Thursday, May 27, 2010

Choosing The mp3 Player That Suits You

If you've been looking around for an mp3 player, chances are you're very confused with all the different specifications and the vast array of models out there. You've read that you can get your entire music collection on to one mp3 player and that's true - but not every mp3 player. You have also been told that you can throw them around, go jogging with them, climb a mountain with one and all this is true - but again, not every mp3 player will withstand this treatment.

Basically, if you want to get physical with your mp3 player then you need one with no moving parts. In this case, the iPod is not what you want. You would be looking for a machine which saves it's music to memory. Some of the most popular mp3 players which fall into this category are in the Creative MuVo range.

There are basically three types of mp3 player. Hard drive based, memory based and mp3 CD player based. The hard drive mp3 players allow you to store thousands of tunes whilst the memory based version sacrifices music volume for freedom of movement. You can even get waterproof mp3 players! The mp3 CD players read the mp3 music from a CD which you have pre-burned.

So now you have enough information to know what type of mp3 player you should be looking for. Now what about capacity? How much music can you get on the various players out there? Let's take a look ....

If you want your music to sound good you want to be using at least CD quality mp3s. One minute of CD quality mp3 takes up around 1Mb. The memory based mp3 players have a top limit of around 500Mb meaning you can get roughly 120 average length tunes on there. But the top end hard drive versions go up to as much as 60Gb which is a whole lot of music - an anorak's dream :)

Another consideration is battery life. The hard drive mp3 players plough through the batteries at a rate of knots since the disk has to physically turn. The memory based option uses a lot less battery power. Many of the memory based mp3 players use the AAA size battery which is very convenient since you don't need a re-charger and you don't need to search for hard to find battery types. You'll find that most hard drive versions use lithium-ion rechargeable batteries and if you use your mp3 player a lot, your re-charger will be in regular use. Many people simply leave the power lead plugged in when they are at home.

An important factor in your decision should be the size of the unit. If you want to use your player at the gym or while you're out jogging then you'll want the smallest player possible. There are some really tiny models on the market these days. You will usually have to sacrifice some storage with a very small mp3 players but you can usually get enough music on there to have a good long workout.

If you want to use your mp3 player more at home then size will not be such a great consideration. The iPod is still a very compact unit and most people will be able to fit their entire collection on there. Of course the iPod is not your only option and there are many excellent manufacturers out there. Just be careful of some of the cheap imports you see on ebay, often there is no support for these players.

As a replacement for the home hi fi system, the mp3 player is becoming more and more popular. High fidelity purists obviously will never be swayed but to most of us the quality of the mp3 is perfectly adequate for our everyday listening purposes.

In fact many modern players coming on to the market have been designed with both portability and versatility in mind. What better way to entertain your dinner party guests than to have your mp3 player randomly selecting music from over ten thousand of your favourite tracks? No more fumbling around in your CD rack trying to find the disk that lost its cover ;)

Now you know what to look for, go get yourself a player and join the digital music revolution.

Article Source : http://www.networkliquidators.com/article-choosing-the-mp3-player-that-suits-you.asp

How to Remove Virus without Antivirus

irus attack is a universal problem faced by millions of PC users around the world. If you find your system infected with virus, it is highly recommended to call in antivirus support experts to delete it as trying to do it on your own can prove harmful to your pc. Usually, people use antivirus software programs available in the market to control and remove virus from their computers, but most of them may not be safe.

Is it possible to remove virus without antivirus?

Did you know that it is possible to remove virus without using any antivirus software? If you want to know how to remove virus from your computer without using an antivirus, here are a few simple steps to follow:

Steps to remove virus from computer -

1. Go to the "Start" menu and to the "Run" command.

2. In the text box, input the “cmd” command.

3. In the DOS window, you will see a command prompt. Input the Command Prompt to shift it to the infected drive. This can be done by typing the drive letter and a colon. After typing in “attrib-s=h*_*/s/d”, wait for the prompt to read the right drive before pressing “Enter”.

4. Input "dir" command to make the content directory of the drive appear. Here, you can identify suspicious looking .exe files. Files that are accompanied by .dll or .inf are dangerous files.

5. Go to files that activate virus and are attached to the .exe file and rename them. This can be done by typing “Rename” followed by the name of the file and any other name you choose. This way, without activating the virus, you can access the drive anytime you want to.

6. The next step is to find the drive folder that contains all files infected with the virus. You can find this folder in the “Program Files”. After deleting the infected files, it is now time to completely eliminate them from the Recycle Bin.

7. Input "regedit" in the Run Window to open the registry editor. Folders that are named “HKEY” are the registry keys of the virus. You can find them within the folders and must delete all keys associated with the virus. After removing all the virus and related registry keys, you must reboot your computer.

8. Remember to create a backup of your registry and use an external hard drive or disk to save your important data before registry editing. If, by mistake, you delete any wrong key, it may cause serious harm to your pc.

If you face any problem in removing virus from your computer, you must entrust the job to a professional, who specializes in antivirus support. This can be done with the help of the Command Prompt in your computer. Remember that certain files may have to be altered before deleting them so choosing an expert pc repair company to handle this job is the safest option.

Article Source : http://www.1888articles.com/how-to-remove-virus-without-antivirus-0109810.html

What's Linux

Linux is a freely available clone of the UNIX operating system. But that doesn't tell you much, does it? So instead I'll list a bunch of stuff about Linux and explain what they mean.

Linux is Free

I'll come back to this feature later, but for now think "free beer." Linux is 100% free. It is not shareware. It won't cost you a dime. You can borrow a copy from a friend and use it for free, legally. Or you can buy a CD-ROM for yourself. It's still free, you're just paying for the CD-ROM and maybe some other stuff. The cheapest CD-ROM I've seen is $1.89 ordered online. You can also buy Linux boxed up with a nice manual and user support for about fifty dollars. Of course, you could download Linux off of the internet for nothing, but that would take hours and your time is much more valuable than that. My favorite source of Linux CD's is the LinuxMall.

Linux is Ready to Run

When you buy most operating systems, you don't get much. Maybe a cheesy little editor and paint program, with a few games and diversions thrown in. But you can't really do anything with it until you buy a whole bunch of other stuff. Linux, on the other hand, gives you everything you need, and most of what you want. You get a wide selection of editors, paint programs, web browsers, games, office applications, networking applications, compilers, video stuff, audio stuff, and every other kind of stuff.

