You can also upgrade the components yourself so that you get exactly what you want. Most manufacturers will have steps through the possible upgrades directing you to the part of the computer that can be upgraded and what options they have for it. You may even be able to get software pre-installed on your computer from programs like Photoshop to the latest Call of Duty game.

Customer support is also an added benefit of buying a computer online. Unlike going to a store where you may have to compete to get the attention of one of the employees, websites have multiple people online and ready to help you with any questions you might have about your new computer purchase. Often the customer support will be available as a chat window that you can look at while going to different sections of the website, making it possible for you to discuss specific things about what you are looking at.

Every website that sells computers has specials going on all the time and you can take advantage of the ones that work for you. Usually they are discounts or free items such as a printer when you buy a certain model computer. Since most of the models are upgradeable then you will be sure to get a good deal. Once you've got everything you need in your cart you can pay online with your credit card through a secure area and have your computer shipped right to your door in as little as a few days.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Buying-a-Computer-Online&id=2800111

Get to Know How to Set Up a Wireless Network in Your Home

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:40:00 +0000

Wireless networking may sound like a nightmare to set up however if you have some basic information about the key parts and common errors you will have a much easier time setting up a stable network for your home PC and other devices. Below you will find a brief overview of everything you will need to know to create a wireless network at home quickly.

The most crucial component in setting up a wireless home network is the access point, often referred to as an AP. Many consumer devices marketed as routers provide this functionality and much more, offering firewalls and web-based configuration interfaces, and it is usually easiest to purchase one of these.

When buying a router, pay particular attention to what versions of 802.11--the technical designation for the protocol WiFi devices speak--are supported. Whatever choice you make will almost certainly be compatible with all of your wireless devices, but you might enjoy extra efficiency by selecting a router that supports 802.11N if you know that one or more of your devices supports it.

Another important factor to consider is the range of the router you are considering. You will want enough coverage for you entire house and a little beyond. This way you will rarely if ever lose wireless signal.

Once the router is connected and installed, it is time to consider various aspects of wireless security. By default, most routers ship with no security enabled as to ease initial configuration. This not only means that anyone can connect to your network, but that anyone nearby can read most of your traffic, extracting passwords and other sensitive information.

Enabling your wireless security should be your main priority unless you are certain you want to share your connection. This will keep other people from using your network without a password that you provide and makes it much more difficult to farm your information.

There are a variety of security schemes from which to choose, more than can be discussed here. Whichever method you pick should be compatible with all computers and devices on your network. If in doubt, WiFi Protected Access or WPA is usually a safe and compatible choice.

Next you'll need to configure each computer and device to participate in your network. Steps for doing this vary based on operating system and device, though in general each follows a similar pattern.

Tell each of your individual wireless devices to connect to the network. Your network will have a specific name provided by the router. You can find this information in the manual or in the first few screens of the user interface.

If you've secured your network as previously discussed, the device should next prompt for the method used and the chosen password. These should match those set within the router. If all goes well, the network connection should be established within a few seconds.

As wireless internet access and setting up wireless networks becomes more common, many resources are becoming available that might help. Many manuals accompanying routers provide enough introductory material to help novice network administrators get started.

Google is also an invaluable resource when resolving problems related to setting up wireless networks, as someone else has certainly experienced and resolved any issue with which you might be struggling.

Be sure you visit our set up wireless network site before you spend any money. Know precisely what you need and the simple steps you should follow to carry out the task.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Get-to-Know-How-to-Set-Up-a-Wireless-Network-in-Your-Home&id=2668872

How to Create a Letter With Microsoft Word Processor in XP Or Vista

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 05:10:00 +0000

To make a letter the most basic use of a word processor, Open your word processor by finding the icon, or looking for word processor in your programs. Once you find the word processor (usually located on the desktop) open the program.

Once you have opened the program open the word file, and choose the letter document, and then a letter wizard should open. Once it opens you can choose the letter style, and then the letter wizard will open.

When the letter wizard opens fill out all the formalities such as who it is to, from, date, etcetera. The wizard will then close. You will see where to place the body of your letter. Look for an insert key on your computer then press it, and use your mouse to put the pointer in front of the point where you wish to start your letter, just start typing until your done. Then hit insert again to turn it off. Then go through the grammar and spelling by pointing at each word that is highlighted and right click. A box will then come up that will show you how to correct your errors. In addition you can go to tools, and find your thesaurus if you need it.

To keep your letter from being generic, there is a tool bar at the top of the page with a lot of options to spruce up your letter. After you have finished your letter, you can put the pointer at the top of the document by holding ctrl and home at the same time. Then click the left side of your mouse, and click and hold and drag to the end of the document until it is all highlighted in black. To change your font (letter style) you can go to formant at the top of the page, and choose the font and size you like.

If you want your paragraphs indented, then you will choose format paragraph, and this will make your indentations, and line spacing which is to decide if you want one or two lines between the end of each sentence. If you want to put bullets , to make a point highlight the area and go to format bullets.

To insert your date, just go to insert and choose insert date. If you wish to insert a picture go to insert picture, and insert the object or clip art. To underline you can highlight a word then choose the u with the underline at the top of the page and underline the specific words. The same goes for making some letters bold, aligning your letter, and numbering.

You can also add some fancy letters by going to insert artwork, highlight and choose the one you like and put your letters or words you want to add into your letter. If you do not like the artwork then highlight and choose the delete key on the computer to take it off the page.

Some key shortcuts are ctrl, home takes you home. ctrl end takes you to the end of a page. you have page up and down as well. alt s will save you progress. It is best to save to documents when finished until you get to know your computer pretty well. When you press ctrl and s at the same time a box will come up for you to name your letter. If you wish to print go to file print, If you wish to email go to file and send. When your satisfied your done. Then just click on the x in the upper right corner and close it.

Good luck and look I will make many more article on how to use you computer.

Skyler Overton has been certified to use numerous Microsoft programs, and through her employment as a business manager has 10 years of experience with numerous software programs.

