Discount Computer Chairs

By Thomas Morva

Discounts on computer chairs are allowed so as to sell more computer chairs. It is a possible means to promote business and to gain profit. They are actually high quality computer chairs obtained at discount prices.

Discount computer chairs come in a wide variety of styles, colors, and prices. There are chairs of fixed and adjustable heights. Some computer chairs come with low backrests and some with tall backrests. The chairs are manufactured with or without arms. Ergonomic type computer chairs at discount prices are a great advantage in offices. These chairs help individuals to maintain proper postures with support at the lower back. In addition, other computer chairs of non standard designs such as kneeling chairs, saddle seats, and sit-stand stools are also available at discount prices.

Discount computer chairs are made of different materials such as leather, fabric, and mesh. Fabric and mesh chairs are easy to maintain and only minimum care is needed to retain them in good condition for long periods. Soft leather chairs are good for home based business, as these chairs offer an aesthetic and luxurious look at home offices.

As most people spend some amount of time with computers daily, computer chairs are becoming a necessary item in this modern technology advanced world. There are a number of online stores and retail outlets for discount computer chairs. Some online stores offer chairs at discount rates for individuals who visit the site and get chairs for the first time. Some stores provide discounts for more numbers being bought. There are stores that offer discounts for ordering through their web sites.

With so many stores for discount comfortable chairs, individuals are able to buy chairs according to their budgets, styles, and tastes. These chairs are available with warranty options in most cases.

Computer Chairs provides detailed information on Computer Chairs, Cheap Computer Chairs, Ergonomic Computer Chairs, Computer Desk Chairs and more. Computer Chairs is affiliated with Glass Computer Desks.

Selling Electronics and Appliances at Garage Sales

Electronics and appliances will usually bring more money than items such as clothes and trinkets. Focusing on these items will bring you more money for your effort. Following some easy tips will make your garage sale a successful one.

Firstly, you will want to promote the fact you have a good supply of electronics and appliances. People will not know unless you tell them. Make a sheet on the computer describing all the electronics and appliances you have available, with prices for each one. Try to make the price sheet as visually appealing as possible. People like cute things at garage sales. Making it simple but cute will be the most effective. You will need to disclose whether each one is working and the condition it is in. Having this information readily available will help you concentrate on other things without having to price each item as it sells. If you have an idea of what you want for the item, the chances of it actually selling increases.

Find out which appliances or electronics to sell. You will not want to be confronted with an angry relative for selling their computer they had important documents on. Even though it did not look as they were using it, it may very well had important pictures and documents residing on it. Always remember that you will not get what you originally paid for appliances and electronics. Computers in particular decrease in value quickly. A good idea would be to visit other garage sales in your area before yours takes place to get a feel for what things are selling for. You may also want to visit online auction sites to see what they sell for on there. This will give you a good idea of the value. Always remember to clean your items. Be sure they are free of dust, dirt and grime.

If you saved the boxes and instruction manuals for your electronics, it would be a good idea to pull them out. People will appreciate and would be willing to pay more for something that is perceived as newer. It is all about perception in selling. Of course, if it is broken, a shiny new box is not going to help the sale any. If it looks like you took care of the item by keeping the box, people will be more inclined to not only buy the product, but perhaps pay more for it. If you have the box and the item is priced right, you have a winning combination.

David Pierce is owner of Garage Sale Riches A website all about garage sales and the best ways to have one.

How to Find Out If a Number Is From a Landline or a Cell Phone

Sometimes, discovering whether or not a phone number belongs to a landline or cell phone can be important information you would like to know. Why?

Let's say a friend or relative has given you their phone number, but hasn't specified the type of phone the number they gave to you belongs. Depending on what type of phone the number is connected to may help you decide when the best time to call them would be, as well as determine how long you should talk with them. For instance, if the phone number you were given is a landline number and you know that your friend or relative has small children, it may not be appropriate to call them and disturb their home after a certain hour, especially if people are sleeping.

On the other hand, if the phone number belongs to a cellular phone, you may want to call them in the evening and keep conversations brief out of consideration, as you might not know what type of plan they have and wouldn't want to risk the person having to pay an additional fee for casual chitchat. Finding out if a phone number belongs to a landline or cellular phone may also be important to you if you are receiving frequent calls from an unknown number, as this information may help you better focus your search in identifying the caller.

Nevertheless, regardless of your reasons for wanting to investigate the type of phone associated with a phone number, you will find that a reverse phone number lookup service can help you. That being said, it is imperative that you keep in mind not all reverse phone number lookups will include cell phone numbers in their database. Therefore, you need to find a website that includes both landline/wire line and cellular numbers in their search results.

Once you find a site, simply enter in the full phone number (area code and 7-digit number) you wish to lookup and search. Since you are only interested in finding out the type of phone the number belongs to, you should have no problem obtaining this information for free, regardless of the phone type. If the website you are using does not provide this information, choose another site to conduct your search to find out more about a phone number because the information can be obtained at no cost.

Susan is a part-time writer and long-time personal fitness trainer with a knack for tech gadgets. You can check out her latest techie project--a tool to find out who owns a cell phone number--at http://www.TraceThisPhoneNumber.com

Choosing a Bank Account

One of the first things you must do when starting a new business is open a bank account for your business. You will have to consider several things including transaction and borrowing costs, what facilities the bank offers, and the type of relationship you want with a bank. A business account is essential if you are setting up a Limited Company or Partnership. While you can use your own personal account if your business is a sole proprietorship, it is advisable that you have a separate business account to manage your business finances.

Now that you are aware that you have to open a bank account, how do you go about it? Can you use the same bank that you use for your personal accounts? Of course, you can! But they may not offer the best deal for your business. The considerations for opening a business account are quite different from a personal account - you could be missing out on lower charges and higher interest on a credit balance. Over a long period, you could be depriving your business of a significant amount of money. Before you sign up with anyone, look around and understand what's available out there.

We've put together the 5 most important factors to consider before choosing a bank account:

1. Bank charges - This is a key point that you have to consider - how much will it cost you to have a business bank account? Ensure that you know exactly what charges will be levied on your account before signing up. The more check and cash transactions you have, the higher the charges you will end up paying.

2. Online services - Does the account offer online services? This is an increasingly important service, and most banks now provide an internet service so you can check the status of your account day or night. By using this service, you can manage your account transactions in a fraction of the time it used to take in the old days.

3. Interest rates - The interest rates can vary from bank to bank. Consider the overall benefits an account would provide to your business and decide accordingly.

4. Small business advice - Select a bank that has a specialized small business unit. This could be of big help to you when you are setting up your business and if you establish a good working relationship with them, you can reap the benefits of their expertise.

5. Shop around -Make sure you compare several business account offerings, and compare the costs and charges associated with each one. Typically, you should compare at least three accounts before zeroing in on one.

Choosing a bank account for your small business is an important stage in the startup process. So, spend the necessary time and effort to get the best banking deal for your business.

Hi, I'm Akhil Shahani, a serial entrepreneur who wants to help you succeed. If you like to work smart, check out http://www.SmartEntrepreneur.net It's full of articles and resources to help you start and grow your business successfully. Please visit us & download our special "Freebie of The Month" at http://www.smartentrepreneur.net/freebie-of-the-month.html

 

Hewlett Packard Computers

Getting a new computer or laptop can bring up issues for most. If you have a career or business in which computers are an integral part, you may not have any problem choosing one that is right for you. This may not be the case for everyone else, though. What is important when looking for a new computer is firstly to know what features you want, and then to look around for the best deal and a brand you can trust. When I bought my laptop, I looked at all different makes and models of machines, but ended up with an HP computer, a Pavilion model to be precise, and I am glad that I made that purchase.

