Computers and Technology news

James Bond's Secret Lair - The World's Coolest Data Center

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Sun, 24 May 2009 11:34:00 +0000

Data centers have never been exciting places. That is, until now. Its official, the coolest data center in the world is the Pionen, located in 100 feet below the bedrock in Stockholm, Sweden. Originally built as a nuclear bunker used during wartimes, it's now the home of a space-age, Bond-worthy data center.

Instead of focusing on hardware and servers, the designers of this ultra high-tech data center decided to focus on humans, making it a hip and fun place to work. The center features greenhouses, waterfalls, German submarine engines, simulated daylight and it can withstand a direct hit from a hydrogen bomb.

Design Straight Out of the Movies

The location of the facility was the inspiration for the unique design. Building a data center in an old nuclear bunker demands something out of the ordinary and a boring design wouldn't do. To find inspiration for the center, the designers turned to science fiction movies like Logan's Run, Silent Running and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Additionally, the James Bond movies were a huge inspiration for the design. The designer even wanted to get a white cat, but realized that would be going a bit too far.

Word of Mouth Marketing

One of the hidden benefits for such an intriguing and interesting design is the word of mouth marketing it automatically produces. The space-age design, waterfalls, greenhouses, artificial sunlight and smoke machines make the data center stand out. Since collocation is one of the services they offer, customers frequently visit the facility. When something is this unique customers are sure to share what they saw with their friends and business associates. Something like that can't be ignored. Other companies will want to check it out and see what's so special about the center and voila, they have another customer.

Space-Age Features

But it's not just design and no substance. In fact the data center is just as high-tech as it is aesthetically pleasing.

• Located in a nuclear bunker- the data center is located at the site of an original nuclear bunker from the Cold War. It has also kept the original name: Pionen White Mountains

• Bomb Proof- located 100ft underground and in an original bomb shelter, no hydrogen bomb is going to destroy these servers. It was built to be secure and protect soldiers in case of an attack. No longer needed for these purposes, it now protects servers... even from a nuclear attack.

• Triple Redundancy Internet- Losing internet connection is not a concern in this facility. Even though it's located deep within the mountains, there are both fiber and copper wires running into the facility through the mountains from three different directions.

• Cooling- The facility uses Baltimore Aircoil fans to cool the facility to the effect of 1.5 megawatts. This is enough cooling to cool several hundred servers.

• Houses Sweden's largest ISP- this center is home to the NOC for all of Bahnhof's operations. This is the largest ISP in Sweden, with five locations- of which, Pionen is the biggest. Additionally the data center is a colocation facility so you can put your servers there if you want.

This data center is by far the world's coolest data center and deserves its title. It's tough competition for anyone to outdo Pionen, but if anyone is up to the challenge, the world could use more cool data centers.

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

The Progress of Science With Computers

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Sun, 24 May 2009 11:34:00 +0000

Science has invented many things. The triumphs of science are too many to be counted. Some of the latest triumphs of science are really wonderful. They are quite remarkable discoveries. It has made our life easier by the computer a few years ago. It is considered as the brains of the human beings. It has opened up new vistas. These can make any number of calculations, modes of particulars hypothetical situations can be produced & studied.

In business, businessmen can simply deal through internet with their client regarding quantity and quality of the materials they require and can satisfy their clients. They can also give advertisement of their company through internet to attract more customers towards it. In schools, children are given knowledge about software of computer like Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and for small kids games are available in PCs for their refreshment. Through computers, we can easily chat or give tenders, graphics to the person living in other parts of the world. We can also do e-commerce through computer by booking for the product & delivery is done at home. We can also come to know about new products and their prices through PC. Now, a days all the designers shows their talent of design through websites. We can also send picture on any topic to the person living in other parts of the world via email. We can now book railway tickets and airplane tickets with the help of internet. Thus it helps us to save time because initially people had to stand in long queues for booking which used to consume much time. Now, a days all the queries are solved with the help of video conferencing and tele-conferencing. In computer we have to only feed the data and it gives us the accurate result in a time not less than a second.

It has certain disadvantages too. It has created the problem of unemployment. Initially people use to keep accountant for keeping their records of their business but with the invention of accounting software, need of personnel has reduced. Thus, computer ha relaxed mankind in a number of ways by making their life easier to a great extent. So, it has been a boon to the mankind.

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Heat Rises - Re-Using the Heat Generated by Servers

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Sun, 24 May 2009 11:33:00 +0000

With the green movement getting more and more attention every day, data centers are starting to get more and more flack for the amount of power the use up and companies are looking for ways to start "greening up." Most of the initiatives that data facilities are taking involve recycling the power within the facility, using energy-efficient servers and cooling the server room more effectively. These efforts are great and lead to less wasted energy and a more efficient system.

But with all the attention focused on saving, little is being paid to making better use of the existing heat generated by the servers. As it stands, this heat gets wasted. It's removed from the facility by whatever cooling system the data center uses. Most commonly this is in the form of air conditioning or water cooling.

Missed Opportunity

But what if there was another way - what if the heat generated by the servers could be put to better use? There is. The solution lies in using the heat generated by the servers and putting toward something useful, rather than simply discarding it in the atmosphere.

Energy is wasted all the time these days. Companies spend thousands of dollars to remove the heat from their server room, while simultaneously spending more money to heat other parts of the building. This wasted heat is a missed opportunity in energy efficiency.

There are a few companies that have seen this opportunity and have taken the initiative to put the heat generated by servers to good use. There is no limit to the potential that this has when harnessed and used productively.

Heat Recirculation

One example of a company using the existing heat from the servers is Quebecor, a Canadian media company. Located in Winnipeg, where temperatures frequently reach 35 degrees below zero, Celsius in the winter. The company found that even during the coldest months of the year, they were spending thousands of dollars cooling their data center, despite the harshly cold temperatures outside. At the same time, they were spending just as much money heating up other parts of the building.

It just didn't make sense. Fortunately the regional director for the company saw this as an opportunity for the company to reuse the heat generated by the servers which helps save energy all around and at the same time reduces costs. So that's exactly what he did. Instead of merely cooling the server room, he implemented a system whereby the excess heat was harnessed and pumped into other parts of the building to provide heat.

The heat generated from the servers is used to heat the offices upstairs which host the Winnipeg Sun. Additional heat is allocated to the warehouse across the street which is often chilly due to the door opening and closing all day. Whatever heat is left over is put back outside.

Heating a Swimming Pool

Another company in Switzerland had a similar idea of putting heat generated by servers to good use. This company is located about 25-feet underground and 500 feet away from a swimming pool. Instead of wasting the heat generated by the servers, the company decided pump the heat into the nearby swimming pool in order to provide it with the necessary heat. Using custom-made cooling units overhead and powered by 200 servers, they are able to use the hot exhaust air to heat up the water and then filter it into the pool. This creates a practical use for the excess heat while simultaneously eliminating the need for the pool to use oil as its energy source.