Skyler is a wife and parent of 4 children, a member of various civic club. She has also been a coach and trainer of software, and various other duties in the business world.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Create-a-Letter-With-Microsoft-Word-Processor-in-XP-Or-Vista&id=2431626

Improving Your Computer's Performance

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Sun, 17 May 2009 11:03:00 +0000

First things first-Housekeeping

PC's occasionally need both hardware and software cleaning. This includes removing unused programs, clearing accumulated data, and physically cleaning the interior (inside the tower) and exterior (outside the tower) components.

Removing unused programs is a fairly straightforward process all that really needs to be done is to navigate to the control panel and select add or remove programs. Select programs that you do not wish to keep and then select remove. You will be guided through the process by the uninstall wizard.

Clearing data is a bit more complex especially if you have a lot of data that needs to be removed. I would suggest starting by going through each and every folder on your system to determine what needs to go. Each time you select a document that is destined for deletion right click the document and select delete. This will remove that item to the recycle bin. Once you have completed task of removing old documents and files go to the recycle bin on your desktop and empty it, Also empty temporary files and internet data.

Physically cleaning your system is also an important practice. To begin obtain a dry or slightly damp cloth and a can of compressed air if possible. Start with the exterior components like the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and the outside of the tower use the cloth to wipe down these items.

Moving on to the interior of your computer start by opening the outer casing this process differs for each machine so you may have to struggle with it for a bit to figure out the proper opening method. Once inside take your can of compressed air and blow out any debris and dust that has accumulated inside the casing.

Next-UPDATING

-Keep your antivirus anti spyware up to date. The easiest way to accomplish this is by setting up regular updating.

-Keep your operating system up to date, this to can be accomplished through automatic updating.

Another important practice- RUNNING DISK DEFRAGMENT AND ERROR CHECKING UTILITY

The disk defragment utility available in windows helps to organize data more effectively thus freeing up disk space. This program can be found by going to start, all programs, accessories, system tools and then disk defragment.

Another important tool Window's has available is the Error checking utility that can detect and repair many disk errors. To run this utility go to start, my computer and right click your hard disk and select properties. Select the tools tab in the properties window and then select check now. In the box that opens next make sure to check the scan for and attempt recovery for bad sectors option.

Finally- ADD RAM

When all else has failed to speed up system performance it may be time to add more RAM to your system. RAM or Random Access Memory are modules found inside your computer case that are used to temporarily hold data while your computer is on. If you do not have enough RAM installed in your system (which is very common) system performance will be slow and freezing may occur. To alleviate such symptoms you can add more of this memory to your system. For a complete guide on how to do add RAM refer to the link below.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Improving-Your-Computers-Performance&id=2341803

Is it Time to Update Your Computer?

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 06:26:00 +0000

These days, technology moves so fast, it's impossible to keep up. What was cutting-edge yesterday is antiquated today. How do you know when that aging machine sitting on your desktop is ready for the dumpster? If it is time to update your computer, how much is it going to cost, what specifications are you going to need, and where do you even start? These are all valid questions, and in an age where a computer is a necessary part of life, they are questions we all face on a regular basis.

Let's start with the first and most important question. Is it time to update your computer? If you're like me, you're always looking at the latest technology on the market and comparing it to your existing technology. With all the new gadgets and improved computers, it's easy to think that your hardware is substandard. After all, it doesn't have a solid-state drive, the monitor doesn't swivel or double as a touch pad, and the memory isn't anywhere near 6 gigabytes. It must be time to update if it is missing all of these new features that other machines have, right? Not necessarily.

The real question is, does your computer do what you need it to do effectively? If all you want it to do is play Pong, then an Atari 2600 still does everything you need. For many people, the ability to surf the internet, use Microsoft Office applications, and play some basic games represents the extent of their required computing power. In this case, you aren't going to need 6 gigabytes of RAM (memory), a 1 terabyte hard drive, and a high-powered video card. Your existing system is probably doing everything you need. The need to update is driven by the need to run newer and more high-powered software applications. When it is time to update, utilizing your existing technology can be much more cost effective than purchasing new equipment.

Here is an example from my own personal experience. After making the fatal mistake of not backing up my valuable data (I'm sure many of you can sympathize), I decided to go with an online service that provided space for creating automatic backups. This worked ok, but I soon found that the 5 gigabytes of storage allotted to me at a $100 annual premium was just not going to cut it. I was able to back up my most important data, but other data that I didn't want to lose such as pictures and music would not fit. I needed a better solution.

It just so happened that I had an aging family computer with an 80 gig hard drive. In order to back up all of my family's important data was going to require at least 150 gigs of hard drive space, so it was obvious that I was going to need to upgrade in order to get the space that I needed. In order to get the backup capability that I wanted, I needed high-speed internet, a larger hard drive for my family computer, backup software for my laptop, and FTP software for my family computer. I ended up purchasing a 300 gig hard drive for $80, Handy Backup software for $60, free FTP software called Serv-U, and maintained the same internet service I was already paying for. The total bill... $140 for 300 gigabytes of backup storage and the peace of mind knowing all of my valuable data is safe. The service I was using offered up to 120 gigs of space for $2,250 per year! 3 times the space for 1/15'th of the cost. I'll take that value any day.

When it is necessary to update, see if you can leverage existing equipment. Often times, simply adding more RAM or a larger hard drive to your current computer is all that is needed and will certainly be more cost effective than purchasing an entirely new system. For most users running Windows XP or Windows Vista that do not need higher end graphics capabilities, 1.5 gigabytes of RAM and a 300 gigabyte hard drive will be all that is needed for next few years. For those of you that are curious about what new systems are going for these days, they run anywhere from $750 all the way up to $8,800 depending on the power that you need.