I have had my computer for about a year and a half now, and it has been very reliable. The only one problem I had was with the power supply, and as it turned out, it was something that affected many models of HP computers. What was great was that HP support took care of the issue promptly, and my computer was repaired and shipped back to me within a week or so. I have heard horror stories about some other brands, but I can honestly say that HP computers are well built, but when there is a problem, they are on the ball about getting things rectified.

I didn't choose a HP computer because of the customer service though. What I liked was that they were amazing value for the money. They came with many features that I use for my job and for leisure time, at a fraction of the cost of other machines that weren't as feature packed. This is when features are most important, as everyone does different things with their computers. HP computers cater for everyone, and choosing the right model for me was easy. Many are similar, but things like memory capacity and extra programs will vary with each one.

You don't have to buy HP computers if they don't have what you need, although I would find this hard to believe, but you may find that most who own them will recommend them to you. I use my computer daily, as I work from home, and I have found that it really does what I need. To me, that is what counts the most. With only one problem, which was rectified rather quickly, I am glad that I took a chance with HP computers. I had heard they were not that great, but I have to say that I totally disagree.

Also see Computers; new versus used

Written by Roberto Beiro. You can find more original articles at http://Oldboyarticles.com/computer/index.htm
Or go to http://roberto-beiro.com/computerfor 100's more articles.

How to Use Your New Portable Hard Drive

A portable hard drive is relatively easy to install and use. Just plug it in and away you go! At least that's what they told you at the store. It's so simple that apparently you don't even need directions. This must be the reason why they didn't include any in the box. Now that you've got it home, just what exactly are you supposed to do with this thing?

Begin by Plugging in Your Portable Hard Drive

Your portable drive, also known as a USB drive, can be plugged into any of the USB ports on your computer. The little wire with the rectangle at the end of it is called a USB cable. It will only fit into a USB port. USB ports can be located on the front, side, and back of your computer. Manufacturers suggest that you use a USB port located on the back of your computer, and avoid plugging the portable drive into a USB hub. This practice ensures that you are using the best connection available, and cuts down on possible interference, but can oftentimes be rather inconvenient.

The rule of thumb is this: Plug your USB drive into any slot that it fits into. If the drive appears to be running slowly or doesn't show up on your computer, then try moving it to a slot on the back of your computer.

Now What?

After you've plugged your portable hard drive into your computer, two things will generally happen, indicating that it has been correctly plugged in. Your computer will make a beeping sound and a dialog box will appear in the lower right hand corner of your screen telling you that your computer has found new hardware.

The first time you plug your USB drive into your computer, wait a couple of minutes to let it install any drivers necessary before continuing. It will do this automatically. Once the drivers are installed, double-click your "My Computer" icon. Your portable drive will appear as a new drive letter. If it doesn't show up in My Computer, try plugging it into the back of your computer. If it still doesn't show up, you may need to partition and format your drive.

And Away You Go!

The most common uses for your portable hard drive are to either transport or make backups of your documents. These uses do not require that you install any special software. You can copy your files to it just as if it were your local hard drive. You can drag and drop your documents right onto the new drive letter listed in My Computer. You can save and edit your documents directly to your USB from your programs and applications. Then, you can bring them with you to other locations or store them in a safe place in case your computer crashes.

Removing Your Portable Hard Drive

Never remove your USB drive from your computer while you are copying files to it. This can corrupt your data and cause you to lose your files. The safest way to remove it is to click on the "Safely Remove Hardware icon" in the lower right hand corner of your taskbar.

Jim Hedgecoth is a veteran freelance writer who writes about computer storage hardware devices such as USB Hard Drives, Blu Ray Drives and other related products. He's a frequent contributor to I/O Magic Corporation, a leading Internet retailer offering data storage solutions.

Your Best Digital Camera Buying Guide

By Chris Campbell

How long does it take to become completely confused and overwhelmed when shopping for a digital camera? I think the Guinness record is around three and a half minutes, but for most consumers I'd estimate around two or three hours. Digital technology has done some really great things in the realm of photography, but simplifying buying decisions is not one of them. There's really no need for the confusion, and here are a few good reasons why.

What most digital camera consumers want, is simply to take great pictures with relative ease, and without having to read a 300 page manual. The good news, is that given the quality of cameras available, that's a very achievable goal. The bad news is, that by the time many would be purchasers have waded through a plethora of techno-bable and marketing hype, they just give up and throw themselves at the mercy of the nearest salesperson. In some cases that works out great. But, you could just end up buying the camera with the best commission for John/Jane Doe Salesperson.

Getting the right digital camera really just boils down to a few simple considerations. Any camera guide (sentient or otherwise) that tells you different should be promptly ignored. First of all pick up the camera with your own two hands and shoot a bunch of pictures. Shopping online for cameras can be great for finding the right price, but it's not going to tell you how the camera feels in your own mitts. The camera weight should feel right for you, and all controls should be with easy reach of your fingers. Be sure to navigate through the menu options, and see how intuitive they are. There's no substitute for hands on research.

Image quality is probably THE most import consideration Take a few pictures (preferably before purchasing .. . . see above) and see what they look like. Now don't just look at the pictures on the cameras LCD screen. Print some, and upload some to a computer. LCD screens can be very low resolution, and either hide image flaws, or obscure a truly great picture. You can read volumes about ISO settings, and image noise at those various settings. But really, what matters most, is how does the image look to your own two eyes. It's that simple.

That's really the best digital buying camera guide your going to find anywhere. Long before computer digital technology came along, camera buying was a very simple proposition. And it still can be today. Just don't get too hooked on the marketing and technology speak. People use cameras today for the same reason they did 50 or 60 years ago. They wanted to take great pictures of memorable moments to treasure and admire.

Smart Ways To Buying A PDA

By Garry Allen

This article was written to answer many of the most frequently asked questions on this topic. I hope you find all of this information helpful.

So you have decided that you want to buy a pda. Congratulations!

You are going to be buying a form of technology that will help you get your life organized! However, if this is going to be your first pda purchase you might find that you will gain from some pda buying tips. Let's take a look at some pda buying tips below.

PDA buying tip number one: What do you want to spend? Get a PDA at a price that you can afford. Now don't go crazy when you buy a PDA, remember more money doesn't always mean a better PDA. If you aren't sure as to what PDA is worth the money you are planning to pay, then read a variety of PDA reviews to see what others think of the product. In fact, PDA reviews can help you to successfully determine which PDA will meet any and all of your needs.

PDA buying tip number two: Now these handheld PDAs come in various sizes and you should find one that you will be comfortable in handling on a regular basis. Fact, some are very tiny while there are others that are smaller than a laptop, but still considered large. If you feel you will find a tiny device comfortable then get a small device, but if you have had a repetitive motion injury or if you have a problem with your fine motor skills, a small PDA may not be the best choice for you and you may want to consider purchasing a larger PDA.

PDA buying tip number three: Just to reemphasize, your PDA size and its keyboard is very important. A PDA keyboard that has keys designed too close together or are small and difficult to use can be very aggravating and no one likes to be aggravated. This is especially true for those that have problems with fine motor skills or have a repetitive motion injury. So, thoroughly examine the usability of a PDA's keyboard before you make your decision.

PDA buying tip number four: If you are planning to use your PDA for internet access, then invest in a PDA that offers wireless internet access. After all the whole idea in enjoying the use of your PDA is the portability that this product provides and using cell phone dial up, even though it is more secure, is no less cheaper than wireless access.

PDA buying tip number five: If you expect to carry quite a few files or images on your PDA, you may want to consider buying a PDA with a larger size installed memory even though you can purchase an expanded memory card. PDAs are small, handheld devices, and there memories are a bit limited. But in the long run it is cheaper to get a PDA with sufficient installed memory and expand later if you need to than to buy one with less and buy an additional expanded memory card.