Going Green(house)

The latest example of a data center putting their excess heat to good use is at the University of Notre Dame. Raising energy costs are forcing the local greenhouse to shut down. Currently it costs around $1,000 a day to heat the greenhouse, which politicians have decided is too much to ask taxpayers to pay.

That's where Notre Dame comes in. They've developed a new type of data center that's housed in a standard shipping container and placed right next to the greenhouse. The excess heat from the data center will be pumped into the greenhouse to heat it. This will reduce the costs of running the greenhouse enough so that it won't have to shut down.

As an added bonus, the data center will be able to use the humidity generated by the greenhouse in the fall, winter and spring. This reciprocal relationship benefits not only the greenhouse, but the servers as well.

Future of Heat

Reusing heat from data centers has many applications and lots of potential as an energy-saving initiative. Most companies aren't thinking along these lines though. But they should. Creating more efficient servers and cooling systems, reducing the amount of heat generated, and reusing the heat that is generated are all integral components of an energy-efficient data center. Companies have many options to choose from and reusing excess heat is yet another way they can help reduce the amount of waste produced in their facility.

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

Heat Rises - Re-Using the Heat Generated by Servers

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Sun, 24 May 2009 08:13:00 +0000

Missed Opportunity

Heat Recirculation

Heating a Swimming Pool

Going Green(house)

Future of Heat

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

DVD Duplicators Protect Your Movies

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Sat, 23 May 2009 16:19:00 +0000

DVDs are perhaps the finest invention from the 20th century for movie lovers everywhere. When they first came out, everyone was thinking the same thing; these things were so cool; unfortunately, there were very expensive as well and add to that the fact that they were and are delicate too. The delicate nature of the DVD did not stop people from purchasing them in the millions and once computers could play DVDs people began storing their precious memories on DVDs as well. The problem then became what to do when they were all scratched up. The solution, as you all know, was DVD Duplicators.

Pretty much any computer that you purchase today comes with a DVD writeable drive. This allows you to duplicate any DVD that you want with the understanding that you are not to use DVD Duplicators copy movies for resell. Unfortunately, for those of you who have children, newer DVDs come with a copyright protection on them that prevents you from being able to copy the full contents of the DVD, which means that you will have to purchase the movie again if your children happen to leave it out for the dog to use as a chew toy.

You can continue, however, to use DVD Duplicators to copy DVDs of your children's birthday parties, the birth of a child, wedding anniversary, milestone adult birthdays and so much more. The beauty of being able to duplicate your DVDs at home is that you have the means by which to make DVDs for your entire family, either to use as gifts, or simply to give them away just because. This option also means that you can keep your precious memories safe for years to come, probably long enough to pass them on to your children's, children's, children.

DVD duplication is used for a myriad of reasons, not just personal, and if you want to do something more professional, you can also purchase DVD Duplicators that can duplicate more than one DVD at a time. However, for home use, your DVD RW drive is enough to provide you with the power you need to duplicate videos, slide shows, and more and all for a lot less than going to the movies.

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

Your Small Business Can Save Money With DVD Duplicators

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Sat, 23 May 2009 16:16:00 +0000

In this day and age, you are probably very familiar with the term 'burning' when it comes to CDs and DVDs. The process of duplicating CDs and DVDs has become the standard in homes everywhere. People download music off of the Internet and burn it onto a CD. They purchase a new movie and they burn a copy onto a DVD so that if something happens to the original, they still have a backup copy. However, DVD Duplicators are not just for the home, there are many kinds of small businesses that benefit from the process of DVD duplication.

DVD Duplicators can be purchased in several sizes; however, they are all smaller, designed for smaller jobs, not for movie companies (which would use a DVD replication process, which is geared for producing millions of copies of a movie). These duplicators can come with your computer, like your standard DVD burner or you can purchase individual duplication machines that have the appearance of a computer tower but are designed only to duplicate DVDs. These machines vary in size from two duplication slots to 11 duplication slots. They also vary in price from the mid one hundred dollars to the high seven hundreds.

If you are in the business of copying DVDs for people who do not have the equipment or the knowhow to do it themselves, then these kinds of DVD Duplicators will be ideal. They are great for making quick copies of wedding videos, babies' births, birthday parties, etc. They are not limited to that however. If you, for example, make training videos for companies, then, again, this kind of duplicator is going to work wonderfully for you.

You are not limited to duplicating DVDs either; you can also get duo units that will duplicate CDs as well as DVDs making your business more versatile in the process. This opens the door for your to duplicate CDs for local bands who only need a hundred or so copies of their CD at a time. You are providing them with an affordable option and making money in the process. DVD Duplicators are versatile equipment that will allow you to expand.

This is because you can purchase a tower with empty slots and add to it as business grows. However, don't allow things to get out of hand, duplicators are not made to handle hundreds of thousands of DVDs like a replicator is, and you can burn them out before their time from overuse if you don't take care to use them as the manufacture suggests. If you get to the point where you are using them that much, then it is time to upgrade to some high-end replication machines.

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

Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 Review

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Sat, 23 May 2009 16:15:00 +0000

Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 is the best choice for those who spend a lot of time on the computer and tend to develop hands and wrist pains. I am in front of the computer and using a mouse the whole day and sometimes it extends into the wee hours of the night. I thought that only people who have poor posture and who have poor hands positions when using the computer are the ones that get wrist pains. Now I know that even mice can cause them.

When I started using this mouse, I was pleasantly surprised by how much ease of movement it gives to my hands. The center scroll wheel doesn't make scrolling hard for my fingers and my carpal tunnel. It is very smooth and it doesn't make any sound. I use this feature frequently and the principal reason why I bought this is because it felt good under my finger index and middle fingers.

The size of the mouse makes it lightweight and very easy on my hands and fingers. I have small hands so the small size fits me perfectly. I don't need a mouse pad for it to perform well.

It is very responsive. I don't have to move it with big strokes for the cursor to go the place I want it to go. The left and right button also responds even with very small movement of the finger.

Since using this mouse, I never had any wrist pains again. Working with this mouse and my laptop is such a pleasure since I bought Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000.

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XP Wireless Access Point Management

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:15:00 +0000

An XP wireless access point is like any other access point available. The main significance is this access point is being run on a system using Microsoft Windows XP as the operating system. Each time you attempt to log into a wireless network, you will likely see a list of several networks available to you. This will include secured networks as well as unsecured networks. You will not be able to log into the secured networks unless you have the network keys for these networks. However, you are able to log into any of the unsecured networks. This article will provide XP wireless access point management tips to prevent you from making mistakes when accessing wireless networks. These tips will also help to speed up your connections.