When evaluating your technology, the right place to start is by asking, "Does my technology do everything I need it to do?" It is only necessary to update if you need for your current technology to do more than it currently does. If you have no complaints, then save your money! Be careful, though. Just because you are happy with your current processes doesn't mean your competitors feel the same way. There may be ways to leverage technology to give you a competitive edge. So stay on your toes and stay abreast of what is available in case there is some new or existing technology that can help. You never know when you will come across a compelling reason to update your computer.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-it-Time-to-Update-Your-Computer?&id=2210416

IT Solutions - Tips For Choosing the Best

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 04:39:00 +0000

It is critical that you find superior IT solutions in order to win big in the world of business. This will be the situation either when you're starting a small enterprise or you are in your expansion stage. A company can achieve leaps and bounds when it has information technology that produces an atmosphere of absolute efficiency because of its user-friendliness, reliability and practicality. This article will provide you with tips for choosing your IT support. At the bottom of this article are contact details for one of the top companies for IT solutions in Sydney Australia.

IT management plays a significant role in the success of any Australian business. They are all professionals and experts on their field and they can help you identify your technological goals and how you can achieve them. Many people who possess businesses do not have the knowledge in information technology, that is why it is wise to secure managed IT services so needs could be recognized and attended to properly. Problems are solved before they arise and regular maintenance should be under control.

The provider of IT solutions will regularly keep an eye on your systems to ensure that your specific and changing needs are met long after they have set up information technology in your company. Business expansion should always be planned for. If you want your computer systems to remain efficient as your business expands, you have to make that special connection with your partner information technology company.

Choose an IT consulting firm that focuses on the kind of business you have. There are corporate IT solutions in Sydney that will support such industries like those in the financial industry, while others will give IT network support to small business operators.

Continued technical backing will ensure that your workforce is competent in the use of your systems and will help you adjust your technology requirements to your expanding firm. As a business gets bigger, there will also be bigger technology demands and the role of IT management in assessing the systems becomes vital. If you want to undergo the littlest downtime possible, you also have to make sure your provider has an IT help desk that can attend to your problems as they arise. It will be more beneficial to hire an expert to help you with your technological needs rather than doing it on your own.

IT providers differ when it comes to size and area of expertise and it is your responsibility to first define what specific needs your company has before deciding on which one to choose. Signing on the bottom line would entail some steps; first is asking the company of their expertise on your kind of business and second is asking for the references they have. Having access to the right IT solutions in Sydney ensures a thriving business and systems that run as smoothly as silk.

http://ezinearticles.com/?IT-Solutions---Tips-For-Choosing-the-Best&id=2187354

Learn With Computer Training Videos and Save Time and Money

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:58:00 +0000

These days, computer training videos are revolutionizing the way teaching is done. Employers use them to train their employees. Teachers include them with school lesson plans. They can be used to help individuals learn foreign languages. Basically, anyone who wishes to learn anything at all for any reason can do so this day in age thanks to the inclusion of computer training videos to everyday life.

Many employers are now using them as a way to teach their employees the skills needed for taking their companies to the next level. Since technological possibilities are increasing every single day, businesses must keep up with all the advancements in order to compete with one another. As such, giving employees IT training is a MUST for any company who's wishing to stay ahead in today's competitive market.

Along with presenting workers will reading material and trying to train them with confusing software, businesses can now provide them with video presentations. By providing staff members reading lessons, hands on training, and visual images all together, employers will save a lot of time and money. These teaching tools, when used together, can be just as good-if not better-than a real classroom! Long term, expensive IT training isn't necessary anymore.

These lessons needn't be shown in the office, either. Employees can actually learn on their computers at home. This obviously frees up a lot of time during office hours, thus increasing the company's overall productiveness. According to studies, three hours of these types of lessons can improve productivity by as much as 20%! Imagine how much of a company's increase in sales can be brought on through the use of computer training videos.

Since how to videos are created for any purpose imaginable, companies can even train each department individually. The Accounting department can watch Accounting videos, IT department can watch visual IT training tutorials, software developers can watch relevant videos, and so forth. With this strategy, all employees can learn everything they need to know in order to successfully complete projects. By seeing it all being applied in the videos first, they will know exactly what needs to be done.

This is the fast paced world we're living in, where the only way to get ahead is to learn, understand, and apply technological concepts in all areas of our lives. Watching computer training videos helps us to-at the very least-keep up the pace. Understanding what we watch and using that knowledge to increase our productivity on a day to day basis is what truly keeps us ahead.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Learn-With-Computer-Training-Videos-and-Save-Time-and-Money&id=2131293

Total Video Converter

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 01:13:00 +0000

Total Video Converter converts all video files to 3GP, MP4, PSP, iPod, SWF, FLV, DVD, VCD, AVI. Total Video Converter is a complete solution for video conversion which supports reading, playing all kinds of video and audio formats and converting them to the popular video formats. Total Video Converter includes a powerful media conversion engine internally so that you can convert media files with very fast speed.

Version 3.10 adds support for H264, VCHD, M2TS, AVCHD, MTS and FLV files, autocopy converted video to PSP, iTunes for iPod and iPhone, and more stable function of combing several video files to one.

FOR DOWNLOAD:-

WinRAR 3.6

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 01:04:00 +0000

WinRAR is a 32-bit Windows version of RAR Archiver, an archiver and archive manager. RAR files can usually compress content by 8 percent to 15 percent more than ZIP files can. WinRAR's main features include strong general and multimedia compression, the ability to process non-RAR archive formats, ZIP compression and decompression, support for long filenames, programmable self-extracting archives (SFX), repair of damaged archives, authenticity verification, embedded file comments, and encryption. Unicode is supported in archive filenames, allowing non-English filenames to be handled painlessly. You can manipulate the parameters of many archives at once and view a volume sequence as a single archive. WinRAR can convert other archive formats to RAR and search for specified text and files in archives.

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Sneaky New Virus Spreads via Ads

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:29:00 +0000

Hackers infiltrated popular tech business site eWeek.com yesterday using Google's DoubleClick banner ads as a vehicle. Websense caught the malicious coding and published its results, which spurred eWeek to scour its code and remove all phony advertisements.

