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When To Use An Ultraviolet System To Purify Your Drinking Water

Ultraviolet (UV) light water filtration and purification has been used for well over one hundred years to make drinking water safe. Today it is used by some of the largest cities in the world to purify their municipal drinking water supplies. These cities include New York, Rotterdam, Seattle, and many others in Europe, Asia, and North America.

For the past few decades much smaller UV systems have been available in North America for residential applications. These systems are made by such manufacturers as Trojan Technologies, Sterilight (R-Can), UV Pure, and Atlantic UV. Thousands of these systems have been sold and installed in homes, summer homes, cottages, and in many other public spaces such as campgrounds, community centers and churches. For the property owner contemplating a water treatment system the question arises: why would I want to use a UV system at all?

As with all water purification devices, the decision to buy any product should be based on how that product will impact water quality. That is, decide what you need to fix in your water, and then start looking for a product that will solve your problem. Not all water filtration or purification devices are created equal. Some products are designed to remove sediment, while some products will remove chemicals from the water. Other devices are designed to remove biological contamination. In the case of a UV system it is the latter. Anybody who is concerned about possible or proven microbiological contamination in their drinking water should consider a UV system. Do not look to UV to remove any chemicals from water nor to improve the taste and odor of the water. It simply isn't designed for either.

It is typically rural-living individuals who are interested in an ultraviolet light water filter and it is usually a bad water test that begins their journey through the sometimes confusing world of water purification. A bad water test is a test that shows the presence of e.coli or coliform bacteria. Both e.coli and coliform bacteria should not be present in a drinking water supply. Any laboratory that tests water will be able to test for the presence of these two bacteria. Once it's been established that either of these two bacteria are present in a water supply, it's left to the property owner to decide how to proceed. Most rural water professionals will offer two choices when it comes to dealing with bacteria in your water: UV or Chlorine.

Chlorine is an aggressive oxidizing agent. When it's added to water it very quickly attacks the tissues of bacteria or other microorganisms that might be present in the water. The trouble is chlorine also mixes with some of the naturally occurring chemicals in the water to produce harmful disinfection byproducts that end up in the drinking water.

UV, on the other hand, adds nothing to the water. It simply kills bacteria and other microorganisms as they pass by the UV lamp. Ultraviolet systems are comprised of a steel chamber into which a UV lamp is inserted. UV systems also include a power supply, sometimes called a ballast, for powering the lamp. Residential ultraviolet light water filters are usually plumbed on the main water line for a home or cottage. Some UV systems are equipped with a UV sensor and still others are NSF Certified.

Digital Cameras, iPhones, and Other Interfaces

Perception and Representation in Analog and Digital Cameras

The digital camera profoundly affects the way we perceive and represent the world around us on "film".

To start with, the user of the analog camera used to watch the world, however indirectly. All that stood between him and reality was the viewer of his apparatus. He recorded what he saw "out there".

In contrast, the user of the digital camera watches a representation of the world on a screen. He records what he sees on the screen of his gadget. He rarely glances up to gaze directly at his subject matter.

The digital camera is more forgiving and permissive. Errors can be instantly deleted. The whole experience is characterized by an urgency and immediacy that is absent from the analog equivalent. The digital camera allows its user to experiment with cost-free and, therefore, risk-free alternatives. It transforms the whole procedure of shooting pictures into a spontaneous, even irreverent, experience.

Environmental facts that used to serve as external constraints with the analog camera - the quantity and angle of light, for instance - are now compensated for by special settings in its digital successor. The typical gadget provides for preset "templates" that capture the moment in an optimal manner, removing obstacles and limitations posed by the photographer's physical surroundings.

The digital photo is never a finished product. It can be downloaded onto a storage device (a computer's hard disk, the Internet) and there edited with software applications. Reality is thus rendered tentative and negotiable, a declaration of intent rather than a final statement.