Linux is Easy to Install
I'll bet there's a lot of people choking on their coffee after they reading this! The common myth is that Linux is hard to install. I'm here to erase that rumour. It's just as easy, or easier, to install than Windows. You can install some distributions of Linux with just two or three presses of the the return key. If you have problems, see if there's a Linux User's Group (LUG) in your area. LUG's like to hold monthly "install fests" where they help new users get Linux up and running.

Linux is Multitasking

Linux can do more than one thing at a time. A few years ago this would have been considered amazing. But today it's old hat. Even Windows can do it. Not only can Linux run more than one program at a time, each program can do more than one thing simultaneously, which is called multi-threading.

Linux is Multi-User
More than one person can use the same Linux computer at the same time. Of course, if you only have one keyboard and one monitor, it will be hard to do. But it's great for networks.

Linux is Powerful

Linux can handle the big websites that get millions of hits a day. Linux can compete head-to-head with the million dollar scientific supercomputers (with only a few thousand dollars worth of extra equipment). Linux networks routinely outperform Windows NT networks. Many Linux computers have been up and running for years without once crashing. Try keeping most other operating systems up and running for even a month without crashing or rebooting!

Linux is Frugal

Linux doesn't care if you don't have the latest greatest computer computer on the market. It will run just fine on what you've got. I would recommend at least a '486 computer with 16 megabytes of memory, but something slower or smaller will also work. Linux will fit comfortably in a fifty megabyte hardrive if you don't want graphics. A 500Meg hardrive is ample. It will also work just fine with that old fourteen inch VGA monitor. Some people like to recycle old throw-away computers by simply installing Linux on them.

Linux is Compatible
Linux will run on lots of different kinds of computers. Besides the 386/486/pentium based PC, there are versions of Linux for Macintosh and other PowerPC computers. You can also run it on the really powerful computers like the Alpha and SPARC. You can even use it with those super expensive PC's that have more than one cpu. It will work with just about every audio and video card made. Just make sure that you don't have hardware that says "Windows only." Linux will reside on your hard drive next to Windows or DOS without making a fuss.

Linux is Graphical
Some people (particularly reporters) seem to think that Linux doesn't have a graphical user interface, or GUI. Not only does Linux have a GUI, it has dozens of GUI's. It's your choice on how you want Linux to look. You can make Linux look like Windows, the Mac, or something completely different. It also does really cool stuff like having more than one desktop. To get a taste of how cool Linux GUI's are, check out Enlightenment, WindowMaker, KDE and Gnome.

Linux is Secure
Besides the obvious benefits that security provides for networks, Linux is secure for single-computer home use also. Just a few simple security precautions, and your system will be virtually virus proof. Viruses just can't do much to your Linux computer. And if you follow the time honored and recommended practice of creating and using user accounts on your system, it will be impossible to commit those stupid blunders that sometimes happen (like accidentally reformatting your hard drive).

Linux is Free (revisited)

Unlike Windows, MacOS, OS/2, and most other operating systems, Linux is free software. The "free" means that the creators have shared their software with you. Linux comes complete with it's entire programming source code. This means that the programmers in the Linux community can fix, improve and expand Linux. Non programmers have written a lot of the documentation and help manuals. For a complete explanation of free and community software, check out the Open Source Page. Besides the fact that community software means more powerful, robust and bug-free software, it also means that no one can take it away from you. Microsoft controls the fate of Windows. But no one controls the fate of Linux.

Linux is UNIX
Because Linux is really a UNIX operating system, it pretty much follows the UNIX philosophy:

* Written by programmers for programmers
* A toolbox of incredibly useful utilities
* Most programs and utilities are small
* Commands and utilities do one thing, and do it well
* Linux doesn't assume anything
* Linux and its programs are portable

Linux is Not Perfect

I wouldn't be honest if I said there wasn't anything wrong with Linux. Nothing in this world is perfect. By letting you know the downsides to Linux you can use it knowing full well what you're getting into. First of all, Linux isn't easy. The installation is pretty painless if you don't have flaky or incompatible hardware. And once you get it set up, it's really not that hard to use. But that period between installation and full usability can be a nightmare sometimes. Linux won't hold your hand. All I can suggest is to read the manual and consult the internet. You will have to do some learning. But this is really a Good Thing® in disguise. Linux will teach you more about computers than most college degrees. But if you're afraid to learn new things, then maybe Linux isn't for you. Finally, you'll have to occasionally use the command line. The thought of typing in commands to tell the computer what to do instead of using the mouse to click on an icon can be scary for some people. On the bright side though, you can do some pretty amazing stuff on the command line that you just can't do in a GUI.

Article Source : http://www.usermode.org/docs/whatslinux.html

Reinstall Windows XP On Your Computer

Written By:Bill Holder
Installing Windows XP is the easy part. The task is pretty much a matter of "set it and forget it." You do need to make sure that your system is set up to boot from the CD drive first, so you can boot from the Windows XP disc. If you are uncomfortable or don't want to be bothered with the BIOS setup, you can simply let the CD auto-play while you're in Windows. You choose whether to repair Windows XP or to do a fresh installation of it.

A fresh installation will wipe out all your data and any applications that were loaded—everything from Microsoft Office to the Sun Java engine. Repairing the OS will keep all your current data but replace anything that might be corrupted or missing. So while a repair can fix problems, it won't provide the same performance benefits you get from a new installation.

Once started, the setup program will run on its own for the most part, requiring your input only a few times—for example, to enter the 25-digit activation code, name the system, and choose which options you want installed. If you are unsure of anything, you will usually be safe choosing the default options. And you can install features and change any of your choices anytime after the Windows XP installation completes.

If your system came with Windows XP preinstalled, you may not have a traditional Windows XP installation CD. You probably have the system vendor's recovery CD, which provides an image of how your hard drive was set up when you took your PC out of the box. Reinstalling from a recovery CD is usually a simple procedure. Be aware: The recovery process is almost always a fresh installation.

Typically, the recovery CD is a bootable disc. Again, your CD drive should be set to boot in the BIOS (but if your computer manufacturer included a bootable CD, you're probably all set). Some recovery CDs can also be executed in Windows. Either way, simple on-screen instructions will guide you through the process.