The pest, named Anti-Virus-1, is complicated and smart. The advertisements are for antivirus software, and when a user clicked on them, the ads redirect to a pornography Website through a series of iframes. Then a PDF pops up loaded with evil code, exploiting a weakness currently festering in the Adobe systems; or the file index.php redirects to the rogue ad server. The server places a file named "winratit.exe" into the user's temporary files folder and stays there without any user interaction.

If the user tries to cleanse the computer by visiting any of several popular software downloading sites, the hack has a twist of the blade waiting: the host file is modified to redirect to even more malicious Websites offering further rogue downloads.

eWeek may not be the first popular Website to be attacked. "Given DoubleClick's tremendous reach, it's possible the rogue ads have shown up on Websites other than eWeek," Websense Vice President of Security Research Dan Hubbard told The Register.

As always, exercise caution when following advertisements.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/160171/sneaky_new_virus_spreads_via_ads.html

Consumer Alert: Latest Computer Virus Effects Millions

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 02:35:00 +0000

WSIL-TV- Technology experts say at least one out of every 16 P-Cs worldwide is infected with the latest attack worm.

It has a number of names including Downandup and Kido, It's delivered primarily through infected U-S-B drives.

The Better Business Bureau says the scheme tricks you by changing the way "autorun" works when you plug in a drive.

You'll see two entries for "Open folder to view files" the one at the top actually installs the virus on your machine.

To avoid it experts recommend turning off your computer's auto-run feature.

If your machine is infected try your standard anti-virus program as a fix.

One week ago we learned Circuit City was going out of business holding liquidation sales at all of it's stores.

Consumer Reports is finding some of the deals aren't all that good.

In most cases they found better prices at Circuit City's competitors.

Despite a few good deals, Consumer Reports say it's important to carefully compare prices when shopping at liquidation sales.

At least initially the prices are often higher than the best deals you'll find elsewhere.

One Circuit City salesman told the magazine, "That's business 101, that has been going on for years."

For the first time in 80 years, Toyota is the overall leader in auto sales.

But what about those cars that won't see 2009?

U-S News and World Report says a number of automakers are trimming their lineups but not the practical models.

Honda will stop making their S-2000 two-seater. Chrysler will stop making it's P-T Cruiser.

Other cars on the chopping block include the sporty Saturn Sky, the Hummer H-3, the Lexus S-C convertible
and the socalled "street-legal racecar", the Dodge Viper.
http://www.wsiltv.com/p/news_details.php?newsID=6673&type=top

Website Antivirus(TM) and Webmaster Audit(TM) Revolutionize SEO Industry

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:20:00 +0000

Website Antivirus(TM) and Webmaster Audit(TM) Revolutionize SEO Industry

This Search Engine embraces Search Engine Optimizers and Website owners by disclosing and decoding highly secretive Search Engine ranking algorithms, teaching precise SEO methodology, and allowing users to crawl and re-crawl Websites on-demand.

Bradenton, FL (PRWEB) January 12, 2009 -- Gone are the days of guessing and blindly implementing Website changes, in a futile attempt to optimize them for Search Engines. A small company called SEOENG LLC. (http://www.seoeng.com/) is emerging as a serious industry contender after successfully developing and launching the first SEO-friendly Search Engine. SEOENG(TM), short for Search Engine Optimization Engine(R), is a patent pending user interface which acts as a 'cipher' for a Search Engine. This unique interface decodes the Search Engine's data for the user, finally revealing, for the first time, the innermost secrets of how a Search Engine works.

The Search Engine Optimization Engine(R) presents users with Website specific data at both the Webpage and Website levels. It analyzes Websites, compiles the data, and reveals it to the user in an easy to navigate format. SEOENG(TM) provides key information about the Website's linking structure - the user is able to drill down, following the Search Engine's path through the Website, to find out exactly how much value (in terms of Search Engine rank) a particular Link is providing to a Webpage for its specific market.

The web-based application saves significant time and money in link acquisition, by showing users how to conserve the Link Flow(TM) (http://learn.seoeng.com/link-flow.htm) that the Website already has, dramatically reducing the need for obtaining new external Links. SEOENG(TM) enables you to accurately redirect and redistribute the preserved Link Flow(TM) back to the Website's most important Webpages. The downloadable "Link Flow" report provides priceless Website-wide Link data, empowering the user with a page by page breakdown of each Webpages' Total Link Flow(TM), Market Focus(TM), and META data. The downloadable "External Incoming Link" report (Backlink report) shows the user precisely how much Link Flow(TM) each Backlink is bringing into the Website, the Webpage that it is coming from, and the Anchor Text associated with the Link.

This new approach to Search offers several different solutions (http://search.seoeng.com/choose-package.htm). One acts as a Website Antivirus(TM), where the Search Engine will re-crawl a Website periodically, and email you the Vital Statistics. A link is also provided, granting access to Website alerts, suggested changes, and HTML code fixes which are easy to implement. Webmaster Audit(TM) takes automation one step further, enabling the user to create Website, Webpage, and Link level rules which trigger upon re-crawl at the frequency set by the user. The system sends the user an email notification whenever the specified change has occurred. The user can specify rules like: a change in Webpage's score, Broken Links, or just about any other SEO criteria that the user can think of! This solution is perfect for Website owners who outsource their SEO, and want to make sure their SEO expert is keeping their Website in top shape. SEO experts themselves will also find this system useful, because they will no longer have to frequently check to see when a Website's level of optimization changes, instead they are automatically notified when Website modifications are required.

Additional solutions for SEO businesses are based off of an OEM model (http://solutions.seoeng.com/tutorial/oem-program.htm), where business owners receive product training and support and their own privately labeled and branded Search Engine Optimization Engine(R) user interface. The OEM customer simply places a custom Search Bar on their Website offering free Webpage analyses for their visitors, providing an effective source of lead generation and tracking for their business.

