Computers and Technology

Configure SNMP For Cisco Pix Running V7.0 of Code

2009-12-24T22:57:00.001-08:00

Enabling SNMP polling on a Cisco Pix firewall is configuration process that requires a few steps, but can yield valuable information. Getting SNMP from the Pix can include: number of connections, CPU utilization, memory utilization and interface traffic. Configuring SNMP with a community string, indicating the interface and allow this connection via an access-list are the steps involved.

Login to your Cisco Pix and enter configuration mode. You need to enter specify the host IP address of the host or networkingg monitoring station that will be polling the pix, the interface and the community string to be used. The Pix is very specific, all these variable must be correct in order for data to be gathered. The commands are (example commands from a Pix running 7.0 code). SNMP - server host inside 10.1.1.1 community SECRET.

This enables one host to connect and gather data from the Pix using the configured SNMP string. The access-list on the interface 'inside' must be configured to allow this connection. Many inside interfaces simply have an "any any" access list. Whatever interface the polling station comes in to connect on must have an acl entry allowing the communication.
The command for the access-list is: access-list inside extended permit tcp host 10.1.1.1 eq SNMP.

Once SNMP is enabled on the pix and communication is confirmed from the 10.1.1.1 host, you can then walk the pix for snmp data. You can also use MRTG's configmaker to generate a config file for interface traffic graphing of all the interfaces.

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

Know All About Online Computer Repairs

2009-12-24T22:56:00.003-08:00

Nowadays, one can do anything on the internet. Whether it is doing research on certain subjects or shopping from home. Everything is possible if you have access to the internet and computer. Most of the people have a computer at their homes. With an increase in the usage of the computer, the problems associated with it are also on a rise. Even if one is very careful while using the system, there are 100% chances that even then they will face some or the other problem at some point in time. The usual routine is to go to a computer repair shop and get the computer repaired. This is the correct solution but it also causes a lot of inconvenience. In today's times, on line computer repairs are becoming the order of the day.

It is one of the best gifts of technology as now one does not have to carry their computer systems all the way to the repair shops to get them repaired for even small problems. And then one had to wait for a long time to get it back. The other thing is that these computer repair services do not cost much. One does not have to spend fortunes for getting one's system repaired. Most of them charge a very minimal amount for removing the virus or the spy ware. Most of the on site computer repairs shops offer the free or fix it policy. This means that they will charge you only if they are able to fix up your system problem. They do not charge anything for consultation. The most common types of problems that are solved by the online repair companies are driver issues, virus and spy ware removal, system tune ups, internet issues and the registry issues.

Though there are many problems that cannot be solved by these computer repairs services for reasons unknown. Issues like booting problem cannot be solved by these repair shops. Neither can they fix the system if a certain part of the computer gets damaged. But since they have the no fix no pay policy, one does not lose any money. So if you are going for online repairing of your computer make sure that the company you have chosen has this policy.

Here are some benefits of the online computer repair services.

* Online tutorials are available for repairing the computer. Though an expert will only fix your system, you can also understand how you can go about fixing your system for a particular problem. It educates you about your system, so that you can yourself minor problems of your system.
* These online services offer excellent customer service. All your system problems whether big or small will be given utmost attention and care.
* You save a lot of your time and energy by getting your computer fixed online. Otherwise you would have to waste a lot of standing in queue and wait for your turn for getting your system problem fixed.
* These services are offered seven days a week. You can avail their remote tech services anytime and from anywhere. You won't have to worry about holiday or breaks.
* Well experienced and qualified technicians are hired to fix up your system problem. They are experts in this field and are absolute professionals. You can completely rely on their expertise.

So it is better to go for these online repair services. It will help you save a lot of your time, energy and money. There are several online sites who offer these services. All you have to do is visit them and see how you can contact them for repair services.

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

PC Repair - At My Home Or Should I Take It In?

2009-12-24T22:56:00.001-08:00

When your home PC has decided to opt for early retirement it is usually a madly infuriating situation. You may spend hours trying to figure out what you did wrong. Was it the kick for shutting down without asking? Was it the right jab for asking if you want to shut down when you've just told it to? It was probably neither but inevitably it's time to call in the experts. The question is who and how?

Usually the key questions is whether to call the PC doctor round or whether to unplug everything and take it back to it's birthplace or some other computer hospital on the high street.

Many people think of the PC in much the same way as the family car. They have a garage that they trust and similarly they have a PC shop they trust. But your car is mobile and if the garage hasn't repaired the problem you will know right away. Not so with PC's.

My parents recently took their PC to a repair shop. Unfortunately I wasn't in the country at the time to fix it for them. After 2 weeks the PC was ready along with the $150 bill for replacing the motherboard. When they took it home and assembled it they were quite dismayed to find it still didn't work. After a one day of swapping connectors and calling back to the repairers they got it working. This seems all too common a problem. Many times the fault is incorrectly diagnosed at the shop because the PC fixer only receives the dead box. Changes are made to settings and outputs that are not explained to the customer. When the customer puts it all back together at home all those wires look so similar and they end up in the wrong slot. Next, the PC goes back to the shop where the PC fixer and the customer have an argument regarding the "working" properties of the PC.

In contrast if you call a PC doctor to your house you can talk them through the problem. More importantly they can talk you through the solution and there is no disconnecting of wires and getting covered in dust. The only down side is in trusting a stranger in your home. Luckily almost all PC geeks don't have a dishonest bone in their body and they make enough money to ever be involved in any scams. Most people can judge character over the phone. Ask your friends who they would recommend. Be sure to get an estimate of the total cost for the job within the first 10 minutes of the PC doctor arriving at your house. If they won't commit show them the door.

Speed wise it's almost always quicker to get someone in. Many would argue that the repair shop will be quicker as it stocks the parts. If new parts are required there are so many variables these days that the repair shop is likely to order them in just like the roving PC doctor. Also, the price of parts is changing on a daily basis. It's in no one's interest to carry a large stock of parts.

Furthermore when the PC repair shop tells you that you are "top priority" be under no illusion that this really means "in the pile with everything else". The great benefit of calling someone in is that you know they are working flat out on your problem. You can watch them. If for some weird reason they don't like to be watched then show them the door. The whole point is that you can see what is going on.

How do I know all this? I've worked on both sides of the fence. I currently work as a roving PC doctor in Vancouver, BC but have worked part time in PC repair shops. For the reasons outlined above I wanted to work at people's homes. It's a great feeling when you can walk into someone's home, look at a problem that been driving someone nuts and have it fixed in 20 minutes.