Some computer makers don't include physical recovery discs. Instead, the recovery information may be stored on the hard drive on a separate, hidden partition. During boot-up, there will be an option—usually a few keystrokes—to enter the PC into recovery mode. This option has the disadvantage of using up hard drive space, and if your problems happen to be related to the hard drive, you might not be able to run the recovery process. The upside is that this type of recovery is often more convenient, and the process is faster.

After reinstalling Windows, remember to run the Windows Update. Microsoft is constantly posting important security patches and enhancements that need to be applied.

Article Source : http://computerarticles.net/articles/Computers/Reinstall-Windows-XP-On-Your-Computer.html

9 Steps to Protect your MS Windows System from Viruses

Written By: Evgeny Kovalenko
Nowadays as the Internet and other networks are greatly developed computer viruses are distributed rapidly and intensively. Everyday several new viruses capable to damage considerably your computer system arise. Anti-virus specialists work hardly to make updates their software against new viruses as soon as possible. The viruses can get inside computer in different ways. That is why there is no simple method to protect system. Only series of measures can give you reliable protection from the infection. Below are 9 steps to protect MS Windows based PC system from viruses.

1. Make regular backups. It should be said that there is no absolutely safe way of protection. Virus creators regularly find holes in new computer products to use them for infection of computer systems. Some dangerous viruses can considerably damage data files or even erase entire file system. Make regular backups of your data files to separate file storage device. It can be separate hard drive, flash card, compact disc or another file storage device which you choose. To ease the procedure you can use some automatic backup software. And be ready if the system will die because of virus infection.

2. Be ready to reinstall your system if it dies because of viruses. Get distributives of your operation system and distributives of software which you use and keep them together, for instance, on a set of CDs not far away from you. In this case if virus infection will cause unrecoverable system failure you can rapidly reinstall your working medium.

3. Protect your network connection with Firewall. Firewall is a software which blocks suspicious potentially dangerous connections to preventing viruses from network to penetrate into your system. Windows XP system has quit simple but reliable built-in firewall. You can enable it as follows. 1) in Control Panel, double-click Networking and Internet Connections, and then click Network Connections. 2) Right-click the connection on which you would like to enable firewall, and then click Properties. 3) On the Advanced tab, check the option to Protect my computer and network.

If you need more flexible control of connections with network you can get and install more advanced firewall software like Norton Personal Firewall or Outpost Firewall. If you use this software you have ability to permit or to block particular connections and to monitor network activity.

4. Use antivirus software. Install antivirus software which will scan your system searching and erasing viruses on a regular basis. Leaders in antivirus software products for Windows systems are Norton Antivirus, McAfee, Kaspersky Anti-Virus and PC-cilin.

5. Regularly update operating system. Windows XP has built-in automatic update service. It regularly contacts Microsoft server to find updates and notifies you if updates are ready to be installed. Updates are important because hackers regularly find holes in operating system which are often used by virus creators.

6. Don't install and don't run suspicious software. Check new programs which you are going to install with anti-virus software. Don't download software from suspicious websites. To download software always seek website of software creator or official distributor. Do not open applications received by email from unknown persons.

7. Limit access to your computer. Protect enter to system with password.

8. If you use Internet Explorer, consider moving to another browser. As IE is the most distributed browser today virus creators actively use defects in its security system to infect computers. Infection may arise if you will visit webpage which contains invisible harmful code. You are more safe if you use less known browser only because virus creators do not pay much attention to it. Major IE competitors Firefox and Opera browsers provide now the same comfortable interface and range of services for working on the Web.

9. Use spam protection. Viruses are often distributed via email. Switch on spam filters in your email box to block spam receiving. If you need assistance with using of the filters you can ask your email service provider.

Article Source : http://computerarticles.net/articles/Computers/9-Steps-to-Protect-your-MS-Windows-System-from-Viruses.html

How To Make Money From Your Blog Content

Written By: Evelyn Lim
Writing a blog can be fun and exciting, but it can also be rewarding. If you do not know how to make money from your blog content then you need to consider implementing the following suggestions in your blog.

Make Money Tip #1 Adsense
Adsense is an incredible service offered by Google to help you make money and help others advertise as well. Basically, with Adsense you choose several ads that blend or complement the information talked about in your blog. Then, when individuals click on the ads that are present in your blog, you receive money! Best of all, Adsense is free to use on your site, so this is a great opportunity to make money without really having to do very much.

Make Money Tip #2 Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate programs are another great way to make money as well and work on the same premise of Adsense. The web surfer has to click on the affiliate website’s link and when they do so they are redirected from your blog to the link they clicked on. You will get paid affiliate income for the click, and if they make a purchase when they are on that website you will get paid affiliate income again.

Make Money Tip #3 Blog Ads
Blog ads can help you make money as well. Blog ads are not too different from Adsense or Affiliate marketing, but they are in the sense that blog ads connect web surfers with advertisers. Then, when any ad placements are made a commission is exchanged.

Make Money Tip #4 Business Blog

You can use your blog to simply converse about any topic that is important to you, but you can also use your blog as a tool to help you make money. Advertise your business services; make your blog a business blog by focusing at least part of your blog on your business services. This way, you can still communicate whatever it is you need to and make money as well.

When it comes to making money from your blog you can do so easily with these tried and true tricks of the trade. Whether you utilize Adsense, affiliate marketing, blog ads, a business blog, or a combination of all of the above, you will certainly benefit and make money. Don’t delay and start implementing these types of money making strategies in your blog today. Not only will you make money, but your blog will become more popular as well.

Article Source : http://computerarticles.net/articles/Computers/How-To-Make-Money-From-Your-Blog-Content.html

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

802.11n Wireless Networking

It’s been years in development but this September it looks like 802.11n Wi-Fi will finally become a standard… well, an official standard anyway.

Presently the majority of the wireless hardware you will buy (routers, wireless network cards, printers etc) will use a networking specification called 802.11g which has a maximum speed of 54Mbps. This maximum speed is being increasingly seen as inadequate as applications become more complex and require more bandwidth.

