Read Up on AMD Athlon Processors and Other Processors So You Will Know Exactly What You Are Getting

If there is one thing that you should know whenever you have to buy a computer or a laptop, it is the specifications of what you are buying. This is important so you will know exactly what you are getting. However, it is more important if you know exactly what specifications you should be getting. Knowing the specifications of what you are buying is different from knowing the specifications of the computer you should be getting.

It will ultimately depend on your needs. If you are a person who is into games, it is best if you know what kind of computer processor, media card and the likes. Check out the reviews. Do a little research and you will find out that sometimes what you are looking for are AMD Athlon Processors after all. If you are going to use your computer for surfing the World Wide Web and making emails, then you would not need such high-end specifications.

The technique here is to window shop for computers. Look at different kinds and consider your options. Of course, we all want to have the most high-end, the newest computer released at the time but money is a major consideration. You can always make your own computer. You can modify the computer parts. You can choose to buy the high-end computer parts that will be most important to you and choose the lesser-end of those that would not matter to you.

Making your own computer is cost-effective if you know how. If you don't, just buy one. Just the same you will need to read up on the advantages and disadvantages of each part and each maker. Start with the computer processors. Read up on AMD Athlon processors and Intel processors. You will not regret it.

Cheryl Forbes owns and operates the website http://www.cpu-lab.com

Using Your 12 Volt TV As a Second Monitor

By Richard Mason

Did you know that most of the newer flat screen LCD TVs released on the market today support PC input? More people every day are beginning to truly utilize the full effectiveness of their 12 Volt TV by plugging it into their computers and operating it as a monitor. By using your 12 Volt TV as a computer monitor, you will be able to watch an online movie, show the family a slideshow, and best of all save a lot of space.  Even if you already have a working computer and monitor, you can still use your 12 volt TV as a second monitor (Dual View). Perhaps you have two important programs that need to run simultaneously or need the ability to browse two websites at once. In any case, the ability to use your ac/dc television as a second monitor will surely will come in handy.

In order to plug your television into your computer you must first establish what kind of connection is supported by your devices. After that you must confirm you have the proper cord and simply plug it in. To better understand this process you must first learn the three main types of computer-to-monitor connections.

Digital Video Interface (DVI) - This is the highest quality connection you can make between these devices because it uses the most recent digital technology including clock functionality and supreme signal eminence. Not many of the older televisions are able to support this type of connection so please check your TV to make sure.

Video Graphics Array (VGA) - This 15 pin analog computer connection became standard for connecting PC's to monitors after its invention by IBM. This is the most common connection type. Most computer and monitors will support the Video Graphics Array input.

Separate Video (S-Video) - This carries video feed however does not carry any audio signal on the same cable.

Best and most current connection is DVI, followed by VGA. The least desirable connection is the S-Video connection. Use the better quality or newer monitor with the DVI Port. This connection is only supported by the newer monitors so make sure to check to see if your 12 volt television has one. Use the older monitor the original on board VGA port. The technology is a little older but there should not be much difference in features and quality. To plug it in just fit the VGA Cable to the VGA Port and tighten the thumbscrews for until they are secure. Make sure that your monitors are on before is on so it has time to recognize the monitors and optimize settings for performance.

 After you have done this please make sure you have the most updated drivers installed on your computer. This will ensure the highest quality connection. Refer to your manufacturer for more details. When you have done this continue to the relevant section and follow those steps. This checklist was based on the Naxa NX-563.

Instructions for connecting your TV with a DVI Input

First identify the following:

a.       DVI output on your computer

b.      DVI input on your 12 Volt TV

c.       DVI Cable

Plug your DVI Cable into your Computers DVI Output and connect the other half to your 12 volt television. Change the twelve volt television to the setting required to receive the DVI Input. Make sure the DVI cable is properly connected. Right-Click on your desktop and choose 'Properties'. Select settings and choose the resolution you would like to display. Apply settings and save.

Instructions for connecting your Television with a VGA Input

First identify the following:

a.       VGA output on your computer

b.      VGA output on your television.

c.       VGA Cable

Connect your VGA cable and adjust the settings on your monitor to accept the VGA feed. Right-Click and got to properties -> settings. Select the desired resolution and apply changes.

How to Connect 2 Monitors at the same time

Most new computers with Windows XP allow for a function called Dual View. This will allow you to control two interfaces at the same time. Whether your job requires you to run to programs at the same time or you would like more room on your desktop, this function will make your life easier.

In order to do this you must first right-click your desktop and choose properties. In the settings tab, choose the Display Monitor. Then simply extend your desktop to 12 volt TV and you're good to go.

For more information about 12 Volt TV please visit our website. The procedures listed in this article were performed on the Naxa NX-563.

Franchise Your Business Model & Expand Your Marketplace

By Nazir Daud

The franchise model is a great way to establish a company and may well be the quickest route to market. Once the brand is recognised on a national or international platform it becomes easier to develop and enhance new product lines. By starting your own franchise, your place in the market could grow faster than going at it alone.