Not all problems are fixable in 20 minutes. I know I might be biased but at least if you have someone round to your house they can show you exactly why it will take longer. If it's at the shop who knows how long the work took and if they used some old parts they had lying around! Happy computing!

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

Configure SNMP Polling Ability on Cisco Routers and Switches, To Enable MRTG Config Files

2009-12-24T22:55:00.000-08:00

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is a key feature to enable on any cisco network device so you can gather stats and other valuable data from the device. SNMP data can be sent from a failing device indicating trouble, interfaces down, environmental data and simple configuration changes. Contacting a device and pulling data can also provide key data to show health, traffic, errors and state changes of interfaces. No matter the size of the network involved, number of devices or size of the support team - SNMP should be enabled for even simple monitoring.

SNMP needs to have a community string set for read-only access and read-write access. For monitoring and health information, only enable read-only access. A unique community string and access should be configured for your Cisco device. The community string is the password polling devices will use to pull information, and the access list will restrict who can access data. A simple example is:

Cisco router/switch running IOS:
access-list 10 permit 10.1.1.1
SNMP-server community SECRET ro 10

Cisco switch running CatOS:
set SNMP community read-only SECRET
set ip permit enable SNMP

This will enable the router or switch to allow polling requests from any host on access-list 10, using the community string SECRET. Now that access is granted, a variety of information can be pulled, a common place to start is gathering interface traffic. From a monitoring station or software, you can then pull SNMP data from the device by walking the device and revealing information and SNMP OIDs to indicate health, traffic and start to monitor key systems.

An example is walking a device for interface data or using some mrtg unix utilities such as cfgmaker that comes with MRTG to then build a configuration file that gets interface traffic data from the device. If the community string is miss-configured when using cfgmaker or if the router or switch acl doesn't permit your host to connect, a working config file will not be made. Once a successful file is made, you can then use MRTG to poll the router or switch every few minutes, get that SNMP data, then generate logs and graphs showing traffic usage on a per port basis.

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

Understand the Routing Process, Part 2

2009-12-13T00:33:00.003-08:00

Static Routes

Statics are build in the same way as defaults, in the sense that they have a destination a prefix and a next hop, the difference being that a static route informs the router about specif routes rather than an "any" route like a default does.

An example of the static would be:

Ip route 20.1.1.0 255.255.255.0 10.1.1.0

The first part of the route, the address "20.1.1.0" tells the device that this route specifies the destination of 20.1.1.0.

The second part tells the router which part of the destination address in the first part of the address it needs to look at, the "255.255.255.0" instructs the router to look at the first three octets in the destination address and ignore the 4th octet. We could have written the destination address as follows "20.1.1", but the command line will not allow us to do that.

The prefix tells the router which part of the destination address the router needs to look at.

Example 1: The following two statics are now in our example router:

1: Ip route 20.1.1.0 255.255.255.0 10.1.1.0

2: Ip route 20.1.0.0 255.255.0.0 10.5.5.0

Our router receives a packet with the destination address set to "20.1.1.23", the router will examine the routing table and choose between the two routes. The router will choose 1 since it is a closer match for the destination address in the packet header. The second one is less specific or "broader" matching "20.1.0.0 255.255.0.0" meaning "use this route if the packet wants to get to any destination starting with "20.1. anything. Anything" whereas the first route matches "20.1.1.anything" making this route more specific for routing the packet wanting to get to 20.1.1.23.

The very first choice that a router makes is longest match irrelevant of how the it was learnt.

Matching Routes

What would happen if the router has two matching routes:

1: Ip route 20.1.1.0 255.255.255.0 10.1.1.0

2: Ip route 20.1.1.0 255.255.255.0 10.5.5.0

The static routes above have the exact same destination addresses and the exact same prefix lengths, so which one will the router believe?. The router will in this case begin to share the traffic across both paths, if this is your desired result then you are done, what if it is not, how do we force the traffic to take one route over the other?. This is achieved by setting what is referred to as the "trust-ibilty" of the route. Every route that populates the routing table is assigned an "Administrative distance" between 0 and 255. The lower the value; the more desirable the route. All static routes have an Administrative distance of "1". This value can be changed.

Administrative distance is a local value on the router; a router never advertises this to any other router.

1: Ip route 20.1.1.0 255.255.255.0 10.1.1.0 1

2: Ip route 20.1.1.0 255.255.255.0 10.5.5.0 2

Even setting the Administrative Distance to 2 makes route two less desirable. The router now chooses to use route one to pass traffic to destination network "20.1.1.0"

Now we know that the router makes the following routing decisions in the following order

1. longest match irrelevant of how the route was learnt

2. Lowest Administrative distance

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

Understand the Routing Process, Part 1

2009-12-13T00:33:00.001-08:00

Understanding routing processes

Routers route, that's what they do. A packet comes in and a packet goes out. What happens to the packet containing your data inside the router?, how does the router decide which output interface to transmit the packet out of?, what if the router has two routes to the same destination how does it deal with that decision making process?.

For a router to make a routing decision it needs to know how to get to the destination address which is described in the header of the IP Packet. Without this knowledge the router could ultimately drop the packet.

Our first job is to populate the routers routing table with relevant routes, we say relevant since routers will believe and trust any route placed into it's routing table and use it resulting in routing blackholes where traffic is lost in the network where the time to live in the packet headers expire and the traffic is then dropped.

Default Routes

There are various methods for populating the routing table, the most common of routes is called a "default route". A default route is written as follows (I am using Cisco command line)

Ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 10.1.1.1

The route is simple to write and straight forward to understand. The first set of zeros after the "ip route" command which we will call the "destination" tells the router which destination this route represents. This route is effectively "matching" every single possible address that can be drawn up with the IPv4 address scheme.

The second row of four zeros which we will call the "prefix "shows the router which bits in the destination the router needs to look at.

Having any octet in the prefix set to all zeros (i.e 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 = 0) tells the router that it ought to ignore the corresponding octet in the destination. The order of the octets in the destination field correspond directly to the octets the second row.

The third address "10.1.1.1" is an example of what is referred to as a "next hop", (10.1.1.1 is an example address only for the purposes of this article only, your next hop will be different). The next hop address is the other side of the link on a point to point link or an interface in a multiaccess network like frame relay of Ethernet that can route the data.

The next hop does not have to be the address of the next hop, it can also be the local outbound interface.