In conclusion, if you keep these tips in mind, there is no doubt that you will easily find a PDA that is right for you. Now all you need to do is start your research and your sampling of PDAs. Visit the nearest electronics dealer to determine what PDA you want and get your life organized today!

Simple detailed information on everything you need to know about PDAs. Learn the Facts, Tips and Secrets of PDAs Today.

Stay Alert When Buying A New PC Headset

Computer has become an integral part of our day to day life. Instead of television, people get the world news and movies on their PC and talk to their loved ones through Internet chatting. PC headset plays an important role when you approach your friends sitting on the other corner through your personal computer. You must have come across countless people wearing the headset and talking to someone.

Apart from their usage while chatting, they are also used for a number of purposes. To listen to the best quality music with good frequency is possible only with a good quality headset. If some one is bothering you continuously through voice mails and web chat, his voice can be recognized with the help of these.

But do you know, apart from these basic functions, there are several other aspects of these headsets as well? Nearly all industries related to information technology have made a norm of wearing these during the work hours. Quality of video conference can be improved with the use of high quality PC headset. So, it is becoming inevitably important to select the right headset for your computer. If you are using one while working on your personal computer, the chances of neck or back ache minimizes automatically. This increases the productivity in your field as well.

They are available in two types depending upon their connections. These are analog ones and digital ones. USB ones are much more in demand than other headsets because of their high response rate and frequency. There are different kinds of PC headsets available in the market according to the technology they use but Bluetooth PC headsets are making the difference with their wireless technology and high fidelity feature.

A customer should consider several guidelines before purchasing it. First of all, check the warranty period and the brand of the headset. Never go for the used headset without intense inspection. Compare between the costs of different headsets and choose the best one in quality and cost. Check out the availability of all the accessories that have been mentioned in the brochure of the PC headset.

After checking out these facts, some of the questions might arise in your mind. You might wonder whether the headset is comfortable for your ears, head and neck. Is the microphone flexible enough to be moved freely? Is the cord of the headset appropriate in length? Is the sound quality same at both the ends? These are some questions for you and the answers can be found out by you yourself.

Here we are telling you about some of the leading brands involved in the manufacturing of PC headset. These headsets are available in 160 - 190 dollars and have all the required features. Plantronics, Sennheiser, Sony etc. are some of the reliable brands. There are several websites as well that provides the comprehensive information about the PC headset available in the market.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for computers, laptops and software. When shopping for used computers, used laptops and used software, we recommend you shop at only the best online stores for used PC headset, used PC headset, used PC headset software.

Tips For Buying Inkjet Catridges

Computers have become an important part of everyday life. Printers also come along with computer use. Buying the inkjet cartridge for your printer can be a confusing matter. Knowing how to best chose one for your printer can help take the hassle out of the process.

The warning that your printer is almost out of ink can signal stress in some people. Figuring out which inkjet cartridge is best can seem like an impossible task. The best place to start is taking a look at the cartridge in your printer. Check what type it is and try to buy the same one. In some cases, though, the cartridge may not be available or for some reason the same cartridge can not be found. In that case the following tips may help.

- Avoid generic cartridges. The ink used in these cartridges may damage your printers nozzles.

- Figure out the printing quality you need. Ink cartridges made by the same manufacturer as the printer will produce the best results. These cartridges are also the most pricey.

- Take a look at the printer warranty. Some manufacturer's warranties are void if an ink cartridge is used that is made by a different manufacturer.

- Look at the page yield of the ink cartridge you are buying. This will tell you how much printing the cartridge will do.

To prolong their life of your inkjet cartridge and save money on refills you can also take a few steps. Do not let the cartridge dry up as this can burn out the printer making it unable to print even with a new cartridge. Do not run one cartridge when the other is out because this will also ruin the jets and cause future issues. You can also lightly shake a cartridge side to side to help the printer use the remaining small amount of ink.

The above tips will help you make the most out of buying and using ink cartridges. While there are many choices on the market, following simple tips will help you to chose the best ink cartridge for your needs.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance author based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and contributes on a regular basis to FreeNetPublishing.com

Top 7 Tips in Considering the Best Franchises to Own

Have you been considering buying a franchise or starting your own business? Well, you are not alone and now that you have set your sights on a franchised business rather than starting one from scratch now you must determine which franchise to buy. Guess what? All franchises are not created equally, all company franchise founders are not equally yoked and even franchises in the same category or sub-sector are vastly different.

With all that said let me give you some tips into buying into a franchise. Go meet some of the franchisees once of the companies you are considering buying a franchised outlet from. Compare offers not only brochures, but actual disclosure documents too and do a little market research in your own area to make sure what you will be selling or offering is indeed a desired product or service there.

Each category of franchise companies has pluses and minuses and it also makes sense to buy a franchise where you are closer rather than further from Corporate HQ, because they will have figured things out regionally with marketing and customer buying behavior. The best categories for profitability seem to be service franchises, auto franchises and unique categories. Please feel free to consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

Tips for Buying a Multimedia Projector

One the hottest pieces of computer peripheral hardware today is a multimedia projector. You can use a multimedia projector for a multitude of tasks, such as: presentations at conferences, board room presentations, projecting videos on to a wall in your home to watch movies, and more. There are a several types of multimedia projectors on the market today. The major question is which projector you should buy? There are many brands and four major types of multimedia projectors.

Multimedia Projector Brands and Types

There are many brands of multimedia projectors to choose from: Panasonic, Optima, Epson, NEC, Infocus, and many more from which to choose. Multimedia projector types include:

• Digital Light Processing (DLP): has deeper black background and more portable

• Liquid Crystal Display (LCD): better for color

• TFT (Thin Film Transistor) Active Matrix: a form of LCD

• HDTV home theaters: 480i, 516i, 540p, 720p, 180i, 1080p, 1080i, 1125i (i = interlaced video and p = progressive scan)

Considerations and Features

The major consideration is the purpose of the multimedia projector and uses in home or business; this will help you select the features you need. Features to consider include:

• Image Brightness: range 130 lumens to 6500 lumens

• Desired Display Area 5 to 6 feet: 500 to 1000 lumens

• Desired Display Area 8 to 10 feet: 1000 to 1500 lumens

• Desired Display Area 12 to25 feet: 2000 lumens or more

• Wireless: remote operation from computer

• Digital Zoom: for large room projections

• Keystone Correction: compensates for projectors position not being perpendicular to the screen

• Slim Size: business portability

• Projector Mount: needed for permanent installations, ceiling or wall

• Bulbs: typical UHP, UHE, Halide lamps, 1000 to 4000 hours, chose long life

• Business Use: movie clips, animation, photos

• Home Theater: LCD, HDTV, high resolution, high contrast, brightness 1000 to 2000 lumens

Resolution and Contrast

Resolution is the number of pixels that the projector is capable of displaying. Projectors with greater the resolution produce a better quality projector image because there are more pixels per square inch. A projector with less resolution will have a grainier picture, since there are fewer pixels per square inch. Resolution comes in a variety of selections; your choice of resolution is based on your use of the projector.

For basic power point presentations only, you can use a low resolution projector. If you use a lot color and videos, you will need a high resolution projector. Projector resolution ranges from 854 x 480 to 1280 x 1024.

Contrast is the ratio between the lightest and darkest areas of a picture. You will want to select a multimedia projector with a contrast 400:1 or better. Contrast ranges from 350:1 to 6500:1.

