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.

Diagnosing Crohn's Disease Is A Challenge Even For The Best

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!

Symptoms absolutely vary from person to person and there are no strict guidelines for physicians to follow that definitively point to a diagnosis of Crohn's disease. Therein lies the challenge.

There is not one absolute test that your health care provider can use in diagnosing Crohn's disease definitively and so diagnosing Crohn's disease becomes a bit of a puzzle.

So you think you have Crohn's disease? First thing is to get yourself to the doctor! One of the very first tests that your doctor will probably elect to perform is a simple test of your stool sample. It is a cheap and and easy to perform test. Your physician can take a look at your stool sample and determine whether the bowel issues you are experiencing are because you have a raging gut infection or if instead you are experiencing an inflammatory response in your bowel. Either way, this simple test can tell your health care provider a lot about your GI tract.

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.

A complete blood count can not only tell if are anemic or not, but it can also tell if you have an infection or not. Remember an infection typically points away from the diagnosis of Crohn's.

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!

Your physician may also elect to perform a colonoscopy. This procedure is generally done by a gastroenterologist trained in the procedure. After a stringent bowel prep prior to the exam, your physician and a will insert a flexible lighted tube with an attached camera through your rectum and into the colon to check for any evidence of Crohn's disease.

Of course, just as with all medical procedures, a colonoscopy has its risks. Obviously with this procedure two of the most common risks are G.I. bleeding and perforation of the colon wall, both of which can be extremely serious complications.

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.

So a colonoscopy may or may be the sure fire hit to tell you if you have Crohn's and so your doc may decide to instead order a flexible sigmoidoscopy. While it is pretty similar to the colonoscopy, the one major change is that this little tube does not contain a camera. With this exam your physician would use the lighted tube to look at the inside of the last 2 feet of the colon to see if there are any signs of Crohn's disease. If your physician sees evidence of Crohn's in those last two feet of the colon, then a definitive diagnosis could be made. As with all tests, even the flexible sigmoidoscopy has some downfalls. The bad news is that Crohn's disease can hide higher up in the colon and so if that is the case, the the flexible sigmoidoscopy would be totally useless.

Well, it should be pretty clear by now that trying to definitely figure out if Crohn's disease is the culprit or not, is a bit like trying to discover the eye of the needle in a big ole haystack. So don't get irritated and rush your physician! Give 'em a chance to thoroughly figure it out before rushing to judgment.

Because it mimics so many other diseases diagnosing Crohn's disease can be a challenge. However, it is a challenge that is certainly worth undertaking so that you can get back to being a healthy you.

How To Protect Yourself Against The Scourge Of Spam

Spam is unsolicited mail that is mainly promotional in nature and has junk value - some spam messages even contain viruses or Trojans. It is a major source of nuisance for all Internet surfers, and its proliferation has begun to weigh in the minds of many Internet surfers, who have now begun to doubt the efficiency of the email transmission system.

It was in December 2003 that the US government woke up to spam's nuisance value and passed the "Can Spam" (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing Act of 2003) Act, which is regarded as the first national safety benchmark against unsolicited commercial e-mail. The "Can Spam" Act forbids spammers from sending any unsolicited commercial e-mails by using a false return addresses; it also forbids them from using dictionaries (note to client: I think the author means "directories) to generate these unsolicited mailers. The use of misleading subject lines is also forbidden and the Act makes it mandatory for emails to include an unsubscribe option. Any violation of these rules constitutes a crime, which can land the spammer in jail for up to one year.

Many savvy spammers have circumvented this rule by sending out spam from countries that have weak spam laws. These weak laws have begun encouraging spammers and today, there is more spam that's flying out at lightning speed all across the world.

Here, then, are the top 5 methods you can follow to protect yourself from spam:

1. Do not publish your personal email address on the web. Spammers make use of programs - referred to as "Spam Spiders" - that hunt the Internet for email addresses. If you can spare the time, visit WebPoison.org, an open source project that is geared to fight these "spam spiders", by feeding them with bogus HTML web pages packed with fake email addresses. In case you have to use your email address, then avoid giving out your personal address - instead, give out a secondary email address. You can also encrypt your email address by using email-encoding programs such as jsGuard.

2. Install anti-spam software. There are many such programs out there and here are a couple of leads: www.cloudmark.com; www.mailwasher.net. Their basic versions come free, while the professional versions cost a little bit of money.

3. Always sign up for a secondary email address and use it for subscribing to newsletters and other promotional programs. Give out your primary email address only to people who matter.

4. Do not open any attachments that tag along with suspicious or unknown email addresses. In all probability, these attachments will carry a virus or a Trojan program. If you are working in a company and using their email ID, then you must talk to the system admin and make him shut out spam, if it hasn't been done. But, when it comes to your personal email address, you are on your own, and have no other option but to delete the spam message (or, block it) without opening the attachment.

5. You can block mail that you think is spam, or mark it as "bulk" mail. The result is that the next time you get an email from the same address, it will either be blocked or it will be delivered in your bulk folder. You can then delete all the mails in your bulk folder in one click. Normally, all email providers provide these anti-spam facilities - if yours doesn't, switch to a better provider.

How To Protect Yourself Against The Scourge Of Spam

Spam is unsolicited mail that is mainly promotional in nature and has junk value - some spam messages even contain viruses or Trojans. It is a major source of nuisance for all Internet surfers, and its proliferation has begun to weigh in the minds of many Internet surfers, who have now begun to doubt the efficiency of the email transmission system.

It was in December 2003 that the US government woke up to spam's nuisance value and passed the "Can Spam" (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing Act of 2003) Act, which is regarded as the first national safety benchmark against unsolicited commercial e-mail. The "Can Spam" Act forbids spammers from sending any unsolicited commercial e-mails by using a false return addresses; it also forbids them from using dictionaries (note to client: I think the author means "directories) to generate these unsolicited mailers. The use of misleading subject lines is also forbidden and the Act makes it mandatory for emails to include an unsubscribe option. Any violation of these rules constitutes a crime, which can land the spammer in jail for up to one year.