All of our home broadband routers will have a default route helping the router to simply pass all traffic up to the ISP. Default routes are also known as "gateways of last resort"

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

Handheld Barcode Scanners - Its Uses and Convenience

2009-12-13T00:32:00.002-08:00

When it comes to retailing business as well as transportation, there have been many developments that have occurred over time. A large number of the operations have become quite automated and simplified for the benefit of consumers as well as the retail companies, which use such products. The main idea behind a barcode scanner is that it is held in the hand and is quite portable so that it does not have to be fixed at one place. This is why handheld barcode scanners are quite in vogue in this time and age. This is quite handy in keeping up with the times, where convenience as well as comfort is the most sought after in products and services around the globe.

A barcode reader or scanner is an electronic device which helps in OCR or optical character recognition. It consists of a light source as well as a lens and light sensor that can help in translating electrical impulses into electrical ones. This way, the matter which is located in the barcodes gets concerted into electronic form which it is then read by the handheld barcode scanners and the matter is decoded. This is quite a convenient feature as such scanners can be easily used at various places, in buses as well as retailing as well.

If you look at the retailing business, it has indeed been revolutionized by the use of handheld barcode scanners. In the good old days, when you went to some retail mart of a store, you would have to stand in line and have the store assistant calculate the expenses incurred manually using a calculator. Then the bill would be generated manually which would mean the spending of time. All of this can be easily avoided by using handheld barcode scanners. With these scanners one can scan the bar code on the product which is then fed into the machine directly and the price of the product is recorded after which it is fed out as a printed bill. All of this saves a lot of time and makes it possible to make the retail operations quite simple as well as streamlined.

The use of handheld barcode scanners in buses or other forms of public transport is also now well documented and wide spread. There are many bus companies that use these in order to read the pre-printed bus tickets that travelers use. This is very much convenient as this prevents the use of the manual tickets which was a cumbersome and time consuming process. This is why it always helps in using barcode scanners which are all so handy and convenient to use. There are many of these which can also be used at varying distances which make them so very simple as well as flexible in usage.

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

What is Broadband?

2009-12-13T00:32:00.001-08:00

When the internet first came about the only way to access it was by using a computer to dial a connection to your internet provider using a modem and your telephone line. This was great when the internet first came about as webpages were very simple, businesses mainly used it for email and it wasn't used that much and not by many people. Once the internet started to grow, you were now able to access your business computer from home, watch videos online and access social networking sites, dial up started to become a thing of the past.

Dial up internet had a few drawbacks that would eventually find people dumping it for faster internet connections that wouldn't tie up your phone line, cost you a local call when you wanted to connect, would download webpages, emails etc a lot faster and would offer a lot more flexability when it came to networking and being able to travel and access the internet at the same time. The new types of connection were then referred to as Broadband as the connection was a faster (the bandwidth was larger) speed. Broadband is basically a marketing term and there are a few types of internet connections that fall into the "Marketing Term" Broadband.

ADSL - This type of internet connection uses an ADSL modem which connects to your phone line, downloads anywhere from 6 - 400 times faster than dial up but doesn't tie up your phone line meaning you make and receive calls while accessing the internet. There are many providers who offer ADSL and a few different speeds available. The two types of ADSL are ADSL 1 and ADSL 2+. Make sure to shop around if your looking into getting an ADSL or ADSL 2+ connection as different providers will offer different speeds at different prices which you will be amazed at how much it varies.

Cable Internet - This type of connection is only available in areas which have dedicated Cable Internet cabling installed. This type of connection uses a dedicated cable from the street, only provided by Telstra or Optus which doesn't need a phone line at all and downloads at speeds similar to those of ADSL.

Mobile Broadband or Wireless Mobile Broadband- This internet connection uses the mobile phone network and can be used anywhere you get mobile coverage or where your provider provides you coverage. There are a few providers you can choose from which offer different coverage areas as well as different prices, so once again shop around and ask about both coverage and price. This type of connection can be expensive and vary alot in speed, I would only recommend this as a second internet connection if you need the internet on the road or when cable or ADSL is not available.

There are other types of internet connections that are used but these are the most common types that are in use today in both Home and Businesses. When choosing a type of internet connection make sure to look at all your options and to find exactly what sort of speeds you will be getting, what sort of download limit and how much.

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

About Kofax Capture

2009-11-24T08:22:00.003-08:00

Kofax Capture is a program that will take the productivity of your scanner to the next level.

For over 20 years, this company has delivered top of the line application software and OEM/POS software around the world. For businesses, Kofax Capture is an essential tool that will:

• Capture important documents in a digital format
• Automate business processes
• Extract data from vital documents

Kofax Capture is compatible with nearly all brands of scanners, and is an essential tool for accelerating processes for any size business.

Information that is stored (in either electronic format or even on paper) can be collected and retrieved, then accurately delivered into the appropriate applications and databases. From data capture to indexing and validation, Kofax Capture is an important tool to add to your scanning software that will simplify the way you do business.

Cutting Costs with Kofax Captures

Adding KofaxCapture to your scanning software will add a substantial boost in productivity levels, and saving time is saving money. With very little effort, all important business processes can be completed smoothly and efficiently.

One of the greatest things about Kofax Capture is that this program will integrate smoothly with nearly any other scanning software and content management applications, providing the flexibility you need to transition into an improved method of tracking vital information.

In an easy to use program, KofaxCapture delivers the fastest and most powerful scanning and indexing solution for any size business. Aside from documents, other types of data can also be captured and stored, such as bar codes.

Improving the Way You Do Business

Kofax Capture is a prime example of what modern technology can do to improve the way you do business. Indexing and organization just keeps getting easier and easier!

It's common for some information to be recorded on paper, while other information is kept digital. With KofaxCapture, you can combine all information together in a simple and easy to use interface, simplifying the process of monitoring and tracking important information.

Because the Kofax Capture software is easy to understand and use, it is a system you can incorporate smoothly into your present method of retrieving and tracking vital information.

Whether KofaxCapture is used for a specific department, or throughout your entire company, you can rest assured that all of your expectations of a scanning software add on will be blown away.

Kofax Capture is customizable to meet your individual and unique needs, with many plug in options that will help you design the most effective program, tailored to your own demands.

Another great benefit to utilizing KofaxCapture software is the ability to access the useful tools and futures from anywhere. With remote capture, you can reduce the cost of remote business processes by capturing documents and data from any location, and storing all vital information where it belongs.

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

Introducing The Amazon Kindle

2009-11-24T08:22:00.001-08:00

Recently, the great advance of technology has provided many people with the unlimited possibilities to do everything easily. In this case, the presence of the Amazon Kindle will be great as your choice. It is a reading device which will enable you to store more than 1500 titles.

Further, the obvious reason why many people choose the Amazon Kindle is because of the portability reason. They do not need to bring many books which will only add the extra weight to their luggage. Definitely, it is a great gadget you must have now.