Whether you are an SEO expert or Website owner, you have finally discovered a Search Engine that works for you!

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/01/prweb1844414.htm

Lavasoft Anti-Virus Helix 1

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 07:00:00 +0000

Lavasoft Anti-Virus Helix 1 download software from

http://www.download.com/Lavasoft-Anti-Virus-Helix/3000-2239_4-10905614.html

Latest VB100 test brings good news

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:08:00 +0000

The latest edition of the VB100 malware test served up good news for most security vendors.

Virus Bulletin said that all but two of the tested vendors passed the latest edition of the noted antivirus tests.

The December test focused on products for the 64-bit edition of Windows Vista. Vendors were pitted against 100 malware samples collected from the wild. In order to pass, vendors are expected to accurately identify all 100 malware samples without returning any false positives.

Among those who passed the most recent test were market leaders Symantec and McAfee, along with CA, F-Secure, AVG and Sophos. Microsoft also saw both its Forefront and OneCare pass the test as well.

The only two suites to fail the test were Alwil avast and Norman Virus Control, each of which recorded one false positive result. None of the 22 products sampled in the test missed any of the malicious samples.

The high success rates on the VB100 come at a time when the test is under scrutiny from many in the security world. Several vendors have pulled out of the test in recent years claiming that the test greatly favors signature-based security detection over behavior-based methods.

Last month, a collection of vendors pledged to develop a new testing system which they claim will more accurately assess the effectiveness of behavior-based testing.

Some, however, are not so quick to completely dismiss the VB100 system. Sophos senior technology consultant Graham Cluley, whose company passed the latest test, defended the methods.

"Tests against malware from the “in-the-wild” list are not the be-all and end-all when it comes to determining which is the best security product, but it definitely provides a useful standard that vendors need to be able to keep on top of," he wrote.

USB Antivirus: Not Necessary Right Now

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:17:00 +0000

It has been observed that viruses and other types of attacks that spread via mobile storage devices like USB drives are almost negligible, as compared to the other sources of malware. Therefore, the security vendors such as F-secure and Trend Micro are in no rush to develop anti virus solutions for USB.

A few months back SanDisk, the global manufacturer of flash based products had announced its Cruzer range of enterprise USB drives, which include the high security Sandisk Cruzer Professional, will be equipped with antivirus protection from McAfee. However, Anthony Ung, marketing manager for the Asia-Pacific region of Trend Micro has pointed out that all this is not necessary at this point in time, since most security threats originate from the Internet and a very few spread via the USB devices.

Chia Wing Fei, security response manager at F-Secure Security Labs also had the same opinion. Instead of developing whole new applications for USB security, the alternate methods should be implemented. Chia said, “A common security practice that many organizations implement is to disable the auto-play function of CDs, DVDs or any other removable device. Once this function has been disabled, no automated execution of malware on the removable device such as USB sticks can happen. At the moment, the threats that we face are more prevalent on the Internet and we see more attempts to spread malware over this medium as compared to using removable devices.”

http://www.mobile-computing-news.co.uk/features/673/usb-antivirus-not-necessary-right-now.html

Prevent Unnecessary Hardware Upgrades

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 02:03:00 +0000

There's nothing like having to replace something before it's time. When a car, for example, starts breaking down four years after purchase, the owner unexpectedly has to pull together the financing for another vehicle and go through the painful lease or purchase process. Or a television goes out right in the middle of your favorite program when you fully expected it to last at least another two years. It seems nothing lasts as long as it used to-and it can be an expensive surprise.

This can be also true of computers, and in business it can be as expensive as or even more expensive than some car or a television. A company budgets its funds for a quarter or for a year, and having an unexpected hardware failure necessitating a replacement or upgrade turns that budget on its ear. It becomes imperative for an IT department to maintain that hardware and get as much life out of it as possible-and when it comes to hard drives, file fragmentation can rob a good portion of that life.

A hard drive is the only computer component that has mechanical, moving parts that can break down. Every time a file is requested, a read/write head must move across the disk platters and retrieve that file, and file fragmentation adds additional movements for every fragment. Because the free space on a drive is also fragmented, the same holds true for writing a file: the read/write head will have to keep moving until it has written all the fragments of a file in the free spaces available.

Many companies have implemented scheduled defrag to make sure drives are defragmented. But what system administrators in these companies may not know is that despite scheduled defragmentation, hard drives are still experiencing unnecessary wear and tear. Because file sizes have become enormous and disk capacities have so greatly increased, fragmentation builds up far quicker than it used to. In between scheduled runs, fragmentation continues to impact performance and continues to reduce hard drive life-and in some instances, as in the case of very large drives, the defragmenter isn't even addressing the fragmentation problem.

An automatic defrag solution solves this problem, restoring that life and allows hardware to be used even longer than expected.

"I am still able to use five-year-old equipment even for software development and builds, simply because they are so highly optimized with automatic defrag software I use," said Neil Beesely, network administrator with Integrated Medicine PS in Bremerton, Washington. "In addition to defragmenting data files we are particularly grateful for being able to defragment MFT and page files easily."

Beesely has been able to address his fragmentation issues with automatic defragmentation. These include software build environments that suffer severe fragmentation problems, software test environments using VMware that also suffer severe fragmentation, and admin and secretarial workstations where he can prevent unnecessary slowdowns and avoid hardware upgrades.

File fragmentation takes a serious toll on hard drives. The right defrag technology, counteracts that toll and ensures hard drives last through their expected life spans and beyond.

Colleen Toumayan is the Vice President of Public Relations at Diskeeper Corporation. Diskeeper Corporation are innovators in Performance and Reliability Technologies™: With over 31 million licenses sold, home users to large corporations rely on Diskeeper software to provide unparalleled performance and reliability to their laptops, desktops and servers. Diskeeper Corporation further provides real-time data protection and real-time data recovery™ with Undelete 2009.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=C_Toumayan

DirectTV Programming Straight into your Computers

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:01:00 +0000

Watching standard and high-definition programs on your computer is already possible. For years, a lot of people has been using a Slingbox or a TV tuner to watch standard and high-definition content on their 19-inch monitors. However, this setup has its limitations such as Slingbox unable to display high-definition content and of course, it is very uncomfortable to sit in front of your computer monitor just to watch your favorite movie.