The ability to log onto unsecured wireless networks without a network keys or passwords can create problems. Specifically, because it is so easy to access these networks you may find yourself doing this more often than not. As a result these access points will be displayed in your list of preferred networks. Once an access point begins appearing in this location it often leads to you inadvertently selecting this network more often because it is prominently displayed at the top when you attempt to access a wireless network.

Fortunately managing your preferred networks is fairly simple. Start out by navigating to your wireless network connection dialogue box. Do this by clicking on start. Then click on connect to and select wireless network connection. This will open the wireless network connection dialogue box. One the left hand panel of the dialogue box you will see an option that says, "Change the order of preferred networks." Clicking on this option opens the wireless network connections dialogue box. Click on the wireless networks tab. You will see a list of your preferred networks. You can scroll through this list to highlight your own wireless network and then select move up. Repeat this process until your home network is shown in the top position. Doing this will ensure your home network appears at the top of the list of available networks. It will also minimize the potential for clicking on and logging into the wrong network.

You can also do a few other management related tasks through the wireless network connection properties dialogue box. One of the important things you can do through this dialogue box is control whether or not your computer will automatically connect to this network when it is in range. In most cases you do not want to do this because it can put you at risk of being hacked when you do not even realize you are connected to a network. In order to disable this feature, select one of the preferred networks listed on the wireless networks tab. Once this network is highlighted, select the properties button. This will open the properties dialogue box for the selected network. Select the connection tab at the top of the dialogue box. If there is a check mark in front of, "Connect when this network is in range," remove the check mark to avoid this problem.

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What You Need to Understand About Modern Technology and You, and the Past

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:14:00 +0000

In one of my previous articles, I hinted that modern technology is somewhat becoming indistinguishable from magic, and that there are many people today who also share this view with me, it is not a new view; so much has already been said about it.

From the beginning of time, man has struggled to understand his environment, but without much success even today. Man found himself naked on earth against the harsh elements of nature. Cold weather made him aware of the need to clothe himself and make a fire to warm himself and build a shelter. A grumbling stomach made him realise he needed to look for food, thirsty made him look for water. So far so good, but then came a whole host of problems he could not explain. Thunder and lightning, disease and death. Gradually, however, some other men managed, in a small way, to control some of these diseases by strange ways and trickery. Their techniques could only be explained as magic. For thousands of years the belief in magic and witchcraft was very strong among the ancient communities. And even today nothing can eliminate it completely; there are still communities in some parts of the world who still practice it with varying degrees of success.

Religions came at a later stage, with Christianity trying to eliminate the belief in magic and witchcraft with a more coherent set of beliefs based on the concept of an Almighty God who is responsible for all things on earth since he is the creator. Other religions enhanced the beliefs in magic and witchcraft. And still other religions quickly merged with magic and witchcraft to the extent that they became indistinguishable. But still so many questions remained unanswered, so many issues still needed to be explained.

In an effort to answer most of the questions that could not be explained by religions and magic, science emerged and went through various stages of evolvement until it reached the stages it is today, the stages which are now merging modern digital technologies with ancient magic and witchcraft. So we can safely ask; is modern technology moving forwards or backwards? Are ancient magic and witchcraft the most advanced forms of science? And, by implication, is society and civilisation also sliding unconsciously backwards with technology? Is technology trying to get us back to where we were before? I have heard people talk about the Lost Civilisation.

There seems to be always more questions than answers.

Whatever the case may be, I suppose we have no control over it, let us therefore make the best of what is within our scope and forget the rest.

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

3 Great Ways to Utilize a Word Processing Service - It Can Be Used in Any Business

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:14:00 +0000

Ever get tired of sitting at your keyboard typing in another article of content for your website or entering endless data that is getting in the way of your business expansion? It can be hard to move your business forward if your entire day is spent taking care of office work that requires little of your own thought, but plenty of your time.

This is just one reason that you may want to think about employing a word processing service. However, there are many other ways that you can utilize a word processing service. To help you get the most out of a word processing service here are three great ways to utilize a word processing service

Conversion from paper to PDF files

Do you have a large amount of technical specs, contract agreements or other forms, or product descriptions that take need to go up on your website? You can either spend countless days entering these forms into a PDF, or allow someone with a faster typing speed to do it for you with a word processing service which will free up your day immensely.

Content provision

If you want to keep your website current you need to continuously add new information to it. This can get old after awhile especially if you know that you have more productive tasks than attempting to think up the millionth way to say the same basic concept of your blog. Sometimes a fresh service can add fresh material to your website which is an excellent perk of using a data processing service for your content on a regular basis.

Data entry

Finally, basic data entry is a job that most people hate and the idea of data entry may make you want to cry (out of boredom!) even if it is beneficial to your business. Once again, by hiring someone you can save time out of your day and get the job completed in a much more timely and professional manner. If you have not noticed yet, time is the major one perk of a word processing service!

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

Online Backup - Everything You Need to Know

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:31:00 +0000

What is the best way to protect data and files stored in a computer's system? Storing backup files can be done using physical media such as CDs, DVDs, USB drives, and external hard drives. But these storage devices are not always reliable. Chances are still high that lost files could never be restored. Hard drive crash, theft, and fire are the usual culprits of data loss, resulting in huge losses for several businesses.

However, gone are the days when computer users shook their heads in despair because of corrupted or lost files that were impossible to retrieve. Storing critical computer data and files is now possible with online backup. It is a Web-based service that enables people to archive and easily restore all files stored on their systems.

Online data backup simply means backing up of files through Internet connection. Also called remote backup or offsite storage, online data backup regularly backs up files, folders, or all the hard drive contents on a computer with network connection or a remote server. Online backup subscribers benefit from this service because of its feature that instantly copies chosen files to a backup storage at the location of the backup service company.

Why do individuals and businesses need online data backup? The risk of losing data due to file corruption and hard drive crash is virtually reduced because files are backed up automatically and continuously on a separate location. But online backup is more than just a data storage and retrieval process. It is an effective way to protect data, whether for personal or business use. This is the advantage of online backup over storage media, which are prone to file corruption and unreadable files. What's more, online data backup allows for an easy access of backed up files from any computer. With this Web backup data service, there are no more hassles with virus-infected USB drives or stolen CDs. Privacy and security are not a problem with a Web backup service because it offers password protection and encryption.

A lot of online backup services abound the Internet today, so it is not difficult to find one. Usually, services for personal use are free, while those for business use charge a certain amount. A number of services offer limited storage space, while others can provide unlimited space. Not all services are the same-each of them offers different features and advantages. So it is important to choose the Web backup service that suits your needs. It is recommended to compare various services to determine the best one. Avail of services with free trial periods to know which ones really work best.