Note on the iPhone - Interview granted to san Jose Mercury Sun, June 2007

The iPhone is the culmination and reification of a few such trends and, to hazard a guess, will, indeed, be proven in hindsight to have been even more important than the iPod or even the Blackberry. But importance does not always translate to sales. In commercial terms, the iPhone is comparable to the Mac, not to the iPod. It is too geeky and nerdy to become a household staple. It will be supplanted by something simpler to operate, accessible, and less intimidating, not to mention less expensive and more universal (e.g., not pledged to one phone service provider, like AT&T).

So, why is it important?

Because, though severely limited by way of options and features, the iPhone embodies the seamless convergence of erstwhile separate appliances such as the digital camera, the MP player, the mobile phone, voicemail, and the PC. It is, therefore, the first true proponent of ubiquitous (anywhere) computing. Its connection to iTunes also makes it the first representative of a workable on-the-go infotainment center (though mobile phone are far from ideal venues as far as video goes).

Doubtlessly, it will be succeeded by far more versatile and feature-rich versions. Undoubtedly, it will face stiff competition. But, whether like iPod, it will maintain a first mover advantage remain to be seen. I doubt it.

The history of technology is the history of interfaces - their successes and failures. The GUI (the Graphic User Interface), which replaced cumbersome and unwieldy text-based interfaces (DOS), became an integral part of the astounding success of the PC.

Yet, all computer interfaces hitherto share the same growth-stunting problems. They are:

1.. Non-transparency - the workings of the hardware and software (the "plumbing") show through;

2.. Non-ubiquity - the interface is connected to a specific machine or application and, thus, is non-transportable and non-transferrable;

3.. Arcane user-unfriendliness (i.e., to operate, the interfaces require specific knowledge and the entry of sequences of commands using a specialized syntax).

Even the most "user-friendly" interface is way too complicated for the typical user. The average PC is hundreds of times more complex than your living-room TV. Even the VCR or DVD players - far less complex than the PC - are challenging. How many people use the full range of a VCR's options?

The ultimate interface should be:

1.. Self-assembling - it should reconstruct itself, from time to time, fluidly;

2.. Self-recursive - it should be able to observe and analyze its own behavior;

3.. Learning-capable - it should learn from its experience;

4.. Self-modifying - it should modify itself according to its accumulated experience;

5.. History-recording;

6.. Media indifferent (it should span and encompass your hard disk, movable media, network, and the Web).

The interface of the future must possess a "picture of the world" (a-la artificial intelligence), preferably including itself, the user, and their cumulative interactions.

It must regard all other "intelligent" machines in its "world" (the user being only one of them) as its "clients" and be able to communicate with them in a natural language.

Its universe must be seamless: the physical or virtual location of files or hardware or software or applets or servers or communication lines or information and so on must be irrelevant.

It will probably be peer-orientated (no hierarchy).

I call it "the intuitive universal interface".

The new media technologies were designed by engineers and programmers - not by marketing people and users. The interface of the future will reflect the needs, wishes, limitations, and skills of users. This is a revolutionary shift and a natural outcome of the takeover of the Internet by governments and bottom line orientated corporations. The interface of the future will seek to enhance usage and enrich the user's experience - not to win technological beauty contests. It is a welcome transition and long overdue.

APPENDIX - The Search Engines of the Future

The search engines of the future are likely to offer the following:

1. A seamless search of your hard disk, movable media, network, and the Web using a common interface and the same dialog.

2. Localized search results with relevant advertising using geolocation services.

3. Alerts in search results regarding HTML pages that execute malicious code (spyware, adware, Trojan downloaders) when you visit them (already available from Google and Yahoo).

4. WHOIS records specific to the domains in search results.

How To Secure Your PC, Software And Data

The role of the personal computer has taken a whole new meaning ever since the introduction of the Internet. There are scores of Internet surfers who use the Internet from shopping to banking to investing and much more and the Internet today, is a buzzing, throbbing center of activity. But there's some bad news - the Internet is also swarming with quite a few elements from the dark side - and they are called hackers and phishers.