However, this might soon come to an end - or in other words, improve as TV manufacturers are slowly integrating Web-based content into their sets. If it is released, the promise of the DirecTV’s HDPC-20 might change everything. The dual-tuner device has been in the making for some time now, with product photos and tidbits of information floating around blogs during the past year. As far as we know, the product could do the following:

-Allows you to record and watch DirecTV programming on your computer, and connects via USB.
-Features dual-tuners, however high-definition programming is not yet assured.
-Includes an Ethernet connection possibly to strean content to multiple Windows Media Extender devices and Xbox 360.
-A fully-featured media hub to stream downloaded movies, music, and pictures.

If ever these features will be released(blog sites speculate a November release), then it would be a giant leap for this technology. In the meantime, there are already plenty of solutions to stream media from and to your computer. Most of them, however, still don’t come close to offering an easy way to pull in high-definition television programming, integrate it with Web based video, and stream it to your HDTV.
http://www.hdtv-news.co.uk/2008/09/18/directtv-programming-straight-into-your-computers/

Nokia introduces two new multimedia computers

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 15:22:00 +0000

Worldwide Computer Products News-16 June 2008-Nokia introduces two new multimedia computers(C)1995-2008 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD http://www.m2.com

Finnish telecomms solutions provider Nokia (NYSE:NOK) introduced on Monday (16 June) two new multimedia computers, the Nokia E71 and Nokia E66.

Both new products mobilise a broad range of personal or professional messaging needs, including Microsoft Exchange, the world's most widely adopted corporate e-mail solution, the company said.

The Nokia E71 and Nokia E66 support e-mail accounts from more than a thousand Internet service providers (ISPs) around the world, as well as Gmail, Yahoo! mail and Hotmail.
Both devices are expected to begin shipping in key markets in July.

Nokia, headquartered in Espoo in Finland, is a global mobile phone and network equipment manufacturer. It has some 65,324 employees worldwide. Nokia is listed on the Helsinki, Stockholm, Frankfurt and New York stock exchanges.
http://findarticles.com

Wondershare DVD Ripper For Mac Review

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 02:35:00 +0000

Finding DVD Ripping Software for Mac is a real dilemma. There are very less Mac users in Comparison with Windows and most of the Windows Compatible software don't work on Mac.

There are literally hundreds of software for ripping DVDs on PC but when it comes to Mac, there are only a very few software which does this. It might not be possible for you to tryout those software one by one and find the best one. This is why I thought about sharing my personal experience with the software as it can be useful. This Wondershare DVD Ripper For Mac is to help you in this process so without any hassle, you can easily understand what this software does.

First, let me tell you that Wondershare Mac DVD ripper is the best dvd ripper for mac I have ever used. It installs like a charm and works magically. Its user interface is really very easy and even If you are a new user of mac, you can understand and use this mac dvd ripper easily.

All you need to do is run the software and select the DVD chapters you want to rip. Then select the output format profile, set the output folder and start ripping the movie from your DVD. The ripping speed is really good and the best in the software I've tried out. The conversion is done quickly and then you can sync your iPod through iTunes and transfer the videos to your iPod very easily.

We would give this software a 5 star rating for its easy interface, fast conversion speed, free technical support and high speed dvd ripping. If you are looking for a mac dvd ripper, look no further. You can use this Mac DVD Software to rip movies from DVD for your iPod, iPhone, iTunes, iRiver and other similar devices. It also supports formats for all types of cellphones.

Wondershare DVD Ripper For Mac supports mounds of features which are not described here. Read the Full Review of this Mac DVD Ripper or See Full Details of this Mac DVD Software

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R.k._Jain

At Microsoft, seeking the next billion computer usersBill Gates and Steve Ballmer got Microsoft its first billion customers.

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 10:46:00 +0000

Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer got Microsoft its first billion customers. It's Will Poole's job to get the next billion.

Poole, who co-leads Microsoft's emerging-markets push, is chartered with enabling the company's goal of allowing 1 billion more people to access computing technology by 2015.

The company has a number of efforts under way in the area, from the Starter Editions of Windows XP and Vista, to shared computers for classrooms, to research into turning a cell phone into a low-cost computer by connecting it with a large display. Poole said the last effort, which has garnered a fair bit of interest, is moving from the drawing board to reality.

"We've got it in development in China right now," he said during a recent meeting with CNET News.com reporters and editors. "We've got a manufacturing partner signed on with us and our group in Beijing is working quite hard on it. It'll be in trials I think within a year, and we'll see how people respond to it."

In the meeting, Poole talked about Microsoft's approach, as well as some of the challenges, which stretch well beyond the fact that many people can't afford the latest technology. In actuality, relevance and accessibility are bigger hurdles for the world's poor, Poole said.
When I started looking at this about five years ago, I thought that affordability was the biggest challenge. It turns out that affordability is actually the third on the list of issues. The first one turns out to be relevance.

Q: How can Microsoft reach people who historically have not been users of its technology?
Poole: Let me begin by clarifying the difference between emerging markets and emerging segments. An emerging market is what people typically think about--such as Brazil, Russia, India and China. The other includes very large developing economies. Of course there are many people in those countries who do not have very good access to technology. At the same time, we look more broadly at a concept called emerging segments...people who do not have access to technology in whatever market they're in.

So what do you do to reach those people? There are obviously people who can't afford technology here in the United States, as well as in our neighboring countries and in emerging markets.
Poole: There are three primary areas where we can help people realize social and economic opportunity through technology. Transforming education is one. The second one is looking at fostering local innovation, and the third one is enabling jobs and opportunities.