Anyway, the Amazon Kindle has several generations, and the latest one offers more capacity, thus you can be happier with being able to store more titles and bring this gadget everywhere as you want. In this case, some people find it to be a quite affordable one, since they can get the great benefits from such a gadget by paying the same price as they would buy a Blackberry.

It is almost the same as the other gadgets which require batteries in its operation. The slim size will make it convenient to hold it in your hand. Having the Amazon Kindle in your hand is a matter of reading thousands of books in one gadget.

What about the battery life? You can read on a single charge for up to 4 days with wireless on. Turn wireless off and read for up to two weeks. In this case, the battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as shopping the Kindle Store and downloading content. Everyone will never deny the idea that it is the real great worthy investment you should consider buying soon.

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

VAR Issues - "Cheap" Usually Means Scalability, Service, and Reliability Are Sacrificed

2009-11-24T08:21:00.003-08:00

Value Added Resellers (VAR's) come in all flavors, shapes and sizes - they provide a vital service to IT departments who are suffering from severe budgetary constraints, staff and skill shortages and issues in implementing and managing increasingly complex solutions. Successful VAR's are those who are delivering skills, customer service, bottom line improvement and are cost effective, but unfortunately, customers frequently confuse "cheap" with "value added".

Being cheap is not a bad thing - in fact it can be excellent! Cheap is not a good thing when it places constraints on future development and adaptability of the network. It is a definitely bad thing when the "cheap" solution subsequently incurs excessive management costs or worse, a serious management issue because the solution is failing users and business expectations.

No IT manager likes to be in the situation when they are called in to explain why a solution implementation is over budget or worse, considered to be a failure!

Frequently, cheap means that the solution cannot be scaled up if it is a success or simply to meet the needs of a growing company. The VAR usually is the constraining factor in these instances because solution substitution is rife in the IT market - it is not fair to say security solutions are like commodities but it is not a far stretch to make that conclusion from the lofty heights of the boardroom. No, in practice, it is the VAR you select to partner with, who is the constraining factor in exploiting or upscaling a solution for the business.

Typical reasons for this include the fact that the VAR is cheap. Cheapo charging VAR's do not usually have the financial foundation to continue with developing their own skill sets which you rely upon to be delivered into your own operation. They usually do not have the breadth of support from solution providers - particularly watch for a VAR with only a couple of certifications but who claims to provide a wide range of services.

Cheap also means sub-standard or no realistic SLA when it comes to customer service.
Picture the scenario where you implement a solution the users love - adoption is widespread and the application become s mission critical, at least in the minds of the board room and staff relying on it. Unfortunately, the application is hosted online somewhere in the clouds by the VAR who is unable to afford enterprise class connectivity. Now you have the telephone ringing incessantly as everyone from the VP Sales closing a deal in California to the customer service reps in your NJ call center suddenly find they can't do their jobs.

In turn - you make the call to your VAR - ask yourself what you are going to get, a voicemail or a person?

Ask yourself the same question except it is 3am on Christmas Day and the application is delivered over the WAN to 4 continents and every time zone?

This is where "cheap" simply means "bad". The answer is to focus on cost-effective solutions which demonstrate clear ROI and are backed by a VAR which has the substance to deliver the SLA you need and can afford. In these instances it is better to consider a VAR which is charging "appropriately" as a better measure of whether it is itself, delivering "value-added".

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

We Are All Corrupt

2009-11-24T08:21:00.001-08:00

This article will not only show how you can help raise standards on the Internet but will also complement your business activity and improve your lifestyle. Some of us have experienced fraud on the Internet and are annoyed that people can be so dishonest.

Many people have become suspicious of all business opportunities and refuse to part will their money.

What you are about to read will change the way you view life and approach your business activity, in a unique logical way. If you consider you are a person that respects your potential customers, please read on - If you do not think your customers require careful consideration and respect, thank you for your visit.

Title: Corrupt.

For the benefit of visitors that do not know the Definition of the word Corrupt - I Have listed the detail below:

Make Putrid.

Deprave.

Taint.

Bribe.

Tainted.

Infect with ERRORS.

The Definition of the word: ERRORS - is as follows:

Deviation from truth or what is right.

Mistake.

Blunder.

False.

Offence.

This means everyone of us is corrupt. A simple example we are all infected with errors. We corrupt each other, which in turn create problems for us all. We are all Computers. As we communicate with each other, we program one another. We are all 'Teachers and Learners'.

The errors we are infected with are caused by Eager Desires we all possess, within our emotions.

Greed - To gain material wealth causes some people, to lie, cheat and steal, which in turn affects us all. The majority of people throughout the world are law abiding and considerate to others and try to control the minority that are not so law abiding. Computers are helping us communicate with each other faster but when computers become corrupt they infect us all with errors, which cause us problems.

When you sit at your computer keyboard, how calm and patient are you? If you are not patient, you will begin making mistakes, which in turn will reflect on the formation you pass to others and corrupt, not only, your own computer but also other computers.

The written word is powerful because it can and does affect the emotions of others. The words you write are based on your level of consideration and care for others. The words you write can also be interpreted in different ways. If you deliberately write to people to buy your products by telling a lie, you are helping to corrupt computers because information passed, from one computer to another, results in computers and their owner, being corrupt.

Honesty, on the Internet is hard to find because every one that is trying to make 100's of 1,000's of dollars each month, are encouraged to part with their money with the promise of riches. This in turn causes the person that has parted with his/her money, to encourage others to part with their money, which finally results in many people being disappointed.

The key to success is within our emotions. If we want something eagerly enough we will achieve it, with enthusiasm and honesty. If we are dishonest we only fool people for a short time. Dishonesty infects computers and their owners with errors and in time it will be virtually impossible to make money on the Internet, unless we prove to each other that money can be made without investing a penny. It is logical that if money can be made from a product or service, it's not necessary to ask for money upfront, if the product or service is of real value to the consumer.

Sending out emails is thought to be the most profitable way of promoting products. The number of emails being sent out is increasing and people are being encouraged to send out millions of emails each day, based on the principle that some will be read and attract orders. No doubt they do attract orders but not enough to justify filling inbox's with unwanted emails.

Computers we are and computers we own will ensure that in time we will be less infected with errors. If you want to be less corrupt just be patient and considerate to others. Our computers are only corrupt because we are corrupt. When we sit at a computer we need to recognise that a computer is only as corrupt as it's programmer.

This worlds people are corrupt because we all contribute to the errors that exist within us all. If I said to you, "you are corrupt", you would probably be annoyed and insist you are not.