Buying a Multimedia Projector

Once you have narrowed your multimedia projector choice(s) visit your local store and check out its features:

• Projector Controls: ease of use

• Remote Control: ease of use

• Bulb: long life, bulbs are expensive

• Connections: cables for PC or MAC, DVD Player, Cable box, Satellite box

• Mounting Bracket: if needed for permanent installation

• Wireless: compatible with your computer

• Operation: salesperson demonstrate use and watch example projection quality

• Sound: is the fan noisy

• Size: size does matter when it comes to portability

• Weight: permanent installations are not really concerned, heavier models are not suitable for portable uses

• Carrying Case: provides protection when dragging through airports, etc.

• Prices: range from less than $630 to $17000 and more

David R. Wetzel, Ph.D. - Currently a FreeLance Writer, Retired Science Education University Professor and Public School Science Teacher. He is an avid technology user and researches technologies that impact everyday education and business applications. Technology and Writing Blog: http://blog.academic-writing-services.com

 

Bettering Performance Using A Balanced Scorecard

The balanced scorecard is a new management concept which helps managers at all levels to monitor results in key areas. As an entrepreneur, you can make use of this tool to drive performance of employees as well as that of the business. The concept was devised by Robert Kaplan and David Norton in the early 1990's to provide a framework of four different perspectives to analyze businesses.

The balanced scorecard enables you to clearly define your vision and strategy for the business and translate that into action. By providing feedback around internal business processes and external outcomes, it becomes a vital tool in the hands of strategic planners who can direct the focus of the organization on key success factors. Strategy transforms into actionable points when broken into small bits at employee level, enabling them to perform better. Improved performance and better results are but an expected outcome.

Essentially, Kaplan and Norton suggest that an organization should be viewed from the following four perspectives:

Learning and Growth: How does an organization sustain change and improvement? It starts by training employees and helping them imbibe the culture of the organization. Your employees are your most important resource and hence their continued development should form your first focus. With the ever changing business environment, it is all the more mandatory to make sure that the learning curve of your employees is always on the up. Inability to hire technical workers or abnormal attrition is a potential threat to your business. Include mentoring and tutoring programs within the organization; break the ice between the management and the workers so that they can share problems and seek solutions.

Internal Business Processes: The efficiency and effectiveness of business processes determine business performance. Continuously monitoring and improving current processes will help your business position itself to perform better in future.

Customer Focus: At a time when the customer is king, can you afford to fall short of his expectations? An organization that leaves much to be desired by way of customer orientation is surely on the path of future decline.

Financial Focus: The financial perspective involves analyzing a business from the point of view of its shareholders. Financial performance of an organization is fundamental to its success; however most financial data is historical in nature and is therefore inaqeduate when it comes to generating insight for new age businesses. This is precisely why the preceding three perspectives have to be employed in conjunction with this one .

Source: The Balanced Scorecard Institute (www.balancedscorecard.org)

A word of caution - all performance measures are vulnerable to manipulation in order to meet targets. An example is to meddle with schedules to make the monthly sales look good.

To overcome such tendencies, Kaplan and Norton suggest the creation of a balanced set of measurements. It is also important that the scorecard is reviewed often, in order to ensure that the parameters are still as relevant now as they were when originally laid down.

Look at www.bscol.com - this website helps beginners get familiar with the balanced scorecard. www.infocube.co.uk provides solutions and consulting on implementing performance measures. For further reading, books like "The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action" and "Balanced Scorecard Diagnostics: Maintaining Maximum Performance" available on www.amazon.com may be useful.

Hi, I'm Akhil Shahani, a serial entrepreneur who wants to help you succeed. If you like to work smart, check out http://www.SmartEntrepreneur.net It's full of articles and resources to help you start and grow your business successfully. Please visit us & download our special "Freebie of The Month" at http://www.smartentrepreneur.net/freebie-of-the-month.html

 

Mobile Games - Now, Enjoy Your Spare Time

By Elaina Anastasia

Mobile phones have emerged as the multi purpose electronics devices that have got many innovative features. These gadgets are used in every sector for both personal and business uses. The handsets manufacturing companies have produced several gadgets that provide one the opportunity to play different types of games. These can be played anytime and anywhere so that one can get maximum enjoyment in his or her spare time. Such games are also helpful when the users are stuck in a traffic jam and they have to wait for a long time.

The mobile games have brought a lot of excitement to the users. A lot of value-added features have been added in the advanced games that are loaded in the handsets these days. These games are very difficult to be developed and lots of money is spent on them. The mobiles manufacturers have come up with several animated items with amazing sound effects in their handsets and therefore they are in great demand. The Bluetooth compatibility and availability of infrared feature have enabled the users to enjoy the advanced games on their mobile devices.

Java is one of the most popular platforms for mobile games. However, several other platforms have also become popular in the recent times. They are Windows Mobile, Palm Operating System, Symbian Operating System, Macromedia Flash Lite, WIPI, etc. The TFT colour screens of the latest gadgets have also made the users delighted since they can play the games with more excitement and fun. Now a days, one can also find the 3D games coming into the markets that draw attention of the gamers. The user friendly joysticks and high resolution displays support such items. The themes on which the modern games are based have also changed and one can find that more high-tech items are available these days. Earlier, themes like backgammon, chess, checkers, etc. were found. Now, the modern games offer the players an effective control over the characters and create a real world like environment. One can download mobile games from different online websites and enjoy them.

The mobiles gaming world has changed significantly in the last few years. Initially, the snake-feeding items were in vogue and people used to spend a lot of time in them. Now, with rising technologies, one can find many advanced games with better graphics and effects. Considering these factors, the mobiles manufacturing companies have also come up with latest handsets that are loaded with compatible softwares and other features. Consequently, a lot of high-end handsets are available in the markets and they are equipped with latest mobile games.

A number of online sites are available to the users that provide thousands of free mobile games. The option of free downloading is also available there. One can find various items based on sports, shooting, puzzles and many other themes on these sites. As per a recent survey conducted by a leading consultancy group in the UK, more than 220 million people all over the world will be playing games on their mobile phones by the end of year 2009. It shows that there is a huge opportunity in this sector and therefore a lot of companies are foraying in this field with several amazing offers. One can also find many exciting deals and schemes that are available on different online portals. Various online contests are also run there and one can win exciting gift items by participating in them. The users can compare mobile games on different sites and choose the best available deal from there. Continuous research work is done by the companies so that they could bring more innovation in their products and therefore a lot can be expected in the future.

Anastasia is an expert author and webmaster of Mobile Phones website. The website have details tariff of and international phone card and mobile games UK.

Small Businesses To Fortune 100 Companies Frequently Confuse Symptoms As Problems

Small businesses to Fortune 100 Companies are organizations comprised of people who work together collectively to achieve business goals that they could not achieve individually. What these large to small businesses share beyond people is a strong tendency to confuse symptoms as problems. The result is that by crafting a solution addressing the symptom, the real problem continues to grow. And be it a small business or a Fortune 100 company, the drain on the bottom line continues to expand as well.

For example, in meeting with the President of a service related small business (less than 500 employees), he began talking about employee responsibility and employee productivity. There was one employee who had failed to turn in his expense account for over one year. This lack of compliance to the standard operating procedures had a cascade affect not only on the financials, but the attitudes of the other employees.

The president then asked me to confirm that this was an example of poor employee performance and accountability. My response was that "I appreciate that this individual has neglected his personal accountability to this organization and his fellow team members, but I am curious as to who his supervisor was and why that person allowed this to go on for over 1 year?" The President said that was another issue and did not respond to the inquiry. In watching this individual's face, I realized the employee directly reported to the person sitting in front of me.

Poor employee performance is many times a symptom of poor executive leadership as well as management. The fear to take action appears to paralyze many executives. Possibly, it is the dwindling reasonably qualified labor force or the culture within a particular industry. Whatever the reason, the bottom line is that a lot of resources are being directed at the wrong solutions in the activities to achieve those business goals.

