It is important to note that in the current market, Manufacturers of printers are putting the actual printers into the market at very low prices and in many cases the entire printer is less than the cost of the printer ink cartridges that they use.

Of course they get around this by supplying "sample" cartridges with your original purchase, or in other cases they will only include one cartridge.

So don't get caught in the theory that it is cheaper to keep buying new printers all the time.

This ultra competitive market place for the printer hardware leaves the manufacturers with no where else but he printer ink cartridges to make their money. So naturally they are going to put as much propagander out there about the reasons why you should use their consumables for your printing needs.

Are There Cheap Ink Cartridges To Avoid?

Absolutely, I am not here to say that all Printer Ink Cartridges are made equal. That is just not the case. Lets take a look at what you can expect to find.

Firstly you will find the cost of the original or genuine item. Lets say it is $20.00. Then you might find a compatible around the $12.00 to $15.00 mark, and in some cases you may also find some alternatives around the $8.00 to $10.00 prices.

Secondly you can have a look at where you can buy your printer ink cartridges. You have your department stores, Cartridge specialty stores, computer stores, and a variety of non related stores like $2.00 shops, newsagencies and of course the markets.

It would be reasonable to say that no matter where you buy from or at what pricing level you buy, you will be unlucky to come across Cheap Ink Cartridges that will actually cause harm to your printer.

However there are many Cheap Ink Cartridges that will not perform to the same quality standard as the genuine item.

Now this may not be an issue you for you. If your main printing requirements are that the text can easily be read and photos give a good example of the original image, then you may choose to go for the cheapest you can get.

My only reccomendation here is that you buy from someone you can trust. That might include any of the types of stores that I have listed above. So if you frequent the markets and have every reason to believe that the store selling you the Cheap Ink Cartridges is going to be there every week, AND will look after you if the cartridge does not work, or in the unlikely event that it causes harm to your printer, he will have it fixed or replaced for you.

If on the other hand you expect your cartridges to perform as the originals do, then as a general rule stores like $2.00 shops, news agencies and the markets are often only interested in buying and selling "the cheapest" available. Unfortunately this mostly leads also to a lesser standard of quality. Once again if you have a good relationship with them by all means give them a go, they may be good enough for what you require.

That does not mean to say that Department stores, specialty stores and computer stores are all good. I still recommend you ensure they are a reputable dealer, and have a genuine interest in providing a value for money product, not just the cheapest product.

Questions To Ask When Purchasing Cheap Ink Cartridges;

Are the inks as good as the genuine cartridge?

Will the inks print exactly the same colors as the genuine? (don't be afraid if you here the answer no. in fact it is likely that there will be some minor differences)

Are the cartridges filled to the same capacity?

My printer is still under waranttee. What is your policy if your cheap ink cartridges cause harm to my printer? (you want to hear no hesitation or blurb, the retailer should be confident that this is very unlikely to happen but that they will repair or replace your printer - naturally they will want independent assessment of the fault)

What is there policy if the cartridge is not performing as expected?

These types of questions should not be unfamiliar and an experienced retailer should be able to answer them with out fear or animosity. If you are comfortable with the response and that the business will be there tommorrow if you need to come back, I recommend you give them a go.

They are not likely to go through those types of questions with confidence if they do not have confidence in their product.

Buying Cheap Ink Cartridges on the internet;

If you are like me and you like to save time buying this type of consumable over the phone or the internet, then just follow the same buying principles. Simply go to the contact page and either give them a call (note you may not get an answer, many online stores are not really geared to receiving phone calls) or send them an email.

Take note of what they promise in regard t how long it will take to respond, and hold them to it. If they do not answer in the designated time frame in relation to a sales inquiry, how long is it going to take if a problem arises.

In any case you should get a feeling of comfort or discomfort during this process, if the email is personally answered and care has been taken to answer ALL of your questions, you are probably on a winner. On the other hand you may simply get referred to a terms of service page on their website. I personally would not be comfortable with that store!!!

Buying Cheap Ink Cartridges- A Summary;

Firstly they are most unlikely to cause harm to your printer.

Secondly there are quality issues, but that does relate to what your expectations are, and what is rubbish to one user may be perfectly acceptable to another, this is purely a matter of expectations.

Finally, selling is all about understanding that people buy from people that they know, like and trust. So if you buy from a retailer that you know like and trust, or at least like and trust, even if you do buy Cheap Ink Cartridges that do not meet with your expectations, you will have placed yourself in a position to easily have the problem resolved without animosity.

Don't you just hate it when your CDs stop working because of the many scratches that they get? It's really annoying when you're favorite game, music CD or DVD suddenly gets damaged because of the many scratches that you inadvertently give them. I experienced something kind of like that and I have to say it really sucks.

It has always happened to me. I have tendency to be a little careless with my CDs. I leave them without their cases anywhere, from the top of tables to once even exposed to direct sunlight in my car. Not only is an over-scratched CD virtually useless, it's a real waste of money because it is an item you could have protected and kept in great shape if only you had taken care of it properly. Deep inside I was aware of this fact but it didn't bother me at all. What were CDs anyway, if I could just download everything from the Internet if I lost them, right?

This piece of bad behavior continued until a few years after our wedding. You see, I love my wife so much and she's the only thing that keeps me going whenever I feel down. So I definitely value our wedding day over the many other days of the year. We make it a point to always watch videos of our wedding after a red wine-filled dinner. It always works to bring out all the laughs, tears and smiles that just make our wedding special.

But after a few years of neglect, I noticed that it wasn't playing anymore! It always froze up on the vow-taking ceremonies. I looked on the bottom of the DVD and found a dozen large scratches on it. Good thing for online tutorials! All I needed was some detergent and some Brasso and now, we can have these lovely memories all over again. Now I take no chances when it comes to CDs.

One of the most effective methods for troubleshooting electronics is unplugging power.

The most effective troubleshooting/repair tool available for computers or microprocessor-controlled systems is turning power off, waiting a period of time, and turning power back on.

Here's why it works:

Computers and microprocessors are control systems which are generally not fully controllable. This means that either the hardware or software can put them into a state where normal control inputs have no effect on the system. This topic is called "Controllability" in formal Control Theory jargon.

An analogy would be an Interstate off-ramp with no returning on-ramp. Once you get off, you have to do something abnormal, like back-track several miles on surface roads, to get back on.

From now on, I will use the term "computer" to mean computer or any microprocessor-controlled system. Your microwave, VCR, and fancy coffee pot are non-computer examples.

One state that all functioning computers can recover from is the power-off state. Hardware and software engineers work diligently to make sure a computer can turn on into a known controllable state. Imagine how upset customers would be if, regularly, they took their electronic devices out of the box, flipped the on switch, and nothing happened. You can be sure the manufacturer would hear from the customer, and that the hardware or software engineer at fault would also hear about it in no uncertain terms.

So, how does a computer get into an uncontrollable state?

In hardware, there are many causes for what is called a Single Event Upset (SEU). A power glitch, a cosmic ray passing through an integrated circuit (IC), or an alpha ray from the plastic IC package, can all cause an SEU, possibly changing a logic state (1 to 0 or vice versa), or triggering latchup in the pnpn layer most ICs have. In software, the computer can get caught in an infinite loop.

How do you turn your computer off, and how long do you keep it off?

Using the off/on switch or normal software shutdown will cure more than 90 percent of the problems, but not all of them. After turning off the computer, you need to pull the plug from the wall and make sure anything the computer interfaces with (modem, printer, etc.) is also turned off and unplugged. (Power strips are great for this.) If your computer has a battery, such as a laptop does, or a built-in UPS battery, you also need to remove this power source. The reason is that even if you turn off your computer, it still draws vampire power to keep certain monitoring and startup circuits alive -- which may be causing the problem.