I am corrupt because every time I say something that is untrue, whether it is intentional, or not, that untruth is passed on to others, which corrupts them.

How can we help corrupt computers to be less corrupted?

The List that follows will not only help you to be less corrupt but will also help to remove errors from your computer so that it is less corrupt:

Be Patient.

Try to be truthful.

Stay within the Law.

Double check the information you type into your computer.

Pass this website to your family and friends - so that, they too, can boost their income.

Computers are here to stay and if we want to gain from their communication with each other, we must try to keep them free from errors, which in turn will save us all Time and Money.

Why are we corrupt?

Because we are not perfect, we have been infected with errors, since our birth. We are born with an awareness that is controlled by our body. It's our body that's corrupt.

When you purchase a computer, take it out of its box and set it up ready to use, you have a perfect route for communicating with every computer in the world.

A "Full Stop" - typed on a computer keyboard, represents, corruption to the ultimate point of discretion. To give a simple example, when you type a website URL, consider the consequences by failing to type a full stop at the appropriate place. The results can be astronomical and disastrous, even though it's such a tiny error. A Full Stop is Gigantic to a computer programmer.

Trust on the Internet, is fast disappearing. Everyone knows that dishonest people control computers it's getting harder and harder, to make money on the Internet. Those that are honest will succeed providing we help each other, remove corruption by being Patient And Considerate To Others.

Born October 28th - 1936 - Father of four, grandfather of seven and great grandfather of two.

My wife Margaret and I have been married 51 years, since March 1958. Having traveled three time round the world, my practical experiences during the past 57 years has enabled me to be employed in a variety of work places that have educated me to be aware of our social system and how it can be improved.

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

Unhandled Win32 Exception Errors

2009-11-18T03:32:00.001-08:00

Unhandled Win32 Exception errors can show up anywhere in Windows. Whether you are just surfing the internet, listening to music or working on a document, such errors can show up again and again and make themselves an annoyance.

The errors can be caused by a program that has not been installed properly. If you know which program is causing this, uninstall the program, and reinstall it again. Check if there is an updated version of the program, and if so, obtain the updated one and install that instead. To minimize conflicts between different programs, you may also want to consider uninstalling programs that you don't need, additionally clearing up some free space in the process.

Be sure to run Scandisk, which is a program bundled with Windows, to check whether there are any bad sectors in your hard disk. Bad sectors corrupt files and data. If a program file is located in a bad sector, it can cause Win32 exception errors.

If these errors occur when you are using Internet Explorer, uninstall any browser add-ons one at a time to see if the errors disappear. Very often, add-ons can give problems if they are not programmed properly.

It is advisable to perform a full registry scan and repair. You can do this by using a registry cleaner. A registry cleaner is a software that goes through the Windows registry to find errors and repair them. Problems in the Windows registry are the main causes of errors in Windows, and so it is important to fix the errors in order to keep the system in good working order.

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

Blue Screen Error Fix - Why & How to Fix Blue Screen Errors

2009-11-18T03:31:00.000-08:00

Do you have the dreaded BSOD (blue screen of death) and are in dire need to find out how to cure it? In this article I'll explain exactly the methods you can use now to fix your error.

Always Has Been And Always Will Be

It has always been like this. Throughout all versions of Windows that I can remember, at least since Win 95, the BSOD has been part and parcel of the Windows experience. Even Bill Gates had one when he demonstrated plug and play capability at a large conference! The good news is that this means that today we have a good idea of what can cause one and therefore how to go about fixing blue screen errors.

First Read The Error

Sometimes an error will flash for barely a second - in those cases you might find a digital camera to be useful. Otherwise the error message normally stays on the screen indefinitely. Much of it won't make any sense to you but what you should do is to look out for anything that says "hard drive failure" or similar. Basically, if you have an error relating to the hard drive then you must buy a new one - the old one is broken or will fail imminently. Luckily, only a few blue screen errors are like this.

Now Fix The Blue Screen Error

Luckily most people do not have a broken hard drive. The vast majority of blue screens are caused by a computer that is riddled with Windows registry errors. The absolute best way to cure these errors is to get yourself one of the best registry cleaners. With these you can click a single button to run a deep scan of your registry and entire computer. Then another click will fix all these errors and therefore the blue screens.

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

What to Do If Your iPod Or iPhone Stops Working

2009-11-18T03:30:00.000-08:00

Some people get very attached to their technology and when it breaks there is a serious problem because unique files are on that piece of technology or entire music collections are downloaded on it, for example. It can be very frustrating also because many people do not know how to fix technology since it is so specialized. If your iPhone screen breaks for some reason or you need new ipod parts it is important to know exactly what to do in order to get everything fixed properly, with as little recovery of files as needed. In this article, you will find the steps that should be taken if technology that you own fails you:

1. Research online what your problem may be by looking up customer reviews or problems on the internet. Most of the time, others have had similar problems and have posted how their issue was resolved online. You should also research how customers feel or rate each company may try to get to fix your product. If the customer satisfaction ratings are low for a company, you would probably want to pick another location to go to take your piece of technology.

2. Decide where you would like your piece of technology to be fixed. Some people like to go directly to the store where they got their item, while others like to try a private company that specializes in just fixing their product. The advantage of going back to the store where you got your item is that they normally have the most readily available parts; however, it can take an extremely long time to get your item back because usually customers do not have to pay for the service to have their item fixed by the store where the item was purchased. A private company can be a very good choice because since you are paying for the service they will try to get your product back to you as soon as possible. Also, since these private companies are usually specialists, they will most likely be very knowledgeable about your product.

3. Once you have decided where you will take your product, you then need to make sure you understand what the people who are fixing it are going to do and when they will have it back to you. If you do not understand what the people who are fixing your product are doing, you may not know how to work it in the future or they may not fix the problem properly and something could go wrong again. You need to know what problem was fixed, so you can check the work after the people you are hire are finished with it.

It is important to remember that you do not have to have your product fixed at the place first decide on if you feel they are trying to cheat you or if you feel they do not know what they are talking about. If this occurs, simply do some more research online and try somewhere else.

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

Computers and Internet - An Irrepressible Evolution

2009-11-18T03:29:00.000-08:00

From vacuum Tubes to microprocessors, computers have continued to evolve unlike the human race. It was in the early 80's when IBM introduced their first computer to the home user. It was fast, cooler and meaner. This machine sat placid on your desk and did anything in a jiffy as opposed to its grandfathers. The man behind the success was none other than the Intel microprocessor. This chip consisted of several transistors which regulated information electronically. It would do all the tasks in the world and still fit in your palm.