When I travel around the world I see the power of the PC to bring people new opportunities--either to have skills that they can apply to get better jobs to earn more money, or to take a disadvantaged person who simply could not get a job at all because of a handicap.

What are some of the technologies that you guys are working on that can really help beyond the economic issues that are in play?
Poole: You bring up a very good point. When I started looking at this about five years ago, I thought that affordability was the biggest challenge. It turns out that affordability is actually the third on the list of issues. The first one turns out to be relevance. That means bringing a product to market that really meets the needs of somebody in an emerging segment--be it in rural India or in urban China or down the street, here in San Francisco. Are we building a technology that is relevant to the specific needs and problems that they have?
The second thing is to look at whether the technology is accessible to them. Can they find a place to buy it? Can they get support? Can they get broadband connectivity to bring them into the world of the Web? And then the third thing is affordability.

So, for example, in Asia we focus a lot on education because that's a very high priority there. In Latin America, we focus a little bit more on the jobs and opportunities and helping people get better jobs through the use of software technology. So there's a variety of different technologies we'll bring to the market, depending on the specific needs of local people.

I've seen a lot of interesting demos from across the company of some different approaches. One of those is called MultiPoint, where it's basically an entire classroom using one computer. Can you talk a little about how that works?
Poole: MultiPoint came from Microsoft Research India. They had sent people out to see what kids were doing with PCs in schools. What they found was that kids tended to be gathered around a PC and (watching) one person do their thing and then they took turns every five minutes or so. It was really not very engaging. So they developed this technology called Microsoft MultiPoint, which enables an application to be built that lets multiple mice be used with a different cursor for each kid. So one kid can be solving a math problem in one part of the screen while another one is solving a math problem on another part of the screen.

They basically can be time-sharing the screen and working collaboratively. What we found is that not only do they get to be more engaged with what they do on the PC...but they help each other. That's turned out to be something that's very beneficial from an education perspective. The kids are engaged and collaborating to solve a problem.

A lot of people think that for much of the world the first computing device that people use won't be a PC. It'll be some sort of mobile device. Obviously, that's an area that Microsoft has spent some time on, but it's a little bit further from its comfort area. What are you doing in the mobile space as far as non-PC devices?
Poole: Well, we certainly agree that the first computing device which will be used by many people around the world will be a phone. You see this happening in emerging segments all around the planet today. Mobile phones are really just taking off as the prices come down and the access is going up. We think that there are some interesting things to do to help make the mobile phone become a better device.
How close is that to being a product? You take the phone that people are already getting, hook it up to the TV they already have and you've got a computer. The phones that we use today in the U.S. certainly are capable of that from a technology perspective. How close is that?
Poole: Well, it's still got a ways to go. We've got it in development in China right now. We've got a manufacturing partner signed on with us, and our group in Beijing is working quite hard on it. It'll be in trials I think within a year and we'll see how people respond to it. It's a new concept in the sense of trying to bring together PC and phone technology in a lower-cost device. It's not something that you're going to see a businessperson in a developed market using while walking down the street. We're trying to really target the needs of a broader population and so we're very excited about the opportunity there, but time will tell.

Obviously, Microsoft is not the only company looking at how to get computing devices into the hands of more people across the globe. The project that's gotten the most attention is the One Laptop Per Child project. What do you make of a program the group is launching in which people in the U.S. can buy one of the laptops for their own use, and then a second computer would go overseas?
Poole: It's an interesting way to get people involved in this challenge that we all see, which is how do you effectively apply technology to education. I'll be very interested to see how it comes out as well.

How important is it that that first device people use be running a Microsoft operating system versus Linux or another operating system?
Poole: Interestingly enough, we don't see that as much of a battle. The battle is around nonconsumption or around buying a new two-wheeled motor vehicle as opposed to buying a PC for the home...Clearly, we have an interest in having our software used and we think that the value that we offer is very deeply desired--particularly as people get into more of the business world...But our primary goal is around just getting technology to be adopted.
http://gans-blogger.blogspot.com/

guide on how to get the computer to run faster! ( works )

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:13:00 +0000

Copying Files to New PC With Slave Drive

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:53:00 +0000

Once it's powered off and unplugged, remove the hard drive from your other computer.
Set the jumper from it's current setting which is "Master" to "Slave.
On a Seagate/Maxtor or such drive it will look like this on the end:

| ::::::::::'::::::::: | :::: | ....
IDE Pins | Jumper Pins | Power connector
The Jumper Pins will look like this:

|::: (the first column will have the jumper), carefully remove the jumper and move it to the second column of pins so it's now like this :|::

If it's a Western Digital drive it's slightly different, the jumper pins will be like this
::::: and the jumper could be in one of two positions or there may not be one at all, in which case just remove the jumper from your CD/DVD drive and use it, remembering to put it back in when you're done. The way you need it to appear is this :::|: with the jumper on the second column from the power connector
Once that is done power off your present computer and unplug it, if you have an anti-static wristband please use it but if you don't no biggie just ground yourself by touching the case of the power supply, this will discharge any static electricity that may be built up in you, just in case...

Once you've opened the side panel of your computer you'll see the hard drive, connected to it is the IDE cable, it's about 1.25" wide and should be grey but might not be (I've seen blue ones as well). Don't touch the present HD or remove any cables from it, that's unnecessary. On the IDE cable should be another IDE connector (near the center of the cable or sometimes a few inches above the one on your present HD). Attach this connector to your other hard drive and find an available power plug and put it in the power slot.

If you're just using it temporarily and plan on returning the HD to the original computer once finished then you can leave it just sitting in the case, if you plan on using it permanently in this computer than mount it to an available HD Mounting Rack in your case.