Now that you've turned it off, how long do you keep it off?

Usually, but not always, 30 seconds is enough. This is because bleeder resistors across capacitors used to be designed to discharge logic, memory, and interface voltages to less than five percent of normal voltage in about this amount of time. It was considered good design practice. These discharge paths were also often included in ICs to remove charge from junctions and internal nodes when not powered.

Today, the discharge resistor is often not included in the design. Cost-savings is one reason, but also because real estate in ICs is so valuable. Active pull-down and pull-up devices, which take less real estate than resistors, are used instead. These work when there is power, but they can be high impedance with power removed. What this means is that a charge on system components and IC capacitance can keep the computer in an uncontrollable state for a longer time. As computers get "better" you need to leave them off longer.

What's my personal approach?

I turn the computer off (and remove the battery in a laptop), wait 30 seconds, replace the battery if necessary, and turn it on. If this does not cure the problem, I turn it off, unplug everything, remove battery backup, wait several minutes (up to 30 minutes), and try again. If this does not work, then I leave it off overnight.

If these steps aren't successful, re-cycling power will not solve the problem.

As those of you who have visited my website know, I include a personal anecdote for every problem/solution description I provide. Here is my anecdote for this problem:

When I was newly married, my wife would ask me to fix this or that electronic device that went out. Confidently, I would instruct her to pull the plug, reverse it (before plugs were polarized), wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in. She would first complain that this would not help, and then was amazed when it solved the problem.

Now, 47 years later, she just reported that the microwave went out. Without a word from me, she reached back behind the cabinet, pulled the plug for 30 seconds, plugged it back in, and reset the clock. She now accepts this as the best way to trouble-shoot/repair any electronic equipment. From her own practical experience, she knows it works most of the time.

The bottom line: One of the most effective methods for troubleshooting electronics is unplugging power. The time-tested technique is to turn it off, pull the plug, remove the battery, wait, replace the battery, plug it back in, and turn it back on. And best of all...this powerful method of troubleshooting electronics is free!

Rapid-Commit; is the process (option) in which a Requesting Router (DHCP Client) obtains "configurable information" (configurable parameters) from a Delegating Router (DHCP Server) by using a rapid DHCPv6 two-message exchange. The messages that are exchanged between the two routers (RR and DR) are called the DHCPv6 "SOLICIT" message and the DHCPv6 "REPLY" message.

I know you maybe saying, well so what. But, you must remember when a DHCP Client (The RR) normally needs to obtain "configurable information" from a DHCP Server (The DR) it will use the default DHCPv6 four-message exchange. That means the following four DHCPv6 messages are going to be sent between the RR and DR.

* The DHCPv6 "SOLICIT" message
* The DHCPv6 "ADVERTISE message
* The DHCPv6 "REQUEST" message
* The DHCPv6 "REPLY" message

The DHCPv6 "SOLICIT" message is sent out by the DHCP Client (The RR) to verify that there is a DHCP Server (a DR) available to handle its requests (demands).

The DHCPv6 "ADVERTISE message is sent out by the DHCP Server (The DR) as a reply to the DHCPv6 "SOLICIT" message that was sent out by the DHCP Client (The RR); basically, this message is sent by the DR to tell the RR that it is the DHCP Server that can handle the requests (demands).

The DHCPv6 "REQUEST" message is sent out by the DHCP Client (The RR) to request (demand) its "configurable information" from the DHCP Server (a DR). In other words, the DHCP Client (The RR) sends this type of message to a DHCP Server (a DR) when it is saying "Hey, DHCP Server (DR) give me my configurable information, Right Now!"

The DHCPv6 "REPLY" message is sent out by the DHCP Server (The DR) to the DHCP Client (The RR), and it contains the "configurable information" that the DHCP Client (The RR) requested (demanded). In other words, the DHCP Server (The DR) is sending this message to the DHCP Client (The RR) to say "O.K. here is your configurable information that you requested (demanded), Good Luck."

Well, by now you should begin to understand why the "rapid-commit" option (mechanism) is such a wonderful option (mechanism), because it is actually a short cut to allow a RR (DHCP client) receive "configurable information" from a DR (DHCP server).

Because, the RR (DHCP client) that is requesting the "configurable information" from the DR (the DHCP Server) is going to include the "rapid-commit" option in the SOLICIT message that it sends; so it can inform the DR (DHCP server) to send a REPLY message immediately.

By the way, just in case if you were wondering; the "rapid-commit" option has to configured on a RR's (DHCP client's) interface as well as a DR's (DHCP server's) interface to work properly.

In this entire article, I used the term "configurable information" so you could quickly learn how the "rapid-commit" option is used.

But, from a Cisco Systems standpoint the "rapid-commit" option (mechanism) is used by a RR (DHCP client) to request IPv6 Prefix information (Prefix Delegation) from a DR (DHCP server). In other words, Cisco Systems uses the "rapid-commit" option so a RR can request (retrieve) IPv6 Prefixes (address blocks) from a DR.

I invite you to visit my website were you'll find the latest information regarding Cisco IPv6 Design and Implementation Techniques.

To your success,

Charles Ross, CCNP #CSCO10444244 is the owner of Ittechtips.com; where you'll find free comprehensive information and videos about IPv6 technology and how it works with Cisco Systems technology.

Spend some time prepping your survey before you arrive on site. Study your maps and photos. Guess at likely locations for Access Points. Make sure that all your tools and drivers are ready to go. When complete head on into the airspace. This is where all the fun begins. If this is a survey for a new wireless LAN you will need to be VERY observant of many things that will impact the quality of both the air and the survey. This space is an empty pool that you are going to fill with radio signal.

Please understand--if you are not going to be as accurate as you possibly can, it is best not to even bother with a survey as it will be as waste of time, expense, and effort. This is not to say that an accurate survey will be a waste if you do not spend lots of time and money on it. You will be surprised on what you can accomplish on a "shoe string". Creative thinking, experience, and innovation go a long way here. You must be diligent, tenacious, and through.

A good place to start a survey is in the center of the air space. Boot your laptop computer and with one of the utilities that come with you wireless NIC car take a listen. If you have a combination card that can hear several RF bands at once that is a good thing. If not shuttle your cards in and out in compliance with your survey requirements.

Record any Access Points, Channels, signal strengths, and Clients you may pick up from your NIC (Wireless Network Interface Card). You will be working with and around these units now.

For your survey you will be capturing and recording several metrics based upon what your equipment can "hear".

* Signal Strength
* Noise
* Signal to Noise
* Channel (analogous to FM radio station channels)
* Rogues (a rogue is a neighboring Access Point sharing the air space that you are surveying)
* SSIDs (an SSID is basically the Wireless Network Name)

Surveying is both an Art and Science based discipline. It is difficult only in that we are attempting to quantify that which we cannot see or hear. We rely on equipment to tell us if we are on track, how well the system is operating, and what can be done to improve conditions.

There is something else though. Call it experience, call it intuition. An experienced surveyor can look at the environment and know all kinds of details before a laptop key is ever pressed. Remember your visualizations? That only touched the surface of what you need to be able to visualize. Your imagination combined with the right equipment however may be what is needed to do a ACCURATE survey. My definition is accuracy is practicality. If people are satisfied with the outcome the survey is accurate. It does not matter if the numbers are favorable, or not favorable. We survey for usability. We survey to resolve problems.

There are commercial packages on the market that do lots of things for you in a survey. They are like calculators being used in a math test. They get right to the answer. To understand, to really understand a survey though, you should be able to survey manually--pencil and paper.

Begin your survey with your map and notebook. Start in one corner and work yourself around the environment finally ending where you began. Figure on moving at about ten feet every twenty seconds for a detailed survey, and about half of that for a quick summary of the area.