Today's microprocessors are different from its predecessors. But they are developed around the same architecture and logic. These little machines have made computers smaller and easier to interconnect. Until then, the internet was more or less in the implementation phase. It was accessed only by computer experts and other scientists. Personal computers made more universities and organizations interconnect. This enabled the comparatively lesser learned people to communicate with others around the world.

Since then, the average computer knowledge has moved up from merely turning it on and off. Advances in the field of internet brought about the TCP/IP protocols which provided the users with applications such as the HTTP (which runs the World Wide Web), FTP and the very popular e-mail. This protocol suite helped in meeting with the ever rising demands of the internet. It is a service which turned the internet into a necessity and propelled businesses, produced career opportunities and brought awareness by educating.

The current Internet Protocol in use is IPv4. It has the capacity to provide four billion unique addresses and remains the most widely deployed Internet Protocol. But address exhaustion will take place as the number of users will increase. This emphasized the need to come up with the next generation protocol called the IPv6. It is not a completely different protocol but a conservative extension of IPv4. Large address space, reliability and security are its advantages.

Besides the Internet, computers needed to have all the tools to address several high end applications. Intel and AMD declared war which resulted in some mind blowing technologies. Intel produced some really good processors like the core 2 duo, core 2 quad and core i7. AMD has its own line of processors which are more or less similar in performance to those of Intel. On the other hand, impressive operating systems were written to exploit these little machines.

Ever since 'Windows 98' burst on the screen, its been Microsoft all over the user market. Linux and Mac OS X are becoming increasingly popular and posing stiff challenge to Microsoft's line of operating systems. With growing internet crime, operating systems will have to start providing staunch security. This leaves us at a point where we need to reconsider our priorities and choose the right operating system. New products and technologies keep coming in the market. Each one has its own pros and cons.

A good suggestion would be to play the waiting game. But an enthusiast will refuse to agree. CDs are disappearing. Blue-Ray discs are relatively new. Hard drives have got portable. PCs became laptops and laptops became notebooks.

And then there is the Fifth Generation of computers. These computers delve into speech recognition and self-organization, leading to what is popularly known as 'Artificial Intelligence.' These computers will effectuate a radical change. Scientists, over the last two decades have been able to achieve the feat of creating humanoid robots. The 'Asimo' from Honda is a noted example. The purpose for their creation is a debatable topic. But the widely accepted purpose is to facilitate the advancement of human beings.

All of us want to be a part of computers and internet either at the user or developmental level. These fields have been characterized by constant progress and breakthroughs. They remain the most talked about domain and have moved far ahead from just being a medium of communication. Looking at the previous creations, we realize to have come a long way. We envision an endless path with unimaginable possibilities and their irrepressible evolution.

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

Some Types of Network Security Breaches

2009-11-11T05:32:00.003-08:00

The online world has grown in leaps and bounds in the last few years. This provides the public with some amazing resources - the ability to access information with the touch of a finger, the ability to communicate via fast and inexpensive methods, and more functionality and ease of use are being introduced every day. Unfortunately, as with all good things, there is also a dark side.

While there are plenty of people who use the internet and computers responsibly and honestly, there are predators and hackers out there who spoil the fun for everyone if their dirty deeds go unchecked. There are a lot of ways for these people to compromise your computer and your network. Below we will review just a few of the ways that your network can be compromised.

Two destructive network breaches fall under a category known as "destructive behavior." One involves the complete obliteration of data within your network. It is called "data destruction" and it is just what it sounds like. It happens when someone breaches your network and deletes data. If your network is business-related, this can be devastating. Experts say that it is no less destructive than a fire that destroys your computer equipment.

Some perpetrators have more than simple destruction in mind. They do something called "data diddling" which means that they alter the data in your system. They might change data in spreadsheets or other documents, or they might tamper with your accounting system. Some examples of things that have really happened involve the accounting system specifically. "Hackers" have broken into a network, accessed the accounting system, and changed the account numbers on direct deposit paychecks to go into their own accounts. Thefts like this take some time to track down - first the employee has to not get paid, investigations have to be made, and someone has to think to double-check the direct deposit account information. In some cases, companies have cut new paper checks and it has taken months to retrieve the lost funds.

Another way in which networks are vulnerable is in the realm of confidentiality. A lot of times, companies possess information that, if shared with a competitor, could be very bad for business. In this case, predators are not looking to alter or destroy data, they are merely trying to find out information they're not supposed to know. If someone were to find out financial performance information before a public release of said information it could affect the stock negatively. If a company is planning to roll out a new product and someone gets that information and gives it to a competitor, or leaks the information to the public, it could hurt the company's sales. Even more frightening is the possibility of someone breaking in to view confidential employee-related data - like home addresses, social security numbers, and bank account information.

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

Network Security - Penetration Testing Explained

2009-11-11T05:32:00.001-08:00

A penetration test (in the IT vernacular referred to as a "pen test") is also known as "ethical hacking", and this network security tool provides an essential function in vulnerability assessment. By actively seeking out and deploying attacks and penetration efforts against your network, you are more likely to uncover vulnerabilities and be able to take action to block holes in your security and pre-empt attacks on the perimeter defences.

Penetration testing includes both script-based and human-based attacks on the network in order to seek out and exploit vulnerabilities. The difference between this and say, criminal hackers looking to cause mischief or theft of data, is that you control the "attacker". The "attacker" reports back to you on whether they were successful and if so, how to stop such an attack from being successful in real-life. Penetration testing will reveal network security holes but more than this, it will be able to provide you with a realistic risk assessment including the impact on your business should such an attack succeed. Knowing what such an attack may cost your business will provide you with the ability to quantify the business risk and determine whether you do in fact, need to implement a solution.

"Black Box Testing" involves a penetration test where the attackers have no knowledge of the network infrastructure. They are working from what a real, external hacker would be using - online connectivity and any human intelligence or reliance on human nature, in order to discover vulnerabilities.

"White Box Testing" involves attackers who have full knowledge of the network infrastructure and are seeking out vulnerabilities and scenarios to take advantage of perceived weaknesses.

An intermediate form exists, known as "Grey Box Testing" where some knowledge is provided, known also as "partial disclosure".

The aim of these differing forms of testing is to compel imaginative ways to hack into the network, compromising network security. While having full knowledge of a system may lead the ethical attacker to use an obvious defect in network security, they may pass over and completely miss a less obvious but more severe vulnerability. Blind or black box testing does not allow for precise testing of certain components of the network because they don't know how the network is established but, this form of testing does lead to more imaginative attack scenarios being developed and hence, a more realistic prospect of stopping a real attacker with mischief in mind.