Many savvy spammers have circumvented this rule by sending out spam from countries that have weak spam laws. These weak laws have begun encouraging spammers and today, there is more spam that's flying out at lightning speed all across the world.

Here, then, are the top 5 methods you can follow to protect yourself from spam:

1. Do not publish your personal email address on the web. Spammers make use of programs - referred to as "Spam Spiders" - that hunt the Internet for email addresses. If you can spare the time, visit WebPoison.org, an open source project that is geared to fight these "spam spiders", by feeding them with bogus HTML web pages packed with fake email addresses. In case you have to use your email address, then avoid giving out your personal address - instead, give out a secondary email address. You can also encrypt your email address by using email-encoding programs such as jsGuard.

2. Install anti-spam software. There are many such programs out there and here are a couple of leads: www.cloudmark.com; www.mailwasher.net. Their basic versions come free, while the professional versions cost a little bit of money.

3. Always sign up for a secondary email address and use it for subscribing to newsletters and other promotional programs. Give out your primary email address only to people who matter.

4. Do not open any attachments that tag along with suspicious or unknown email addresses. In all probability, these attachments will carry a virus or a Trojan program. If you are working in a company and using their email ID, then you must talk to the system admin and make him shut out spam, if it hasn't been done. But, when it comes to your personal email address, you are on your own, and have no other option but to delete the spam message (or, block it) without opening the attachment.

5. You can block mail that you think is spam, or mark it as "bulk" mail. The result is that the next time you get an email from the same address, it will either be blocked or it will be delivered in your bulk folder. You can then delete all the mails in your bulk folder in one click. Normally, all email providers provide these anti-spam facilities - if yours doesn't, switch to a better provider.

Free PSP Movie Downloads - An FAQ

Sony's Portable Playstation Player, or PSP, system delivers an amazing array of media to its users, with games, movies, and music available. It is now possible to download free PSP movies directly to your player after paying just a one-time fee. Here is an FAQ.

FAQ #1: Technically speaking, how do PSP movie downloads work? A: To play a movie on your player, you must first download the movie directly to your computer from a Web site the delivers PSP content and save it on your hard drive. Note that given the large file size of movies and the varying Internet connection speeds from computer to computer, downloading a full, feature length, premium quality movie file can take an hour or more. Once you have downloaded the file, you just need to transfer it to your device and play the movie.

FAQ #2: What are my options for downloading movies to my PSP device? A: There are two main options for downloading movies. You can either purchase them directly from any of a number of official Sony partner sites, which means you pay as you go: the more you download, the more you pay. Some people are most comfortable using a site run by an official Sony partner since it is owned by the same people that built the PSP devices. A second option is to get unlimited free movie downloads from any of a number of online providers. In this case, you pay a one-time, initial setup fee and then you get unlimited movies. The advantage of this second option is that you also get to download PSP games and music, all for the price of the same, one-time setup fee.

FAQ #3: How is the movie watching experience? A: Given the small size of the screen, watching movies on a PSP device is not the same thing as watching it on a small television. While the picture quality itself is crystal clear, the limited size obviously does not deliver the same type of movie-going experience one gets when watching a movie on a larger screen.

FAQ #4: Can I watch a feature-length film on my PSP? A: Yes, it is possible to watch a full, feature-length film on a PSP device. However, it is not really advisable. However, there are many video shorts and clips that are ideal for viewing on a PSP unit, so leveraging the video capability of these devices should not be overlooked. And, given that PSP devices do so much more than just play videos (like games and music), the video feature should be seen as a bonus rather than as a primary attraction of the PSP device.

FAQ #5: Will the battery on the PSP device last if I watch an entire movie? A: Yes! The battery in a PSP unit is designed to last 4 to 5 hours, which is plenty of time to watch even long films or double features.

If I were to grade the overall user experience when watching movies on a PSP, I would have to give it an A+ for convenience, an A for screen quality, a C for quality of the movie-watching experience (given the small screen size), and an A for technical ease of use. Downloading free movies from pay-just-once-type Web sites is an excellent option, especially if you do plan to also download their available music and games as well.

High Gear, Low Score

Imagine driving your golf ball under par with your mind.

What's the catch, you say? Well, no catch, but there are three requirements: You must have an open mind, understand the power of your subconscious, and trust the fact that your golf game is all in your head.

The subconscious mind, which is 88% of our mental capacity, drives all our behavior. The conscious mind, which is only 12%, houses all our logic, reasoning, decision-making skills, and willpower. As you can easily see, the bulk of our power comes from our subconscious. The good news is that this massive storehouse of power is easily manipulated by our conscious mind. The even better news is that we can align both these storehouses so that we have 100% of our power supporting us in attaining our goals. Think of it like this: the subconscious is a machine...just like your car or your computer. Both are powerful machines, but they are really just useless heaps of metal without an effective driver or operator. The conscious mind is the driver, or the "brain" and the subconscious is the "brawn," which is extremely obedient. It indiscriminately follows any order it is given, like a willing slave. Does your car care whether you drive to Savannah or Hilton Head? Of course not. So, you have a choice: you can drive or be driven. You can allow your subconscious to keep driving you the way it has always driven you, or you can take the wheel and command it to drive in a new direction. The subconscious is a collection of all the experiences, information, and perceptions we have filed away in there for future reference. Undirected, it will continue going in the only direction it's ever knownI'm a handicap golfer" or "I could never be scratch." The subconscious figures that if you haven't given it another command, you're happy with these. Remember, this is not your intelligence! So, it is up to you to use your intelligence and reprogram your subconscious with new, powerful, positive beliefs, such as "I'm becoming the golfer I've always wanted to be" or "My long drive soars over the green like a bird in flight." With time and repetition, your subconscious will manifest those statements as reality for you.

