Sunday, February 8, 2009

To Fix a Slow Running Computer, You Need the Right Tools

When people bring me their computers for repair, there is one problem that motivates them to bring it to my shop more than any other. It is the computer is running slow. Maybe the computer has other problems, but the running slowly part bothers them the most.
There are a few things that can happen to a computer to slow it down and I will talk about these things in this article. However, there is one problem that often goes overlooked when discussing things that need to be done to get a computer's speed back. We will not overlook this problem.
Spyware/Virus And Registry Cleaners
It is well documented what spyware and viruses can do to a computer's operation. It can slow it down and in extreme cases it can cause the computer to be unable to start up. Even worse, spyware can steal a person's identity! For these reason, most people have spyware/virus cleaners installed on their computers.
Another problem most people are aware of is registry corruption. Registry corruption is actually more of a problem with Windows XP and Vista than it was with older operating systems. The newer operating systems have a much larger hierarchy. This allows a little corruption to disrupt many more operations than it could on Windows 98, for instance.
In any event, registry corruption can make a PC unstable and cause it to become very slow. Only keeping the registry clean will prevent a computer from falling into a registry corruption malaise and using a good registry cleaner periodically is the only way to prevent this from happening.
What Else Could Go Wrong?
Still, there are times when I run into computers that have slowed down but aren't infested with any type of virus/spyware or registry corruption. This of course, means there is some other problem slowing down the computer and many times finding the cause of the slowdown is a formidable task!
A large percentage of the time, the problem I find in a case like this, will involve an outdated or unstable driver. Coming to this conclusion is one part of the job of repairing a computer with this type of problem. Finding a replacement for the questionable driver and then installing it is yet another task that needs to be completed.
The New Tool In Town
However, because of a very recent innovation, finding if a computer has a bad or outdated driver is not a difficult undertaking anymore! Now, there is an excellent new tool called a driver scanner that does 100% of the work for us! All we do is start it up and the driver scanner will find any bad or outdated driver we have and it will then upgrade it automatically for us.
The way I see it, driver scanners are worth their weight in gold because they easily do a job that was once very difficult and time consuming. Due to the expense of dealing with them, the fact there could have been outdated drivers in a PC used to be ignored unless these bad drivers were causing major harm.
So, it was common for a computer operator to have to put up with a few irregularities in his or her computer's performance indefinitely. Now that a good driver scanner can take care of the matter, we don't have to accept these irregularities anymore!
You've learned a lot in this article about getting a computer to run fast again. Now find out how to get free spyware/virus scans, free registry scans and even a free driver scan. All you have to do is visit this free site: Repair Slow Computer. Also, find how all the top registry cleaners rate against one another in the most up to date registry cleaner comparison chart on the net: Registry Cleaner Reviews.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Edward_Lathrop

DVD Duplicators For Data Transfer

The need for multiple data at same time makes it necessary that data need to be duplicated and multiple copies of the same data are circulated to meet the diversified needs. And if the quantity of data is large, then you need to have something that can store volumes of data and transfer it to the destination. Microboards Blu Ray duplicators are categorized amongst the prominent SATA driven DVD duplicators making the buzz in the market today. The duplicators are available in variety of capacities and have the efficiency to duplicate from few DVDs to thousands of DVD copies in just few minutes, from the master DVD. Microboards Blu Ray duplicators have high performance, and they record the media seamlessly with no loss in bits, and the data quality also remains intact.

There are models available in Blu Ray duplicators that feature world's most advanced functions in the form of DHP technology'. The technology creates equal space partition on the hard drive as that of master disc, and in this manner ensures maximum of HDD space. There is also integrated in the duplicators 'Master Error Proof technology' which allows the user to replace corrupted master disc and you will not be wasting your blank DVD. Another popular DVD duplicator is Tower DVD Duplicators manufactured by Blu Ray, LG etc. and which are widely used for commercial purposes. The DVD duplicators are ideally designed as tower systems that work well to duplicate most DVD formats including DVD+R, DVD-R and DVD+R Dual Layer. Tower DVD duplicators come in package of 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10 DVD layers and gives the user plenty of opportunity to mass duplicate the DVDs. The best part is that differentiates Tower DVD duplicators from a Standalone DVD duplicator is that you don't need a computer system to duplicate the DVD. And this also accounts for the reason why there is no need for the USB 2.0 device. Whether it is a Microboards Standalone DVD duplicator or a tower system, you are always assured against duplication session failure. There is high reliability and super duper speed to allow duplication of DVDs. The best part is that there will be no potential damage to DVDs.

Microboards is a symbol of trust and security. The duplicators manufactured by them are adaptable to work with or without computer, and across the platforms. Try one for your requirements and see the difference!

Caitlina Fuller is a freelance writer. Microboards Blu Ray duplicators are categorized amongst the prominent SATA driven DVD duplicators making the buzz in the market today. Another popular DVD duplicator is Tower DVD Duplicators manufactured by Blu Ray, LG etc. and which are widely used for commercial purposes.

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

Verifying IP for Hard Disk Drives

A leading manufacturer of hard disk drives for enterprise, desktop, mobile computing and consumer electronics applications uses blocks of intellectual property (IP) in its next-generation disk controller application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Some of these IP blocks are used in several different products, making it an imperative that designs be exhaustively verified under all possible operating conditions prior to release.

In the past, the manufacturers' ASIC designers relied on digital simulation as their primary means of verifying IP blocks. They also employed automatic constrained pseudo-random testbench generation to construct thousands of different combinations of commands and data packets. Early in the design of a new compute-intensive IP block, the design architects calculated that it would take approximately 500 CPU-years to simulate all the test cases necessary to test this particular design. With a six month design schedule, it was clear that simulation alone would not be adequate. That's when the designers decided to evaluate several hardware-assisted verification platforms. This proved to be the ideal solution for delivering a quality product within the tight design schedule. In this case, the hard disk drive manufacturer selected EVE's ZeBu-ZV platform.