Penetration testing should be a regular scheduled activity and performed at least once a year and every time the network infrastructure is added to or changed. Penetration tests are also a serious component of risk audits conducted to determine network operation and integrity. Script-based penetration testing is relatively inexpensive because of the level of automation involved and is eminently suitable for white box testing. Black box testing, on the other hand, is labor intensive because it involves real people emulating real life hackers and such a penetration test will involve more than simply running an online attack against the network, for instance, rummaging through company trash for computer information, and this dramatically increases the cost.

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

Internet Telephony Explained

2009-11-11T05:31:00.001-08:00

Using your company network as the backbone for making telephone calls is not a new concept, in fact it has been around for several years but recent developments in technology has increased the rate of adoption of internet telephony. Internet telephony goes by numerous names and acronyms - VOIP, Voice Over IP (IP stands for Internet Protocol), IP telephony, broadband telephony and VoBB (Voice Over BroadBand). Skype is the first widely adopted application which uses the internet backbone as the basis for transmitting voice and video call data.

The advantages of internet telephony are numerous, not least the cost savings associated with running telephone calls over the same network as the company network and internet. By combining the two applications - use of the web and making telephone calls - only one network is required instead of two separate telephony and IT networks. In a wider context, telephone and internet service providers (ISP's) can use their existing network, and network security , infrastructure to deliver services to customers. This is why it is so common to find cable/telephone/internet access all bundled together from companies in the business and domestic customer markets.

The cost of making calls also drops significantly as the internet (which is free) is simply being used to transmit your call in the form of data which is reassembled at the other end of the connection. A user simply needs to pay for internet access and this bypasses the need to pay a telephone company for the service. The cost savings become even more apparent when you consider that the internet backbone is just as capable of delivering your voice or video data to Australia as it is to the cubicle next door in head office.

Issues arose with internet telephony because of the poor call quality which was frequently experienced by users. Call quality has dramatically improved with better technology and data transmission techniques such that call quality is in many instances just as good as a land line call. A further drawback was the inability to make telephone calls if the internet connection was down - as internet telephony relies on the internet backbone to transmit the call, if you cannot access the internet for whatever reason, you cannot use the internet telephony service. This has led to criticisms of VOIP for its lack of redundancy but installations frequently run hand in hand with a fixed line system and still deliver significant cost savings.

Modern internet telephony systems use bandwidth with a high degree of efficiency and as this limiting factor has now been removed, more and more businesses are performing the migration of their business telephone service to IP based services. It is not just the cost savings which can be achieved which is the business driver but the functionality which can be delivered. Internet telephony encompasses much more than voice calling and includes video and web conferencing, interaction with email systems, multiple and anywhere/any device utility for making and taking calls, faxes and emails and much more. This is referred to as "unified communications" - treating any communication which can be made or taken using any device and internet telephony provides the basis for this merging of communications technology and application.

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

Domain is Blacklisted

2009-11-05T04:03:00.001-08:00

Spammers are always looking for doorways to send spam emails. If your exchange server is an open relay which can easily help spammers to pass through, then many mail servers and ISPs will blacklist your domain. When you find out that your domain is blacklisted, you should take steps in removing your domain from that list so that your subscribers can receive your mail without fail. However, finding whether your domain is in the blacklist is the tricky part here and it can't be done without a proper tracking tool.

Spammers use spoofing to conceal their original identity. When your ip address or domain is used by spammers consistently to send out emails, then it is obvious that mail servers will consider your ip address and domain to be a spam. Popular domains are also commonly used for spoofing, but since the servers are aware of those domains, the whole domain will not be blacklisted. When your less known domain is in blacklist sites, mail servers will immediately blacklist the whole domain.

The only way to pass blacklist test is when you have your domain name is in the whitelist. Mail servers update their blacklist sites from time to time. When you contact the mail servers and prove them that your domain is not a spam, then you can whitelist your exchange server. However, after whitelisting, you should follow procedures to prevent spammers from using your exchange server to send spam emails.

Knowing domain is blacklisted is very crucial to take the next course of action. A proper mail monitoring and tracking tool which ensures email deliverability will check your domains and ip addresses against major blacklists popularly used by mail servers. All your emails will be tested against blacklists and any dispute will be reported to you. With this report, you can take steps to whitelist your domain to get in touch with your subscribers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dana_A._Sheila

Check Blacklists

2009-11-05T04:00:00.002-08:00

Blacklists are found in thousands on the internet. Some of these blacklists are available for free while many providers buy authenticate blacklists from various legitimate internet monitoring groups. Basically, these blacklists contain ip addresses and information about emails used by spammers. IP addresses of mail services sending out spam emails will also be included in the blacklists. Simply, all kinds of blacklist sites will be available in blacklists.

ISPs and bandwidth providers will check blacklists before delivering any email. IP address of the sender is checked against blacklist used by the provider. It is not possible to find out what list is used by the ISP and bandwidth provider. Aside from public blacklists, companies will have private blacklists for more detailed checking.

Blacklist test is employed by email monitoring tools. These tools will use available known blacklists to perform the test. When your IP address is blacklisted in any of those known lists, you will be notified. Groups that are interested in keeping the internet clean will be engaged in creating these blacklists and hence, if you contact them, you can get your ip address whitelisted.

Many entrepreneurs lose their subscribers mainly because they don't check blacklists. While it is practically impossible to manually check your IP address against blacklisted list of IP addresses, a tracking tool can be of great help. If you think that you have to spend a great deal of money to buy a monitoring tool, then you are wrong. You can easily find a good email monitoring and tracking software that can help you in doing all kinds of blacklist tests.

The tool you use for checking blacklists must constantly update itself because everyday, many new domains and dns are added to the blacklists by internet users. Also, the tool must be able to use as many blacklists available to increase email deliverability.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dana_A._Sheila

Mail Delivery Tracking - Spam Filter

2009-11-05T04:00:00.001-08:00

If you want to know whether your emails reach the recipients inbox, you will need to use a mail delivery tracking application. This software does several spam checks which is used by various email systems. When your email fails most of these checks, then it is time to find out where the problem is because only when your email pass the spam filters, it will reach the recipients' inbox.

Spamming is today widely hated and hence, email service providers set their filters to highest possible level trying to prevent any kind of spam. While this is good for the recipients, many times the filter will disallow legitimate emails from being sent to the recipients. Without a mail delivery tracking system in place, you won't know whether your email is in the spam folder or inbox of the recipient.