The successor, 802.11n is being ratified to increase both the speed and range of wireless devices however it should be noted that due to the time the IEEE Task Group n have been arguing about the intricacies, equipment manufacturers got bored and decided to run with the draft specification. As a result, the fact that 802.11n is becoming ‘official’ is unlikely to change a great deal as hardware utilising the new standard has been available for some time now. Although these devices have been produced working on the draft specification, the reality is that there are very few differences between this and the anticipated final ‘official’ release.

Essentially based on the current 802.11g standard, 802.11n uses some new technology and tweaks to give Wi-Fi more speed and range. The most notable part of this technology is called ‘multiple input, multiple output’ or MIMO for short. MIMO uses several antennas to transmit multiple data streams simultaneously rather than a single antenna transmitting just one stream of data. This allows more data to be transmitted in the same period of time while also increasing the potential range of the network.

Other technologies include payload optimisation which results in more data being transmitted in each packet and channel bonding which can use two separate non-overlapping channels at the same time to transmit data. The result is all this is achievable data transmission rates of around 100Mbps and double the potential range of 802.11g.

There are no security enhancements as they simply aren’t needed; the WPA2 encryption standard provided by existing network hardware is considered by most to be ‘extremely secure’.

It’s worth checking the box of any network equipment you have purchased in the last couple of years as you may find it is already compatible with 802.11n and simply needs setting up correctly. It goes without saying that in order to benefit from the faster speed both the transmitting and receiving devices both have to support 802.11n; A 802.11n router working with a 802.11g laptop will result in slower 802.11g speeds.

At present ‘n’ rated hardware is more expensive than the older ‘g’ standard however not prohibitively so; our ‘n’ rated wireless router typically retails for around a tenner more than the £25 ‘g’ rated equivalent. Of course, if you are already happy with your wireless network and the upgrade will mean replacing perfectly functional hardware it is certainly worth considering whether your needs warrant the faster hardware.

At present 802.11n will only be required by those with blisteringly fast broadband connections or those that regularly copy large volumes of data across a wireless network however it will soon become the norm. If upgrading your hardware, therefore, it may well be worth paying a couple of extra pounds now to ensure that you remain future proof.

Source Article : http://www.computerarticles.co.uk/802-11n-wireless-networking/

Superfast Broadband

There is a new breed of superfast broadband approaching which will be welcome news to the majority of the British public that are currently stuck with a maximum top speed of 8Mbps.

It is undeniable that Broadband take-up in the UK has been huge; the majority of the public now access the Internet via a broadband connection rather than a conventional dial up modem. A few weeks back I talked about broadband packages which made Internet access either free or incredibly cheap meaning that even occasional Internet users would be financially better off with a broadband connection.

Although the prices have been tumbling, a ceiling limit on the speeds obtainable has been reached and this needs to be broken through; although 8Mbps is a comfortable speed which will suit the majority of users we are lagging well behind many other parts of the world. A limited number of users in built up areas in Japan for example are currently able to receive blisteringly fast 1000Mbps speeds.

At present, the UK broadband provider for choice when it comes to the speed of connection is Virgin Media who have been offering 20Mbps for years now and have just introduced 50Mbps across the UK. Clearly the speed difference between the Virgin offering and standard ADSL which comes through your conventional phone line is huge.

The difference in speed is due to the type of cable employed for carrying the signal. Virgin uses a relatively new and advanced fibre optic system – this explains why you do have to live in a Virgin cabled area (formally Telewest and NTL) to receive the service. Other broadband products transmitted through your conventional phone line rely on old copper cables; these were originally designed for carrying voice calls and as such there is a limit to the speed that data can be transmitted along them.

Although 50Mbps will be more than enough for the majority of Internet users, Virgin are currently trialling a 200Mbps broadband service in Kent. If the service were to be unveiled across the UK it would give Virgin Media customers one of the fastest broadband services in the world.

Unfortunately only 12.6 million homes are in a Virgin Media cabled area which is why many have to ADSL broadband though their conventional phone line. In order to increase the speeds available to these users BT is currently upgrading exchanges across the UK to ADSL 2+ which will offer up to 20Mbps. Although Torbay hasn’t yet been switched over the exchanges should be upgraded by summer of next year which will result in an approximate doubling of speed at, most likely, no extra cost.

After the ADSL 2+ rollout it would be fair to say that we would have pretty much reached the theoretical maximum speed that you can transfer data down a copper cable. In order to overcome this, BT has began rolling out its own fibre optic broadband across the country however current plans will seen only 40% of UK households covered by 2012 and it is unlikely that they will cover Torbay in this initial phase.

At present, your best bet for the fastest broadband in Torbay is to check if you are in a Virgin covered area (check availability at www.virginmedia.com). Alternatively, if you are not covered, sit back and wait for the ADSL 2+ rollout; unfortunately this will more than likely have to suffice until we have a nationwide rollout of fibre optic technology across the UK.

Source Article : http://www.computerarticles.co.uk/superfast-broadband/

Google Presents Google Chrome OS

The big news this morning was that Google is to release its own Operating System during the second half of 2010. Initially targeted at Netbooks (incredibly small laptops with relatively low specifications), Google Chrome OS will be a lightweight, open source alternative to Windows. It will be designed primarily for online use, with the entire OS essentially consisting of the Google Chrome browser running on a Linux backend.

The idea being that in the future developers will produce web based applications that could be run from any Internet browser rather than a software package that requires a downloading and installation. This idea makes a great deal of sense in many ways, as you wouldn't have to worry about software updates, creating backups of your files or transporting files from one machine to another. All information would be stored online so these usual factors would be an issue anymore.

In addition developers would have no need to worry about creating multiple versions of the same application for different Operating Systems because as long as the user's browser was up to date they could run the software in question without issue. It would not matter whether Google Chrome OS, Mac OS or Windows was running on your computer you would still have access to all your online applications. Google's aim seems to be that Chrome OS will eventually develop into a viable alternative for use on all types of computer and not just Netbooks. I am torn as to whether I love and hate the idea of shaking up the way we use our computers to this extent. The potential advantages are mind-blowing but the disadvantages are potentially crippling and too obvious to be ignored.

Firstly and most importantly there is the fact that the whole idea is pretty much reliant on the user having a continuous Internet connection. Nowadays this isn't a problem for most homes and offices as an 'always on' broadband connection has become fairly standard. If however you were to find yourself without an Internet connection for whatever reason then your Operating System would immediately become useless. Whilst mobile broadband has become both faster and more affordable for those who don't have a fixed Internet connection, it will be of little use on a plane for eight hours! A workaround to this would be to allow the OS to download web applications to your computer then run them as if you were connected to the Internet. Unfortunately, as soon as this becomes a consideration we neglect the primary purpose of having an online based OS in the first place.