Note that the subconscious does not process negatives; it only responds to action words and commands. Therefore, you must focus on what you DO want, not on what you DON'T want, because your subconscious will deliver whatever it's told. Do you want a clean shot into the 9th hole...or into the sand? It is immaterial to your subconscious mind (and your car and your golf clubs!) if you are a handicap golfer or a scratch.

Top athletes Tiger Woods, Michael Weiss, and Venus Williams, to name just a few, use hypnosis to enhance their focus and their performance, and for very good reasons. It's painless, it's non-invasive, anyone can do it, and it works. A far cry from the "squawk like a chicken or sing like Elvis" stereotypes, hypnosis has been used for centuries, and is fast becoming mainstream as a beneficial therapeutic modality for a variety of issues, including sports improvement. We all experience hypnotic trance every day. It's just about as "scary" as having a massage; in fact, hypnosis does for the mind what massage does for the body. So if you can have a massage or you can go to sleep, you can be hypnotized.

Understanding this theory of the mind empowers us to access and utilize the enormous power we were born with so that we can be the golfer we want to be, live rich, full lives and attract the ideal mate, create a fulfilling career, earn a dream salary, and free the inner winner. There is simply no need to live as a hopeless victim of our subconscious. We were born to win, and winning can be our default setting. Hypnosis is a powerful modality in which we can harness the vast personal power that we ALL innately have. It has nothing to do with intelligence. Do you know a naturally brilliant person who can never seem to get out of his/her own way and constantly operates beneath his/her potential? Conversely, do you know someone of average intelligence who is wildly successful and always wins? It's an unequal world in many ways, yet when it comes to personal choice and living up to our own potential, we are all equal. Just like we all have the same 24 hours in a day and seven days a week, we all have the ability to plug into our own power source.

Online Tutoring - Destination to Success

Mr. Rakesh Sharma gets up daily at around 5 am in the morning. He then just swivels his chair on the spur of the moment to face his computer. He puts on his headsets and says in a low American voice "Hello Kelly, how are you?" The reply appears in an instant. " I am good Rakesh, how was your day?" Mr. Rakesh is a 24 year old gentleman who has been working for the online tutoring companies for the past two years now, He has been appointed to teach extra lessons for English grammar to Kelly, who is in 7th grade. The one on one interaction is done with the help of high-speed internet connectivity computer. The reason for this kind of online interaction is that while Kelly is based in New York City her online tutor is placed at New Delhi, India.

"Online Tutorials are amazing," said Emma of Dallas, Texas, whose 15-year-old daughter Michelle was having trouble with Science and was not getting the extra attention she needed at school. "Kelly uses online tutorials full time for home work help. Kelly is doing well in Science now a day. She's now more concentrated on her studies and enjoys learning it online. My daughter has shown tremendous improvement."

These online tutoring companies provides unlimited, 24x7 hours access to these online tutorials for K -12, pre -college level, college and graduate level students. They also offer assistance in subjects like English, Math, Physics, Chemsitry and what not. Some of the big online tutorial companies like TransWebTutors (transwebtutors.com), Brain Fuse, Transtutors (transtutors.com) and Growing Stars also provide preparation for standardized tests like SAT, PSAT, GMAT, TOEFL, GRE etc. The best things about these tutoring companies are that they are offering unlimited monthly tutoring sessions to students for $ 99 per month. Moreover it can be scheduled at any instant of time, to provide help when they need it the most. Isn't that exciting! Tutors, who are presently working with these companies, have credible degrees and have valuable teaching experience. These companies can help the students to excel in both school as well as competitive examinations.

The American Government introduced No child left Behind Act in the year 2002. According to this act each and every child of America should be provided with high quality education so that no one is left out. Education in America is in such a bad state these days that online tutoring is the only key to success for millions of American teenagers.

The sole aim of these online tutoring companies is to provide world class online tutoring and high quality content to students across the globe. They are the premier online destination for American teenagers. Moreover these companies provide affordable education - anytime in any subject. Students can access these services in school or in home. The services which these companies provides are easy to use, affordable and highly effective, giving American parents the tool kit they always needed to ensure their kids academic success.

Online tutoring business is expanding day by day. The online tutoring companies are the future of education industry, which can help help American teenagers to learn, grow and excel in a student centric environment.

How a Car Alarm Works

What Really Is A Car Alarm And How Does It Seem To Work Like It Does?

With this number of thefts each year, it is no wonder why car alarms are becoming a common item you get in new cars. There are sensors installed into the car that will set off the worst sounds you have ever heard in your life if someone tries to steal it. Most of the keys to start the car are now your remote control system to arm and disable your alarm. Your car will definitely be safe when you are away from it.

The alarm systems of today work in a particular way and provide you with protection in about the same way. Some alarms are very complicated to understand because of the technical advancements of it and others are so simple you can put them in yourself. Either way, be prepared for the thief stealing the cars to be able to figure this out and stop the alarm before it goes off. The basic alarm is a series of sensors installed that when triggered, will set off an alarm to deter whoever has malicious intent on taking your car. A simple alarm runs through the driver side door to sound off when it was opened. Simple installation of a switch, a few wires, and the siren part of the alarm is usually all that is required.

The more complicated alarms have a more involved installation to them and are usually best left to professionals. This is because the amount of sensors installed are not only run by a simple switch but now added to the mix is pressure sensitive sensors, and motion detection pieces. Instead of one simple siren sound, your system has more than one so you can customize it for your needs, a battery for only use with the alarm so it can still operate even if your car battery is disabled, and a computer that watches all of the goings on with the alarm and causes it to go off when something is not right. The most important part of these systems is the computer. It is not a large unit like you would think but very compact. This computer shuts down certain switches to the lights, siren, or horn when you disable the alarm. The particular alarm you choose will be different from another brand because they each choose their own types of switches and components they attach to the computer itself.