Spam monitoring is the main job of email systems because customers of those systems will not be happy when their inboxes are filled with spam emails. Even though your subscribers are interested in your newsletter and emails, they won't receive those emails when the spam filters filter out all those emails.

You can also instruct your subscribers specifically to include your email address in their whitelist to pass spam filter. However, the subscribers who will actually do this extra step to receive every email from you are a few as compared to the total number of subscribers in your list.

Hence, with the email marketing deliverability tracking assistance, you can get some insight about the filters that will disregard your emails. Some filters will check the subject line and contents of emails for spam words. Without any reason, spam filters may consider your email as spam when you have some affiliate links in your emails. Soft bounces must be known to you because with little improvements in email marketing campaigns, you can easily find ways to pass spam filters in the most legitimate way.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dana_A._Sheila

"Distributor-Modeled" Training

2009-11-05T03:16:00.000-08:00

Can your distribution partners access your training-services infrastructure, to quickly train their employees about your products, while also building a university-like organization to deliver and track training of their (and your) end customers? In a distributor-oriented organization, your LMS should be able to support many levels of such "Distributor-Modeled" training... and deliver benefits to you, your distributors, and your customers.

At the simplest level, your distributors would be able to send people to your LMS training site, and have them registered as customers of each distributor. This would allow you to generate reports about courses delivered, classroom scheduling, and training results for each distributor's customers over the past month, quarter, and year. It will also allow you to create more complex training solutions for heavy users of your training services, while being able to identify distributors who might benefit from special training promotions.

The next logical step would be to give distributors themselves restricted administrative access to your LMS. In the simplest implementation of this model, the distributors would be able to:

• Modify training accounts for their own customers.
• Assign online training.
• Enroll customers in your LMS' scheduled classes.
And on a more advanced level, distributors could:
• Assign Training Certificate Competencies and their related learning events to their customers.
• Create and run their own onsite training sessions.

This model will improve your relationship with distributors, enable you to provide them with more services, and reduce the training-administration overhead for your company. Some of the advanced services it also enables are:

• Linking a class with a specific distributor, so that only that company can enroll its customers in the class.
• Customizing training catalogs, with a reduced set of courses/classes and/or individualized course/class pricing for specific distributors.
• Offering these catalogs with either a prepaid training-account that end customers can tap, or a standard e-Commerce "customer pays" set up.
• Allowing distributors to order training for their customers.
• Creating special reports to track the training and certifications of distributors' customers.
• Setting up customized user-interface paths for distributor-administrators, to control their access to specific LMS functions.
This model also allows you to create a "Super Administrator" role for more advanced distributors, which allows them to perform such functions as:
• Creating classes.
• Entering class results.
• Creating user accounts.

And finally, to extend this Distributor Model to an advanced level, think about branding separate campuses for each distributor (Figure 3). This allows you to create completely separate, distributor-branded training sites for each distributor within your LMS, while still permitting you to do complete rollups of all their training information and results.

Among this model's advantages are that it allows distributors to:

• Keep their corporate branding throughout all customer training materials.
• Create one-to-many levels of structured reporting, allowing each distributor to produce hierarchical training reports for its own operation.
• Receive a single point of contact in your company, with Registrar rights and privileges, to help distributors maintain their training operations.

So if they fit into your operation, these three levels of Distributor-Modeled training can improve your relationships with your distributors and provide them with much better levels of service, support, and training functionality. These models can also both save you money (through reduced administrative costs) and increase revenues (through branded training campuses).

Steve Pena is a Senior Instructional Designer and Implementation Consultant at SyberWorks, Inc., Waltham, Mass.

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

2038 - The Next Computer Time Bug

2009-10-21T22:24:00.001-07:00

Remember the turn of the millennium? Whilst many of us were counting down the seconds until midnight, there were network administrators across the globe with their fingers crossed hoping their computer systems will still be working after the new millennium kicked in.

The millennium bug was the result of early computer pioneers designing systems with only two digits to represent the time as computer memory was very scarce at the time. The problem didn't arise because of the turn of the millennium, it arose because it was the end of the century and two digit year flicked around to 00 (which the machines assume was 1900)

Fortunately by the turn of the millennium most computers were updated and enough precautions were taken that meant that the Y2K bug, as it became known, didn't cause the widespread havoc it was first feared.

However, the Y2K bug is not the only time related problem that computer systems can be expected to face, another problem with the way computers tell the time has been realised and many more machines will be affected in 2038.

The Unix Millennium Bug (or Y2K38) is similar to the original bug in that it is a problem connected with the way computers tell the time. The 2038 problem will occur because most machines use a 32 bit integer to calculate the time. This 32 bit number is set from the number of seconds from 1 January 1970, but because the number is limited to 32 digits by 2038 there will be no more digits left to deal with the advance of time.

To solve this problem, many systems and languages have switched to a 64-bit version, or supplied alternatives which are 64-bit and as the problem will not occur for nearly three decades there is plenty of time to ensure all computer systems can be protected.

However, these problems with timestamps are not the only time related errors that can occur on a computer network. One of the most common causes of computer network errors is lack of time synchronization. Failing to ensure each machine is running at an identical time using a NTP time server can result in data being lost, the network being vulnerable to attack from malicious users and can cause all sorts of errors such as emails arriving before they have been sent.

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

Digital Gram Scales - Electronic Weighing Scales With Clinical Precision

2009-10-21T22:23:00.003-07:00

When excited people describe you how clinically precise someone had to be to achieve something great, you say a wow in your mind. Seriously, nothing in the world can be an optimized achievement unless the system is tuned to perfection. When it comes to measurement of weight for any purpose, a digital gram scale is the device that can get you accuracy at the extreme level.

A digital gram scale is an electronic scale. It is driven by the line power, and can also be driven by a battery. It has a weighing platform, on which you can keep the substance to be weighed. And it has a digital display on which the weight of the object is shown. The display will have a good contrast and a backlight. You would have an option of measuring the weight in terms of grams as well as ounces.

The accuracy of this class of devices is the greatest power they have. These scales are accurate to the decigram - that is one-tenths of a gram. So if you care about every gram of weight then this is exactly what you are looking for. No wonder the digital gram scales have become popular among food buffs, cooks who love to be precise, scientists who need to be accurate in weight measurement in their experiments, dealers of valuable metals such as gold and people form other walks of life with a need of being accurate about weights.

If you desire to get your own digital gram scale, then make sure that you buy one with a good warranty period. Buy a branded one - the scales are not expensive and it makes sense to go for a good one given the price tags. A digital gram scale can actually do wonders to your state of mind if the accuracy of weight matters to you and you are relying on guess, on non-digital weighing systems or on weighing systems owned by others.

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