If it is a new survey, hang an Access Point in one of your targeted locations, power it up, and match your SSID and Security data to the AP.

If you have done your preparation, you have a good idea where the trouble spots will be and if it is a new installation, perhaps where the new Access Points will serve best. What does your utility tell you?

* How many Access Points it can hear?
* How many SSIDs?
* Signal Strength?
* Noise?
* Thuput?

Whatever your utility "sees" Use IT! Record it where you are at on the map and move on about ten feet in a detailed survey, and fifty feet in a general survey. Eventually you will have your map populated and you will be able to "see" what is in the air.

As you move from point to point on your map recording what you hear, you will be able to understand what is happening in the environment. Pay particular attention to noise. The relationship between signal strength and noise should be equal to or greater than 20dB. So if there is little or no noise you can have a faint signal, but if there is a lot of noise you will need a signal that is at least 20dB higher than what is referred to as the "Noise Floor".

Today the technology is simply wonderful to those that have grown up with the computers, VCRs, Remote control and electronic alarm clocks. Now for those people that are not computer literate, it can be a real challenge! I remember the first time I wanted my mother to open a browser, she told me that she had no dogs and I must be on some drugs. I laughed and showed her what a browser was. I showed her how to get on the web and search for a site. First thing she asked to look at was her bank. She had heard you could do your banking online.

I have gone through the experience of teaching my 75 year old mother how to email, make a document, make a folder, and even save the document. I thought this was great! Then she wanted to learn more. Next thing I know I am teaching her how to scan documents, retrieve pictures from her camera and save them. Have you ever tried to teach someone over the phone? LOLOLOL

Let me tell you, it can only be done to a point. Let alone having my mother remember what she had done the last time was not always the case. I went through about 3 months of trying to teach her over the phone and going over to her home to teach her what to do, when I could.

We would also have those problems that every computer goes through, printer is not responding, could not find a file, and so on. Her favorite thing to do at night is playing Bingo on the TV Game show and printing out the cards to play with. For a solid week we had a difficult time getting the cards to print. We did get through the dilemma and was able to print. But the time I spent trying to teach her was too much.

A girlfriend of mine who also is a computer geek, and I were talking about the problem I was having with my mother learning online and trying to teach her over the phone and how frustrating it was for my mother and myself. She laughed at me and said, here you are the teacher and now I get to teach you! I know, I do not know everything, I do teach but I also learn too.

She proceeded to show me a web-based program you can set up on the other computer first and then set it up on your computer. Once this is done I was able to go into her computer and take over her computer. I can then show her what I want her to learn and also see if she can do it herself. Wow! I am finally getting work done and also my mother is getting very efficient with her computer now. As a matter of fact she can even look up my articles and comment on them, edit them and even add what she thinks I should do.

She understands our lingo now! Google, email, IM, Yahoo, GUI, online banking, My Space and much more. She even knows how to use Micro soft office and is doing very well. She is still learning and I am still teaching her!

Building a home recording studio has never been more popular with the advance in recording studio equipment. Home Music Recording has found a solid blend of digital recording products and music recording knowledge to help you start your own home recording studio. Easy Steps to Making Music On Your Home Computer Any computer purchased in the last couple of years has the basic hardware for recording music. Computers with a hard drive smaller than 2Gb and a CPU slower then 100mhz is going to limit you to a few tracks at best. The faster and bigger your home computer, the more powerful your digital recording capabilities can be. Besides your computer, all you need is a microphone and some software, and you're ready to create. Multi-track recording software is fairly easy to use. You do not need a math degree to figure them out. Many programs are geared specifically for regular musicians, and most offer a minimum of 8-track digital home recording. Some programs come equipped with virtual drum features, full MIDI capabilities, and multi-effects.

Actually, home recording is as easy as loading your software into your computer, jacking your mic into the sound card, and playing. Soloists can record one rhythm track, then create another lead track while your previous track plays back into your professional headphones, then add vocals on a third track. You can continue adding as many tracks as your computer and software can handle. Most software lets you add effects on all tracks. A word to the wise: even the fastest computers start slowing down with too many simultaneous effects in real time. Usually these 'bogs' will sound fine when you mix down, when the processor can handle more effects because it isn't fixed to real time. Computer noise can be a pain when recording.

The best thing to do is to put your computer under your desk. Even better, buy extra long cables for all you peripherals and put your computer in the next room. Of course you'll want to pick up a few other cool things. Perhaps a better sound card, maybe a sound mixer desk, certainly a superior mic and preamp, and probably a MIDI keyboard. And then you'll need to burn your own CDs. Keeping Your Gear Current Most people know that good home recording studio maintenance means cleaning and dusting rack modules, de-fragmenting hard drives, calibrating recorders and effects, and other details that help keep your gear in top operating condition.

When you're performing your regular maintenance, don't forget the software part of your setup. Thanks to the Internet, updates, drivers for A/D converters, plugins and upgrades for DAWs and soft synths, and the latest operating systems for computers and keyboards are just a click away. These updates generally offer feature enhancements, bug fixes, and/or expanded support for additional gear, plus they are tend to be free! Whatever you do, have great fun building and operating your home recording studio!

A loudspeaker, speaker, or a speaker system is an electrical device that can convert electrical signal into sound. They are the most invincible part in audio system and have the capability to produce different and distinct sounds that make music more audible.

The history of the speakers probably started in the year 1876 when Alexander Graham Bell patented the first electrical loudspeaker. From then until 1950 the standard of the speaker was poor if we compare them to the modern one.

To reproduce a wide range of frequencies loudspeaker system requires more than one driver either for high sound pressure level or high fidelity applications. Continuous research, development and revolution in technology have led to a wide variety of improvements like improvements in cone materials, introduction of higher temperature adhesives, improved permanent magnet materials, improved measurement techniques, computer aided design, and finite element analysis, thus leading to noteworthy audible experience.

Choosing speakers is one of the most important tasks while setting up any audio or video system. It is very important to know where the speakers are going to be placed because different rooms have different requirements. Large room speakers require more power in order to output high volume levels without distortion, so one need larger amplifiers for large rooms or more efficient speakers. While making the choice, some points should be kept in mind like balance and frequency range, fine tuning, speaker types, etc.

The term frequency range defines how accurately the speakers can play the highest and the lowest frequency. We may come across some speakers that sound bombastic on a high frequency song while the same becomes almost inaudible at low. A good pair of speakers have the brilliance to strike the right balance and play each sound at the accurate level.

If the frequency range is poor and the balance is not maintained, the sounds tend to become fuzzy or rough when the volume is increased. At the same time the speakers cannot play sounds at low volumes after reaching a certain point. Some speakers will play sounds alike and do not distinguish between soft and harsh tones.

The best way to test the neutrality of the speakers is to play in a recorded human voice. If the recorded voice sounds just the way it does in real life or sounds as if the individual is speaking in just one tone then the speaker is definitely well balanced and has a good frequency range. The balance control not only changes the relative volume of the speakers, but also delays the sound from the speaker closest to the ear so that all the sounds can reach the ear at the same time.

If we talk technically about the balance and frequency range of the speakers directivity becomes an important issue because it affects the frequency balance of sound the listener hears and also the interaction of the speaker with the room. Directivity measures the power density that an actual antenna radiates in the direction of its strongest emission. A loudspeaker with a high degree of directivity can be said to have a high quality.

Wireless microphone is the newest edition in the world of microphones. Selecting and operating a wireless microphone is not very easy. It is necessary to know how to select and operate wireless microphones.

There are lots of microphones available in the market and naturally the question arises why we should select a wireless microphone. We will try to find out the answer below.