Web backup services are quite easy to use as long as there is a fast Internet connection. Thus, checking the Internet connection must be done before subscribing to a service. After ensuring a high-speed connection, the subscriber can proceed to install the online backup software. During the software installation, the subscriber's computer is connected with remote servers. It also encrypts files for backup and puts the files to the subscriber's account space. Easy to navigate and use, the online backup software makes data storage and protection even easier and more convenient.

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

How Transferring Files to Digital is Important

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Even though we are already in this world of computers and digital advancements, still a lot of people are reluctant to convert files digitally. Especially among big businesses that have a lot of paperwork to manage, there are some who still stick to the old ways - folders and folders of paper in piles of boxes or endless rows of file cabinets sorted in alphabetical or numerical sorting.

This stubbornness to go with the flow of time could lead to more complexities amidst these old-schoolers claiming that the old way is the best way and is more efficient for them. They, unfortunately, do not know how converting files to digital would work wonders on their file management.

Easy access

How does one person look for a file made 5 years ago about a loan done by an employee in a certain department? With paper and all, you still have to go to the file room, find the box or file cabinet where the loans are, look of the type of loan, then look for the department name and then finally the name of the employee. Well, such tedious task that requires much time and effort would have been acceptable 20 years ago - but with all the people rushing and all the piled work load, we simply do not have the luxury of time any more to do the searching or wait for the searching to end. With digital conversion, files are way easier to access. You just click a folder here, a folder there and look for a name and, (drum roll), the file that you want is already there. Let us see if you can do that with boxes and file cabinets.

Easy storage

Instead of big rooms that should expand every year because of the continuous piling of paper work and rows and rows of file cabinets (both of which would amount to A LOT!), you only use a DVD, CD, USB, hard disk or whatever you have (all of which would not occupy a hole room) to store all the date you need once you transfer your files to digital. Instead of having to expand rooms once you run out of space, all you need to do is buy DVD, CD, USB, hard disk or whatever you like with the same space capacity or a higher one and storage upgrade is done.

Much trust-worthy safe keeping

Paper, folders and file cabinets - they are all vulnerable to the wear and tear that things undergo. But with all your files converted to digital, all you need to worry is having as many back-up copies as you can in order to have extra copies whenever the one that you are using gets destroyed. Try doing that with paper!

Faster duplication or file transfer

Need to have your own copy of a file or a co-worker in another country needs to have a copy of a file that you have? Back in the old days, what people did was they photocopied/reprinted/handwritten the files that you needed and have them sent through mail or packages. How many days did it take and how much money was spent for this kind of file transfer/duplication - not to mention the effort that you have to put to accomplish the task. With files transferred to digital, all you need is another click here and there and you are done. It's much cheaper and much faster.

All of these conveniences apply whether we are talking about small scale of big scale businesses. It even applies for personal uses like the simple storage of photos, videos and the likes. Yes, advancements in technology might be scary for a lot of people because they are new, thus unpredictable. However, these advancements in technology, such as the availability of methods to transfer whatever files we have into digital, were meant to happen in order to make our lives much easier and for us to cope with the changing of times.

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

Backup Data Storage - Your Ultimate Guide

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Sun, 17 May 2009 16:59:00 +0000

Backup data storage simply means saving or storing
your documents, files, and other important data in another medium. This
medium may be accessed in case one's files are lost or deleted. This is
a way to protect your files in case of any accident that may happen to
your computer or file, and also to have a copy of the file for future
reference.

There are many backup data storage devices that are
available in the market today. One may also purchase these storage
devices over the internet. Also, some storage means are found in the
internet because there are many website that offers storage spaces for
individuals and companies. If you are confused on what kind of backup
data storage will you choose, here are the most common storage devices
that one may consider in selecting the best medium to protect your data.

1.Online data backup service. This kind of backup data storage allows one
to store his files over the internet. Many websites offer this kind of
service and one may choose which among the websites he will choose. The
most common features of an online data backup service includes files
storage up to 2 GB but may be unlimited depending on the service
selected, file encryption, protection and storage of the files through
a confidential username and password, and many more. The files may be
accessed with any computer as long as there is a good internet
connection

2. External hard drives. This storage device is
detachable from the computer. It is like the hard disk of your CPU but
is found outside the computer and is attached normally to the USB. One
can choose the capacity of the external hard drive ranging from 8 GB to
160 GB. Also, using an external hard drive does not need an internet
connection. One just has to plug it and one can already access the
files stored therein.

3. Optical drives. Examples of this kind of
storage device are the CD or DVD disks. Before CD or DVD, people use
the floppy disks. Floppy disks are obsolete nowadays because of its
limited storage capacity. CD or DVD disk storage is very convenient to
use because one just has to save his files and the files are already
saved or copied therein. No need for an internet connection or a USB
hub. However, writing the files in the CD or DVD disks require a CD or
DVD writer in order to save the files. Also, the disks are sensitive
and may easily be destroyed if it is not taken care of.

4. Flash
disks or thumb drives. This is the mini version of external hard
drives. The difference is flash disks or thumb drives have lower
storage capacity as compared to external hard drives. Since the size is
small, the capacity usually ranges from 512 MB to 8 GB. The good thing
about this data storage device is that it is compact and may be placed
even in one's wallet. However, since it is small, one may easily lose
it.

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

Saving a Ton on Traffic - Best Deals Aren't Downtown

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:35:00 +0000

Downtown is the trendy place to be. No matter what city you live in or near, the downtown area is where everything is concentrated. You have businesses, clubs, restaurants, activities, stadiums, events- everything you could possibly want is downtown. Because downtown is so central and so concentrated, it's where everyone wants to be- including data centers and collocation facilities.

The High Price of Downtown

But downtown comes with its own host of problems. The main disadvantage of downtown is the high cost of real estate. Everyone wants to be there. And because of this, companies have to pay a premium to locate downtown. If rents rise, people are either forced to pay higher rent or leave the location that they perceive to be prime.

Unfortunately, this doesn't help the consumer, especially when it comes to data centers and colocation. Because these facilities are so specialized and require so much energy, power and infrastructure to run, they're not likely to move locations if rents are raised too much. In fact, it would be a disadvantage for downtown data centers to do so because of the costs associated with moving an entire data center and the inconvenience it would cause for the customers.

So, when rent goes up, colocation facilities are forced to pay. In order to make up the costs, prices are raised or services are cut in order to maintain the same margin.

The Best Deals Aren't Downtown

If you're looking for the best deal on colocation, downtown is not the place to look. The farther away you get from the city, the less expensive real estate is. There are many reasons for this, but the point is that data centers don't have to pay the high premiums for real estate. Without these excess costs for rent, facilities are able to pass these savings onto customers. Not only can they offer cheaper prices per rack, but they can also include more bandwidth and more services. By locating away from downtown, you'll get at least the same quality of service and in many cases you'll get better service without having to pay the high prices that you do downtown.