The IP design presented unique verification challenges. The block had a 32-bit interface, over which commands and data were loaded into the block using a packet-based protocol. Once set up, it then processed the data for about four seconds of real time, after which it presented the results over the same 32-bit interface. At an operating speed of 150 MHz, four seconds represented 600,000,000 cycles. The design team needed to run several hundred thousand of these test cases to fully verify the design.

On this project, a digital simulator/testbench generator combination was used for initial verification runs to prove basic functionality, using about 50 tests per command. Once this verification methodology was generally functional, the designers switched to the combination of the hardware-assisted verification platform and testbench generator, which enabled them to run thousands of tests for each command.

To maximize performance, synthesizable transactors were used as the interface between the testbench code on the PC and the emulated IP block in the verification platform. Transactors performed the conversion from high-level commands and data packets to bit-level signals using the hardware-assisted verification platform. The SCE-MI standard from Accellera defined how the transactors were written. They consist of an application program interface (API) on the software side to exchange high-level packets or messages, and a synthesizable bus-functional model (BFM) or state machine mapped onto the hardware platform.

To further accelerate simulation, the design team took advantage of a property of this particular IP block: The only interaction between the testbench and the IP block occurred during the initial setup of the test and the downloading of results at the end of the run. In between these two interactions, the design executed a large number of cycles with no external communication. The designers exploited this by making the verification platform run in lock-step mode with the testbench generator only during these interactions, and switching to a 15MHz clock supplied by the verification platform in between these accesses. To implement this solution, they changed the main clock of the design to switch between two inputs: the clock coming from testbench generation and a clock generated by the verification platform's on-board clock generator.

Using this hybrid approach, the testbench generator produced each new command and data combination, and then transferred the packet through a C function-call to the verification platform transactors. The testbench generator then switched the verification tool to the fast clock and initiated the test. It was able to run the tests at 15 MHz, equivalent to 1/10 of real time. In 40 seconds, the test would finish and it would signal the testbench generator that it was ready to present the result.

Meanwhile, the testbench generator was computing the expected results in software, using the same algorithms implemented in the IP block. Once the hardware-assisted verification platform and the testbench generator completed their respective runs, they would compare their results and flag any differences that occurred as errors.

The design team was surprised that with the first exposure to the system it took them only two hours to get their IP block compiled into the verification platform and running correctly. With a few more weeks of effort, the team had implemented and debugged the transactor interface and had the system running at 15 MHz.

In the first few days, the designers identified 25-30 new bugs in the design, which had escaped detection using simulation without hardware-assistance. In the five weeks to follow, they ran the hardware-assisted verification platform 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, generating hundreds of thousands of additional test cases. Through these runs, they found four additional bugs that were obscure corner cases related to specific sequences of commands. These bugs would have surfaced during product testing, but would have necessitated ASIC respins at a cost of $500,000 or more.

The designers of this hard disk drive manufacturer plans to continue running additional test cases on their hardware-assisted verification platform 24x7 until the resource is needed for another project. Since it takes only one hour per week to kick off new jobs and check the results of the previous runs, there is little reason not to run the additional tests for added confidence. Their hardware-assisted verification platform has become the keystone of their design strategy.
Article Source:- http://www.edadesignline.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=192200261

Using WAN Boot From a Hard Disk on a System Running Solaris 9 and Above

Introduction

WAN boot is a "new" method for installing a machine running the Solaris Operating System from a Solaris JumpStart server over the network. WAN boot has a lot of enhancements compared to the "old" installation method via bootp and should be used for network installations if possible. (Note: WAN boot is only supported on machines with SPARC CPUs. You cannot use WAN boot on machines running the Solaris OS for x86 platforms.)

This article describes how to use WAN boot on machines that do not have WAN boot support in the OBP and cannot use a CD-ROM for WAN boot.

This method requires:

  • Access to the console of the machine
  • The Solaris OS running on the machine

Details

The only file that is necessary for WAN boot is /platform/`uname -i`/wanboot. Therefore, to get WAN boot from the disk to work, it is sufficient to copy the current version of the WAN boot binary from (for example) the Solaris Installation CD-ROM to the directory /platform/`uname -i` on one of the slices of any local hard disk of the machine.

The Steps

1. Configure the machine to install as a WAN boot client on your installation server.

2. Select one of the existing slices on one of the internal hard disks of the machine to install for the WAN boot binary. For example, this can be the existing boot slice or any other slice on the disk. You can also put the WAN boot binary on the disk on which you want to install the Solaris OS, because the disk is only used to read the WAN boot binary. After the WAN boot binary is read and executed, the disk is not used anymore for the boot process.

3. Make the selected slice bootable using installboot if the slice is not already bootable; that is:

installboot /usr/platform/`uname -i`/lib/fs/ufs/bootblk  /dev/rdsk/c2t1d0s0

If in doubt, issue the installboot command. (It won't hurt if the slice is already bootable.)

4. Halt the machine and issue the following boot command at the ok prompt:

ok> boot mydisk  -o prompt -F wanboot - install

Here mydisk is the disk device (either a device alias or the real device name). If you use a slice other than the default slice for the WAN boot binary, the command should look like this:

ok> boot disk1:b  -o prompt -F wanboot - install

Here disk1 is the device alias and the letter after the colon specifies the slice to boot from: a is slice 0, b is slice 1, c is slice 2, and so on.

5. After a short time, the normal WAN boot prompt should be printed and you can enter the necessary information for the WAN boot process and continue the WAN boot installation the normal way.

Example 1

Example 1 shows the machine output from step 4 in the preceding description. Note: Some output has been replaced with "x" characters.

{0} ok boot disk1  -o prompt -F wanboot - install
Resetting ...
RSC Alert: Host System has Reset
Probing system devices
Probing system devices


Sun Fire 280R (2 X UltraSPARC-III) , No Keyboard
Copyright 1998-2004 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.
OpenBoot 4.16.4, 4096 MB memory installed, Serial #xxxxxxxx.
Ethernet address x:x:x:x:x:x, Host ID: xxxxxxxx.