Presently the majority of Internet applications are a little primitive in my opinion. Whilst they do have to be given a great deal of praise for evolving as quickly as they have in recent years, they are still some way off presenting an alternative to the traditional installed. I have previously written about such Internet based software such as the ever popular Google Docs and I hope to cover others in the future. These online versions do however still lag behind their desktop equivalents in both speed and functionality. While none of us can know what the future has in store, the internet is fast taking over many computing activities but whether we are ready for them to be transferred entirely remains to be seen.

Chris Holgate writes a weekly article of all things tech related. He is a director and copywriter of the online computer consumables business Refresh Cartridges who sell cheap ink cartridges [http://www.refreshcartridges.co.uk], toner cartridges, computer hardware and other computer consumables online. An archive of his work can be found at www.computerarticles.co.uk.

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

Fixing Blue Screen Errors on XP Computers

So, there you are, working along on your computer, and it happens. The computer screen does some strange looking thing and then it goes blue. There is now grey or white writing in the middle of the screen telling you about some error you have no idea about. Hopefully, you were not in the middle of something important, that was not saved, and ended up losing all of the data. This sort of error is known in the windows world as the Blue Screen of Death. Luckily for you, this information will help you remove or fix the error that causes it.

Most of the computer errors, including the blue screen, come from errors within the registry. Most people have no idea that an area in the computer called the registry even exists. This section is basically the brains of the computer. It tells the computer how the software and the hardware are to work together. So, you can imagine what happens when these instructions get messed up. The computer does not know what to do, and poof, you have the blue screen with an error message in it.

How do these errors actually occur? This is caused just by the daily things you do with your computer everyday. It could be downloading stuff, such as pictures and videos, or installing software, uninstalling software, and even just surfing the internet.

The main way it happens is if you uninstall something and the main instructions in the registry get removed with it. This sounds good on the surface, but what if there was another piece of the computer using these instructions as well? Now, this piece of software, or hardware, does not know what to do. This results in errors.

To fix these problems you will need to mess with the registry. These files are also known as dll (dynamic link library) files. But, if you are not sure what you are doing, then you can really mess up some stuff. The damage you could do could even cause the computer not to run again. But, luckily, there is a better tool to use: Registry Repair Software.

This program, when started up, will run a scan of the registry along with other problematic areas of the computer. It will then show you a report of the potential problems and ask you if you want to fix them. Obviously, the answer is yes, so you click the repair button. In about 1 minute, everything is fixed. It is quick and simple, and gets the job done.

If you are having problems with your pc, especially the blue screen on XP model computers, then a registry repair software program is what you are looking for. In less than 10 minutes, you can remove all of the errors.

Michael Baker is a Computer Optimization Technician, and recommends getting a Free Computer Scan to fix any problems such as computers freezing, locking up, restarting for no reason, and getting the blue death screen.

You can read his latest review of the top 5 Registry Repair Software at http://www.registryrepair-facts.com

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

Google Books – Online Literature Library

The idea of Google Books was first conceived in 2002 when a small group of Google programmers started pondering the question of how many man hours it would take to scan every single book ever written. We still don’t know the true answer to this question although just eight years from the idea conception there are now over 10 million books catalogued in their database.

While the first scan was done manually on a 300 page book and took 40 minutes to process, Google now use cameras capable of scanning at a rate of 1,000 pages an hour and also work with 20,000 publisher partners who provide content directly. They have also been able to provide over 1 million books that can be read in full from cover to cover; these unrestricted works are either books that have fallen out of copyright or have been provided with publishers express permission.

As well as simply scanning the books, Google performs OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on the pages, thereby turning them in to pure text which can be entered in to their database. As a result when you do a Google Search you are now not only returned results from relevant websites but also your search terms are checked against a library encompassing millions of books and appropriate matches are suggested for further reading.

The integration in to the Google Search engine means you may have already inadvertently stumbled across Google Books but if you haven’t and are eager to explore then the Google Books can be found by visiting the site http://books.google.co.uk/ directly. Being a Google service, it almost goes without saying that the service is completely free of charge and is instead paid for via a minimal number of sponsored links which are in no way intrusive or detrimental to the service.

From the Google Books site you can perform searches, add books to your virtual library or organise your collection in a logical manner. Searching for a book and then subsequently clicking on it opens an interface which allows you to either view the directly scanned pages from the book or in some instances a ‘plain text’ version. This plain text can then be copied and passed to another application or simply printed out for reading offline.

Books still under copyright enjoy the protection of a variety of access limitations and security measures which limit the number of viewable pages making the experience somewhat akin to being able to flick through the first couple of pages in a library or bookshop. Despite this protection there have rather predictably been a number of fairly major lawsuits issued by individuals and publishers alike; some with legitimate grievances and others just seeking money or publicity.

Possibly the most notable case was between The Authors Guild, the publishing industry and Google which resulted in Google agreeing to a settlement on October 28, 2008. This would see them pay a total $125 million not only to pay the court costs of the plaintiffs but also create a Book Rights Registry which will collect and disburse revenue generated by all third party sites such as Google which provide content based on the content of books covered by the agreement.

These issues aside, on the whole I am amazed that again this relatively new company have been able to offer such an incredible gift to the world. With Google Books we have the potential to preserve centuries of human literacy work for generations to come as well as promoting the spread and availability of knowledge amongst all groups and all classes of people.

Article Source : http://www.computerarticles.co.uk/google-books/

Microsoft Office 2010

Despite it being the second most used application on my work computer (behind the Mozilla Firefox browser), it’s still impossible for me to get excited about a new edition of the Microsoft Office suite.

With the final release due in a couple of months, Microsoft have provided a beta test version of Office 2010 that’s free for members of the public to download. The beta test version will run unhindered until October 2010 at which point users must decide whether they wish to purchase the final release or have it removed from their hard drive.

For the costs involved the majority of home users may still be better off with the free OpenOffice Suite (www.openoffice.org) as it should provide all the features you are likely to need at no cost. This having been said, the Office Suite has remained a popular flagship product over the years due to business users often requiring a specific function or application only present in the Microsoft offering. I, for example, use Outlook on a regular basis and haven’t yet found an alternative that suits my needs.