It is so important to use another source of power for your alarm because some of the time, your car's battery power may be cut by a thief. They think because they disable the regular battery connection to the alarm, it will be safe to steal. When there is another power battery hidden in the car, the alarm is still going to work. It would take them a few minutes to find the other source and thus it would take too long to be comfortable in knowing they will not get caught to steal the car. This extra power source also will set off the alarm if it is activated. This means when your primary battery source is cut or disabled, the alarm will sound.

The choice is really up to you. The more expensive the car, the more you need a better alarm. Each will range in price from under a hundred dollars to upwards of a thousand or more. When you decide to buy a vehicle, see if there is a way you can have one already installed in it. This will not only give you protection, it will be covered under the car's warranty. You might even get a break on your car insurance also.

Great Places To Buy Home Plans Online

Buying home plans is not an easy task. If you are a keen and cautious buyer, you will eventually visit and look into the overall specifications of the house that you plan to buy. Every detail, every spec must be seen and checked out. This may require a lot of time, especially if the home plan you are trying to buy is not near your current vicinity.

But thanks to the fantastic blessings of computer technology we can just pick and choose home plans all over the world through the World Wide Web. This can help you save time and effort throughout your entire buying process. House plan firm directories are available online, and there are many companies in the home plans business.

When you are browsing sites and web pages online, there are some important things to consider. Even if the seller is trying to provide customers with an excellent experience, during the website visit and during the actual transaction with the firm, it does not guarantee you the best house plan that you can get. You should screen and continue to investigate their assets and the services they provide. Some house plan firm directories provide a list of pre-screened house designs. Here, you can choose the location as well as the plan style that grabs your attention.

Homeplans.com has thousands of house design plans you can choose from. These were crafted by professional and trusted designers. They also cater to the needs of buyers who need plan customization, house design modification, as well as reasonable prices. At COOL House Plan Company there are more than 15,000 home plans as well as garage plans designed by known architects in the United States. Searching for your dream house plan is easy here. And the prices? Cool also. At Home Plan Finder you can canvass and search for house design plans suited to your needs. Moreover, they have been selling for over 25 years. In addition, they have the blueprints for all home designs to guarantee the quality designs they provide. And at Global Houseplans, they sell the house design plans created and molded by the world's leading architects and designers. Plus, there are online attendants that support and answer your questions. Here, you can ask questions and get tips on buying and choosing home plans.

There are also sites where you can browse through online catalogs to analyze and see the wide selection of house plans that are available. The house plans are often categorized for you. From luxury home plans, country, bungalow, small, Victorian, classic, colonial, beach, duplex, they are all online.

Keep in mind there are many user-friendly search engines you can use to see that dream house you have always wanted. By just clicking icons and links, you encounter the fine home plans and designs you have always hoped to own for yourself. With today's technology, it is possible that you can buy home plans with just the click of the mouse. You can ask for advice and tips online to guide and aid you in buying your dream home plan. So what are you waiting for? Go and check it online!

The History Of The Digital Music Revolution

Most of us, when we were kids, listened to the radio to hear the latest, greatest songs in the music world. We listened eagerly for something new, something original, something our buddies hadn't heard before, and when a song made its way into our collective conscience, we would wait for hours for our favorite DJ to play the song for us, sometimes even for days, just so we could hit the 'record' button and get the thing on tape.

At the time, the record companies knew we were taping our favorite music, but they didn't really care, because the quality of the recording was low and the DJ would more often than not talk over the first and last five seconds of the thing, making it worthless as something to swap or sell. 'Mix tapes' were a personal thing, but they couldn't really compare to the real thing - an LP, or, in later years, a compact disc.

But just as happens with every great hole in supply, eventually technological advances catch up with demand. And so it was that the public's desire for quality (free) music created the double cassette recorder, which made it possible for us to copy our mix tapes for our friends. The record companies tried to ban these devices, claiming they would lead to the end of the music industry. But they didn't...

Then video cassette recorders came along, allowing us to record our favorite music videos from MTV and play them endlessly. The music companies didn't like this either, and tried to get VCRs banned, claiming they would ruin the music industry. But they didn't...

Then along came Compact Discs, which allowed a cleaner recording to audio cassette, and late down the line, CD burners, which allowed people to copy CDs directly. Later still came DVD, and satellite radio. Everywhere you looked, someone was using new technology to make access to music easier, and everywhere that happened, the music industry tried (timidly) to put a stop to it. And then came Napster.

The online music world has led a fraught and tumultuous existence over the past decade. As early as 1996, pioneer internet users were passing around copies of their favorite music using chat servers and email, with equipment and formats that sometimes took as long as a full day just to download one song. But it was Shawn Fanning's Napster program that, in 1999, brought the ability to download music freely to every net user.

Napster provided the means for anyone to log in anonymously, search for their favored songs across millions of users' hard drives, and download those songs quickly and simply. The fact that any internet newbie could master Napster in minutes added greatly to its early success, but it was mass collectors, largely operating from university and college computers, who turned the system into one of the biggest buzz-makers in computing history.

What Napster did was create a huge central directory of every song owned by users on their system. If you wanted to get a copy of "I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Wow, you would just type the band and song name into Napster, hit 'search', and you would be presented with a long list of matches. You then just selected the one you wanted to download, and it would suck down on to your drive.

Of course, when people find a loophole that allows them to get something for nothing, they do often tend to go overboard, and that's exactly what the community of Napster users did en masse. Instead of just finding the music they needed, users were soon downloading everything they could find, hoarding songs and albums that they had little interest in, just so they could say they had them. It was not uncommon for college students to use multiple computers at their school to download thousands of songs on to CD in a few hours, most of which would never actually be listened to. This, obviously, annoyed the hell out of the record companies in ways that double cassette recorders never could.