To avoid this trap suggests that those in executive leadership positions or management roles must have the higher order thinking skills (decision making and problems solving) along with a strong organizational values statement (non-negotiable behaviors). Of course, these individuals must be able to be brutally honest with themselves and ask this question: How have my actions contributed to this poor performance?

How are your leaders doing within your organization. Get this free executive leadership through self leadership skills checklist. Do you need some additional business coaching training services Then visit the business coaching training gym. Leanne Hoagland-Smith helps individuals organizations through business coaching training services (locations near Chicago & Indianapolis) to increase profits to productivity. My clients quickly double results in 30 to 90 days. Call me at 219.759.5601 to schedule a free business coaching consultation.

The Acer TravelMate 5720 - Laptop That is Different

The Acer TravelMate 5720 is a laptop that guarantees and boasts of high performance. This gadget is empowered with an Intel processor, a screen, hard drives and 1024 MB memory support. This notepad works on Windows XP Professional Operating System and has a web cam that is used for chatting and making video calls.

The 15.4" widescreen display of the laptop is an elegant means of viewing pictures and videos. The screen displays graphics and data with a very sharp resolution. The user finds the screen of the laptop very useful for purposes of video shows and picture viewing. Playing games on the laptop is also possible due the availability of the attractive screen. In fact the screen is important and without it doing any work would not be possible with the laptop. The computer has a hard drive of 160 GB and that helps to speed up the processing and opening of any files. Moreover, the large memory support of the device helps to overcome every shortfall and it becomes possible for people to use the notepad for storing files, data, documents, videos and music at a large scale. The audio output sound card allows the user the listen to music using a speaker or a microphone. Thus there is also the option of entertainment while simultaneously working on the Acer TravelMate 5720.

The device has input systems in the form of a keyboard, a touch pad, and a 4-way scroll button. The output parts of the system are its speaker, microphone, screen, Bluetooth aerial and LAN aerial. The presence of the Bluetooth aerial allows the user to send and receive files wirelessly. The LAN aerial is the means of remaining connected to the internet even when there is no analog adaptor. This gadget has a Li-Ion battery that gives a support of 3.5 hrs of run time. So, one can carry the laptop to office and still use it while on the way in the cab. The dimensions of the gadget are 36 cm x 26.7 cm x 4.3 cm and it weighs only 3 kg.

Jack Daniel is an expert author and the webmaster of Mobile Phones. The website having details of Cheap Laptops.

 

Sony W660i Pay Monthly Deals - Will Get The Maximum Benefits

If you want a phone that has some great style to it and also plays great music, then the Sony Ericsson W660i is the right choice for you. If that is phone is out of your budget, think about the opportunities that you can avail to use the phone without feeling the burden of the cost. The best out of those are the Sony W660i pay monthly deals that are available for you to take up.

With this great phone which belongs to the Walkman series launched by Sony Ericsson, what else can you expect other than from it being an instant hit amongst users of all ages. A great entertainment quotient is associated with this phone as the music player in the phone is a great one. Also, the phone has a 2MP camera which will click some great pictures for you. Also, the phone has a TrackID feature and MegaBass that will have you all ears for the music that you play in the phone. Also, the phone is well connected with 3G and Bluetooth, IrDA, USB etc to help you in data transfer.

Get this great phone without paying its cost. Pay a rental for the phone line that you take from the major network providers. You can avail the lowest tariffs so as to lower you call costs. This will help you in saving money as well as the hassle of getting your phone refilled time and again. Pay for your calls at the end of the month and be free of all worries.

Get the Sony W660i pay monthly deals and you will obtain the maximum benefits without them creating a burden on you. Research online for great offers and avail all the benefits.

Austin David is associated with Pay Monthly Mobile.He holds a master's degree in electronics and communication from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. To know more about Sony Ericsson W660i, Sony Ericsson, Sony W660i pay monthly visit Austin David is associated with Pay Monthly Mobile.He holds a master's degree in electronics and communication from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. To know more about Sony Ericsson W660i , Sony Ericsson, Sony W660i pay monthly visit http://www.paymonthlymobile.org.uk/

 

Cable Satellite TV On Your PC - Is It Possible?

By Alexandre Frings

First when television broadcast started it was done by direct telecast. Then improved version emerged as Cable TV. The cable TV was an expensive system for the cable TV providers as well as the subscribers. The cable TV and Satellite TV network are profiting in billions. But they could not meet the demands of the subscribers squarely.

They failed to provide favorite channels of so many people. People were devoid of watching sports events live, for the simple reason that the cable TV operators could not afford to pay more money for televising rights for that entertainment. Some cable TV operators agreed to relay the program, but for that the subscribers had to pay some additional charges.

So slowly people got irritated with the cable and satellite system, and with the taxing monthly subscriptions, they wanted a change. The most expected change or dream of all the people has now really come true at last, and that is " Cable Satellite TV on your PC".

Are you tired of the monthly bills of your Cable TV operator? The best way is to get connected with the Cable Satellite TV on your PC. No need to pay monthly. You can view thousands of TV programs of your choice and listen to countless Radio stations as well. Another important thing is you can now watch certain specific channels, only available in some part of the world, like the Sports channel of Israel etc.

You can use software, which acts as a PC to TV converter. It connects your PC and displays the images on your television. One end is attached to the computer and another end is to the television set. Using this set up now you can surf the Internet, view photos, and enjoy live games in a big screen of your television. Here the television screen acts as large monitor. Hey! You have just changed your PC into a home theater.

There are many types of software available in the market to choose from for compatibility with your computer and internet connection. The main object we have to see is how it connects to our PC monitor and to our Television. To get a good resolution we can and should make some small adjustments with our hardware.

Do you want to have a relaxed time watching Adult TV programs of your choice? You can do it with software for Cable Satellite TV on your PC. You do not have to run to video shops in search of favorite programs. All that is required is buy and install a good Satellite TV on your PC software and watch all of them in leisure in complete privacy. All adult programs watched this way are genuine and 100% legal.

After a full week's tedious job schedules, people need relaxing weekends. They can now relax watching all international TV programs at their will. There are exceptional channels fully dedicated to research and development, travels, tours, recreation, entertainment, classic performing arts like dance, music and fine arts and literary movies and a lot, lot more.

So, listen everyone! No need to pay for your Cable TV. Get connected to the cable Satellite TV on your PC by th best genuine software (beware of scammers and cheats in this trade also) and start enjoying your life in a relaxed mood. Right? Start your incredible journey into the wonderlands of the entertainment world.

Want to enjoy unlimited entertainment and benefits? check out Cable Satellite TV on Your PC - is it Possible? for more information.

Frings is a self-proclaimed TV fanatic. Read more on how you can instantly watch satellite TV on PC, tuning into hundreds of LIVE sports channels, news channels and movies. Check out his website for the software he has tried himself at Save Money With PC Satellite TV

Common Problems With Laptops & Some Solutions - Liquid Spills, Cooling, Power & LCD Display Screen

By Peter Bowey

Fixing Common Laptop Problems

Liquid Spills on Laptop

I have repaired many Laptops exposed to accidental liquid spills. This is a recoverable condition in most cases. It is most important to respond to the cleaning up process as soon as possible (before corrosion or internal soakage occur)! Liquid intrusion can cause the following types of laptop damage:

• Short circuit due to conductive nature of wet liquid (problem may clear as liquid dries)

• Short circuit due to dried liquid residue

• Corrosion occurs (particularly volatile with some acidic soft drinks - Coke)

• Electronic components damaged by above short circuits

Possible Solution: Immediately when a spill occurs, turn off the laptop, invert the laptop and leave the unit upside down (drainage) for at least 20-30 minutes. Then, remove any attached leads, remove the power unit and battery, and allow the unit to air-dry overnight.