Wireless microphones will give you some benefits. The best advantage of a wireless microphone is that it offers you a good amount of freedom. It makes movement easier than with the wired ones. It allows you an expressive and natural movement. And as you can move freely and do not have to pay extra attention to the microphone, you can concentrate on your performance. This tool also has a professional and sophisticated image.

Before buying a wireless microphone, you must think clearly. You should know what you actually want to do with your microphone. Do you want to use it in a music show, in a home theater, or in a theater show? Will it be used in only one location or will it be taken to different places? These points will help you a lot in choosing the right one.

Always select microphones of reputed brands, even if they are expensive. These microphones are of better quality and as they have to keep up their goodwill, these brands will never let you down. They will provide you some added benefits like extra audio outputs, ground lift switches, internal power supplies, etc.

Operating a wireless microphone is easy. When you buy one you will find all the instructions about operating that in the manual. Normally they are written in a lucid language and it will not take long for you to understand all the applications. But for your convenience, we are providing the operation system below.

The first thing that you need to do after buying a wireless microphone is to find out the plug and attach it with your audio mixer. Normally these microphones have two channels. Some of them offer you the facility to operate both the channels simultaneously. But if you want, you can operate them one by one.

To start the microphone, you need to plug in the input jack in the back of the receiver and have to turn on the electric supply switch. The microphone has got a battery compartment. Normally these compartments remain covered. You need to open this compartment and have to insert a battery and have to cover it again.

You will find a switch in the microphone, indicating on and off. You just need to switch on the mike when necessary and switch it off after finishing your work.

You will also find a battery indicator in the good quality wireless microphones. It will show you the state of the battery. That means it will continuously indicate when your battery is fully charged, or when it is partially charged. It will also tell you when the battery will go out of charge.

So, these are the basics of how to select and operate wireless microphones.

I started getting the emails and calls from friends and clients last week. "Yipes, I can't get on the Internet! I have wasted all day (night) trying but nothing works. What's the problem?"

To be honest I didn't have a clue myself, until one friend called and said that of her 3 computers that had web access (all have ZoneAlarm installed) the one that missing a Windows update still worked. After some research we confirmed that the newest Windows update had "broken" the current version of ZoneAlarm. ZoneAlarm Free (ZA) is arguably one of the most downloaded personal firewall programs on the planet. I use it and personally recommend it to just about everyone I know. So this "glitch" was a huge pain in the tuckus.

Later in the week, the boys at ZoneLabs (the makers of ZA) released a press statement, detailing their workarounds. Seems the update killed all of ZoneLabs product line from their ever popular firewall to their premium security suite.

The press release states, "Microsoft Update KB951748 is known to cause sudden loss of internet access for ZoneAlarm users on Windows XP/2000. Windows Vista users are not affected. Platforms Affected: ZoneAlarm Free, ZoneAlarm Pro, ZoneAlarm AntiVirus, ZoneAlarm Anti-Spyware, and ZoneAlarm Security Suite".

What you need to do now...

As a temporary workaround:

1. Double-click on the "Z" ZoneAlarm icon in the lower right of your screen.

2. After the program opens, click "Firewall" on the menu bar on the left side.

3. You should see the "Internet Zone Security" section. Move the slider from "High" to "Med." (medium)

4.Click on the "X" in the upper right corner to minimize ZoneAlarm.

This will work until you get the time to download and install the newest version of your ZoneAlarm product.

Now when you install the new update make sure you check "Upgrade" not "Clean Install" or you will have to go through the slow process of ZoneAlarm "learning" which programs to let through all over again.

So how did this happen? Is ZoneLabs going belly up? Nah...what went on behind the scenes is that several months ago a computer security researcher accidentally discovered a major, major error in the actual structure of the Internet. Seems he found a way that someone could trick every computer into going to a bogus website, even if you go to a browser and type in the "correct" URL or web address.

This meant that if you opened your web browser and typed in "www.eBay.com", your computer and everyone else's could have been redirected to a fake eBay site.

That's right ALL the computers in the world! Ain't that a kick in the teeth? So the top über-geeks in the world have been working in secret to correct the problem. Most of the major players were involved and released updates this month.

If by chance, you have not installed the latest operating system update, you should. Because now that the "cat is out of the bag" there is no doubt some enterprising young hacker will try and make use this "flaw in the fabric of the web" to lead you to a fake and dangerous website.

The word microphone has actually come from two Greek words, micro that means small and phone that means voice. Microphone's history started with the telephone transmitter, which was developed by Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Grey simultaneously.

The first microphone can be called a variable resistance device. That had a mouthpiece, which was funnel shaped and its membrane diaphragm was stretched. The membrane diaphragm was the base of this mouthpiece. A metal cup used to be there just below the diaphragm. A metal pin used to go down to the cup right through the diaphragm. There was dilute acid in the cup. The fix resistance was shown by an ohmmeter that was located between the pin and the cup. If the diaphragm moves, then the pin also moves up and down with it in the liquid. And this makes the resistance vary accordingly. This microphone was a wired microphone.

In 1900 telephone transmitter was the only kind of microphone which was available. Several new kinds of microphones emerged after the radio power increased. Multiple microphones were used in those days. They used to have only one mouthpiece.

Lt Ditchman started another system. He put a set of microphones in a stand and rotated them in the intervals. He did this to avoid their overheating. But these multiple microphones had some drawbacks. One of the most serious problems was that if one of the microphones faced a short circuit problem then it spread rapidly to the others. Rudolph Goldschmidt patented a circuit that later solved this problem.

In 1879-81, Edison and Dolbear invented the condenser transmitter. Previously it was made for telephones, so it was not very good for microphones. But later on it was redeveloped and made suitable for them.

By 1906, Fessenden invented two microphones which were able to handle 15 Amperes of current and that too without burning up. One of them was of condenser type and the other one was of watercooled carbon granule type.

These are all wired microphones. But as time passed, wired microphone started becoming a bit problematic for people. People wanted something which will be more user-friendly and which will give them some added facilities. In order to satisfy that need wireless microphones were invented.

In the year 1951 John. F. Stephens made a wireless microphone. Actually he made it for a navy musical show. In that show, each and every player and singer was given one piece each.

A manufacturer of German Audio Equipment called Senheisser exhibited one wireless microphone. Telefunkun marketed this product as Microport from 1958 onwards.

There is a bit of confusion about who was the actual inventor of this tool. A German equipment manufacturer called Beyerdynamic claimed that Hung.C.Lin invented the first ever-wireless microphone. They also claimed that a film called 'My Fair Lady' first used this type of microphone in the year 1964. Rex Harrison was the actor who first used this.

Big has had its day. From cars, to computers, to mobile phones, the message is that good things really do come in small packages as people begin to realise that size bears no relation to quality. Being compact is now seen as a desirable commodity as technology enables us to produce an ever greater output - but with minimal input.

Think back to your first computer, video player or music centre: they seem almost like outsized comedy props in comparison to their sleek 21st century equivalents. However, these compact shells contain a powerful technology that we could only dream of a decade ago - with the added advantage of costing a fraction of the price by today's standards.

So, the computing power that first propelled man towards the moon in the 1960s is now contained in a child's throwaway toy or given away in a Christmas cracker. As size has decreased, the technology we use in everyday items has increased in power exponentially.

There's no doubt that technology brings great opportunities and innovation - but it can be difficult to keep up with its relentless advance. The printing industry has benefitted from invention and innovation as much as any other, but it can be difficult to keep abreast of what all this new technology enables us to do. For example, you may have heard of nano technology, but are you aware of nanodot technology and what it can do? Is it just hype for another product that we don't really need - or does it have the potential to take production processes to a new level?