While Napster made it clear to users that its service was designed to help users find 'legal' music downloads, it also made little effort to stop people from trafficking in pirated material through its system, which led the body that represents the record companies politically, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) to take legal action against the company, effectively charging it with mass piracy and the loss of tens of millions of dollars in sales.

Interestingly, rather than kill music downloading completely, the court action had the opposite effect, spreading word of Napster across the globe like wildfire, which saw millions of new users sign up even as the creators of the program were fighting to keep the system from closure. So many people had become addicted to music file-sharing that the prospect of life without Napster seemed a punishment few could take, and so those with the skills began coding Napster alternative programs.

Gnutella was an early variant, created by Nullsoft (the company behind the hugely successful WinAmp music software), and though they quickly took the program off the market, hackers and crackers were soon ripping Gnutella to pieces and reconstructing it to suit their needs. Morpheus was soon on the scene, and as Napster began to cooperate with the record companies by filtering out popular song titles from the system, the new program rapidly grew.

But Napster's shift towards cooperation was not enough for the giant music conglomerates, who threw up hurdle after hurdle designed to take Napster out of business. Even heavy metal group Metallica joined the fray, launching their own lawsuit and earning the rage of many of their fans in the process. Lawyers for the file-sharing software company made the all-too valid point that, if Napster was in any way responsible for the actions of copyright violators, so too were the phone companies that provided the phone lines upon which the music was being shared. They claimed that the ISPs were just as liable as they were, because they didn't actually house any illegal files on their servers, rather they simply facilitated the searching of said files on other peoples' computers.

We may never know if the judge hearing that particular legal case understood the difference, or merely figured that while Napster wasn't breaking the law per se, they were acting against the spirit of the law, but either way, the judge told the company in July 2001 that if it couldn't stop illegal files from being passed through its service, it would have to shut its doors. And that's what it did, after a judge stopped record company Bertelsman, who had invested heavily in Napster in an effort to legitimize the company, from taking it over.

Since Napster shut its doors, the company has since reemerged as a legitimate music download source, albeit with far less success than it enjoyed in the early days, and literally dozens of 'illegal' file sharing programs have taken its place to fill the free music download void. These, such as WinMX, BitLord, Kazaa, Morpheus, BearShare, Aimster, Napigator, AudioGalaxy, and Limewire, run the gamut from useful to useless, but they all share a common element - they take the stance that, if they're not hosting pirated music, they have nothing to do with those using their systems that do. Translated: Use at your own risk.

Great Exercises You Can Do At Home

Do you know that in order to keep your heart healthy and your weight under control, you need to walk at least 10,000 steps each day? This may sound daunting but many activities you're doing everyday such as running errands or doing household works can add up to a few thousand steps for you.

To make sure you achieve the 10,000 steps each day, here are some simple and easy exercises that you can do at home. These exercise routines work on specific muscle groups which will help to tone your body. They are more effective than the general exercises such as running errands and doing house chores. Here are the exercises you can easily do at home:

- Abs workout. I have found a great 8 minute video showing you how to do abs workout at home. You can watch the video at "Best Abs Workout At Home - Only 8 Minute".

- Curl is very easy to do. Just lie on your back with both hands behind your head and raise your upper body. Repeat this move for 15-20 times.

- Leg exercises can be done by lying down on your side and lifting each leg repeatedly for 15-20 times. You can also stand and hold on to the back of a chair and lift your legs backward repeatedly.

- Stretching exercises. Stand with both of your hands against a wall and move your left leg back so that your foot is flat against the floor. Hold for a few seconds; then repeat this move with the right leg. Another great stretching exercise you can perform is to lie on your back, use both hands, bring up your right knee to your chest and hold it for a few seconds. Repeat this routine with your left leg.

- Arm exercises. This is important to improve muscle tone. For arm exercises, you can use an exercise band. Place both feet on one end of the band, hold the other ends with each hand and then repeatedly raise and lower the band (in an up and down motion for 10-15 minutes). If you have a pair of dumbbell, you can also use them to exercise your arms.

- If you are working at home and sitting in front of your computer most of the time, try to press down on your toes in an up and down motion frequently. This activity will help to keep the blood circulation flowing in your legs.

- Put on a CD and dance for about 20-30 minutes. This is a great cardiovascular workout. You can also incorporate sit-ups, jumping rope and push-ups into your daily home exercise routine.

NOTE: Always do some stretching to warm up before starting any exercise routine to prevent injury.

For more great tips on exercise at home without any equipment, check out "home Turbulence Training".

Pay Your Bills on Time Maintain Your Credit Ratings

It is often said that the most important possession a person is their reputation and good name. Your credit rating is attached to your name and follows you wherever you go in North America - be it New York, Chicago, Edmonton Alberta or Vancouver Canada. A credit rating is like a mirror- wonderful to look at when clear, but not very helpful of useful is damaged or sullied.

How can you maintain a good credit rating? It all comes down to consistency of paying your bills onetime and not running up debts that you cannot pay off or miss payments.

Many people will say- its only one small payment what does Visa, the car dealership where you financed your new auto or SUV care? After all they have more money than they ever need. Maybe you will get by with one excuse of a forgotten check. But do this a second time and the system will red flag your account, name, address etc. Then you might say - well Christmas is coming up - MasterCard, the bank or the finance company won't really notice. Wrong again. The system will flag you again. This time as more severe. Amazingly the whole credit system seems to have tentacles that share information - especially about bad creditors and debtors who owe money and are remiss on payments.

You may not think this is all a big deal - especially if you normally pay you bills on time. However now the system has picked up the consistency of your late payment and credit schedule. It's as if you have a thousand nosy neighbors watching your home and front door for that girlfriend sneaking out late in the evening. Your poor payment history will be spread across the system to who knows where and to how many countless credit and credit reporting agencies.