Rebooting with command: boot disk1 -o prompt -F wanboot - install
Boot device: /pci@8,600000/SUNW,qlc@4/fp@0,0/disk@1,0 File and args: -o
prompt -F wanboot - install

Example 2

Here is sample output from a session installing a machine via WAN boot from a disk. In this example, we use the swap slice as the temporary boot slice for the WAN boot process. Note: Some output has been replaced with "x" characters and edited for security reasons.

bash-3.00# uname -a
SunOS mysun 5.10 Generic_118833-17 sun4u sparc SUNW,Sun-Fire-280R

### first remove the swap slice

bash-3.00# swap -l
swapfile dev swaplo blocks free
/dev/dsk/c2t0d0s1 118,1 16 16779296 16739648

bash-3.00# swap -d /dev/dsk/c2t0d0s1
/dev/dsk/c2t0d0s1 was dump device --
invoking dumpadm(1M) -d swap to select new dump device
dumpadm: no swap devices are available

bash-3.00# swap -l
No swap devices configured

### remove the swap entry from the /etc/vfstab because otherwise newfs will fail

bash-3.00# cp /etc/vfstab /etc/vfstab.org

bash-3.00# grep -v swap /etc/vfstab.org > /etc/vfstab

bash-3.00# grep -v "^#" /etc/vfstab | grep -v "^$"
fd - /dev/fd fd - no -
/proc - /proc proc - no -
/dev/dsk/c2t0d0s0 /dev/rdsk/c2t0d0s0 / ufs 1 no -
/dev/dsk/c2t0d0s3 /dev/rdsk/c2t0d0s3 /usr ufs 1 no -
/dev/dsk/c2t0d0s4 /dev/rdsk/c2t0d0s4 /var ufs 1 no -
/devices - /devices devfs - no -
ctfs - /system/contract ctfs - no -
objfs - /system/object objfs - no -

### create a filesystem on the slice

bash-3.00# newfs /dev/rdsk/c2t0d0s1
newfs: construct a new file system /dev/rdsk/c2t0d0s1: (y/n)? y
Warning: 6096 sector(s) in last cylinder unallocated
/dev/rdsk/c2t0d0s1: 16779312 sectors in 2732 cylinders of 48 tracks, 128 sectors
8193.0MB in 171 cyl groups (16 c/g, 48.00MB/g, 5824 i/g)
super-block backups (for fsck -F ufs -o b=#) at:
32, 98464, 196896, 295328, 393760, 492192, 590624, 689056, 787488, 885920,
15831200, 15929632, 16028064, 16126496, 16224928, 16323360, 16421792,
16520224, 16618656, 16717088
bash-3.00#

### mount the slice

bash-3.00# mount /dev/dsk/c2t0d0s1 /tmp/mnt2

### mount the directory with the Solaris 10 boot image from the installation server

bash-3.00# mount installserver:/export/install /tmp/mnt1

### copy the necessary files for WAN boot to the slice on the local disk

bash-3.00# cd /tmp/mnt1/Solaris10_U2/Solaris_10/Tools/Boot/

bash-3.00# find . -name "wanboot" | cpio -pdumv /tmp/mnt2
/tmp/mnt2/usr/lib/inet/wanboot
/tmp/mnt2/platform/sun4u/wanboot
/tmp/mnt2/platform/sun4v/wanboot
/tmp/mnt2/platform/sun4us/wanboot
6384 blocks

bash-3.00# find /tmp/mnt2
/tmp/mnt2
/tmp/mnt2/lost+found
/tmp/mnt2/usr
/tmp/mnt2/usr/lib
/tmp/mnt2/usr/lib/inet
/tmp/mnt2/usr/lib/inet/wanboot
/tmp/mnt2/platform
/tmp/mnt2/platform/sun4u
/tmp/mnt2/platform/sun4u/wanboot
/tmp/mnt2/platform/sun4v
/tmp/mnt2/platform/sun4v/wanboot
/tmp/mnt2/platform/sun4us
/tmp/mnt2/platform/sun4us/wanboot

### make the slice bootable

bash-3.00# installboot /usr/platform/`uname -i`/lib/fs/ufs/bootblk /dev/rdsk/c2t0d0s1

### now start the WANBOOT

bash-3.00# reboot -- "disk:b -o prompt -F wanboot - install "
Jul 28 07:09:42 mysun reboot: rebooted by root
Jul 28 07:09:43 mysun syslogd: going down on signal 15
syncing file systems... done
rebooting...
Resetting ...
RSC Alert: Host System has Reset
Probing system devices
Probing system devices


Sun Fire 280R (2 X UltraSPARC-III) , No Keyboard
Copyright 1998-2004 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.
OpenBoot 4.16.4, 4096 MB memory installed, Serial #xxxxxxxx.
Ethernet address x:x:xx:x:xx:xx, Host ID: xxxxxxxx.



Rebooting with command: boot disk:b -o prompt -F wanboot - install
Boot device: /pci@8,600000/SUNW,qlc@4/fp@0,0/disk@0,0:b
File and args: -o prompt -F wanboot - install

If you have questions on this How-To, please contact Bernd Schemmer.


Article Source: http://www.sun.com/bigadmin/content/submitted/wanboot_from_disk.html

Sunday, February 1, 2009

How To Be Safe From Identity Theft

The advancements in technology have made possible the proliferation of crimes that used to be depicted in the movies only and which were very far from reality. However, there are existing crimes that are now spreading like wildfire because of the lack of security in using the Internet,
One such crime closely related to Internet use but which can also be committed in other ways is identity theft. Identity theft basically operates the same that the ordinary crime of theft does. The difference is that in identity theft, what is stolen is the identity of a person.