A sample price comparison of a facility located just outside the city center and a facility located right in the heart of downtown is as follows:

Downtown facility-

½ Rack- $650 (Does NOT include traffic)

Full rack- $1200 (Does NOT include traffic)

It is not possible to rent space in any smaller amounts. It's pretty much all or nothing, which doesn't accommodate the needs of smaller businesses or allow for gradual expansion. Other services include a power generator (which belongs to the building and therefore they don't have complete control over its usage) and 100mps ports.

Facility near, but not in, downtown-

1/8 Rack- $175 (includes 50 GB traffic)

¼ Rack- $350 (includes 200 GB traffic)

½ Rack- $500 (includes 350 GB traffic)

Full rack- $900 (includes 800 GB traffic)

Other features include a power generator which is owned by the company allowing more control, owning their own facilities, 100 mbps ports and free internal traffic with an internet account.

Savings Passed on to You

As you can see, facilities that are not located downtown can afford to pass on the savings to customers. Not only is it less expensive to rent a rack, but it also comes with more features, such as included traffic and free internal traffic. Not only that, but hosting away from downtown will save you on other costs you may not even have thought of such as not having to pay for parking. All-in-all, regardless of where you're located, it's always much cheaper to host your servers outside of downtown than it is to host them right in the heart of downtown.

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

Powis Parker Fastback Frequently Asked Questions

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:35:00 +0000

If you have a Powis Parker Fastback binding machine
or are considering buying one you may have questions. In fact, I talk
to customers and potential customers ever week about different
questions that they have concerning the Fastback product line. This
article is not designed to answer questions about any particular
machine but instead offers answers concerning the entire line of
Fastback binding equipment. Here are some of the most frequently asked
questions that we encounter...

Can I edit the book once it's bound?

Yes,
all Fastback binding machines have an edit feature which allows you to
remove or insert pages. This feature works well if you need to add or
remove one or two pages from your bound book. However, if you need to
completely disassemble the document you will want to consider using a
large guillotine cutter that can trim the spine off the document.

Can I cut a Fastback strip to a different width?

No.
You must use one of the three widths available. Narrow strips can
handle up to 1/2" of paper, medium strips can handle up to 1" of paper
and wide strips can handle up to 1-1/2" of paper. Attempting to cut one
of these strips will destroy its binding capability.

Can I cut a strip to a different length?

Yes,
as long as the strip is at least 6" in length you should still be able
to use it in your Fastback binding machine. However, when using
cut-down strips, be careful to always place the cut edge to the right
as you face the machine, so that the adhesive from the cut edge does
not spill onto the center of the heating platen. Over time, binding
documents using cut-down strips may lead to adhesive build-up on the
edge of the platen and may cause problems if you don't have your
machine serviced and the excess glue removed.

Can I bind lengths other than 11"?

Yes.
Fastback binding strips come in many lengths including 8 1/2", 9", 11",
A4, 14", and 14 7/8". However, as mentioned in the previous answer, it
is possible to cut these strips down to virtually any size larger than
6".

I would like the strip to wrap more to the back than the front of my document. Can I make it do that?

Yes.
The wrap of the strip can be adjusted on your machine. Please see the
users manual of your machine for more instructions on how to adjust the
wrap on your model.

Can I use any kind of paper in my Fastback Binder?

Most
papers common to copy centers work well in the Fastback binders.
However, adhesion problems can occur if the paper fibers are not
accessible to the binding strip. This can cause problems with high
gloss sheets, photo papers and full bleed printed images. To bind
documents with full bleed print or with on high gloss stocks you may
want to consider using the Powis Parker Edge Splitter.

My machine says it has a strip jam. What should I do?

The
Fastback 15xs, 11, 8x and 9 binders open easily to access the strip
path. Open the machine and remove the jammed strip. Be careful: the
heater is extremely hot!

Can I use tabs with the Fastback?

Yes. Tabs work very well in the Fastback. For best results (and the nicest books), use thin, grain-long tabs.

What should I use to clean my Fastback binder?

We
recommend Icky Sticky Stuff Remover. This cleaning solution is safe,
non-flammable and has been thoroughly tested on Fastback binding
equipment.

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

How to Begin Creating PC Emoticons

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:58:00 +0000

When you're instant messaging with your friends, there are times when you wish there was a funnier emoticon. Or one that better expressed how you were feeling without words. Emoticons are great for livening up conversations, but sometimes the default ones feel a little bit boring. If you feel like this, you can always create your own emoticons to use with Windows Live Messenger/MSN Messenger.

• First thing you should do is download the latest version. It has a way to add new emoticons built right in, making the process seamless.
• Download an image you'd like to use for an Emoticon. You can also use graphics already on your computer.
• Save the image into a folder. You don't have to worry about resizing it, since MSN will do this on its own.
• If you'd like to have an animated emoticon, make sure the file is a .gif and is less than 150KB.
• You can then locate the image on your computer and add it to your Messenger through the "Tools" menu.
• You can name and create your own keyboard shortcuts for all your new emoticons as well. This makes them easy to use as you begin to incorporate them into your instant messengers.

Creating Your Own Emoticons
You can invent your own emoticons by using different graphics software, such as Photoshop or Paint Shop. Sketching your own faces allows you to inject more of your own unique personality into an Internet conversation. A lot of community colleges offer class and/or seminars to teach you how to do this, or you can buy a book or look for online tutorials. Adobe has a robust set of tutorials on their website.

Even if you don't have the skill set to make your own unique set of emoticons, you can still create an extensive set of emoticons that especially express you, make your friends laugh, and always guarantee that chatting online is a good time.

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

Storage Appliances For Lean Times

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:57:00 +0000

Just about everyone in the IT business realizes that the most annoying aspect of the current recession is that while profits are down, data requirements are up. That makes it difficult to purchase and provision the storage that is desperately needed to meet not only business and competitive needs, but legal ones as well.

But it's also the reason why we're seeing a new generation of low-cost, mostly appliance-based storage options aimed not so much at smaller firms looking for ready-made storage, but larger organizations looking to bolster their current arrays with as little impact to the bottom line as possible.

PowerFile's new Hybrid Storage Appliance is a case in point. The device uses a proprietary "distributed performance architecture" to provide scalability into the petabytes for long-term fixed content applications. The company wants you to consider moving data from Tier 1 or 2 disks to an HSA, which not only costs less upfront, but eliminates the cost of regular data migrations. Each HSA consists of a dual quad-core system controller, a 12-48 TB cache array and a 25 TB library that holds up to 12 Blu-ray drives.