Hackers try to break into your computer to steal or corrupt your important data, while phishers try to obtain your personal identification using dubious methods. You have no choice but to protect your computer from these elements and here a few, easy, cost-effective steps you must take to make your computer almost as secure as Fort Knox:

1. Take a backup of important data regularly - preferably, daily. Buy another hard drive for the backup, but do not permanently plug it into your computer. The idea is to keep your backups away from your computer just in case it is hacked into.

2. Always update your operating system. All developers of operating systems (Windows, Apple OS and Linux) regularly release patches and updates when they discover holes in their programs. So, remember to keep the "automatic update" feature on always. Microsoft Tip: Windows users can go to www.windowsupdate.microsoft.com and download the latest updates.

3. Your web browser (Internet Explorer, Opera, Mozilla Firefox, etc.) too must be updated for the same reasons stated above. All you have to do is visit the browser developer's homepage and download the latest version or update. If you are using the Microsoft Office Suite, then you must make it a point to visit www.officeupdate.microsoft.com and update it, as this software suite is a hacker's favorite.

4. Next, install a firewall on your computer. A firewall turns your computer invisible on the Internet and hackers, phishers, virus/Trojan developers, malware and adware cannot break into it. You can visit www.zonealarm.com and download a personal edition, which comes free. However, if your data security needs are critical, then you must consider investing in a 100% hack-proof firewall.

4. Hackers mostly employ Active-X and JavaScript for planting malicious programs into computers. Also, cookies are regularly planted on your computer to track your browsing preferences - but cookies are relatively harmless. To stay away from malicious programs, you need to tweak your web browser's security settings - Set your security setting for the "Internet zone" to High, and for your "trusted sites zone" to Medium-Low.

5. Now, you need virus protection and therefore, need to install anti-virus software. AVG anti-virus is free software that is updated regularly and you can download a personal edition by visiting its developer's website http://www.grisoft.com/.

6. Never ever open mail attachments that come from unknown sources. They are sure to contain a virus or a Trojan. Also, never run a program located at an unknown origin, on a website that does not have a security certificate - such programs will plant a Trojan on your system.

8. The Windows operating system is set to "hide file extensions for known file types". Turning off this option will help you see files with unusual extensions - which, in all probability, will be viruses/Trojans/Keyloggers.

9. When you are working offline, disconnect your computer from the local area network. That way, a hacker will not be able to attack your computer.

10. Build a boot disk just in case a malicious program crashes your system.

11. Finally, you need to install an anti-spyware program. Ad-Aware SE Personal is an award-winning tool that can help you detect and eliminate spyware effectively.

These are the basic steps required to secure your computer. Always remember to keep your anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall programs up-to-date. So, use our guide and turn your computer into a virtual Fort Knox. Good Luck!

Internet Marketing And Flash Based Exploits

Online marketers who are often obsessed with raking in more traffic from social network sites resolve to using black-hat methods which redirects users to other profiles or sending them straight to an unsecure landing site, where they could be victims of viruses or Trojans. These Trojans can force the browser to redirect to the website being promoted. The threat is real. What are we going to do about it?

Looking for a friend online, you visit a popular social network site. The person's profile looks good, a bit too colorful. The profile looks just like any other you've visited on the social network. You scroll down to check his flash animations or videos, and then BOOM! You get redirected to a Viagra site, or worse, an online haven for viruses. Then you realize you've just fallen prey to a nifty Flash-based exploit.

Most online users think it is just a small annoyance, having their browser redirected after visiting an online social profile. But in fact, it poses a very serious risk. Some users get a taste of spamming ads, while others get a nasty bite from a Trojan or virus. Web marketers say this is a gray hat technique in online marketing that can drive lots of traffic. But its risky and might threaten your campaigns to improve search engine rank.

Now you might be wondering how scammers or black hat marketers pitch off a stunt like a flash redirection on online social communities. It's really very simple. Most social networking sites allow users to post flash videos on their profiles. With a little bit of Flash coding knowledge you can compile a very small (.swf) Flash video that will force the browser to redirect instantly or at a particular time. The redirection is not really that dangerous, but where you get redirected to can be a disaster. Think about marketers forcing ads or products on your screen without you having a choice or option to turn it off. And it can get pretty nasty, when a flash redirection bug sends you to a malware site, and forces your browser to download a nifty little code that will make your PC vulnerable to online attacks. This type of activity is mostly illegal, and users or marketers who employ them often get banned from the social site.