The humor is that you may never know what is on the other side of the ledger so to speak. If your application for a loan or finance for a second auto is denied seldom will you receive any other notification or information than the denied claim? Information is supposed to be readily available - at least according to industry information - some say propaganda. If the information is that readily available - and readable to any layman what would be the value that companies would pay for ready access to it. You may say that the credit companies say that everyone is entitled to see their file. True - but are you going to tell your boss you need some time off to view your credit history since you are having trouble with your personal finances and having loan requests refused. Talk about a lose lose situation of a loss of your image of personal honor, integrity and .trustfulness on the job site and with your employer. In life most everything comes down to actual logistics. Then again you can request your credit history on the internet through thousands of firms who will provide these services online - for a fee. First of all is the information on your credit history - valid, up to date and accurate. For fun try a couple of free test probes at some of these sites. You are what you are and you ain't what you aint. Many of these services have a worse reputation than you do so to speak. No matter what information and credit information you place fill out online the same answers or answer will emerge. In order to receive accurate and relevant personal credit information most reputable sites will request identification and payment by credit card. As they say lots of luck. Banks, finance and credit card companies will loan to people who need it the least - those with lots of money and excellent credit. If you had no credit problems why would you be searching out the reasons for your credit and finance applications denials? On top of that your credit card, finances and overdraft at the bank or savings and loan is most likely tapped out and overextended already.

In this day and age of computers and rapid communications a couple simple financial mistakes can lead to a real quagmire. It's best to follow the simple advice of your grandmother - stay within your means. Don't buy what you cannot afford. It is always best to pay cash.

Find Out What Is Your Own Unique Way Of Learning

Whether you are learning how to play the guitar or learning how to ride a bicycle, there are two ways that most people learn. One method is the "just do it" method or the so-called "dive-in" method. If things don't turn out right, you simply make changes to what doesn't work and try again. Nobody can predict whether you will succeed eventually. It is also not known why this method is successful, it just is. This is the type of thinking that encourages some parents to throw their babies into swimming pools to help hem learn to swim. Or successful entrepreneurs who take a risk on an idea or concept.

Then there is the other method, which is "think about it" method. It involves thinking and analyzing a problem before jumping into it. In this method, decisions are made only after the outcomes have been carefully considered. This method is controlled by knowing what will happen. For some people, it gives them a certain amount of assurance, if they are worried about the consequences.

Obviously, both methods have pros and cons. But each situation has to be evaluated to find out which method will work best in any given scenario. When launching a mission to the moon, for example, the astronauts cannot hope that they will find the right course and hit their target simply by trial and error. All known possible outcomes and new problems must come to light in the many practice runs in simulators. They would fail disastrously if they tried to navigate in the vacuum of space if the "try first, discuss later" method is chosen. For a mission of this complexity and cost, every single detail has to be precisely calculated before the launch and every single detail planned, including back ups. On the other hand, children can learn to walk, swim or cycle through trial and error. In these skills, they do not need to know the physical laws that govern their motion.

A child learning to ride a bicycle must be aware of certain rules, often the unspoken ones. For instance, if the bicycle starts to tilt to the left, he must turn the handle to the right. The child does not need to know about the law of gravity, inertia, or physics to figure that out for long. Nobody has told him what happens when the bicycle tilts, experience alone is enough to teach him what the consequences will be.

When the child has become a skilled cyclist, all the necessary movements are automatically ingrained in their ability and they don't even need to concentrate on their steering. They can admire the landscape instead, or talk to a friend, listen to music or even eat and drink. At a certain stage, they may even show off and take their hands off the handlebars, trusting their momentum and sense of balance will prevent them from crashing into a tree or shrub.

Not many people are aware that they can train their memory to remember a multitude of information. Like riding a bicycle, it may be a bit challenging at first but the rewards of such an endeavor far outweigh the initial difficulties. But the good news is, just like learning how to ride a bicycle, there is a "training wheel" stage where the student uses what he or she is already familiar with. For example, you will already know the parts of your body or an area that you are very familiar with like your house or the usual route to work or school. Such memory techniques and memory training methods have been used since time immemorable, long before computers and digital diaries were invented. Once the student is familiar with the workings of the mind, he or she can progress to more advanced learning modality.

A trained memory is definitely an asset. Not only does it save valuable time for any student, it's very important in daily home or working life. In today's fast paced environment, sometimes we need all the help we can get and it can and should be fun too. So why not experiment on your own to find out ways you can use your very own imagination to help you learn better and remember better. Remember, if you can't accept a few scrapes and knocks here and there, you'll never experience the thrill of the wind blowing in your hair.

Database administration and software by Dean Barnard

Copyright (c) 2007 Dean Barnard

Data is vital to an organization's functioning. Compromise of data due to security breach, access by unauthorized people, corruption of data due to human or machine error may irrevocably damage data integrity. A new breed of IT professionals has emerged to cater to this need. Data administration essentially means storing, backing up, and ensuring total data integrity of a database. The database administrator continuously monitors the health of a database. It is his responsibility to create a data recovery procedure or process in case of loss of data. This in popular parlance is known as disaster recovery. The need for data backup has been felt acutely after 11/7 where many corporations lost their entire database which may have been collected over many decades. This may include roll back to a state or time where the data is verifiable. This roll back operation is possible with some of the RDBMS like Oracle and IBM DB2. Extensive tests are available to ensure that roll back plan is effective and verifiable. Database administrators are to ensure that only authorized access is permitted to the database. Database availability is a key issue to be addressed. Data should be available as and when requested. Database tuning called performance tuning is required to make access faster. Tackling issue of performance may be one of the main activities of a database administrator.