The Nanodot revolution

Nanodot technology is a new process that has been developed over the past few years and some believe is set to revolutionise the print market. More specifically, it is will almost certainly have a dramatic influence on the field of large format inkjet sublimation. The process ensures optimal pigment dispersion due to a combination of reducing the nanoparticles combined with fixing ionic polymers on the actual particles. To those of us without a science degree, in a nutshell this ensures improved ink flow, faster drying and better stability during the print process. However, due to the huge production investment in the latest laser spectrometers and medical filtration systems involved in producing nanodot inks, only one European company is currently producing them.

Originally developed in Italy, many countries such as Australia and Germany have started to use the nanodot technology with great success. This significant new technology was introduced in the Italian sportswear and garment manufacturing sector last summer, causing an unprecedented wave of production houses to change inks. At the same time, some major German flag makers began using this new ink technology and saw impressive results. The flag manufacturing industry is notorious for its highly competitive price structure, so when one company starts using a new form of technology to improve results and cut production costs, its competitors are keen to find out what's going on. Thus far, the UK has been slow off the mark in making use of this new technology - but that is set to change later in 2008.

Nano Pigmentation Technology (NPT) - how it works

As with many great innovations, the theory behind Nano Pigmentation Technology (NPT) is relatively simple. "With NPT sublimation ink, the dye particles are ground to sub micron size and ionically fixed," explains Enrico Grasselli Head of R&D at J-Teck srl. "The combination of minute sizing and the fixing process reduces friction as the inks pass through the printing heads, yielding a more even dispersement within the ink fluid itself. This more even dispersement allows a denser concentration of dye to be used and less water is needed to reach the optimum viscosity for peizo heads."

With versatility an important part of the printing process, various NPT inks have been developed for use on a range of different sublimation applications. Grasselli explains that, when transfer printing, the lower water/dye ratio has the advantage of less paper cockling - and even offers the possibility of using a more cost effective, lighter 100g paper.

Companies using the inks when working with direct to textile printing have reported that the NPT inks bleed less and show higher colour values resulting in a higher quality print. Add to this the advantages of a faster drying and pressing times reducing production times further - and as we all know, time is money, whatever marketplace your organisation operates in.

Extensively Tested

During the development and testing phase, creators J-Teck experimented with direct printing to coated and some uncoated textiles - resulting in a faster and more reliable result, in many cases. "Tests revealed that, no matter how the print was produced, if NPT inks were used with a good ICC profile, significantly less ink was used, due to the high dye density," comments Grasselli . "Combined with the drop in downtime caused by fewer head clogs and with less heat build up at the head prolonging the life of the print head itself, users have reported a potentially huge impact on reducing production costs."

J-Teck also claim improved ink stability during transport and storage, ensuring superior batch quality and consistent results for the user. Increased ease and speed of ink production at J-Tecks Como, Italy production plant, using new high tech ink processing equipment ensures faster ink production times. "As a company we have invested a lot of time and money in the technology to fully develop and test our product before we released it on to the market," comments J-Teck's President Dr. Gianni Cavallini. "Our stringent quality control procedures and faster production have enabled us to produce several different ink types and colours which cover specialist sublimation techniques. Tests show that they have an industry beating wash fastness and weatherability."
Embracing the change to stay competitive

Printing, perhaps more than many industries, is keen to embrace a new technology if a competitive advantage can be gained. If it enables us to do things faster, better , more cheaply and still stay reliable it is surely an innovation worth having. Only time will tell whether this is the start of a genuine revolution in the type of sublimation ink that becomes the industry standard, but if the early results across other European countries are typical, Nantodot Pigment Technology is likely to here making an impact for the foreseeable future.

Samsung and Reactrix are moving beyond touch screens and trying to make hand waving the next big computer interface.

This amazing 573 Samsung LCD TV will have a camera embedded within the unit and will reach audiences as far away from the screen as 15 feet. This standalone unit will allow Reactrix to deploy these interactive digital signs anywhere and everywhere.

"Reactrix and Softkinetic systems differ from the PlayStation Eye, however, in that they record 3-D information as opposed to just two-dimensional information."

Using computer vision algorithms to make sense of my movements is really interactive, and recording 3D information such as body motion, gestures, and distance from the screen is really amazing.

Reactrix uses an infrared light projection with a stereoscopic camera for gaining accuracy in poor lighting conditions. With the present Digital Signage Audience Measurement systems lighting is an issue, in order to properly identify an impression there needs to be a certain amount light within the camera's range. This is why Audience Measurement deployments are generally indoors where there is sufficient lighting, or outdoors with a small screen size that has enough light source to illuminate passer-by face impressions. Maybe the Audience Measurement guys should try using a similar technology to increase accuracy of their systems in poor lighting conditions.

Audience information is very much needed, with the Reactrix system it takes it a tad further by using a processor to analyze audience data to provide interactivity. This technology is similar to Audience Measurement tools for Digital Signage, because it takes data from the audience and processes it. Some people may say that only infrared images are being processed, yes it might as well be, but the system still has the ability to record regular images. The point I'd like to make, we need to have a standard with respect to privacy and capturing audience data.

Adhoc IT Support.

A cheap and cheerful way of maintaining a low volume of PC's, typically in a small business or home user environment.

If you browse the web in need of support for your PC or network, it doesn't take long to find suppliers who provide break-fix skills at an hourly cost when required. What people tend to forget though is that this model of support can prove to get painfully expensive especially as the complexity of users equipment and setup increases.

People now work both in the office and at home, with converging technology at both, so the need for extended hours support is on the increase when that last minute document needs completion sometime in the evening! Research whether an IT Support supplier offers extended hours support and what the cost will be on a per call or timed basis.

One area where adhoc support starts to become inadequate is when the user requires simply advice or "consultancy" on issues affecting their business. Some suppliers will provide this free of charge, although the level of attention they can provide "gratis" is usually quite limited.

Contract IT Support

This level of support provides a business with a fixed level of service for a monthly or yearly retained fee, although it is always worth checking exactly what is included and what is excluded.

Frequently, single users and small businesses negated this type of support with comments like "Its too expensive for our needs.......Why pay money as we know someone who will fix it.....". Many support companies can provide these services at lower cost now, so don't be prejudiced because the last quote you obtained was overly pricy from 5 years ago.

Negotiate with prospective suppliers as to the level of cover you require, and ensure they understand your requirements (time to respond, total time to fix,etc) before preparing a quote. This will result in far less shock when you compare 3 different quotes at wildly differing prices!

A good IT support contract normally encompasses at least a basic level of proactive maintenance, as it is in the provider's best interest to have a smoothly running client and network.

Any supplier who doesn't mention antivirus updates , windows updates and other simple checks should be questioned rigorously. After all, paying a regular amount per month doesn't entitle the supplier to take the money and ignore you until contract renewal.

In Conclusion

If you are currently maintaining your business IT on an informal basis with a 3rd party whenever a problem occurs, consider the time and cost benefits of having no disruption due to planned upkeep of your IT systems.

Satellite TV for PC is a revolutionary solution, a great invention with great promises. BUT what is real and what is not? Is what they promise of even applicable or real?

Well let's start by first explaining what Satellite TV for PC or PC Satellite TV is.

We all know what satellite and cable channels are, now as for Satellite TV for PC or PC Satellite TV, they are the same and they mean to be able to watch satellite channels on your PC or LAPTOP using the internet instead of the traditional cable and satellite dish.

How does it work?

The Principle of it is very simple. There are companies that are specialized in this industry - they get satellite channels the same way we get our channels either by cable or by a receiver dish using a very fast and powerful infrastructure. Then they convert them to go through a large number of computers often called data centers, which basically is a large group of very powerful computers. Now when you subscribe to their service they give you access to their data center through a software which will allow you to watch these channels. It's that simple :)

What are the pros and the cons of it?

Let's start with the PROS.