Networking firm Netgear is also getting into the game, coming out with the ReadyNAS 2100 rack-mounted storage appliance that offers simultaneous NAS and SAN functionality, as well as file-sharing and virtualization capability. It also provides for uninterrupted capacity expansion, plus managed ports for network redundancy. The system utilizes the company's X-Change storage modules, plus the ReadyNas Remote tool for access from branch offices.

Storage appliances are also drawing in firms with little or no hardware experience. For example, a company called i365, which specializes in software and SaaS offerings, has come out with a preconfigured backup and recovery appliance called the EVault Plug-n-Protect. The company uses standard hardware and storage, such as Dell servers with a Nexsan RAID, to run its EVault software plus System Restore and Real Time Protection packages. Sizes range from 6 to 36 TB at a cost the company says is about 40 percent less than purchasing the components separately.

Even giants like Microsoft are starting to notice the appliance market. Along with the Windows 7 and Server 2008 releases, the company just issued the RTM version of Windows >Storage Server 2008 to OEMs. The company says it expects to see fully configured hardware systems by the fall, souped up with the extra file and storage capabilities the software provides, not to mention single-instance storage deduplication and a new iSCSI software target that enables both block storage and file service on the same appliance.

Difficult times often bring out the biggest innovations, and 2009 is no exception. Fortunately, saving money never goes out of style, so even after the bad times are past, this and subsequent generations of storage appliances will provide solutions for those seeking quick storage without a lot of complexity.

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

5 Excellent Reasons to Use American SAP Consultants Rather Than Supposed Less Expensive Foreign Work

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:53:00 +0000

While outsourcing your SAP analysis, configuration, and testing needs to foreigners may seem like a cost-effective staffing solution, one top SAP staffing firm has consistently invested in rigorously testing and training domestic consultants, believing the opposite to be true. John R. Miles of Enterprise Resources International (ERI) provides 5 good reasons why using American SAP resources rather than foreign workers makes more sense for the bottom line.

1. The most successful companies in the world use only highly qualified staff.

No IT company can achieve sustainable success without a commitment to training its most valuable asset - its people. Companies like IBM, Microsoft and Google understand this, but most companies fail in this area, believing that saving on training expenses will improve their profit margin.

John Miles disagrees with this way of thinking. "With the way the economy is right now, we need to really consolidate and nurture our own talent, because it's the only way to stay ahead globally. " A study done by the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) shows that a group of thirty-seven highly successful companies spend an average of $1190 annually per employee for training, whereas the average company spends approximately $750. The numbers tell the story.

2. Training Americans is a sustainable proposition - they don't suddenly lose their US work status or return to their own country for personal reasons in the middle of a critical assignment.

"Honesty, and I can speak from the experience of my clients, there is nothing more expensive than losing a consultant in the middle of a systems integration project" says Miles. "The new guy has to re-learn the project specs from the ground up." Add to this the fact that the entry-level resources in ERI's level-1 program are much less expensive than even foreign resources, yet still can produce much of the documentation and testing work right out of the gate - and you have a much more economical position. Clients that groom these level-1 resources thereafter have the first right of refusal for using these consultants.

3. There is no language barrier - grammatical ambiguities in front-line orders have been known to lose wars - what could it do to your project?

Small misunderstandings can have disastrous consequences in programming as in life. A sign stating, "We're here to help," would definitely disappoint the customers if the apostrophe were removed, for instance, and an incorrectly placed symbol in a block of code can cause havoc with the way the program works - or doesn't.

4. Hiring highly-trained consultants is critical to complex SAP projects, and this is another area about which Miles is passionate. "At ERI we have developed a very thorough standard proprietary testing system for our SAP resource staff. It is quite rigorous, and would be beyond the scope of most employers to perform, but it guarantees our clients an incredibly high standard of expertise in the consultants they get from ERI."

5. You will earn a powerful commitment from an employee whose qualifications you value, and in whom you are prepared to invest by providing ongoing training.

"Again I can speak from experience here," explains Miles. "At ERI we nurture business and economics college grads and provide invaluable 'over the shoulder' mentoring and on-the-job training. The grads appreciate that level of commitment from us, and project leaders appreciate their level of real world experience." ERI provides experienced SAP services as well as its Level-1 program, but clients are fast learning the merits of having on-demand inexpensive consultants that they are confident in, having assisted in their growth from the outset.

The message is clear - although it's often hard for companies to see the direct ROI of hiring well-trained domestic SAP consultants in the short-term, for the long-term the way to reduce the risk of downtime and stay competitive is to have loyal, committed, and dependable domestic employees.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wayne_J._Porter

The Power of Printing - From Woodblocks to Ink Cartridges

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:52:00 +0000

The power of print is something that most of us take for granted in modern times, as high quality printers are found in the vast majority of homes and businesses, ink cartridges brim full and ready to print anything from school essays to bus timetables, from short stories to bank statements.

But this luxury is one that has only become available to people over the last couple of decades, since the technology required has in the past been very expensive. Let's take a brief look at the colorful development of printing which has led to most of us becoming rather print-happy with ink cartridges, both color and black and white, primed and at the ready.

The earliest known examples of printing are from China, dating from around 220. This process involved the use of woodblocks and began on textiles, progressing later to paper. Woodblocks were also used in East Asia and the Middle East.

Long before our versatile home printers and affordable ink cartridges we had the Movable Type system, arriving in 1040. This involved movable pieces of metal type, allowed much more flexibility than previous methods. Its invention in China heralded a revolution in how printed information was distributed, offering the possibility of many more people reading various printed matter.

The ability to print was, and remains, an extremely powerful way to distribute information, to entertain and inform. But centuries ago, many of those in power were not so enthusiastic about the spread of larger scale printing. This was particularly the case with church leaders, who preferred that they and their clergymen remained the main communication conduit for the masses. The fear was that the population at large would come into contact with controversial or dangerous political or social ideas, which might weaken their formidable influence. The idea that in the future almost everyone would have access to cheap printers and ink cartridges would have been most unsettling for these men of power!

But the eventual benefits of widely available printed matter are various. It dramatically increased the literacy rate of the world's populations, and increased the sense of individualism, since people could select their own reading matter and no longer needed someone, such as a clergyman, to read to them as part of a group.

Today, a wide range of printing processes are used, with an estimated 45 trillion pages printed annually. Despite the universal use of the computer, paper-printed matter is still by far the most popular reading media. The human eye finds glowing computer screens far less relaxing to process than the old-fashioned printed page, and so the concept of printing remains one of the most enduring of all human inventions.

The ability then for most of us to print off information at the touch of a button in our own homes is a powerful one to have. Whether we want to create a flyer or leaflet for a social occasion or event, or simply print off a business report whilst working from home, our high quality printers and affordable ink cartridges allow us to produce printed matter in a few seconds. What was once the privilege of a few powerful church leaders or royalty has become an integral part of modern life.