Flash video exploits can also cause web browsers to launch different windows which can be specifically targeted to a particular website. Web marketers often use this strategy to bring users to pages where they can reap dollars per click. It might improve search engine rank for sites that are catchy enough for online visitors. But users don't really get anything from the act, often just wasting their time doing surveys, which really don't give them anything at all and which may potentially exploit vital financial details from them later on.

One of the more common flash video or flash-based exploits over social network sites involves flash-based games. Users often love to tinker with games while browsing over a site. A flash-based game can monitor user clicks or mouse movements and at a certain time or event launch a browser which can redirect you to different websites. The method is certainly very enticing and many users fall prey to this type of exploit.

The marketing practice explained above should give marketers some background on prohibited marketing activities. Improving flash-based designs or providing flash-based applications that will give users a choice and not force them to go to websites or malware sites should help improve search engine rank. Many web marketers and SEO representatives have fallen prey to the quick traffic this exploit can provide them, but marketers also risk a lot when they get caught.

Catching The Crowd - Social Network Marketing

Marketing on Social network sites is not an easy feat. It relies on a lot of user interaction, especially with existing contacts. Know the benefits Social sites can do to your business. Understand how social networking can drive targeted traffic to your website today.

Social network sites are the new breed of online social hubs. More and more users turn to social networking sites to find loved ones, reconnect with old friends, or even host a high school reunion. However, social networking sites offer more than just meeting new and old friends, it can also be an avenue to promote your latest book, show online users about your website and updates, or even use the social sites to promote your views and agendas. Social network sites or User-created content sites like blogs, forums, or dating websites are basically places online where users can congregate to share information, give advice, or work on similar interests. Users flock social network sites, making it a good vantage point for web marketers to launch their products.

There are two types of marketing involved over social networking sites. Different types of individuals who promote their products or skills over social networking sites often employ varying tactics to get their message across. Several online marketers employ the use of the comments system on social marketing sites to post information about their products or use social sites to improve search engine placement for their websites. Though some web marketers would go overboard with the promotion and quite literally spam their target audience with useless data just to lure them to clicking a link which will direct them to the website being promoted. Other types of web marketers employ a subtle technique of social engineering to make users trust them and to make them purchase their products or click on a link to their main website. Other marketers would go as far as using black hat search optimization techniques to force web browsers into redirecting to another site. This type of marketing is not allowed on most social communities, and could get you banned on that social site, if caught.

Taking the different strategies piece by piece we identify different patterns on how web marketers coordinate their efforts to capture a wider scope of online users on a social networking site and achieve better search engine placement for their websites. Web marketers who operate viral marketing strategies often use software tools that will allow them to harvest different user profiles or account numbers, which they would use to send or post messages on. Web marketers meticulously gather user details and interest, and seek out vital social community sections like forums and rant pages where their messages can go around with the least possible chance of getting erased by members. Web marketers usually lace their promotional words with entertaining music or videos. But this can still be the tip of the iceberg on the grand scheme of online promotions. Once you give into the advertising, you will see yourself clicking on different links which will make you download or get redirected to another website which can force you to download a certain application or Trojan which they can then use to either force your browser to redirect to other web pages when you are browsing or quite literally force your computer to accept different ads from their website.

Social engineering on the other hand employs more interaction between the marketer and the end users. Web marketers who employ social engineering often use chatrooms or utilize the email system of social network sites to send messages to users. VoIP or Internet telephoning can also be used to improve marketer and user interaction. This type of online marketing may take awhile to be realized, but is often more successful in landing repeat customers, if done right.

Crohn's Disease Is A Diagnosis That Demands Your Attention

Crohn's disease is one of the toughest gastrointestinal (GI)diseases for healthcare providers to diagnose. The reason for this is because it is like a Trojan horse, hiding away while mimicking so many other GI conditions. So of course it is often tough to tell exactly what you are dealing with... mimics others and yet can still manage to make your life miserable!