1 - You don't need hardware to watch your favorite channels. 2 - You don't pay monthly subscription. 3 - You can have it any where you want and any time, so there will be no lost shows and episodes any more if a family member is watching something or you are away. 4 - It's on your personal computer so recording, screen shots, and what ever you want you can do, but remember to concern the legal rights of the channels. 5 - It's 100% Legal 6 - You get about 3000 stations for a small one-time fee.

That and a couple of things more.

Now for the CONS

I really didn't find any cons from my point of view. I didn't face any problems using it, however, some of my friends said that it doesn't work well over a dial up connection, and you need to have a laptop! Well it's a point of view, but who is really using dial up now? ADSL is extremely cheap and very fast, plus almost every body owns a laptop. They are cheap and carrying your laptop with you is much easier than carrying your cable channels and receiver.

When I was 20 years old I received a devastating prediction. I would be boring, miserable and never have a meaningful relationship with a woman. If this prediction had been delivered by a wild black haired woman in a tent on a fairground I could have laughed it off. But no, this came with the full force of late 1970's science and technology, printed on some green and white computer paper. It was the results from an aptitude test and the algorithm had determined that I should either be an accountant or work in computers. Friends had been given bits of paper with journalist, barrister, advertising executive and for one, who was a punk rocker, complete with bondage gear, very improbably, a vicar. All seemed worthwhile and interesting jobs. I saw myself as someone destined to change the world, not reconciling expenses and playing Dungeon and Dragons in the evening.

Much of my early life was fighting against the inevitable. A Don Quixote existence. Eventually, I ended up where the algorithm said I would end up; in Information Technology. It was a completely different world to what I had expected. We were changing the world. It was exciting. I thought we were creating a brand new age and in many ways we were. Spend a day in the office without the IT revolution. Switch your PC off, create an 'out of office' reply that says that anybody who wants to talk to you will have to come and see you at your desk. Turn your blackberry off. Handwrite letters. No more cut and paste, unless it is to send that letter to your neighbour complaining about their Leylandii hedge. Even then it's glue and a copy of The Sun.

Everyone used to want to talk to people in IT. Hey, once it was even cool to be in IT. Even Bill Gates found a woman and got married. Now it's gone full circle. Just as when I was young nobody wants to talk to IT. We have become like some embarrasing Aunt in a Gothic novel, confined to an attic, out of sight and not likely to cause embarrassment to the rest of the family. The idea of having an IT Director on the Board now seems like a quaint anachronism from a bygone age, CEO's now say, 'Why would I want to talk to the head of IT, is e-mail down?'.

It is to this, that an entertaining and assertive book, 'The IT Value Stack - A Boardroom Guide to IT Leadership' has been written by Ade McCormack. The book addresses the woeful lack of influence that IT now has within organisations and seeks to act as a clarion call for IT professionals. He sees IT professionals as being integral to the strategy of the business. IT should not follow the business strategy but should be, to use his phrase. 'entwined' in the construction of their strategy. IT should be the deliverers of process change. He asserts that because IT is so central to the success of a business, then executives need to be IT savvy but IT professionals have to be business savvy. Then there are two layers that are more recognisable to IT departments, i.e. managing the technology, which is complex and then delivering this to the users. On the sixth level there is Circulation Management, 'which embraces both structured data held in databases through to unstructured knowledge stored in unstructured documents and in the heads of subject matter experts.' Overseeing and monitoring this is the Value Management layer which shows what return the business is getting from IT.

My own area of expertise has been neatly packaged into the Circulation Layer. As a boost to my own ego, it sits in the second highest level. It is this layer that data is transformed into information. The storage of this information becomes knowledge and with its use within the system, this base metal of data, of which there is lot, is transformed into the pure gold of wisdom.

I am not sure though why this is seen as an IT function though. The IT department touches all the functions in the business. So does HR. So does Accounts. So do the cleaners. MY own experience would point to the fact that this must be driven by those in the business, who know what the organisation needs, have some idea how it is going to get there and some clout to make it happen.

Ade McCormack makes some wonderful assertions. "One day", he breezily announces, "....intellectual capital will be a standard entry in company accounts"(p. 217). No, it won't. Not in our lifetimes or in the lifetimes of anyone alive today, however much medical science advances. Or as in some mad Newtonian utopia "everyone will be able to predict the future". No they won't. We can't even predict the weather five days hence and human society is an infinitely more complex and chaotic than our weather systems. How many people predicted the implosion of Northern Rock?

Sharing knowledge is difficult within organisations. I would agree that IT has an important role to play in capturing knowledge and sharing this within the organisation. This explains the popularity of workflow software. Thus, it may be known that when someone is ordering a take-away meal they can be persuaded to spend more by asking 'Would you like fries with that?'. We can put this knowledge into the till system to act as a prompt for the sales assistant. Or when we have a client asking about home insurance, we can get the system to check which other insurances they have with us and which they don't and what is up for renewal and the system can create an offer that would be suited to that specific client. Modern software solutions can do this and this is the biggest driver for productivity. This is where large organisations suddenly starts to get the advantage that we would expect them to have over small organisations. A process change can be implemented quickly and uniformly throughout the whole business.

Outside of workflow, life is a little bit more difficult. Do we remember customer relationship management systems. It came trailing clouds of glory. Everything about the customer in one place. No more embarrassment about turning up to visit a client and noticing one of your colleagues sitting in reception waiting for a meeting with the CEO to discuss a project that you knew nothing about or to ask about how your contact's spouse was, only to find they are in the middle of a messy divorce. Well that was the dream. Implementations did not take into account the simple fact that knowledge workers do not like to give up knowledge, even if you have paid for them to acquire it. Salesmen want to take 'their' clients with them when they leave. More than likely they will be going to a competitor and their value is enhanced by these contacts. The relationship is with the person and not really with the company.

Nor is this restricted to salesmen. The unwritten contract between employer and employee has dissolved in the last 20 years. Despite platitudes that 'people are our most important asset' most employees sense that they may be only a bad quarter from the scrapheap. Many turn themselves into little black boxes where they create important pieces of information and knowledge for the business but do so in way that is impenetrable to anybody else.

Here Ade McCormack is onto something. Human intervention is extraordinarily expensive. Executives may be aware of this. However , We usually have a disspiriting conversation that goes something like this:

'Well, we can get that information already. We just write a SQL report and give that to the users, which they put into a spreadsheet.

'Does it take you long?'

'No not at all. We know the system and they always pretty much ask for the same thing'.
'Does it take the users long?'

'I really don't know, they enjoy working on spreadsheets'

This labour of Sisyphus goes unnoticed. Trapped somewhere in the general overhead of the business.

This comes down to the business knowing what it is trying to do and knowing what people have to deliver to actually make that happen. There is a need for an infrastructure to deliver this. IT has an important role in delivering this and ensuring that it is available to the end users. I am not convinced by Ade McCormack's thesis that we need, or have the time, to wait for the IT department to become everything he argues it needs to be.

Alas, the slow decline will continue.

When you ask yourself the question, "How do I create a VPN?", there are many ways to answer it. There are a lot of possibilities and configurations to set one up, and you need to make a lot of decisions before you do so. Some of the configurations are simple, while some are more complex.

All of them are going to require thought about what you surmise your current and future business needs are going to be. Fortunately, when you first ask yourself the question as to how you should create your VPN, you won't have any wrong answers. You'll only need to figure out what's most constructive for you depending on the goals you want to achieve.

If you doubt what you should do right now, start small and then grow as you need to. This isn't a bad thing, necessarily, because VPN technology can be easily expanded at minimum expense when you compare it to the older point-to-point or dedicated lines that were involved in traditional wide area networks, or WANs.

When you're trying to figure out how to create a VPN, first ask yourself why you need one. What do you need to share, and with whom do you need to share? Where are these people located, how often will they access your server, and will this need to be reciprocated so that you need to access theirs as well?