Database software

Businesses run on data and storage, retrieval, manipulation and presentation of data is one of the most important functions of computers. Dedicated Database software has been designed to cater to this need. The early nineties were witness to windows based database software. The noteworthy ones are FOXPRO which started off as FOXBASE by FOX software. It later transformed the database field by introduction of Rushmore technology. It also introduced a graphical Screen Builder and Report Builder and integrated SOL support. FOXPRO became so popular that Microsoft soon acquired it and included it in its Visual Suite and renamed it as Visual FoxPro which continues by this name even today. Concurrent to the development of FoxPro another competing database offering was available in the market, dbase. Both these continued development head to head till version dbase IV after which it lost its way. The major reason given for its downfall was its inability to cater to a more technically savvy professional who demanded an advanced set of programming tools which dbase could not provide. However there were major limitations with both these software especially while handling large databases, real time application and online transactions. This space was filled up by Oracle. Subsequently Microsoft brought out two database software applications, Access and SQL server.

Data in the modern world is increasing by leaps and bounds. The quality of data is also quite sophisticated and requires specialist treatment. Database administrators are trained to manage large amounts of data and ensure its integrity, security and availability. Database is today a separate field of activity altogether.

Transfer Music From iPod to Computer - Top 25 Links by Sydney Nelson

Transferring music from your iPod to your computer is easy to do if you have the tools. Unfortunately, the iPod is designed to prevent us from sharing our music. Which is understandable, because the music industry is reeling from the technology which allows us to copy music CDs, and reducing their profits.

But the problem is longstanding, ever since the old cassette tape players were used to record music, straight from the radio. So, what should you do if your computer with all your iTunes goes on the bum, or even worse, just breaks. You're stuck, without any way to transfer your tunes to your new computer.

Until now!

As technology goes, there are always folks who will find a way to beat the system, and this article will outline 25 options for transferring your tunes from your beloved iPod to your computer. Some are either freeware or shareware and the others of course, come with a nominal price tag.

A couple of the links are actually for transferring photos from your iPod to your computer so I included the link below as an extra. It allows you to transfer tunes and videos between iPods. Lots of folks have more than one iPod and would like to simply copy thier favorites from one iPod to the other or their friend's iPod.

iPod 2 iPod http://www.topshareware.com/iPod-2-iPod-download-39933.htm Many people own more than one iPod. iPod 2 iPod is an application that allows you to transfer your music and video between them.

Mac Operating System

iLinkPod http://www.ilinkpod.com/ iLinkPod is first of all a unique tool that creates a permanent and direct access from your Desktop (and your iPod or wherever you want) to the hidden folders in which iPod stores your audio files. So you don't need iLinkPod or any other utility to access your hidden audio files on the iPod, you'll have access to them through a common folder on your Desktop (and iPod too).

iPod Viewer 3.0.1 http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/15864 Transfer songs to and from your iPod.

Expod0.3 http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/30994 With Expod you can copy any or all of your songs (or videos) off your iPod, using whatever file naming convention you like.

PodView 1.5 http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/29287 Play music, movies, photos at full screen and import content from your iPod.

iPodDisk http://ipoddisk.ourbiti.com/index.php/download/ iPodDisk is a tool designed to make it easy and intuitive to copy music from your iPod. You copy music off your iPod in the Finder, like a regular disk drive.

Senuti http://www.fadingred.org/senuti/ Get music off of your iPod onto any computer.

PodUp 1.0.0 http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/31475 PodUp is an application which copies all your music files from your iPod to a folder of your choosing, without having anything to do with iTunes.

Mac OS and Windows

iPodRip http://www.thelittleappfactory.com/application.php?app=iPodRip iPodRip supports recovering your songs and playlists, playback of audio files and much more. iPodRip is compatible with Mac OS X 10.2 and later, and Windows XP and 2000. Trial version available.

Music Rescue (Upgrade to the previously called PodUtil) http://www.kennettnet.co.uk/software/podutil.php Music Rescue is a shareware utility for copying songs from your iPod to your computer. PodUtil is compatible with Mac OS X and 9.x, and Windows XP and 2000.

iPod Music Liberator http://www.zeleksoftware.com/products.htm The iPod Music Liberator allows you to copy music, playlists, and ratings from your iPod to any computer, filling in a missing feature of iTunes. It supports Mac OS X and Windows XP, 2000, NT and 98.

TuneRanger 0.9.5 Build 270 http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/32865 TuneRanger connects iTunes-running computers over a network, allowing music, video, and playlists to be merged from one iTunes library to another seamlessly.

iPod Access Photo 1.2 http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/32383 iPod Access Photo allows you to select individual photos and albums to be moved back onto your Mac computer or an external hard drive.

iPod Access http://www.ipodaccess.com/ipodaccess/upgradeofferWin.html The premier application for copying music, videos and playlists from your iPod back to your Windows PC.

Microsoft Windows PC

iPodCopy http://www.topshareware.com/iPodCopy-download-42821.htm iPodCopy allows you to copy music, video, podcasts and photos from your iPod back into iTunes or onto your PC hard disk. Also can copy playlists, artwork, ratings and play counts from your iPod into iTunes.

xPort http://www.topshareware.com/xPort-transfer-19893.htm xPort is the ultimate backup tool for your iPod. It enables you to easily transfer your all your songs from your iPod to your PC and it enables you to download lyrics, list your songs, create m3p playlists . . .

CopyTrans (formerly CopyPod) http://www.copytrans.net/ CopyTransTM is the ultimate backup and recovery tool for your iPod songs. It requires Windows XP or 2000.

CopyTrans Photo http://www.topshareware.com/CopyPod-Photo-download-39841.htm CopyTrans Photo allows you to transfer, backup, copy or download your photos from your iPod to your PC effortlessly.

xPodClone http://www.topshareware.com/xPodClone-download-37702.htm xPodClone is the ultimate backup tool for all your devices, it clone easily folders, dvds, cds, directories, ipod. You only have to drag and drop your files into the xPodclone window.