Identity is considered a crime because it is the act of assuming or using the identity of another person without his consent. Identity theft usually causes injury to the person whose identity has been stolen. It is usually committed for financial gain, blackmail or even espionage.

This crime has grown so widespread that the United States Congress has enacted the Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act to punish those found suing another person' identity without his consent. The criminal gets an additional two years in jail if he uses the stolen identity to perpetuate another crime. Another five years is added to the jail term if the crime is used to promote terrorism.

So how is identity theft done? Identity thieves are one of the most creative people in this planet and they will do anything to get information about the people whose identity they are planning to steal. This includes rummaging through the target victim's garbage to sift important information about the person's identity which they can use in perpetuating the crime.

Some identity thieves use computers and sophisticated programs like spyware to get financial information about their target victims. Hacking another person's computer is a method often used by identity thieves to commit the crime.

The proliferation of Identity theft can be blamed on the ease with which financial transactions can now be made. Credit card companies readily approve applications without even physically dealing with the applicants. These companies approve the applications based on documents that the applicants send by snail mail or online and the companies send the approved cards by mail.
Revealing financial information through the telephone can also be a magnet for identity thieves. These criminals have access to high technology gadgets and they can eavesdrop on telephone conversations. Sending information through the Bluetooth technology can also be easily intercepted by identity thieves.

Everyone is in danger and any person's identity can be stolen. Thus, a person should be careful in revealing financial information especially if such information is being asked for no reason at all.
To avoid being victimized by identity thieves, a person should consider the following safety measures:

1. Always be careful in sending and receiving financial information through snail mail because mails can easily be intercepted by thieves.

2. Never throw important financial and other information in the garbage without shredding them first. Identity thieves can masquerade as garbage collectors and sift through a mountain of financial information about the prospective victim.

3. Never reveal financial information over the phone. Anybody can call someone on the telephone and pretend to be a bank officer. When such information has to be given to any office, it is better to visit the office and personally hand in the information to the right person.

4. Always inspect bank transactions and look for any irregular payments or withdrawals.

5. In the same manner, always check credit card bills and cross check with purchases and other credits to make sure that the charges are correct and not made by another person.

When it comes to identity theft, no one is really safe and the best thing to do is to be careful and wary of revealing any financial information. It is best to incur a little delay by verifying the identities of people asking for financial information rather than to suffer financial distress later on.

Remember that identity thieves are very creative and they can get any information they want. They can even be getting a person's financial information this very moment while the target is using his computer. With all the convenience of technology, any person can be a victim of identity theft.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://identitytheft.pagechic.com where you can learn more about how to protect yourself from identity theft.

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

Latest Applications For 3G iPhone

I am sure that you know enough about revolutionary mobile phone as iPhone. Apple iPhone is getting more and more popular among moblie phone users. There are lot of applications which are specially launched for iPhone. According to a conference held recently iPhone is launching lots of applications world wide. There was lot of talk about SDK applications. SDK applications are native apps which are born out of the iPhone "software`s developer kit". SDK will be available in the market in coming summer this month. In coming future adobe flash player can also be played on the iPhone. This will enhance the experience of mobile internet.

There are lots of application which are being designed for iPhone. In this article you can read about top 5 web applications which will enhance your mobile experience.

Have you heard about a social bookmaking website known as Digg. With the help of a web application known as iPhonedigg you can easily view the top articles in a specific category with their digg counts.

The second application about which we will be talking is related to instant messengers. The application is known as JiveTalk which helps you to connect through all the major IM networks all over the internet. With the help of this application you can easily arrange all your contacts in an easy to use interface.

The next web application is known as David Cann`s Google Reader. This a Rss Reader for mobile phone. With the help of this application you can easily read your subscribed phone on your iPhone.

I have also gone through an application which can compare the gas prices in your area. This application can be easily used with google maps.

The next application is ipling. ipling is a social network which helps iPhone users to make new friends all over the network.

There are many sources which allow you to download appliactions to your phone. You should always look for official or reputed websites which have permission to distribute applications for the phone you are using. You should never use the hacking softwares available all over the internet. These hacking softwares can be harmful for your phone. Mostly the applications are provide free of cost by official websites. But you can also find some websites which are sell applications and softwares at reasonable rates.

There are many things which should be kept in mind while downloading applications for an iPhone. There are many websites and blogs which review latest applications. It is a good idea to read the review about the application you are downloading. You should also check the authenticity of the application before downloading it. It is a good idea to spend some time with a professional before you download mobile phone related stuff online.

There are several websites which are offering popular applications and downloads all over the internet. Your job is to choose the best one among them. You can easily find a good website by following some tips which are stated in this article.

If you really want to know more about Latest SDK applications then feel free to visit iphone Applications.

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

WANS, LANS, WLANS and now WPANS (Wireless Personal Area Networks)

I know you know what a LAN (Local Area network) is and a WLAN (Wireless Local Area network) but do you know what a WPAN is…..?

A WPAN is a personal area network which uses Bluetooth technology to connect everything from cell phones and ear pieces to key boards and desktops.

When most people think of wireless they will think about Wifi hot spots or wireless routers. Bluetooth acts like wireless wire connecting components over ashort distant.

One of the biggest booms of Bluetooth technology is Bluetooth enabled phones that give you the ability to connect to your computer wirelessly or to your Bluetooth ear piece in you car. Other quick examples of Bluetooth networking is wireless keyboards and mice.

Bluetooth travels at 1mbps and has a max distance of about 5-10 meters. 1mbps does not seem very fast but it is three times faster that a serial port.

WPAN’s (Wireless Personal area networks) are all around you and they will become more and more common. Desktop computers with Bluetooth enabled keyboards and mice combined with a cell phone that syncs your data.

A new use of PAN’s is in the hospital industry where Bluetooth technology is helping doctors monitor patients. Bluetooth gives the hospital staff more freedom to treat a patient when not having to trip on or untangle wires.