Will this need to be independent of the main location? Perhaps the first thing to do is to sketch out a diagram so that you can figure out what you want on paper first. Begin with your main computer, server or network. This is where the information is stored that will need to be accessed by remote servers.

It could be a local area network or just one computer, for example. Add other locations, clients or users, or networks, and then draw arrows to indicate which of these clients or users need to share data.

A VPN runs via a public access area that is usually on the Internet, so think about other locations and how they connect to the Internet currently. You may or may not need to change this when you create your VPN. Will you want people who telecommute for you to have access? Will you need to have employees who are traveling access the network? These are all questions that need to be answered.

Once you've clearly defined your data sharing needs, you can look at the different types of security and access available for VPNs. You'll need to consider what speed you want, level of security, and the flexibility of your setup, in case you need to make changes in the future. You'll also need to consider the how well your existing hardware and software applications can communicate with each other.

Are they compatible? If not, you'll need to make some changes, and you need to figure out what those are. Make an inventory of your existing hardware at each location and provide information as to how software applications such as authentication programs, firewalls, and the like are being used at present. Once these are installed, figure out who's going to support your virtual private network and how the users will be administered and will gain their access.

After you have this data put together, you'll need to answer the initial question: "How do I create a VPN?" The most important thing to remember here is that you want to strike a balance between functionality and ease-of-use for both yourself and other people who will be accessing the network.

Ever wished that you could run away from pesky runtime errors? The best solution is not to run away from problems but to face them head on and defeat them, discarding them into the digital abyss, where they will hopefully stay, never to be heard from again. Runtime errors are not difficult to fix. Even if you aren't a computer geek, you can still fix your own runtime errors. To ensure that you have a hassle-free computer experience every time you work on your PC, check out these simple tips on how to fix runtime errors the easy way.

For computer users, here are some of the most common runtime errors: Runtime Error 6, Runtime Error 71 and Runtime Error 226. These runtime errors are just some of the runtime errors that might occur to your PC. It is always an unpleasant experience when a runtime error window pops up to indicate that something went terribly wrong while you were trying to run a certain application. If you have been ignoring these runtime errors, then maybe it is time to do something about these errors and remove them forever.

#1 Firstly, we can begin by identifying the applications that are causing the conflict. Sometimes, runtime errors happen due to conflicts between different programs. To ensure that this is the root of the runtime error, simply close all running applications by using the Windows Task Manager. Most of the time, this should solve the problem, but if it doesn't, let's proceed to the next step.

#2 Sometimes runtime errors occur because of an error within the application or program itself. As such, do a check for bug fixes or patches that might be available for your program. This is usually the case for free downloads where patches and bug fixes will be released at a later date on their respective websites. Just remember to keep your programs updated with the latest release of bug fixes and patches.

#3 If all these suggestions fail, then reinstalling the program might do the trick. This is because runtime errors can happen due to incomplete installation, hence resulting in some missing files. Just remember to have a back up copy of all your files as you would not want to lose your data in the midst of re-installation.

Besides following these tips, we recommend that you conduct regular defragmentation. Every Windows PC comes designed with a defragmenter. Defragmentation will help you sort out all your files and folders and at the same time replace old files that might have gone missing too. However, just be prepared to leave your PC on overnight as it might take some time for defragmentation to complete.

As some of these runtime errors might be created by viruses, remember to have an anti-virus software installed at all times. Remember to run regular virus scans to save your PC from unexpected attacks.

Runtime errors are not that tough to solve. Just follow these tips closely and you are good to go.

How would you feel if you had the power to repair your PC on your own whenever it's needed? Perhaps, you are experiencing errors, overall instability, or you'd just like to optimize your PC to run at peak efficiency. With a little bit of knowledge and some great software, this is a lot easier than it seems.

One common expectation about owning a PC is that it will never freeze, crash, or lose data. Until the realization comes one day when you try to check your e-mail and your screen totally freezes. Suddenly, a nasty looking blue screen appears with white letters showing you a whole bunch of gobbly-gook you've never seen before. Welcome to the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). Unsure what you should do, you try rebooting the PC. Yet another BSOD. For some users, this tends to be the moment that panic sets in. For others, this might be just another incident of PC-rage. In any event, it looks like your PC needs a little TLC.

Unfortunately, this situation is all too common. When users purchase their PCs, there's very little direction given as to what type of maintenance is involved for optimal performance and securing your data. Plug and play, so to speak. We go through a great deal of effort to protect and maintain ourselves, our families, our cars, and our homes. Those same efforts should be taken to protect your investment in your PC to keep it running smoothly. If you value those e-mails, pictures, mp3s, family videos, and financial information on your PC, then consider how you would feel if it suddenly was gone. If you consider the fact of the investment required, just to keep the data you have, it's a small price to pay compared to losing it.

Typically these errors can be narrowed down to a single point of failure; the windows registry. The registry is database of keys and data that is used to store settings and options for the Windows operating system. This includes control panel settings, hardware settings, and file associations. Some software packages will also leverage the registry as a place to store settings.

Some registry settings can be global, meaning that the settings are the same for all users. For example, any hardware settings will typically be global as they are required to keep the PC operational and will not change from user to user. Other settings will be user-specific. This will ensure, for any PCs that have multiple users, that each user's unique settings will be retained (i.e. desktop settings, browser settings, e-mail, etc.).

As components on the PC are used (whether it be hardware, software, or internal Windows processes), these components may access the registry at any given time. Typically the registry is accessed during Windows startup, hardware initialization, and starting or using software. Using a unique key name (determined when the software is installed), the component will call the registry with the key name that is associated with a specific setting. If the registry finds the key, it will return the value that is contained within the key. The component will then use this value for the appropriate setting.

During the life of the PC, hardware peripherals are added, new software is installed, along with various updates and patches. Conversely, obsolete hardware may be removed and unused software is uninstalled. While all this is happening, your registry is being accessed and updated. As these actions update the registry, sometimes they may add or update information incorrectly, or are not removed when components are uninstalled. The result is a bloated registry full of invalid or corrupt keys. As the registry becomes more and more bloated, the more difficult it becomes for Windows to find entries within the registry. Because of the volume of keys stored in the registry, the more there are, the longer it takes for Windows to find something. When it does find what's it's looking for, there is also a greater chance that the entry it found is incorrect or invalid.

As this situation progresses, Windows will start to exhibit certain symptoms. Response time of the PC will gradually decrease to a point where the machine is eventually rendered useless. As the performance decreases, the likelihood of Windows errors, screen freezes, and system crashes will increase. With that you also increase the chances of irreversible damage to PC (more noticeably, the loss of valuable data).

The longer the issue is left unresolved, the more difficult it becomes to troubleshoot. The earlier that these problems can be found, the easier they will be to fix and the less likely it will be that you might suffer serious consequences.

Registry related errors can vary depending on the source of the problem. These errors might be specific to a particular piece of software or hardware installed on the PC or possible related to a Windows configuration. The following issues are symptomatic of a corrupt registry:

System Crashes
Computer Freezing
Missing file associations
Missing startup programs
Invalid device drivers
Invalid application paths
Missing DLL files
Missing help files
Missing system fonts
General Protection Fault errors
Invalid Page Fault errors
Fatal Exception errors
Hardware errors

Keep in mind that it is possible that errors could be a combination of more than one problem and a corrupt registry is just part of it. So how, exactly, do you determine if your registry is corrupt? There are several steps involved in how to diagnose a corrupt registry.

This is a common question among PC users. Most computer users will encounter systems that are slow and unresponsive at some point of their computer using lives. If you think that owning a recently purchased computer exempts you from this problem, you are sadly mistaken. Even the latest computers will slow down eventually if preventive measures aren't taken. Let's examine several simple steps we can take to speed up our computer.