Xplay 2 http://www.mediafour.com/products/xplay/ XPlay makes it possible to not only add music to your iPod but copy music back off the iPod. With XPlay you can use both Mac and PC formatted iPods.

iGadget (formerly iPod Agent) http://www.ipodsoft.com/index.php?/software/ipodagent You'll be able to transfer all kinds of data to your iPod, including driving directions, contacts, appointments, email, notes, tasks, podcasts, RSS news feeds, weather forecasts, daily horoscopes, movie show times, gas prices and more! You will have the tools necessary to copy songs off your iPod and back onto your computer.

Tansee iPod to PC Transfer http://www.topshareware.com/Tansee-iPod-to-PC-Transfer-download-45653.htm Transfer music from iPod to computer.

Tansee iPod Photo Transfer http://www.topshareware.com/Tansee-iPod-Photo-Transfer-download-45654.htm Backup/transfer photos from iPod to computer.

Tansee iPod video to PC Transfer http://www.topshareware.com/Tansee-iPod-video-to-PC-Transfer-download-45655.htm Transfer video audio from iPod to computer.

iBack http://www.topshareware.com/iBack-download-49338.htm Copy your songs & videos from your iPod to any computer.

Kandalu X Cube http://tc.versiontracker.com/product/redir/lid/1007753/sendform.php3 Kandalu X Cube is a user friendly utility that quickly and easily allows the transfer of music files from your iPod to the computer.

In Summary

There you have it, all the resources you need to get your tunes and pictures off your iPod. There are other more expensive options available, but these are a very good starting point, especially since most are either free or have a very nominal fee attached.

If I had to pick only one, I'd pick the iGadget because it's a full featured utility with so many other useful functions in addition to the file transfer function.

Six Simple Ways to Publish Successfully by Theresa Chaze

Six Simple Steps to Publish Your Book Successfully

Doing a simple search on the net for predators and editors, it is easy to discover how many individuals and companies are waiting to take advantage of writers. Making grandiose promises of making their book a best seller, they con unsuspecting writers out of the money, talent and royalties. Even those writers who do the research can find that they have been taken advantage, However, with the new technological advances in computers and in printing, writers no long have to depend on others to make their publishing dream come true. Print on demand opens the door for authors to not only maintain creative control, but also retain all of the profits from their work. There are six simple steps to getting your book successfully published and distributed.

1. Write your book, making sure that it is properly edited.

Not only does you book have to be creative and interesting, but it has to be readable. Meaning that you need to do more than run it through the spell checker. Punctuation, spelling, and grammar errors will detract from the content and discredit the author. Although mistakes can even be found best selling books, they are rare and quickly fixed in the next edition. First time authors especially need to make sure the work reaches the highest standard possible.

2. Format you book so that it is easy to read and looks professional with an eye catching cover and enticing back cover blurb.

Formatting your book not only is resizing it to fit the appropriate book size, but it is also making sure the typesetting gives the pages a professional appearance. Margins need to be justified to give the pages a clean look. In most cases, book covers should be kept simple and uncomplicated; the graphics need to lure the reader to pick it up. The back cover blurb needs to tempt the reader into reading a few pages. The pages within should persuade the reader the book is worth the money.

3. Find a printer who can produce quality books at a cost effective price. The list of POD printers is rapidly growing. By Googling the "print on demand printers", the writer can find an impressive of list that varies not only in price but also in services. Some POD printers provide printing services without set up fees; however, they have limited distribution, which will also reduce the number brick and mortar stores who will be willing to carry the books. However, if an author only needs a few copies or intends to sell solely online, theses services are inexpensive ways to get a book in print. Most POD printers charge set up fees, but they also provide other printing options for book size, colors, and binding.

4. Make you book financially attractive to bookstores. New authors have be realistic about their profit margins. In order for bookstores to be interested, the books have to be reasonably priced with at least a 50% discount off the cover price. However, the current standard discount is 55% off. In addition, making the books returnable is a must. Very few bookstores will risk their money and shelf space on a book by an unknown author if it isn't returnable. When setting the cover price all three factors must be considered in along with a royalty fee. Never forget to pay yourself for your work, but don't forget that the higher the cost of the book, the few copies that will be sold.

5. List your book with a distributor who is widely used. Ingram is one of the widest know distributors in the country. However, they will not work with publishing houses that have less than ten titles in print. For a new publishing house, this can be a temporary obstacle. They do however have a list of associated distributors who will represent books from smaller publishers. The site address for the list is http://www.ingrambook.com/new/distributors.asp. Each of these distributors has their own standards and genres that they represent. Some of which require an exclusive contract for each book.

6. Promoted and market you book 24/7 Whether traditional or POD, a beginning author does nearly all of the marketing and promotions. In order to be effective, the author has to not only find a niche market, but has to create brand name for her or himself. The niche market is the target market that you are seeking according to genre, age, gender and readership. Creating a brand name is process where an author creates a strong connection with the target audience. In the past, traditional publishers placed ads and arranged for reviews. These are both still important venues; however, the internet has opened up many different options. Blogs, vblogs, and homepages are only three opportunities to attract readers, which cost little or no money. Online groups, chat rooms, and message boards are not only places to promote your work, but it is a great way to make connections with like minds. No longer costing thousands of dollars to get their books in print, more authors are starting their own publishing houses and going out on their own. By doing it themselves, an author can published and distributed to the public for less than three hundred dollars.

Valkyrie Publishing is a consulting service, which helps authors create their dream without risking their royalties or answering to another. It is their job to make the publishing experience as simple and inexpensive as possible. For authors who are not technologically savvy or would just like help with the process, they are an excellent resource and beneficial asset.