To remove any liquid residual: Have someone remove the keyboard assembly and perform additional cleaning. It may help to use cotton buds and distilled water to remove any contamination. Where corrosive side effects may be suspected (with coke), gently rub any suspect areas with a cotton bud dampened with CRC or WD-40. Dry the treated areas so that only a light film of the WD-40 anti-corrosive solution remains. While the keyboard is removed, use a bright light and magnifying lens to inspect areas where the liquid made contact.

Laptop randomly turns off

This is often due to:

• AC power adaptor sensing an overload of power drain

• Overheating processor due to a build of internal dust (clogged fan)

• AC power adaptor not able to sustain normal power needs (faulty power adaptor)

• Battery overheating, due to internal battery fault, or charging levels

• Intermittent short circuit or open connection (check condition of power leads)

On older Laptops, the most common reason is poor cooling. Try going somewhere air-conditioned and see if that helps. Inspect the areas near the internal cooling fan; see if there is a build up of dust fibres. Easy way to check this; with the unit running, feel the flow of air from the cooling outlet(s) - is the airflow very low? If yes, and the unit is at normal operation temperature, this may indicate the internal cooling system is partially clogged.

Troubleshoot Laptop LCD Video Display problems

Here are some tips and tricks for troubleshooting and fixing laptop video problems. Video issues are very common within portable computers and with the following tips you should be able to detect and eliminate basic laptop video problems.

Laptop LCD screen has a faint image or is very dark

Look closely at the laptops LCD screen, and see if you can see a very faint image. If you can then it is possible that the Laptop's LCD lid close switch is stuck in the closed position. In this mode the backlight stays off, even with the LCD lid open. This is to conserve power when the laptop is ON with the LID closed. Check the LCD lid close switch. It is a small plastic pin located close to the back LCD hinges. Try tapping the lid switch a few times to see if you can turn on the screen backlight. If that does not help, then I would suggest to replace the FL inverter board.

Laptop LCD screen is solid white colour or garbled

Connect an external computer monitor to the laptop. If the external monitor display is fine, then you have a problem with the Laptop LCD screen or the LCD cable connection. If the external monitor image is the same as on the Laptop LCD, then it is likely to be a faulty integrated onboard video, this means replacing the motherboard of the Laptop.

A typical Laptop LCD display assembly

This is a simplified explanation of the basic components that are involved on a Laptop LCD video display problem:

• LCD Connector: Video data is sent from the motherboard through to the LCD screen. A video cable also feeds voltage to the FL inverter board on the LCD panel

• FL inverter PCB: This section converts the low voltage DC source to high voltage AC, as required to energise the backlight bulb. If the FL inverter PCB is faulty, the LCD screen will show a very dim image on the Laptop display screen

• CCFL (backlight bulb): When the backlight bulb is working, you can see the image on the LCD screen. With some Laptops, the backlight bulb is a part of the LCD screen assembly and needs to be replaced with a complete LCD screen assembly. It requires a specialized Laptop repair workshop to replace the backlight bulb

• Laptop Lid close switch: This switch is a small switch (mechanical or magnetic) that is located close to the rear display hinges. Most laptops will either hibernate or operate in standby mode when the LCD is closed. This is achieved by interfacing with the Laptop's BIOS power management software. In turn this is linked to the Windows operating system

Laptop is slow and continually shows Internet popup's

The Laptop is very likely infected with spyware. Spyware is software that hides on your computer and attempts to collect information about your activity on the internet. Spyware is sometimes transferred to your computer when you download 'unknown' free software or when you link to free music Internet programs (KaZaA, Limewire, BearShare, etc). The best method to remove and further prevent spyware is to use Spybot. Please read my Spyware Software Help Page.

Laptop is frozen, no response to keyboard or mouse, cannot Shutdown

With most Laptops I have seen that this will happen from time to time! The easy method to solve this problem is:

• Disconnect the laptop power cord

• Remove the battery from the laptop

• Wait a short while (10 seconds)

• Replace the Laptop battery into the unit

• Reconnect the Laptop Power cord

• Turn the Laptop on

The Laptop will start normally and be fully operational. If you were working on a Microsoft Word or Excel document at the time of the problem, then you may find that the data has been auto-recovered for you. In this case, you will be automatically prompted to view the last document you worked on when you open the Microsoft program.

Troubleshoot Laptop Hibernate and Standby problems

Power management options on laptops sometimes to cause problems. Hibernate and Standby modes are power saving modes of operations to battery powered laptops.

Hibernation is a procedure by which the working state (contents) of your work is stored to disk before the computer goes into hibernation or standby. When the Laptop is woken up, you are restored to the exact place you were before. Standby and Hibernation use a low power consumption mode, with enough power to preserve the content of such memory. This means that Laptop computer can wake up without a full restart and loss of work.

Laptop does not wake up from Standby or Hibernation

Here are my tested suggestions:

• Give it time - some older Laptops may take up to 30 seconds to wake up - fully

• Some Laptops have special keys or buttons for 'Wake Up' - read the manual

• Press and hold the Laptops power button for five seconds or more. Some Laptops are configured to Suspend or Hibernate with a press of the power button. Holding the power button for 5+ seconds will usually reset and reboot the Laptop

• As a last resort, remove the laptop battery and the power cord, wait 30 seconds, replace the batteries and reconnect the power cord

Now that the Laptop is operational, you should research the underlying problem. Typically, such problems arise from a disagreement either between the power management features of the Laptops BIOS and Windows.

A conflict with the Laptops BIOS power management and Windows power management is the most common cause of such wake-up failure. Try different settings in the BIOS to see if that might solve the problem. Look to see if the Laptops BIOS is configured to suspend the computer, and how it compares with the value configured in Windows. In most cases let Windows control the power management.

This article is written by Peter Bowey and is copyright - April 2008 You may read further articles on computer trouble-shooting and help by visiting my website at http://www.pbcomp.com.au/ If you have a unusual computer related problem, feel free to contact me . Please supply information about the computer event, including a previous history for the computer, recent software changes, and the type of operating system; - Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista, MAC OS9, OSX - etc! Peter Bowey Computer Solutions 69 Sutherland Ave, Hayborough Victor Harbor, SA, Australia, 5211 Ph: (08) 8552 8630 Fax: (08) 8552 9185 Mobile: 0414 440 575

 

Nokia N81 8GB - Enjoy Storing, Listening and Capturing

While understanding the need of massive storage, Nokia has come up with a couple of 8GB mobiles in its well known N-series. After the success of N91, and the N95 mobile, the Nokia N81 has come up with the option of massive memory storage of 8GB. This N81 8GB handset is more popular in the market, as it is available at a reasonable price as compared to other similar gadgets.

The Nokia N81 8GB is one of such device that has gained popularity with its easy to use multimedia capabilities as well as high-tech technologies. The phone comes in a choice of two colours - graphite grey and cobalt blue. The cocoa brown coloured edging around the casing and navigational wheel makes the handset more appealing. The solid and robust design of the phone measures 17.9 x 50 x 102 mm and weighs 140 grams. This 3G capable phone comes complete with WLAN technology and multitasking capabilities. The users enjoy wireless and cabled connection for transferring or downloading the files from other compatible devices. These technology allows the users to transfer the files or data including the video clips, music files and images. The users enjoy high speed transfers, as it is backed with the EDGE.

The phone is equipped with an advanced 2 megapixel camera that allows the owners of the device to capture and record with ease i.e. either in vertical or horizontal mode. The camera comes complete with easy to use camera controls such as flash, stream, playback and editing of the images. With the help of advanced imaging capabilities, the owners can store, share and blog their personal images.