#1 Registry cleaner

Every computer has a registry. Information stored in registries can never be deleted nor removed. Instead, this information gets overwritten multiple times. As such, this increases the chances of corrupted and redundant files. Having too much irrelevant information stored in the registry can cause the computers slow down. This is because the computer now has to wade through a junkyard full of digital waste before reaching to the information it wants. To ensure that your registry stays junk-free, simply use a registry cleaner to clear out all redundant files. A registry cleaner will help you to sieve out corrupted files and ensure that only the right set of information is being stored in the registry. RegCure and Reg Mechanic two of the most popular registry cleaners that you can find off the shelves in any computer shop. But if you think that you are not ready to part with your money, then try using the all-free CCleaner. It works just as well as other paid registry cleaners too.

#2 Regular defragmentation

Don't be a stranger to defragmentation. Defragmentation is a simple, yet effective tool that can be your computer's best friend. Conducting regular defragmentation is encouraged as it helps to sort out files and folders that might have gone missing. The best thing about defragmentation is that is it free for all Windows users. Just be prepared to leave your PC overnight as defragmentation can take quite some time.

#3 Minimize the use of numerous applications at one go

Everyone is guilty of this; MSN Messenger, Microsoft Word, Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer all running simultaneously. Multi-tasking is always desirable, but what happens when too many tasks are being executed at the same time? If your RAM is big enough, then chances are you will not have to worry about programs freezing when you try opening them. If you have insufficient RAM, your computer could freeze or slow down. It is best when you try to minimize the number of applications running at all times.

These are just some of the examples that you can use to get your computer running at tiptop speed. These simple methods have been proven to be effective and have been used by computer experts all over the world for years. Best of all, is that you can follow these simple steps without having to pay for expensive software. Just remember to conduct regular computer checks to ensure that bugs, viruses and spywares are not infesting your monolithic trove of digital treasure.

As science has invented so many things for our ease, the day is not far when we would not even need to take food or water to keep ourselves alive. Perhaps we will eat or drink such things that would remove the need to eat on a daily basis. That is quite understandable in this busy world as we are always on the lookout for ease in every area of.

The inventions of science have brought to us many devices that make our life much easier, like the computer for computing. But today the computer is much more than a computing device. As a consequence, many computerized devices came into existence. The most popular among them is the mobile phone. Mobile phones were invented to keep us in touch with our personal and business life wherever we are.

No matter how far we are from our family and friends, we can talk and inquire about their well being with the help of mobile phones. The invention of the mobile phone led to the invention of many new accessories. The Behind-the-head headset with microphone is one of the inventions in the field of accessories of mobile phones. Let us go into some details about the behind-the-head headset with microphone.

Besides behind-the-head headset with microphone, there are many other headsets. Among them bluetooth headsets are popular. The bluetooth headsets allow wireless accessibility to the mobile functioning with the headset.

The behind-the-head headset with microphone offers noise canceling features and amplification microphone technology. It also provides very rich stereo sound. It is designed with the behind the head replaceable ear pads, foam and also includes volume control and mute switch. It is best for gaming, chatting, music and voice over IP.

Behind-the-head headset with microphone is used for various purposes. It is used in call centers and BPOs where calls are either received or made. Behind-the-head headset with microphone is used here to listen to customers' queries and complaints by the agents. Even the executives use them to monitor and inspect the calls of the agents to give feedback.

They can also be used with the mobile phones to talk or listen to the multimedia in the mobile phones. They are used so that we can do other things while talking on the phone.

In call centers they are used for the convenience of the call center agents. They have to maintain the customers' account while they are taking calls. If they use the receiver of the phone to talk, then they cannot work on the details that need to be provided to the customers. They are also preferred because they provide the ease of fitting behind the head and also the crystal clear sound quality.

You have now got some idea about why behind-the-head headset with microphone should be used and preferred.

Listening to music through a headset or talking over the phone with the help of a headset is very common these days. Everyone today uses headsets while on the road or in a home office, as it allows you to do a lot of things besides talking and listening to music. Headsets keep your hands free while you are talking on your mobile phone. If you are thinking of buying a headset, go for the micro headset. Here are more details on this innovative product.

If you are in need of a wireless headset, then you cannot go wrong with this advanced headset. It is compact in form and much lighter in weight than a regular headset. You should make sure that the headset contains a battery. You also need to inquire about how long the battery charge will last.

The most popular type of headset has a loop around the ear. The looped headset is more comfortable to use and handle that the one that is jammed into the ear.

The headset is designed solely to make your hands free. Since it is hands-free, it looks as if you are talking to yourself! Headsets can come with ear loops, an AC adapter, 2 ear tips, carrying straps, and a recharging dock. You will need a compatible device or cell phone to use it.

A headset of good quality is made technically perfect so that it is knock proof, and won't easily drop off. Some have a built-in battery that allows five hours of talk time and 150 standby hours. It is not easily damaged if it is knocked or dropped. It is quite amazing that this strong and powerful device weighs so little and is small in size, too.

It is surprising that this two inch long device has so many features. These features include three-way support while calling or keeping mute, two pairs of ear tips and the ear loop. This gives it an extraordinary flexibility and fit and the three side mounted buttons give connecting functions and controlling options.

The headset is designed exclusively to give you freedom from wires. You can now use the wireless facility in your headset. Headsets are also available in different colors. However, black is the most common and popular color.

If you are thinking about buying a wireless headset, you have now gathered very important information about the most convenient and efficient headset. You may go through the reviews on the internet as it will familiarize you with the various features of the product and will guide you efficiently in your buying decision.

One thing is obvious. Once you learn the various advantages of a new headset, you will not remain satisfied with your old one. And, if you do not have one now, you are sure to buy one and enjoy the freedom while traveling, driving, or doing your work.

Computer is a very basic device in the technological world but it does contain hundreds of small devices and equipments. We are here trying to get acquainted with USB ports and cables that also play an important role in the perfect working of a computer. USB stands for the Universal Serial Bus which is used to join the various electronic devices. USB ports and cables were specially designed to modify the plug-in properties of the system and to offer external power supply to low-consumption devices as well.

Now-a-days, every computer is designed with two or more USB connectors at the back of the hardware. These ports make it easier to connect all USB devices, from mouse to scanner and printer, with the computer. These ports and cables come in different types based on the mode of their insertion. For example, there are parallel ports as well as serial ports. Both have different functions to perform for the computer system.

Where printers are connected to the computer through parallel ports and cables, Modems and digital cameras are connected through the serial ports. With the help of the ports and cables, the installation and running of devices can be made out very quickly and easily.

To connect USB device with the cables is a very simple process and it can be disconnected quite easily as well. However, now-a-days all USB devices come up with the integrated cables. If they have a A connection over it, it means that it will connect to the computer in the upstream position. Otherwise, sockets have the B connector, where ports are connected to all individual devices.

As we all know, computer acts like a host to which a large number of devices can be connected. USB ports make it possible to join around 130 devices to the system. The most important goal of USB ports is to provide relief to the user in getting rid of the connection problems. The ports provide you a single way to connect a large number of devices at the same time.

Along with this, a particular USB cable, when connected to hub, can perform all of its functions from the distance of 6 meters. And when it connects to the devices,it can run up to 35 meters as well. All ports and cables contain three wires for power and a pair of overlapped wires to transfer the data. Here, power wires can provide 600 milliamperes of power at the voltage of 6 volts. You need not disconnect at the time of 'no-use'. The computer goes to the power-saving mode and thus, USB ports and cables may remain connected to the computer forever.

Some of the devices that are connected to USB ports and cables are printers, mouse, scanner, joystick, storage devices, cameras, telephones and a number of other Universal Serial Bus devices as well.