Having not been the biggest fan of Office 2007 (especially the ‘ribbon’ interface discussed in the past) I wasted no time downloading the 64-bit professional version of the beta to put it through its paces. I have now been using it for a couple of days it does appear notably faster than Office 2007 and certainty incredibly stable. The speed increase could easily be attributed to the fact that a 64-bit version of the application is now available to run on modern 64-bit computers.

Office Professional 2010 includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, InfoPath, OneNote, Outlook, Access and Publisher. The home edition (also currently available in beta) includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote. After the official release, computer manufacturers may choose to bundle new machines with a starter edition of Office which includes just Excel and Word; this version of Office will replace the aging Microsoft Works Suite.

Although the ribbon interface remains, it is certainly a lot clearer than that provided with Office 2007; the confusing Office orb has been replaced with the familiar file menu, there are fewer distracting borders, a neutral colour scheme and most importantly it is customisable to the users individual tastes. The applications look and behave like a ‘family’ now and have become more intuitive to use as a result of the more refined user interface.

An important new feature due for release in the final version but missing from the beta is the ‘Web Apps’ which will extend the Office functionality to a compatible web browser. Very similar in form to Google Docs, Office Web Apps allows users to collaborate, edit and share Office documents online. This is an incredibly important new feature that has no doubt come about due to the success of Google Docs and one that I would like to field test when complete.

This article isn’t long enough to go in to details about minor new features so I will summarise by observing that the changes made from Office 2007 to Office 2010 are evolutionary rather than revolutionary; very much in the same way that Windows 7 was an evolutionary change compared with Vista. Excluding the Web Apps there is nothing substantially new however the minor improvements are certainly welcome as is the chance to road test a new piece of software completely free of charge for a year.

Users interested in downloading the beta version of Office 2010 should visit www.microsoft.com/office/2010 to get their hands on a copy.

Article Source : http://www.computerarticles.co.uk/microsoft-office-2010/

Windows 7 Hidden Gems – Additional functionality

I’ve been living with Windows 7 for a good few months now and in that time have discovered a couple of little ‘hidden gems’ which I wanted to share with you:

Aero Shake
In Windows 7, when you click on the title bar of any window and shake it every other open window gets minimised straight back in to your taskbar, reducing clutter on your screen. This allows you to focus on the one window and then when ready shake it again and the other windows will reappear.

There are additional Aero user interface related features which make a welcome debut. These include Aero Peek which allows you to immediately see what’s going on in an application just by hovering over the icon in the task bar and Aero Snap which quickly allows you to rearrange your desktop by slamming any open window against the left, right or top side of your screen; try it!

Sticky Notes
Proof, if needed, that some of the simplest applications make the largest differences to the end user experience. One of the most commonly used applications on my PC used to be the incredibly simple ‘notepad’ as I find that my working life works a lot better if I simplify everything down in to lists.

Rather than jotting notes on random pieces of paper that will almost certainly get lost throughout the day I used to dump everything in notepad and ensure that every line was eventually cleared so I was left with a blank page before I went home.

Sticky notes have a similar application. To get started click on the start menu and type in ‘sticky’ and begin typing tasks for the day or things to remember in to little post it notes that stick to your screen. When complete either close or minimise the application to get back to the job in hand, safe in the knowledge that once Sticky Notes are reopened, these tasks will reappear exactly as you left them. When a task has been completed or the note simply isn’t needed, it can be deleted with one click of the mouse.

Improved Calculator
Windows 7 calculator has improved considerably; now rather than being an arithmetic only affair, it can be operated in four modes – Standard, Scientific, Programmer and Statistical. It can also perform unit conversion, for example grams to ounces, metres to feet and Celsius to Fahrenheit along with a couple of unexpected features such as the ability to calculate the number of days between two dates or the value of your mortgage repayment. Surely in the next version of Windows the calculator application will finally gain graphical capabilities.

Windows Disk Image Burner
For some time now the preferred method of copying and storing CD’s and DVD’s has been by using an ISO file; a single image which includes the contents of an entire disk. Reading these files used to require a specific application (the likes of which I’ve covered previously in Click) but every version of Windows 7 now includes support for these straight out the box; simply double click on the ISO file that you wish to burn, insert a blank CD or DVD and you’re done.

Article Source: http://www.computerarticles.co.uk/windows-7-hidden-gems/

My Experience of Windows 7

I've had the release candidate of Windows 7 for nearly a month now and think moving back to Vista again is going to prove to be a chore.

Unlike the change from Windows 3.11 to Windows 95 or from Windows ME to Windows XP there are no revolutionary changes. Windows XP users will notice the most difference in terms of the look and feel of the software as visually it looks very similar to Vista, perhaps just a little more intuitive.

I get the impression from using the software that Windows has 'come of age' with this most recent release. When compared to Windows 7, Windows XP appears badly aged, cumbrous and a little flawed in comparison. Vista holds its own a little better performance wise nowadays and I no longer feel it is about to crumble as soon as I start doing anything slightly demanding.

I'm running the 64-bit version of Windows 7 on a relatively new laptop and the comparisons against Vista are startling; faster start up times, less hard drive access, greater stability and even improved battery life. Although I'm unsure whether it would be faster than XP or not, it is worth bearing in mind that this eight year OS never really gained momentum for 64-bit support and as such it could possibly do with being retired even if just to wave in a new, faster era of 64-bit applications.

Ignoring the arguably most important developments in terms of speed, security and stability, it is the little changes and additions that I appreciate most. I like the ability to 'peek' back at the desktop by hovering down the bottom right hand side of the start menu, the auto preview when you flick between applications using & and the rotation setting that can be used to change your wallpaper automatically every couple of minutes.

Visually it looks gorgeous; the semi translucent taskbar and menu headers along with various other visual effects make the OS look a lot less flat than XP. Although it's not a million miles away from Vista, it is certainly more 'polished' and due to the noticeable speed increases it doesn't give you the nagging impression your machine is crawling to a halt as a result of a few visual effects.