The Nokia N81 8GB comes incorporated with a music player, and FM radio. The advanced music capabilities make the handset come really alive. The users can listen to their favorite tracks complete with easy to use music controls. On this phone, the users can enjoy the best sound for a particular type of music being played, this is made possible with a 5band equaliser. Apart from that, one can stream the music as well as enjoy a wireless Bluetooth stereo A2DP connection.

Jack Daniel is an expert author and the webmaster of mobile phones. The website having details of three mobile phones.

Comparing MacBook Air with MacBook Pro

By Dario Borghino

So you've seen the latest Apple Keynote and Steve Jobs seemed pretty convincing to you when he presented his latest creation, the MacBook Air. You are stunned by its design, but you are still doubtful because beauty comes at a price (and high one, too) and with reduced functionality. MacBook Air or MacBook Pro? If you're still undecided, you've come to the right place to help you clear your mind.

With a 13.3 inch widescreen LED display, full-size keyboard, and large multi-touch trackpad, the MacBook Air may look at a first glance just like any other laptop. But the stunning beauty of this product mainly lays in its incredible thinness (just 0.74 inches) which make it an extremely lightweight laptop, too.

Does this device have any drawbacks? First of all, as I already mentioned, the retail price is quite high (starting from $1799 for the basic model, which isn't exactly 'cheap'). Moreover, the most noticeable missing feature is the absence of an optical drive that could be used to read/write CDs or DVDs.

How can you use a laptop without an optical drive, you're asking? Good Old Steve reassured all Apple customers that, while this seems like a radical and rather extreme choice, you won't actually feel the absence of it at all. Apple accomplishes (or tries to do so) by making of the MacBook Air a strongly wireless-oriented device, using solutions never seen before. It's true, there is no optical drive, but there are predispositions to 'lurk' from any nearby wireless enabled device and use its own optical drive. Could the 'parassite' strategy really work? Only time will tell, but the folks at Apple seem to be pretty convinced of what they're doing.

The other, minor drawback in using a MacBook Air compared to a more traditional MacBook Pro is its limited horsepower. Through a close partnership with Intel that begun many years ago with the transition of Mac OS X to the Intel platform, the engineers in the most acclaimed microprocessor company in the world developed a chip specifically designed for the MacBook Air that would comply with the strict Apple requirements on the thinness side. The results are pretty astounding and are to be considered a huge progress towards the aim of reducing chip dimensions, but even Intel had to admit the MacBook Air double core engine had to be partially limited in RPMs -- just a 1.6 GHz Duo for the base model and 1.8 GHz for the advanced one, whose price is though still outrageously high ($3098).

Given its characteristics, then, the MacBook Air advanced model is mainly targeted at high-end and business classy consumers, leaving the rest of us with the basic model that still looks too high, at least for now. But since it has launched just recently and given Apple's usual marketing strategy, we should soon expect a substantial price drop on both models -- not as substantial as the infamous iPhone 33% price drop, but still to a point where its cost could be comparable to that of the rest of the MacBook lineup.

Which one is the best for you then, MacBook Air or MacBook Pro? The answer may not be obvious, and in most cases both would probably serve you well, with the reliability and stability for which Apple products have become famous over the last few years. However, now you're entering the shop and know you're going to come get out of it with one of those two jewels in your hands. What do you do?

When you will be presented the choice, keep in mind all the factors explained above: if you are looking for a classy product, maybe a little expensive for its characteristics, but with a stunning design and optimal battery life and never seen before wireless capabilities, and at the same time you feel like experimenting and are willing to trust Apple on the fact that, after all, optical drives won't be missed, then you should definitely go for the bold choice and buy a MacBook Air. On the other hand though, if you are more of a traditionalist fellow, don't mind about a little bit more weight (or can't afford a lighter laptop) and love to watch rented DVDs while you're traveling, then you already know that a good old MacBook Pro should be your first choice.

Check out the author's website here: http://wysinnwyg.altervista.org/

The Ubiquitous Indestructible Pen Drive

The pen drive or the USB drives are storage devices that store memory and it is coupled with universal serial bus connector. It is characterized by its small size, featherweight and by its qualities of removable as well as rewrite ability.

The pen drive has an edge over other storage tools - in particular the floppy disk. These are more compact, swifter, have a bigger capacity to hold data and above all are more reliable because there are no mobile parts involved. The design too is durable. Usually computers are packaged without floppy but pen drives are available at all PC and lap top outlets. The pen drive uses the USM mass storage standard and is supported by the latest operating systems like Windows, Mac, Linux and others.

The pen drive or flash drive consists of a small circuit board made of plastic or metal. Recently rubber casings are being used. This makes it convenient to carry around the pen drive in the pocket like a key chain. A cap protects it. It can be connected directly to the computer.

To get access to the stored data the pen drive has to be linked to the computer either by plugging it into a built-in USB host controller or into a USB Hub. Pen drive becomes active only then - drawing its lifeline from the computer.

The pen drive is the product of combination and integration of old technologies with new features like mini size, low cost and minimum power consumption. The memory has its base on previous EPROM expertise. The latest ones use state of the art technology. Contents can be erased electrically without the use of UV light and the erasing is total. But the later models improved upon this and partial erasure became possible. It required a lot of support from the computer so that it can be said that the latest pen drives are miniature version of the microprocessor system.

With the new model of pen drives it became possible to serially access memory storage together with the development of small and yet high speed (using low power) systems that became integrated in mini compact systems. Many MP3 players can be used as a pen drive.

Many claim to have been pioneers in the manufacture of the first pen drives. Trek first marketed it in 2000. The next generation of flash or pen drives have USB 2.0 connectivity.

There is no limit to various shapes and sizes of pen drives - one even looks like a delectable piece of sushi! Too much of designing however leads to bulkiness. Pen drives have been integrated with other items that people carry or wear like - watches, pens and even a pen-knife. Some even look like bricks and others like toys.

Pen drives are being widely used and this raises the point of security. For this biometrics and encryption are becoming the norm. Pen drives are popular with those who deal with system and network administration for configuration, system maintenance including trouble shooting and recovery. In the PC repair field the pen drive has become indispensable.

Pen drives are practically immune to scratches and dust problems. This makes them ideal for transferring data from one location to another unit, like from home to office and vice versa. The object is almost ubiquitous. It means it will work with any computer. The storage capacity is dense while on the other hand power consumption is very low. No additional device is required to read from and write on pen drives. Pen drives can even survive chewing attacks from puppies and submergence in the washing machine. It is amazing how a small device can be of such great use!

What more can be desired?

Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for http://www.PoloMercantil.com.br

Intel's Main Advantage - Speed of Having New Products

By Abas Kamal Bin Sulaiman

Intel China Research Center is working on Model-based Computing to optimize the use of its multi core microprocessor technology. Hint, Microsoft is currently looking closer into virtualization software. It seems that virtualization it's more related to server technology. The virtualization strategy combined with utility computing that uses virtual machines, & the third most important factor; the multi core chip's scalability, performance & power efficiency to reach high levels of work load consolidation in data centers.

Tera-scale computers which are based on 10 to 100s of integrated processor cores perform 3 workloads in Model based computing: "Recognition object or pattern in a database, data mining (source the data base to find identical objects or related patterns that match the target object), & information synthesis (you mine out data, different patterns & objects, put together in a way that user can digest; user can derive useful solutions)" quoted from Vived De; fellow of Intel.

Let us briefly compare side by side, the main offerings from both Intel & AMD quad core microprocessors. You can see that AMD's strategy is taking the competitors weakness as its strength. AMD keeps mentioning about its superior 2mb L3 cache; touted as better than any of its competitors while Intel is in a competition with its own past achievements. Intel is staying away from a head to head "chicken play" with AMD by producing new products much faster than its nearest competitors even though it misses a few innovative hits like a new L3 cache.