A battle of the wills... who is going figure it out first...the symptoms of Crohn's disease vary from person to person and naturally that does not make diagnosing it any easier.

While there is no one test that your doctor can perform that will conclusively identify Crohn's, it does not mean that your concerns should be blown of. Rather it means that your physician may simply have to look a little harder and differentiate a little more selectively when trying to get to the true source of your pain.

As your physician tries to determine if you do have Crohn's or not, one of the easiest medical exams to help on the journey is a stool sample. This sample can help your doctor to determine if your bowel upset is caused by an infection or by inflammation.

In the case of Crohn's disease, inflammation of the G.I. tract presents itself as if there is an infection but there is no infection present. So you can see by obtaining a simple stool sample several possibilities can easily be ruled out.

Well, once your physician has had a good look at your poop and has had a chance to see if it is infection or inflammation hiding within, the next thing on the "tests" to do is typically several other standardized tests. Some of those tests may include drawing blood to assess your complete blood count to check for signs of anemia due to blood loss and for signs of infection, a CT scan of your belly, or even a colonoscopy, a flexible sigmoidoscopy and perhaps a barium enema. Some physicians may also elect to have you get a small bowel x-ray series and even a capsule endoscopy.

If your blood work shows that anemia is present then Crohn's disease may be a possible diagnosis. If your blood work shows that an infection is present then that piece of the puzzle would point to the fact that Crohn's disease is not likely.

So you should already be able to see how difficult diagnosing Crohn's disease can be. However, just like putting the pieces of a puzzle together your physician should keep on going until a definitive diagnosis is made. You are worth it.

Crohn's disease symptoms can be a bit tricky and yet one of the commonly seen symptoms is bloody diarrhea or rectal bleeding. This bleeding is what can lead to abnormal lab work that beings to paint a picture of anemia because of the blood loss. These two pieces of information are important in getting the diagnosis right. So don't be embarrassed if you are experiencing rectal bleeding. For goodness sakes, tell the truth!

A colonoscopy may be helpful in getting to the bottom of your symptoms. Generally performed by a gastroenterologist, a colonoscopy can only be performed after you have completed a rigorous bowel prep so that your colon is thoroughly clean out. If there is still stool in the colon then your physician cannot see your colon. Make sense? So once you've completed the bowel prep, after mild sedation your physician will insert a flexible lighted tube that has a tiny camera attached to it through your rectum and into your colon. With the lighted tube and tiny camera your physician can see the colon and can assess for the presence of Crohn's disease.

It is important to remember with any medical procedure and there are risks associated with it. Risk associated with a colonoscopy include G.I. bleeding and perforation of the colon wall.

There are a few downfalls with a colonoscopy, though. It is not a perfect test. Remember that Crohn's disease may only be found in the small intestine and so if that is your story then a colonoscopy simply won't do you any good.

When diagnosing Crohn's, your doctor may decide to take a look inside your colon by ordering a flexible sigmoidoscopy. With this exam, after a stringent bowel prep, your physician will insert a flexible scope through your rectum to take a look at the last two feet of your colon. Again, a visual look can tell the whole story if the those last two feet of colon show signs of Crohn's disease. Just like the colonoscopy, the flexible sigmoidoscopy has its limitations too. If the disease is up higher than the last two feet of the colon, then this exam is not going to catch it.

Well, it should be rather clear by now that if you have any symptoms of Crohn's disease that it may take while for your healthcare provider to put all the pieces of the puzzle together and to get to an accurate diagnosis. This is not something that can taken lightly and it is important that an accurate diagnosis is reached before rushing to judgment just to have an answer on the table.

Yes, Crohn's disease is tough to diagnose primarily because it acts so much like many of the other GI conditions. While it may take time to get to the correct diagnosis it is not something that you should take lightly and you should be honest and work closely with your physician in order to get an answer for the symptoms you are experiencing.