The ability to 'pin' applications of your choice to the taskbar is great. If you were to pin Firefox to your taskbar area then the icon will always be there next to the start menu which has been the 'quick launch' area in previous versions of Windows. However it does not simply act as a shortcut to the application, but instead launches it without creating a new group within your taskbar; the quick launch icon essentially becomes the menu itself. Windows 7 stacks multiple instances of one application in the taskbar rather the inefficient grouped application menus used in XP and Vista.

Chris Holgate writes a weekly article of all things tech related. He is a director and copywriter of the online computer consumables business Refresh Cartridges who sell cheap ink cartridges [http://www.refreshcartridges.co.uk], toner cartridges, computer hardware and other computer consumables online. An archive of his work can be found at www.computerarticles.co.uk.

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

How to Choose the Best Laptop and Its Manufacturer

If you ask any expert what laptop is the best in terms of quality, normally you get different answers. One of the reasons is that every user has different experience. Another reason is that each user experienced good or bad things with laptops in different times. In fact, there is no laptop model that was always positioned at the top of the list. This is one of difficulties in choosing a laptop with the best quality.

It is easy to notice that comparison in terms of the quality or reliability of laptops (manufacturers) is very similar to the comparison of any hi-tech devices, like, TV-sets, cellular phones, as well as, automobiles. New ideas, inventions, and technologies enable human-made things to evolve very fast and in different directions. Evidently, discovering similar underlying principles may help to ease a selective process.

Firstly, we need to accept an important fact why in eyes of different people the best models are different. The quality can be different for the same model because it depends on criteria that are set by evaluator. Secondly, nowadays there is a wide variety of laptops, such as, mini, netbook, desktop replacement, therefore, the comparison may be similar to comparing apples and oranges. Thirdly, the quality can be relative thing to a certain extend even without a sound basis because particular models may be preferable for some users due to an emotional attachment, not logical objective reasons.

Anyway, the good news is that the number of laptop manufacturers is not so big and there are almost the same major ones for a decade. Currently these are Dell, HP Compaq, Toshiba, Acer, Lenovo (IBM), Sony, Gateway, Apple, Asus, Samsung, Panasonic, Fujitsu. The existence of many manufacturers is good because it means a stronger competition. A honest competition helps to create a perfect product otherwise monopoly would eventually lead to the degradation of quality.

Concerning particular models, if we define an average notebook in terms of performance and screen size it could be easy to build the list of models that are considered by most users as the best. For business needs, for example, the list could consists of such models as Lenovo ThinkPad, Sony VAIO Z Series, Dell Studio, HP Pavilion, Gateway NV7915u, Toshiba Satellite, Asus UL30VT. Please note, this list may change as time goes by, so that in 2011 this list should be updated.

Alex Smartson is a Technical Writer and SEO specialist at Laptop Screen dot Com. He invites you to visit the website and learn more about laptop screens.

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

Trojan Viruses Explained

If you use computers on a network, you have to be very careful about the kind of files and data that you use because the threat of and from viruses is quite widespread in this day and age. One of the common types of virus is the Trojan virus which is self replicating in nature and while it initially comes in as specific function program, it can spread to various parts of the computer and begin its nefarious activities.

The problem posed by this virus is quite huge. This is a virus that can easily steal vital info from your computer and at the same time pass it on to people who are unauthorized to have such access and who may have malicious intent. The Trojan virus is also seen to be able to severely slow down the pace of your computer or your laptop, such that it becomes very tough to perform normal computing tasks. One of the main sources of these viruses is through the internet as well as the usage of illegal and pirated software as well as suspect files on CDs. These can really wreck havoc on your system.

To protect yourself from the vile and the malicious action of the Trojan virus you should have a good and authentic antivirus system installed on your system to ensure that all files are duly scanned and the used. If your computer has already got infected by the virus, you may have to call an expert to scan and clean the system of the virus and also try to retrieve any data that may have been lost. This is imperative to prevent a total system crash.

Prevention is better than cure and hence, you should take all the steps required to ensure that the Trojan virus does not come and afflict your computer in the first place. Do look online for more info on how to do this.

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

How to rip music cds into high quality VBR MP3s

This tutorial is completely coppied from a specific page hosted at ChrisMyden.com. Honestly, his is a lot better than this one, and I recommend that you go there instead. My only reason for hosting this meager duplicate is to help send users in the right direction, and to be prepared in case the original disappears one day.

Overview: You want to rip music CDs, and you want high quality. The answer is a two-piece solution: EAC (Exact Audio Copy) rips the CDs and saves the output into wav format, and then LAME (Lame Ain't an MP3 Encoder) converts them to mp3 format with whichever options you desire. This particular tutorial will end up giving you no-compromise variable bitrate mp3s which sound absolutely fantastic.
1. Download and install the newest version of Exact Audio Copy. It's freeware.
2. Download and place into the EAC program directory the LAME.exe executable which will encode the wav files into mp3.
3. Run EAC, and when it asks you to do so, browse to the location of that lame.exe file.
4. You'll see a pull-down menu toward the top left of EAC which displays your available CD drives, and also lists their adaptor and ID numbers. Select the drive you'd like to use, make note of it's numbers, and select the cooresponding .cfg profile file on the original tutorial page at chrismyden.com listed above. Place it into the 'Profiles' directory within your EAC program directory (program files/eac/profiles).
5. If you are running windows 2000 or XP, download and place into the EAC program directory the wnaspi32.dll file.
6. Close EAC, place a music CD into the drive you previously selected, and reopen EAC.
7. Under the EAC > Profiles menu, click 'Load Profile,' and select the .cfg file you downloaded.
8. Under the EAC menu, click 'Compression Options,' and then on the 'External Compression' tab. In case the correct one is not set, browse to the lame.exe file you downloaded.
9. Press ALT + G to make EAC contact the freedb database to automatically identify the tracks on your CD (this information is not stored on music CDs). If EAC complains about being unable to access the database/server, press F12 to get the server selection window. Click 'Get active freedb server list.'
10. Done. If you don't select any tracks and just click the "MP3" button on the left side of EAC, it'll ask for a destination directory and then do all the ripping for you. View the log to be sure that the process completed happily.

Article Source: http://unclean.org/howto/ripCDs.html

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Office 2010 Meluncur, Plus Microsoft Docs Online



Setelah versi beta diluncurkan beberapa waktu lalu, Microsoft akhirnya resmi menghadirkan versi baru software Office.