However, Intel more than compensates by improving it microprocessors in other avenues like SSE4 instructions & more efficient materials like the hafnium metal gate silicon technology. Intel's speed of having new products into the consumer market is the main reason why it is the microprocessor market leader today. People usually want a new product they can use now rather than wait for a marginally better product after a few months. AMD's chance to be the new market leader will come from its ability to do the same like Intel; not only talk the talk but also walk the walk.

The Dunnington 6 core microprocessors from Intel are the next in line to be released to the consumer market. Users of the Dunnington microprocessors will own a piece of Peta flop level computing technology. The Peta flop computing technology, a computer that calculates a thousand trillion flotation points per second, exists in Intel's lab demo of a powerful peta flop computer that utilizes Dunnington microprocessors.

It seems that from a marketing point of view, Intel is using its research & development arm to show consumers the full capability of its microprocessors. It is unlikely that an individual home user will be buying like 60 or more pieces of Dunnigton microprocessors to build a peta flop home computer. Nonetheless, the appeal of it exists, & people will go like "You know, I own a 6 core Intel microprocessor that has peta-flop computing potential!" One must admit that it is a very appealing prospect!

I write on Intel microprocessors. Visit iel2.aimvotal.com

 

Bios Term

BIOS - Basic Input Output System

The central processing unit of a computer needs to communicate with the many hardware devices installed in your computer.

The BIOS of a computer contains a piece of software that enables the CPU to communicate with the many devices a computer has installed. The BIOS is normally installed in a ROM and is normally stored on a chip located on the motherboard of a computer.

When you turn on your computer, the bios is the firs thing to load up, you can enter this program by pressing a certain key on your computer keyboard. The BIOS uses the CMOS memory to store all set configuration for your computer. You can change and alter settings in the BIOS and then save it to the CMOS memory.

There is now the flash bios, which enables you to update the bios information with updates etc. Many manufactures provide bios updates on their websites. This can help your computer stay updated and keep performance running smoothly.

Http://www.computer-and-printer-reviews.com helps new users come to their own decesions.

About The Author John Gibb is the webmaster of several guide and review websites. http://www.computer-and-printer-reviews.com is his latest addition.

 

Photoshop Tutorials - Here Are A Few Good Free Ones

Adobe Photoshop tutorials are useful and great for learning how to use Photoshop overall, but when it comes to the specifics of the software the forums are going to be your best bet. Photoshop tips, while useful, don't often answer the questions that you may have. Photoshop tutorials are something best saved for those horrible, forbidden corners of the Internet. You know, forums about anime or yiff or something equally as stupid. Photoshop tutorials are available from all over the web as well as originally compiled tutorials, including ones listed in the resource box below.

Photoshop tutorials are especially popular due to the complexity of the popular program. They are especially popular due to the complexity of the popular program. Photoshop action tutorials are scattered around the Internet with specific advice for customizations you can make to improve your templates. Don't start running before you've found your feet though.

PS tutorials are always a fun and interesting way of learning a new technique or style you never knew about. Or did know about, and just didn't know how to achieve.

For example, Photoshop gives us three ways to use the Rectangle Tool, along with its other shape tools. We can use them to draw vector shapes, we can use them to draw simple paths (which is what we'll be doing here), and we can use them to draw pixel-based shapes. Listed tutorials can be everything from full color screenshots with explanations to video tutorials to just a step by step lay out of where the items you need are and how to use them. This can be an excellent solution if you only need to know how to do a few things with Photoshop or you want to learn how to do each type of function individually.

To really learn Photoshop CS2 you must find high quality tutorials and go through them one by one. It's only through practice that you will become proficient.

Richard Davis Waterhouse Suggested Free Photoshop Tutorials PhotoShop Create A Custom Logo Tutorial PhotoShop Complex Cutout Tutorial http://www.photoshoptutorialreviews.com/

 

Dell Latitude D430

By Bill Pratt

Dell, a renowned name in laptops is said to be among the largest and most trustworthy brands in the world of computing. Dell believes in doing proper research and providing the notebook exactly as per the choice and requirement of user. It can be color or portability, it is well seen that Dell always believes in providing better than the best. With such remarkable vision in mind Dell came up with its new model D430 Latitude.

The specifications of model include Intel Core Solo U1400 Processor (Santa Rosa, 1.2GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, Ultra Low Voltage) with 12.1" WXGA Display (1280 x 800) for better vision. The weight of the notebook is just 3.2lbs and that too with battery but without optical drive.

Giving more importance to the notebook's looks, it is additionally attractive and slim as well. In order to provide good backup it has 6-Cell 42Whr Battery. In order to improve the life of battery it has Scandisk 32GB Solid State Drive (SSD).

It also has 1GB DDR2 533MHz RAM and 80GB 4200RPM Toshiba 1.8" Hard disk drive. The Operating System that it supports is Microsoft Genuine Windows XP Professional. It has external D-Port CD-RW/DVD-ROM Optical Drive. In addition to above other additional features and tools like 802.11a/b/g WiFi, Ethernet, and Modem are also there.

The dimensions of the model are 11.6" W x 8.25" D x 1" H. Thus, it is having all the features that one would like to have in its notebook ranging from good and portable look to good configurations. All in all, a good buy!

Want the best online deals for computers and laptops? Let DealWhiz be the whizard which helps you in getting the best dell coupons and popular deals with HP computing Try it now to save money with exclusive money saving deals every day.

Best Buy PDA - Major PDA Questions Answered

By Eyal Barzilay

If you have been thinking about buying a PDA, there are probably a million questions you would like answered. As a PDA owner, that really enjoys this gadget, I have compiled the major ones here and would try answering them the best I can.

Why get a PDA?

A PDA is great for carrying around your documents A PDA is a great place to keep all the little (and big) things in your life together. Many say the best part is that it does most of the work for you.

How does a PDA work?

A PDA is furnished with a stylus, which is a special interactive pen, along with a touch screen. The screen actually has several layers, with the top layer consisting of a thin sheet of plastic or glass. A PDA is usually backed up on your PC, so there is always a back-up.

A PDA is a great tool to stay organized. They are very popular with road warriors, corporate professionals, college students, etc.

Organizing applications on a PDA is similar to putting files into folders on your desktop computer and serves the same purpose: It makes locating things easier.

To put applications in folders, or categories, go to your home page, then tap on Menu. Organizations are exploring the potential of new wireless technologies that allow physicians to access patient information from hospital or practice management systems. If your healthcare facility is looking at mobile and wireless devices it would be important to determine if the PDA your purchase can support that capability.

How Much Would A PDA Cost?

PDAs generally range anywhere in price from $100 all the way up to $1,000 with physical size, memory and color being the most influential factors in pricing. Devices based on the Palm OS tend to be at the low to mid range of this spectrum with Pocket PC devices at the middle to higher end (this is primarily due to the extra memory and added functions that come standard on a Pocket PC). Priced at $359.99, it's an affordable solution for anyone who prizes Web accessibility but doesn't want the weight, the bulk, or the expense of a full-blown laptop.

Anything Else I should get for my New PDA?

There is a huge choice of PDA accessories to choose from. Choose from pouches, flip cases, book cases, fully-zippered cases and open face cases, depending on your PDA make and model. Leather cases are durable, rugged and stylish, and are available in a wide variety of colors and designs. Choose carefully as new product options are appearing often.

Where Can I Get Best Prices For PDAs?

There are a wide variety of online stores to purchase PDAs. EBay would probably be your best bet. Look for the best prices at sites like; http://onlinepdaguide.com/MegaStore.

Being a PDA owner that really enjoys this gadget I recommend getting a PDA at discount prices at PDA Mega Store