Because blue tooth enabled devices can communicate with each other life saving equipment will be able to more effectively monitor changes in a patients condition.

The military is also experimenting with Bluetooth devices and PAN networking in creating smart suits for the battle field. A soldier armed with a blue tooth enabled SAT Phone, Bluetooth head set and Bluetooth laptop, can communicate with anyone in the world. The most important thing is that the soldier won’t have a million wires to connect and get in his way during battle.

As Bluetooth technology gains popularity the issue of security will have to be addressed. Virus writers have already made cell phone proof of concept viruses and have actually infected a few phones.

Bluetooth does have many built in features which help protect a user from being hacked. First is distance, unlike WI-FI Bluetooth travel only at most 10 meters. Next, Bluetooth uses frequency hopping and 128 encryption can be enabled. Other features of Bluetooth are built in PIN numbers to verify who they are communicating with and block other devices from connecting. More and more devices will become Bluetooth enabled such and your car radios and home appliances. Bluetooth enabled cars and appliances will be able to connect to your home network or cell phone and notify you when they need repairs or to give you status updates.

Check out the lowest price usb wireless networking devices on the internet http://www.wirelessninja.com/USB_Networking.htm Simple and secure wireless networking news in the name of the game at http://www.wirelessninja.com

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

Top 6 Tips on Using Bluetooth Enabled Printers


Wireless connectivity just got a whole new meaning with the advent of Bluetooth technology. It enables you to achieve hassle-free mobility and so doesn’t restrict you geographically. Best of all, you don’t need to worry about printing issues – no matter where you are.
Tips on printing using Bluetooth

Using a Bluetooth adapter can convert any printer into a Bluetooth enabled one. However while using any Bluetooth enabled printers, it is important to know a few basics. In this section we elaborate on these.

1. Limited range: With Bluetooth enabled printers, you’ll find that range is an issue. The range of distance within which printing is possible is from about 30 to 330 feet. This of course would depend on the hardware configuration. The higher the range the more the power needed, which could drain out your battery in the long run.

2. Printing from the mobile: There are times when you just have to print that gorgeous picture or that document from your hand-held PDA to a Bluetooth enabled printer. In such cases, what you need to do is: search for your Bluetooth enabled printer on your mobile phone. You might find it in the option called BT (Bluetooth) Discovery. On clicking this, it will show all the available Bluetooth devices. Then you can select the printer and hit on “Print”. However be careful, as the Discovery stage makes your phone or handheld device accessible to anyone and everyone within your vicinity. Therefore it can be susceptible to hacking. Be sure to switch off the Bluetooth mode once you’re done printing.

3. USB ports: Some printers have what is called the Pictbridge USB port which is compatible with any Bluetooth adapter. This makes printing from any Bluetooth device easier. Pictbridge is a hardware interface technology that enables your printer to access and print images and files from your mobile or PDA. To perform Pictbridge printing you need to:

a. Connect the USB device

b. Wait till both the devices recognize each other

c. Select from the menu that appears, the set of images or files you want printed

d. The menu also offers options to change the size, layout and resolution of the images

e. Select ‘Print’

4. Hacking: Make sure you avoid setting your Bluetooth enabled device to a ‘discoverable mode’. This makes it possible for your IP address to be known by any person with malicious intent. Often such attacks are directed at mobile phones, PDAs and computers. Hackers usually connect to your PDA or mobile by using fictitious names that are familiar to you. Therefore if you connect even once to their device, chances are, the hackers can keep connecting to your device and use it for malicious purposes – like sending a virus, crashing your operating system or even deleting important files.

5. Enable encryption: For security reasons, it’s best to always enable encryption for any Bluetooth transfer that you may make. In order to enable encryption in any Bluetooth enabled device, you need to use the Bluetooth connection Wizard (usually present on Windows XP operating systems).

6. Keep firmware updated: It is also essential to ensure speed and agility in your mobile phone while printing through your wireless printers. To do this, ensure your mobile phone’s firmware is always kept updated.

This Article is written by James Kara Murat from PrintCountry.com, the contributor of PrintCountry Printer Ink Saving Tips. A longer version of this article is located at Top 6 Tips on Using Buletooth Enabled Printers, and some related resources can be found at PrintCountry Articles such as History of Epson Printers.