Again if it's temporary you don't need to put back on the side panel, just plug the PC in and Windows will say "Found New Hardware" and proceed to install the driver for that HD, then it should appear as the F drive in "My Computer" either named "Local Disk (F:)" or "Data Drive (F:)" Double click on it and navigate your way to your old files and copy them over!
http://www.ezinearticles.com/?Copying-Files-to-New-PC-With-Slave-Drive&id=1306645

Inside my computer info on parts

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 11:04:00 +0000

Wireless Networks - Quickly Becoming The Standard Setup

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Mon, 26 May 2008 13:33:00 +0000

Wireless networks have become incredibly popular - so much so that virtually all new laptop computers have wireless network cards included as part of a set of standard features. As a matter of fact, customers will offer salespeople a strange, blank look if wireless networking is not included as one of the standard features. People love the convenience of being able to boot up the laptop and surf the net wherever they may be.

Wireless networks have become so popular and affordable that many people are now opting to include this convenience in their homes also. If you happen to be one of the thousands of people who choose to install wireless networking in your home, then there are a few things that you will need to understand about how wireless networks work.

One of the best and most appealing features of wireless networks is the fact that they are wireless. This makes installation incredibly simple and affords you the freedom to roam about in your home with your laptop untethered. Wireless networks eliminate the need for the wires associated with traditional Ethernet networks.

Installing wireless networking in your home is a rather painless process. Plus, in comparison to traditional wired, or Ethernet, networking, it is relatively cost effective. Many times, you can set up a wireless network in your home for less than a hundred dollars. The only disadvantage to wireless networks is that they are slightly slower than Ethernet networks. However, the average consumer will never even notice the difference.

Most wireless networking technology available for home use operates on what is called 802.11g technology. What this means is that the data sent over the network is transmitted at 2.4 GHz at a speed of 54 megabits. For non-technical folks, that means the data is moving pretty fast. Newer technology is currently in the works for wireless networks (802.11n), but it is still in the beta, or testing, phase.

Wireless networks operate by using either modulating radio waves or pulsing infrared light. They include a router that is hardwired to your Internet connection and transmits data via these radio or light waves. Your computer receives the information via either an internal or external wireless adapter, which acts as a receiver.

If you are thinking of installing a wireless network in your home, you will need a high speed Internet connection, a router, and wireless adapters for each computer you wish to access the network. Most basic wireless routers only have a range of about 100 feet, so if you live in a larger home, you may need to also purchase a range extender or repeater for your network. And that is pretty much it.

Wireless networks are easy to install and convenient. If you have not already decided to bite the bullet and install one in your home, you are missing out. The installation process only requires reading and following a few simple instructions. Do this and you will have a wireless network that the entire family can enjoy.
http://www.ezinearticles.com/

Computer Sound Issues - How To Fix

noreply@blogger.com (zonkette) — Sat, 10 May 2008 05:23:00 +0000

1. Make sure your speakers are on and plugged into power.

As I've said in other articles, nothing can run without power. Make sure your speakers are plugged into a power outlet and that the outlet itself is working.

2. Make sure your speaker wires are in the right place.

Basic Speakers may just have the one wire, but If you have anything other than the bare minimum, there's going to be 2, 3 or even 4. And if you don't plug the right wires into the corresponding plugs, your system won't work. The one that every system has is the plug for the main speakers and it's pretty universal that green corresponds to these, and therefore should go into the green jack. If there aren't matching colors, the speaker jack should have some sort of symbol depicting a speaker or headphones radiating sound, or something similar. If you have anything more than a two speaker system, for example a 5 speaker surround sound system, you will have more to deal with. The green will be for the front left and right speakers, but you will have two more wires that correspond to the front center speaker and the back left and back right speakers. On my Logitech system these are black and orange respectively. Now there is another jack for a microphone, which I have encountered as pink most of the time. But even without a color there should be a symbol depicting a microphone beside it.On a side note, most sound cards will have three plugs, one for the main speakers, another for the front center speaker, and one for a microphone. In order to have a surround sound computer system you usually need a higher end sound card that supports those extra back two. But don't worry if you have a big speaker set and don't have enough plugs for everything, the main speakers will still work, you'll just have to upgrade Cards to get the surround sound experience. Now if all else fails and your cords and plugs are the wrong colors and there aren't any symbols depicting which is which, a simple trial and error will eventually work, plug each wire into each plug, and one of them should eventually work.

3. Check windows volume control aren't turned down or muted.

I know I've done this a thousand times. Turned on some music, heard nothing, had a mini-panic attack about my speakers being broken, and then realizing that the sound was just muted. To start with, make sure your speakers themselves are turned on. Many speakers will have a button that turns them on when they're plugged in. They also may have a volume knob that you can turn to adjust the sound, make sure this isn't turned all the way down.Most applications that involve sound (for example windows media player or itunes) will have a built in volume control somewhere in the interface. These can look like a slider or meter that shows a speaker with sound waves coming out to show what it is. Make sure this is turned up and the mute box (if it has one) is unchecked. Now Windows has a master volume control that sits near the clock on the bottom right corner of the screen. If you double click the speaker icon, then the sliders will come up. Make sure they are all turned up to how loud you want them. Now if all this doesn't work, it could simply be your system is trying to play through the wrong device. If (in Vista) you right click your volume control and select "playback devices" from the list, you should open up a window that lets you change the device.

Or in XP, you can right click your volume control and go to "Adjust Audio Properties" and then go to the Audio tab.

Now if you have more than one device in this screen then select one, and click set default, and try your sound, and then the other, click set default, and try the sound. Click OK when you find the one that works.

4. Make sure your sound card drive is installed and working.

Now this step is a little bit more complex, though not awfully so. Sound cards have drivers that run them, so if there's no driver, then your sound card won't work. There sound be a driver CD that came with your computer with the right driver on it, so look for that and use the CD to install or re-install the driver. Failing that, most manufacturers will have the drivers to their products on their website so if you know the maker of your card you can simply go to the website and download it. Additionally if you know the model number of your card you can sometimes input that into Google or other search engine and it will take you to a site where you can download your driver. In order to find the model number of your card you have to look at the card and you have to take apart the computer to do so and I don't really recommend that unless you really know what you're doing.
http://www.ezinearticles.com/