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

Electronic Components - Multi Layer Ceramic EMI Filters

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:00:00 +0000

In the Electrical and Electronic industry, the every growing technology has made it difficult for the electronic designers to be prepared to face the challenges of keeping abreast with the technologies. The rising trend of small packages like mobile phones and hand held computers have also laid pressure on the electronic component manufacturer to develop lower cost, smaller size and higher performance levels in the passive components.

With regard to this, a huge pressure is exerted on the component designers to change the structure of the Multi layer Ceramics in the EMI filter segment to achieve Insertion Loss performance levels

similar to those of panel mounted devices.

EMI filters are created with the method of combining capacitors and Inductors by using the different impedance characteristics to selectively decrease the receiving of unwanted signals. The Multilayer Ceramic Filters includes Multilayer Capacitor or the Ceramic Chips. These are one of the most popular and commonly used chips in the worldwide capacitors industry.

As per statistics, roughly more than 200 billion chips are produced annually, that means that at an average, 40 pieces of chips per human being are manufactured annually. Some of the reasons for their popularity have been mentioned below.

1.They are used for almost all the electronic hardware as they are compatible with the widest range of working voltages and capacitance values.

2.They claim to be the lightest as well as the smallest capacitor in terms of weight and size and their enjoy a greater volume than any other capacitor as far as their voltage configuration is concerned.

3.These Multilayer Ceramic Chips boasts of being the most reliable capacitors in the electrical and electronic components industry. Their decimal places of a F.I.T prove this fact.

4.The format on which they are manufactured are very well suited for Surface Mount applications. This means that there are no hidden costs as far as leads and encapsulation related to packaging is concerned.

5.The availability of these capacitors form a large number of manufacturers is an added bonus. These capacitors are also available at a short lead time and are also veer economical.

Multilayer Ceramics are typically characterized as per their specification. There are 3 of them namely - C0G (± 30 parts per million per 55 degree centigrade), X7R (± 15 % of -55 degrees to +1q25 degrees centigrade) and Y5V (+22% -82%, -30 C to +85 degrees C).

The Multilayer Technology in the Ceramic Capacitor Technology is known to be the most affordable among all the multilayer types and are used widely in the Filter applications.

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

TCP-IP - Explored and Explained

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:59:00 +0000

TCP/IP is not a single protocol, nor is it, as its
name might suggest, a pair of protocols. TCP/IP is actually a suite of
protocols. In other words, it's a large group of protocols that work
together. The TCP/IP designers' original intent was to create a
protocol that could traverse various heterogeneous network environments
while having the ability to take multiple routes to a final
destination. This flexibility was crucial. TCP/IP, originally called
NCP (Network Control Protocol), was a product of an experimental
project commissioned by the Department of Defense of ARPANet (Advanced
Research Project Agency Network) as an experimental protocol that
traveled over packet-switched networks. The goal was to ensure that if
a single part of the network became damaged or unreachable,
transmission of critical data would continue to reach its destination
on the network through alternate routes.

Despite its roots in the
defense community, the development and evolution of TCP/IP cannot be
attributed to any one group of individuals. TCP/IP is nonproprietary,
and it's the accepted communications protocol on the Internet. Like
other matters related to the Internet, TCP/IP standards are publicly
available and published as RFCs (Requests For Comments) that are
maintained by the Internet Architecture Board (IAB).

The IAB
allows any individual or company to submit or evaluate an RFC. RFCs can
contain a variety of information; one use of RFCs is to publish
proposals or new ideas for standards that might add to or change the
functionality of the TCP/IP protocol suite in some way. RFCs are posted
to the Internet for public review and are reviewed by IETF (Internet
Engineering Task Force), a division of the IAB. After an appropriate
amount of discussion and scrutiny, a newly proposed draft can be made
into a standard that will then be adopted by the entire Internet
development community. Because TCP/IP is based on open, nonproprietary
standards, it has been scrutinized and revised by numerous people from
all over the world, and has thus been continuously developed and
improved since its inception.

TCP/IP is based on the idea of an
open system (nonproprietary) model. With regard to system architecture,
TCP/IP's functionality maps loosely to the OSI (Open Systems
Interconnection) Reference Model, a basic system architectural
reference designed for programmers to provide a common framework and
design for network protocols. By using the OSI Model, protocol
designers can ensure that the protocols they design meet at least the
basic levels of functionality and that there is some degree of
standardization between their implementation of a protocol and someone
else's. Microsoft's TCP/IP is compliant with RFC-published TCP/IP
standards. However, the Microsoft implementation includes support for a
number of features not found in other versions of TCP/IP.

Requests For Comments (RFCs)

As
mentioned earlier, one way that RFCs are used is to document Internet
standards. Keep in mind that the RFCs that actually document standards
are merely a subset of all the RFCs that exist. In other words, all
Internet standards are documented by at least on RFC, but not all RFCs
become Internet standards.

A number of different types of RFCs
exist, including FYIs, Drafts, and STDs (Standards). Anyone can submit
an RFC or make comments in support of, or against, a current RFC. The
IETF then makes this documentation available to the public. If the RFC
is a proposal for a new Internet protocol or service, it is reviewed by
the IETF and recommendations for revisions are made. To allow ample
time for review and revision of an RFC, there is a minimum six-month
waiting period before a Proposed Standard can become a Draft Standard;
there's then an additional four-month time period before a Draft
Standard can become a Standard.

RFC's are referenced by a
specific number, such as RFC 1880 "Internet Official Protocol
Standards." These numbers are issued sequentially and are never reused.
If a current Standard is revised, a new number is issued to the revised
Standard, and the older version becomes obsolete. Always make sure you
have the most recent RFC on any topic you are researching. RFC 1880,
for example, contains an index of the most current RFCs for Internet
Standards.

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

Why is Computer Security So Important For Everyone to Have That Owns a Computer?

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Sun, 10 May 2009 15:36:00 +0000

Do you own a computer? Do you get online with your computer? If you do, then you need to understand why it is imperative that you have good computer security. Without security you can have all kinds of problems. This article is going to tell you some of the different problems you can encounter if your piece of expensive kit is not protected with good internet protection.

One of the problems that you can face on your home or office system is viruses that you download unintentionally. There are many times online when you download something only to find out from your internet virus software that there is a virus attached to it. Security for your computer will alert you to this danger, but when there is not protection, then you will more than likely download it and release it to cause untold damage.

Another possible and very real danger that you can face without good internet security is identity theft. This is definitely not something that you ever want to go through, but it happens to more people than you think. By having good software in place you can protect your personal information and prevent becoming a victim of this very real crime.