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

Using a Mobile Phone As a Modem For Accessing the Internet

What features and functionality should you understand in order to fully take advantage of accessing the internet via a mobile phone? Although this can appear complicated and involved ... a little information goes a long way to "keep it simple".
For the sake of discussion .... let's say you have a mobile handset with the following specifications:
Networks...
2G Network-GSM 900/1800/1900
3G Network-UMTS 2100
Data...
GPRS- Clause 10(4+1/3+2 slots),32-48 Kbps
3G-384 Kbps
You have configured the software application given with the phone on your laptop .... and once you connect the phone to the laptop using the USB connection you can access Internet. The settings used in the software application includes "call type=GPRS". The connection speed (downlink) is around 375 Kbps when checked through a freely available tool on the Internet .... and the phone's modem speed is shown as 460.8 Kbps all the time( on the network connection). Since your speed is less than 384 Kbps (3G speed is given as the phone's spec), you're likely using 3G. Since GPRS is also supported, when the 3G coverage is not available, you're probably able switch to GSM/GPRS.
Your service provider says they support EDGE,GPRS,3G and HSDPA/HSUPA.
Here's some questions you may ask .....
* What are the theoretical maximum speeds of EDGE,GPRS, 3G?
* What is actually meant by 3G here?
* What is the underlaying technology used by my phone?
* Which method is better to connect the phone to the laptop; Bluetooth or USB?
* Your phone spec says Bluetooth v1.2 and USB2.0 and you've heard that USB2.0 (480Mbps) is faster than Blootooth v1.2 (1 Mbps). Is this correct? Will it make any difference, since your connection from phone to the Internet is 375 Kbps?
Here's some feedback to help you work through such a scenario .... and the associated questions above:
For sure, the speed with USB 2.0 should be much better than that through Bluetooth (of any class).
3G is a network technology that should offer some extended data services in addition to the regular GSM features. However, I would recommend that you check with your service providers since they should have the exact specifications that you asked for.
Theoretical speeds for EDGE are up to 10 times those of GPRS. But again, since these depend on network configuration you need to check with the service provider.
Since your speed is less than 1 mb/s, frankly, it doesn't matter if you use bluetooth or USB - the speeds cited are correct. I would use what is most convenient for you.
In any case, the edge/hsdpa connection speeds are still slower than either Bluetooth or USB, so they will not bottleneck your speed. So as long as your battery isn't about to run out, you can connect however you choose to.
3G HSUPA is Third Generation High-Speed Uplink Packet Access - a 3G mobile telephony protocol, which offers increased data transfer speeds and capacity of up to 3.6 Mbps on the downlink and up to 1 Mbps on the uplink, under ideal conditions.
3G HSDPA 3.6 is a 3G High-Speed Downlink Packet Access mobile telephony protocol, which offers increased data transfer speeds and capacity of up to 3.6 Mbps on the downlink and up to 348Kbps on the uplink, under ideal conditions.
3G - Third Generation High-Speed Downlink Packet Access - offers increased data transfer speeds and ables customers to access the Internet and email from their cellphones.capacity of up to 1.8 Mbps on the downlink and up to 348Kbps on the uplink
EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) or EGPRS provides data transfer rates significantly faster than GPRS or HSCSD. EDGE increases the speed of each timeslot to 48 kbps and allows the use of up to 8 timeslots, giving a maximum data transfer rate of 384 kbps.
HSCSD (High Speed Circuit Switched Data) enables data to be transferred more rapidly than the standard GSM (Circuit Switched Data) system by using multiple channels. The maximum number of timeslots that can be used is four, giving a maximum data transfer rate of 57.6 kbps (or 38.4 kbps on a GSM 900 network). HSCSD is more expensive to use than GPRS, because all four slots are used simultaneously - it does not transmit data in packets. Because of this, HSCSD is not as popular as GPRS and is being replaced by EDGE.
GPRS - General Packet Radio Service is a mobile data service available to customers with GSM cellphones. With a GPRS connection, the phone is "always on" and can transfer data immediately, and at higher speeds: typically 32 - 48 kbps. An additional benefit is that data can be transferred at the same time as making a voice call.
I would recommend using USB as it is faster then Bluetooth. You will not have a bottleneck created by the bluetooth link.
Regarding the underlying technology ...
When you phone is connected to a 3G network it will be using W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) W-CDMA is the higher speed transmission protocol as used in the UMTS system, it is a third generation follow-on to the 2G GSM networks deployed worldwide.
When you phone is on 2G GSM it is using a form of TDMA (time division multiple access).
Again .... the main message is this: Wherever possible, simplify and make it convenient for you!
Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications....including DS3-Bandwidth.com. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you're always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, insights, and ramblings for the masses.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Lemm

Samsung F300 - The Power of Two

Being two-faced might not be a popular trait, but the launch of Samsung F300 seems to change it all. The handset is an interesting new take on the convergence of a mobile phone and portable music player. While one face (side) of Samsung F300 looks and acts just like a standard phone, the other side is modelled on the lines of the iPod Nano. And all this comes in a good attractive package, to make the Samsung F300 a perfect blend of form and functionalities.


Despite the addition of two screens on either side, the Samsung F300 comes in a slim frame. The edges are round and smooth, and extends a nice feel when held in hands. Also, due to its compact size, single-handed operation becomes quite easy. The phone side of the Samsung F300 features a small keypad and an even smaller screen. But thankfully the keypad is not to cramped, so fast typing is not affected.


But what poses a problem is the small screen. This screen can only show three lines of texts at a time. So, while this satisfies the users for basic functions like SMS reading etc, other things like web browsing, pictures and videos viewing, suffers. The only resort here is that the users then need to flip to the music side of the phone, featuring a comparatively larger screen.


On the music side of the phone, one can access a lot. This includes camera, photos and videos, FM radio, web browser and voice recorder. The main Menu is made of multiple sub-menu, and the navigation is kept hassle free. There are also touch sensitive keys that are highly responsive.
Pictures, music and videos can be transferred between a PC and the phone, through USB. When working on USB, the phone can actually operate in two modes – media transfer mode and PC studio mode. While in the former, one can use Windows Media Player to sync tracks, including music from subscription services such as Napster; in the latter, one can take advantage of the easy-to-use PC software to edit the phone's calendar, transfer videos, manage SMS folders etc.
The Samsung F300 is a tri-band mobile, offering GPRS and EDGE. The talk time is restricted to 2 hours, but if one chooses to use the handset as a music player instead, it will offer a running time of 11 hours.


A nice innovation by Samsung indeed, seems like the Samsung F300 is all set to create ripples.
Samsung F300 Alice Erin is associated with internet marketing. He has written several articles related to Mobile Phones Latest Mobile Phones.