Hal ini dilakukan untuk mempertahankan posisi di pasar aplikasi bisnis, dan melawan tantangan aplikasi alternatif serupa yang digelontorkan Google secara online dan gratis. Selain itu, aplikasi Office milik Microsoft memang sudah lama tidak di-upgrade. Terakhir diperbaharui pada tahun 2006.

Perusahaan perangkat lunak terbesar di dunia ini telah meng-upgrade aplikasi Word, Excel, Outlook dan PowerPoint mereka yang populer. Bahkan Microsoft mengembangkan aplikasi online sendiri dengan fitur-fitur baru, mirip dengan Google Docs.

Beberapa perubahan yang dilakukan Microsoft seperti mengedit foto di Word, menggunakan video dalam PowerPoint, kolaborasi dokumen, dan menghubungkan kontak email ke informasi Facebook.

Namun, perubahan terbesar adalah Microsoft menyatakan diri untuk ikut menggunakan komputasi cloud, yang memungkinkan pengguna untuk memanipulasi dokumen yang tersimpan di server secara jarak jauh, dari manapun. Hal ini merupakan rencana Google yang telag diimplementasikan di Google Docs.

Pembeli Office di kalangan corporate akan memiliki akses langsung ke Microsoft Office Web Apps, versi online dari Word, PowerPoint dan program Excel untuk internet yang tersambung ke ponsel dan PC, tapi mereka harus membayar lebih untuk menggunakan layanan ini.

Konsumen biasa akan dapat menggunakan versi gratis secara online mulai bulan depan melalui layanan Microsoft Windows Live. Nantinya, Microsoft juga akan menarik pelanggan untuk membayar perangkat lunak yang digunakan secara penuh, dengan biaya antara US$100 dan US$500, tergantung pada tingkat fitur yang ada.

Strategi online menandai pergeseran besar untuk Windows yang sejauh ini bergantung pada perangkat lunak yang diinstal pada PC. Microsoft sendiri mengklaim Windows telah memiliki 500 juta pengguna.

Peluncuran ini otomatis membawa Microsoft ke dalam kompetisi langsung dengan Google Docs, dan membuat Microsoft harus mengikuti permainan Google untuk menyediakan software secara download, tidak lagi dijual melalui distribusi ritel. Google bahkan membebaskan biaya untuk para pengguna pribadi, dan membebankan US$50 per tahun untuk satu pengguna di sebuah perusahaan.
Google mengklaim, sejak diluncurkan empat tahun lalu, sekira 25 juta pengguna internet telah menggunakan Google Docs. Beberapa analis khawatir, pembebanan biaya untuk versi online akan membuat rugi satu dari dua mesin penghasil keuntungan Microsoft.

Margin akan turun, tetapi secara keseluruhan pendapatan dan keuntungan akan meningkat seiring dengan target Microsoft mengambil keuntungan lebih besar dari anggaran teknologi sebuah perusahaan," ujar Stephen Elop, Kepala Divisi Bisnis Microsoft seperti dikutip melalui Reuters, Kamis (13/5).

"Margin lebih rendah sebagai persentase dari pendapatan karena kita telah membeli hardware dan menyediakan pelayanan yang melibatkan masyarakat," kata Elop. Tapi yang paling penting, lanjutnya, keuntungan mutlak diharapkan naik sebagai akibat dari penggunaan komputasi awan.

Divisi bisnis Microsoft, yang mendapatkan 90% penjualannya dari Office, rata-rata mendapatkan keuntungan sekira US$2,8 miliar per kuartal. Angka itu adalah 47% dari total keuntungan Microsoft di tahun fiskal ini, atau posisi kedua core bisnis Microsoft Windows Operating System.

Elop mengatakan dia berharap adopsi pelanggan untuk Office 2010 akan menjadi yang tercepat yang pernah ada, seiring dengan niat perusahaan untuk mulai menggantikan mesin yang mulai menua tahun ini, dan dapat meng-upgrade ke sistem baru Windows 7, serta Office 2010 pada saat yang sama. Elop mengatakan, 8,6 juta orang telah menggunakan Office 2010 di versi beta.

Menurut data terakhir dari firma riset Forrester teknologi, 81% perusahaan telah menjalankan Office 2007, sedangkan pengguna Google online (docs) hanya sekira 4%.

Sebuah jajak pendapat Forrester menunjukkan, hampir sepertiga dari pengguna Office yang ada berencana untuk meng-upgrade ke Office 2010 dalam waktu 12 bulan ke depan.

Sumber - Okezone

Info Komputer & Teknologi Informasi : Tablet Android, Adam



Temen-temen sekalian pasti tau kan Android OS. Ini adalah sisterm operasi besutan Google. Awalnya, sistem operasi ini ditujukan pada ponsel saja. Namu sekarang tidak hanya dapat ditemukan di ponsel dan netbook saja, melainkan di tablet juga bisa. Nama produk Google ini bernama Adam, Si tablet Andoid dijadwalkan akan meluncur pada Juni mendatang dengan harga $321.
Yang paling menarik pada Adam ini adalah layarnya. Bukan karena ukuran 10 inci dengan lapisan antisilau, sidik jari dan tahan gores, atau mendukung video HD 108op. Apa sih maksud nya ?

Begini penjelasan Notion Ink. Jika dilihat dibawah cahaya ruangan biasa, Adam tidak lebih dari sebuah LCD biasa. Namun ditilik dibawah pancaran sinar matahari langsung, layar ini "mampu menurunkan vibra warna" atau menyajikan layar gray-scale yang mirip panen E-ink. Artinya, tingkat penglihatan dapat ditingkatkan pada kondisi-kondisi ketika layar normal mungkin sulit dibaca. simpel nya gitu dhe. biasanya hp dan laptop kita lihat dibawah sinar matahari terlihat gelap kan tapi tablet ini ngak. hehe..

Adam akan punya tiga antarmuka :layar sentuh, keybnoard virtual on-screen dan sebuah trackpad yang ada dibelakang layar. Karena itulah pengguna dapat pindah-pindah kursor dari depan ke belakang. Sebuah kamera otofokus 3Megapiksel yang bisa berputar 180 derajat., siap untuk memotret dan merekam video.

Sumber : http://info-teknologi-komputer.blogspot.com/