These are just two of the problems that you can face if you don't have good computer security. There are many others that you can learn about with just a little research. Protecting your equipment is a must for anyone that has personal or financial information on it , especially if you use yours to get online. So, don't delay in making sure your pc or mac is well protected.

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

Importance of Destroying Sensitive Information

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Sun, 10 May 2009 15:36:00 +0000

Computers crimes are everywhere these days, there are
entire divisions of law enforcement teams devoted to working on crimes
that, in one way or another are linked to the use of a computer.

The
root of many of the crimes perpetrated through the use of a computer
stem from the fact that the highly sensitive information present on
many personal and business computers isn't disposed of properly. You
may not realize it, because it may not really seem like a big deal at
the time, but you have tons of highly sensitive information stored on
your personal hard drive - and if you operate a business you may have
many other people's (your customers) highly sensitive information on
there as well.

You could have: full names, social security
numbers, complete addresses, accounts numbers (including bank and
credit card). If you are getting rid of an old hard drive, even though
you think you may have gone through every step to properly ensure that
this sensitive information has been erased, it could still be present
for anyone with even basic knowledge of computers to bring back and
have full view of. Even if you have a good deal of computer knowledge
and you make every effort to wipe a hard drive clean, there is no
guarantee that an experienced computer programmer or hacker couldn't
easily resurrect the sensitive information and do whatever they wanted
with it.

Whether it's a business or personal computer, if the
sensitive information that is present on the hard drive gets into the
wrong hands it could be incredibly damaging to the computer owner. PC's
that are "breached" once disposed of can very easily lead to a nasty
case of identity theft that is very hard to track - the offender may
literally have access to every single bit of personal identity they
need to effectively steal the former PC owners identity. For those of
you who've never been a victim of identity theft, rest assured it's not
a very pleasant experience and can affect your credit for a very long
time as the investigation is held and the details sorted out.

For
business computers the scenario can be equally as bad, a business
customer's private information can be made public. This can be damaging
to the business' customers by having their sensitive information go out
to the public and it can cause a wide rift created by distrust towards
the company who let the information get out. One situation like this
that isn't swiftly and efficiently handled can spell almost instant
doom for a business.

It you don't want the potential disaster of
highly sensitive information getting into the wrong hands, then it's
imperative that the information be completely wiped away from the hard
drive. The only one way to one guarantee that the information is
completely destroyed is to use a hard disk crusher.

For a home
PC, there are services available that you can enlist that will use the
hard disk crusher on your system to remove all of the sensitive data
before you dispose of the hard drive, or you can rent one from a
service and perform the job yourself. For businesses who will be
getting entirely new office equipment and have a multitude of machines
that need to be "crushed", there are companies that lease or sell hard
drive crushers that you will then have access to forever, or as long as
you may need it.

If things continue to go the way they are going,
it may not be long before crimes stemming from information found on
computer hard drives comprise the bulk of the crimes committed in the
US. Don't let yourself fall prey to this type of situation, before you
dispose of any hard drive - use a hard disk crusher to clean all of the
sensitive information off of it.

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

Top 5 USB Thumb Drive Tricks

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Fri, 08 May 2009 05:32:00 +0000

There are a lot of things you can do with an ordinary USB drive - from carrying a range of portable apps or even an operating system, to encrypting your files and a lot more. In this article I'm going to share with you top 5 USB tricks.

1. Take Programs Wherever You Go

I have lots of portable applications on my USB stick. They rescued me thousands of times, especially when I travel without my laptop. There are a lot of very useful portable apps - Firefox, IM clients, even anti-virus software. You can download everything you need from PortableApps.com. After you've downloaded the software, simply run the installer and install the program on your USB thumb drive. Now you can carry your favourite software wherever you go!

2. Lock Your PC

If you worry that someone might tamper with your computer while you're away, it's a good idea to lock it. Luckily you can lock your PC with USB drive. There is a very nice free program called USB PC Lock Pro. It works on Windows only and needs to be installed on the computer and not on the USB flash drive.

3. Hide Your USB Drive

Talking of security - if you are afraid that your USB stick might get stolen, you can hide it in a broken USB cable. You'll need a very small USB drive to do it, but it's worth a try.

4. Encrypt Your Data

If there is any sensitive information on your USB flash drive, then it's best to encrypt it. TrueCrypt is a nice free app to encrypt your files. Remember that you'll need to be an administrator of a computer to access that data on the USB.

5. Keep Your Passwords Safe

When you are using a public computer, all your passwords and other confidential information are at risk. The computer might have a key logger running in the background - you never know. That's where KeePass Password Safe Portable will help you. It's a password manager that lets you an no-one else access your data. It will be safe even if you lose your USB drive.

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

Computer Rental - A Competitive Market

noreply@blogger.com (cecep) — Fri, 08 May 2009 05:30:00 +0000

The quality of computer rental service varies from company to company, and I would say, from location to location. Computer rental service providers in Melbourne really matter when it comes to this kind of online service providing business.

Computer rental service providers offer rentals of different technologically advanced items such as notebooks, monitors, LCD projectors, scanners, printers, desktop computer units, audio visual products and many more. There are two kinds of rental provisions: (a) short term rental and (b) long term rental. The time span of rental depends on the clients on which suits them best. The mentioned rental provisions also vary in price, as much as every item to be rented. This kind of service providing venture works by providing computer or audio visual equipment to the people who are in need of the equipment, most of the time, for emergency reasons. The service, of course, is for a reasonable fee. Most of rental companies such as those located in Melbourne are operating online. This is because operating online is proven effective and a sales generating business strategy. Aside from exposing your business worldwide, you get more potential customers 24 hours per day and 7 days a week because a website never sleeps.

Most of the Melbourne computer rental companies have been operating for several years already despite the competitive market they are in. The mere fact that a company survives for several years is already an indication that such company must have served its clients very well. It is already a common thought that the longer the company exists, the more reputable and credible it is in terms of providing quality and customer-satisfying computer rental service.

There are a lot of business strategies to survive. Some gives incentives in different forms to attract more customers. Some also gives a little bit cheaper prices of rental items in which the difference matters in cents only. Big companies that offer computer rental services have fixed prices. However, small and medium ones offer negotiable prices. The final price would be the one that is agreed by two parties (the rental provider and the customer).

The companies of this kind usually get the equipment they have for rentals from dealers at a rate in wholesale. The rental services cover equipment customization, installation and dismantling, shipping to the item to the customers if in case they are from very far places. The shipping though may be done with extra charges to be paid by the customers.

Assistance in the operation of particular equipment is also provided by the computer rental company. They send out a person or a team to help the customer set everything up.

To recap the price issue, rental companies usually base the price of every equipment item according to its quality and length of time for that item to be rented. The payments can be done through checks or credit cards. Money order would also be accepted as a form of payment; but nowadays, this method of payment is already seldom.

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