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

Connecting Your Mobile Phone To Your PC

There are many benefits to connecting your phone to your PC. Thanks to the two technologies being merged now, you can enjoy more ease by using your mobile with your PC.
In this article, you will find:
Benefits of Connecting Your Mobile Phone To Your PC
Ways of Connecting Your Mobile Phone To Your PC
What You Need To Be Able To Connect Your Mobile Phone To Your PC
Benefits of Connecting Your Phone To Your PC
By connecting your PC and mobile phone together, you gain access to simplifying life. Your mobile may be too small to allow you to write a long text with ease, but connecting your PC and your cell phone, allow you to write your text with your PC's keyboard! This is not the only benefit, in fact more and more benefits are being found now.
You can transfer play lists between phone and PC. You can backup your pictures and video. You can use your phone as a gateway for internet access, if you find there is no connectivity on the home phone line. You can even control your PC with your phone, and use your mobile phone as a top end web cam! All these obviously depend on what your phone and the software capabilities are.
* Ways of Connecting Your Mobile Phone To Your PC
You have several options of how you can connect your PC to your cell phone. Again all of the connection options depend on your phones capabilities.
Most phones allow you to connect via infrared to your PC. However, connecting with infrared to your computer does have drawbacks. You may need to buy extra equipment to be able to connect your mobile phone to your PC with infrared. Also the transfer speeds a very slow compared with many connecting technologies available on phones today. Infrared connectivity also does have its limitations. For example, you can not use your mobile as a web cam, as the speeds of infrared are too slow.
Bluetooth is a faster technology than infrared. There are many advantages to Bluetooth that make it a good way to connect your cell phone to your computer. The first is that of the speed, next is the ease with which you can connect to your PC and start transferring files. The downside is that not all computers come equipped with Bluetooth connectivity. So, you may need to buy a device for your computer that enables Bluetooth on your PC. They are easy to find and the cost is very low, in most cases.
The de-facto choice of the person who wants connectivity with ease and offer many other benefits is via USB connectivity. All new computers come with USB, and most new phones offer USB connectivity, which is a match made in heaven! You can simply get a phone, which in most cases comes with the software to start using your PC with your mobile phone. You also get a USB cable with your phone, so from the get go, you can start connecting! Some phones may not have this option however. I have found many of the Sony Ericsson range of phones and other brands do give you all you need to start connecting your mobile phone to your PC.
* What You Need To Be Able To Connect Your Mobile Phone To Your PC
In the case of a USB enabled mobile phone, and a fairly new computer with USB available, connecting your PC and phone should be an easy task. The first thing you need is the phone, the USB cable, the software and a PC with USB enabled functionality.
After you install the software, connect the cables and set the phone up, you are ready to start using the benefits of mobile and PC connectivity! Now when your phone needs charging and you can not find the charger, you can charge your phone up, thanks to your PC and USB!
Trying to source Sony products? Find the best in Sony at the best prices, and the information you need to get the best products. You resource to find Sony Erricson Phones, Sony Viao laptops, and Sony Canada for Canadian visitors.

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

Deciding On A VOIP USB Phone

01. The advent of the Internet made communicating with the rest of the world extremely easy. Instead of having to pay through the nose for a long distance phone call that lasts five minutes, an individual could simply type out an email message and send it to his or her friend's inbox in an instant. However, that technology has now gone one step further. You can now make actual voice calls over the Internet using a USB phone or headset. VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol and is one of the newer mediums of communication that involves opening a connection and dialling another user in order to have a conversation. It has revolutionized the way in which we communicate today and has made life easier for many businesses.

02. In terms of being able to make calls, you only need four pieces of equipment to get starter - a computer, software, the capability to connect to the Internet and a USB headset or phone. The latter is very important if you want to be able to talk to people on the other end! The majority of new computer operating systems have the ability to accept USB connectivity, thus making the USB device the device of choice.

03. A USB handset seems to be the choice of many a user for a number of reasons, including the following:

04. They are relatively cheap - USB headsets and headsets can be relatively expensive when it comes to purchasing a way and means of talking over the Internet. They are extremely fashionable and extremely desirable for business owners because they promote efficiency. As a result, USB phones happen to be a lot cheaper. They can be purchased for next to nothing in various stores. They do not have the operating system attached to the phone like a landline does, and that is what pushes up the overall cost. A USB phone therefore is less in terms of cost but you can get just as much out of it!

05. Tried and tested method of calling - Everyone knows how to use a phone. It is not difficult because the mechanism on every single phone is roughly the same. Sure, they have different features and can take a little figuring out as a result, but they are all basically the same. This makes the transition that little bit easier.

06. Ease of connection and use - With a phone, you just plug it in to the computer's USB drive, place the appropriate installation disk into the disk drive, follow the instructions and away you go! It really is that simple. If problems do occur, they can usually be solved b reading the troubleshooting section of the manual.

07. Personal comfort - The majority of people prefer to have a phone than a headset at their disposal. As we actively rebel against change, the phone is the best option because it will make the process of Internet calling much simpler an easier to get used to as a result of the familiarity.

08. VOIP is definitely the new trend in terms of easy communication and the USB phone definitely has its advantages and benefits, but how do you decide between those available for purchase on the market? If USB phones are associated with all of the benefits above then surely the brand and model you choose cannot make that much difference to you calling experience? Believe it or not, they can!

09. There are a number of things that separate the individual USB phones from each other and make it that little bit easier to choose between them, including:

10. The features - As with every technological innovation, some phones are better than others in terms of features. Some have the same functionality and capabilities as more advances telephones in that they have inbuilt volume controls, mute functionality, address book and so on. However, the majority of them do not have features quite this advanced yet and are simple to operate. Your choice would depend on how comfortable you are using a more complex USB phone. Consumer reviews may help you to decide what you do need and what you do not need, as well as how much you are willing to give up in terms of convenience and ease of use for features.

11. The system requirements - Some USB phones have certain system requirements. The general rule is that older systems cannot sustain the new phone systems, but newer computer packages should give you access to the whole range.

12. Visual appeal - Of course, the visual appeal of a VOIP phone always plays a part! If you like the look of a phone then you will be more likely to use it! As a race, humans are shallow so of course this will affect your choice.

13. Pricing - Some USB phones are much more expensive than others. This may play a part in your decision if you happen to be on a tight budget. Always compare pricing before you choose your phone because the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive is vast!

14. Deciding on a USB phone may not be easy but making the right decision can make the difference between enjoying the experience and truly hating it. Of course, this could then be the difference between using VOIP and returning to your regular landline connection!

Dola Raheem is the author of several articles on Communication, Technology, and Voip Phone System Check out his website at http://www.jmdcomputer.blogspot.com

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

Monday, January 26, 2009

3 + 1 things to check before buying a second hand PC

If you’re planning to buy a new Second hand PC for you or for someone you know. Be careful many dismay buyers with their words which aren’t true. here are a few must check before buying the Second hand PC to ensure that you don’t buy an outdated PC and also to make sure that they are in good condition for long.
1. First and foremost check whether the computer is in working condition.
2.Ask the dealer or the one from whom you are buying, for proper purchase details and a valid bill to ensure that you are not going to buy a smuggled or a stolen PC.
3. Make sure you collect all the essential Drivers and Operating System CD or DVD for later use. You might need them to Re-install if a problem arises.
4.Check Whether the PC you’re buying can cope with the latest software available today and also check whether the peripherals are available in the market and they are compatible with your PC.

Please do not buy a second hand product online, as it may not be accurate as they proclaim it to be. Try buying from a local dealer or the person you know. Hope you enjoyed this post. Thanks for spending your valuable time here. If you have something to say, please do comment below.
Article Source:- http://www.pixobyte.com/how-totutorials/3-1-things-to-check-before-buying-a-second-hand-pc/

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Open Blocked Websites....

Steps are described as follows :-

1. Go to Google

2.Type transparent free proxy address free

3.Click on the transparent proxy fresh transparent proxy list

4.Look for a proxy address with port 8080

5.Now go to tools menu of internet explorer

6.Go to internet options

7.connections tab

8.click Activate use a proxy server for ur LAN options

9.Put that number that you found in the website with 8080 port and hit Ok

10.Again Ok Now open any websites. ...........Enjoy Moments of Life Make it Large


Article Source:- http://www.tricksystem.com/search/label/Internet%20Tricks

Essential Web Development Tools

Developing a successful web site takes a great deal of planning and preparation. An important part of your preparation is obtaining the essential tools of the trade.

HTML Editors

An HTML editor is a software program used to create and edit HTML documents.

Although some Internet marketers prefer to write their own HTML code, most prefer to use an HTML editor, as it can greatly simplify a somewhat difficult process. However, using an HTML editor has its disadvantages, as some editors have a tendency to add a lot of unnecessary coding and may not support the latest technologies.

Whether you will be writing your own HTML or using an editor, taking the time to learn HTML is very important. Not only will you gain your independence, but you'll also have the ability to add special effects that many HTML editors don't support.

Here are some popular HTML editors:

Macromedia Dreamweaver
http://www.macromedia.com/software/dreamweaver/
A popular WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) HTML editor. Great for beginners and advanced users alike.

Coffee Cup
http://www.coffeecup.com/html-editor/
A popular HTML editor that's great for beginners as well as advanced users. Includes a built in browser that will enable you to instantly preview your HTML as you go.

Hot Dog Professional
http://sausage.com/products/index.html
Three HTML editors, including HotDog Junior for children, PageWiz for the novice user and Professional for advanced and budding webmasters.

Text Editors

A text editor is a software program used for editing plain text that doesn't add any special formatting.

If you're considering writing your own HTML code, you'll need a good text editor. Although it will certainly be more time consuming, your code will be much cleaner and can reduce your file size considerably.

In addition to using a text editor to write HTML, it can also be used to edit scripts and write articles.

If you have a Windows operating system, Note Pad is the preferred text editor. It should already be installed on your computer.

Although Note Pad is a great little text editor, it can't handle large files and is much better suited for smaller jobs. You may find that you'd like an editor that is more powerful, such as:

NoteTab Pro http://www.notetab.com/
TextPad http://www.textpad.com/

FTP

File Transfer Protocol, better known as FTP, is a procedure used to upload and download files to and from your web server.

Although many HTML editors will enable you to edit and transfer pages to your server, an FTP program is still an essential tool, as you must have complete control over the files on your server.

An FTP program will enable you to upload scripts, set file permissions, create folders and transfer files to and from your server.

In order to use FTP, you'll need to download and install a software program on your computer. The most widely used FTP program is WS FTP Pro http://www.wsftp.com/

Graphics Editor

A graphics editor is a software program that will enable you to design and edit graphics.

Graphic design is an intimidating subject for many Internet entrepreneurs. However, most of us must learn some basic design techniques in order to avoid the high costs of hiring a professional designer.

The most popular program used by Internet marketers is Paint Shop Pro. This powerful program is the only program you'll need to design professional looking graphics.
http://www.jasc.com/

Zip/Unzip Software

A Zip file is an "archive" of one or more files compressed into one file for easy distribution.

Zip files are used to compress and transport file archives over the Internet. It is the preferred method used for electronic file distribution, as rather than downloading several different files, you can simply download one Zip file. In addition, the download time will be minimized, as the files within the Zip archive are compressed.

Once a Zip file is downloaded, it can be easily opened and extracted (unzipped) with a Zip/Unzip software program.

Although there are many Zip software programs available on the Internet, WinZip is the most popular. WinZip makes working with file archives simple. It features an easy point-and-click, drag-and-drop interface for viewing, extracting, adding, deleting and testing archived files.

You can download a fully functional evaluation version here:
http://www.winzip.com/download.htm

Email

Although most Internet Service Providers include email accounts for their customers, these accounts aren't adequate for an Internet business -- especially if you get a large amount of email. Not only do the email addresses contain your ISP's name, but they are also very limited on features and options.

The two most popular email clients used online are Outlook and Eudora. These programs will enable you to download email from your server and offer features, such as sorting and
filtering, and will enable you to easily organize your email messages. What's more, your email address will be your own domain -- not someone else's.

Eudora
http://www.eudora.com/
Outlook
http://www.microsoft.com/

Your webmaster toolbox will play an important part in your success. Take the time to ensure your toolbox contains these essential tools and you'll be well on your way to designing a professional web site.

Article Source:- http://www.tricksystem.com/search/label/Internet%20Tricks

 
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