This may be true for some businesses but not all businesses are suitable for adaptation to the franchise model. You must evaluate your business and assess whether or not it can be taught to individuals who are not from a business background. It is important to understand the costs involved especially with regards to recruiting your franchisees.

You must consider all aspects of your business with relation to the franchise model. Being selective in your recruitment is one of many points to take into account before any decision is made. You should ask yourself what type of person it takes to make a successful business and find out who possesses such traits from the people who are interested in becoming franchisees for your company.

It is wise to investigate methods of training as you will have to decide who will train your franchisees and provide constant support. Your franchisees are only able to make a success of the business if they have sufficient product knowledge which is solely obtainable through the quality of training they will embark. First, you should look at the unique selling points of your business and then educate your franchisees to the level where they are confident it their pitch.

Once you have researched the practices involved with setting up your own franchise, and are happy with results, then you are ready to seek expert advice. There are many administrative processes to navigate before launching your franchise and you will need guidance in producing franchise agreements, training systems, support mechanisms and marketing material. The franchise agreement is one of the most integral parts of your business, so it is best to consult a franchise lawyer that can help produce a professional document for you.

If you choose to outsource your training as opposed to offering it in house, you should look at a range of training providers then decide which company will do the best job, and there are many good training providers, so they must be examined in depth. The companies you come across should not only provide initial training to your franchisees, but also supply constant support whenever necessary.

You may need assistance with your marketing materials so a marketing expert is worth investing in and should be preferably selected from the franchise industry as this way they will have inside knowledge of how to target franchise buyers productively. It is crucial for them to have an understanding of what your franchise entails and they should be in a position to mange your business sufficiently.

The franchise route may seem a daunting challenge especially when entering new markets however, if the procedure is carried out strategically, your business can become a remarkable success resulting in a long term lucrative business.

Naz Daud is the founder of CityLocal. This Franchise Opportunity is for people who would like to work from home and be their own boss. Business Franchise Opportunity Home Business Franchise Copyright information: This article is free for reproduction but must be reproduced in its entirety, including live links & this copyright statement must be included.

How to Find the Best Belkin Wireless PCMCIA Drivers

By James Cannon

Tracking down the correct Belkin Wireless PCMCIA Drivers for your device used to be a very tedious task, but it doesn't have to be anymore.

Because there are so many different makes of devices on the market today, computers only communicate with their components on a very basic level. This is why drivers are so important. Drivers are programs that take generic signals from your PC, and translate them into commands your device understands. Without the proper, up to date, and correct driver, your device is not working at its best, and is highly prone to errors.

Belkin Wireless PCMCIA drivers can be difficult to track down because there are so many versions online. The old method had you spend thirty minutes with a search engine, wading through page after page trying to locate the best one for your system. Even then, you couldn't be sure if it was the one you needed. Today we have a better option. It's called automated driver software.

Automatic driver software takes the tedious task of keeping up to date and finding the best drivers for your devices, and simplifies it down to just a couple clicks of a button. Not only do these software titles make finding the correct drivers simple, they are also paramount in maintaining your PC to performing at its very best. Some of the most common computer errors can be attributed to having an out of date or broken driver. These software titles make it so you know that you're devices are completely up to date and working properly. It's all very quick, and extremely easy to use.

So if you've been having a difficult time trying to find the correct Belkin Wireless PCMCIA Drivers for your device, I highly recommend giving one of these software titles a try. You might be surprised to learn that you have more devices that need updating.

For my personal recommendation on which of these titles to use, visit today for a free scan and see just how easy it is to maintain good PC health with the right tools.

Hassle Free Linksys Drivers Download - Stop Wasting Time Searching For Drivers

By Matthew Carlson

Wouldn't it be great if you could download Linksys drivers and have them installed for you without having to waste time searching for them, making sure they are the correct driver for your router or wireless device? And what if you could also easily update all of your drivers the same way, all in a matter of minutes? You'll be excited to know that you absolutely can.

Incorrect or corrupt drivers are the number one cause of computer errors and crashes and with your Linksys device, it is the most common reason for connectivity related issues as well as with issues getting some of the advanced configuration options to work correctly.

Keeping all of your drivers updated is probably the easiest thing you can do to ensure you computer continues to operate smoothly and without errors, crashes, or any issues whatsoever.

Typically, what happens when you wish to update your drivers is that you go out to the manufacturer's website and spend way too much time trying to make sure you have the correct driver for the hardware you are trying to fix or update.

Now imagine having to do that for each and every driver that you have installed on your computer.

You are looking at spending hours and hours updating dozens of drivers manually if you wanted to keep all of your drivers up to date to make sure your computer is operating at optimum levels.

Fortunately, manually updating drivers is a thing of the past.

Thanks to highly sophisticated new driver update software, you can now condense what used to take many hours into just minutes.

Driver update software scans your computer for all the hardware devices and peripherals installed and then finds the drivers installed for those devices to determine if they are free from corruption and up to date.

For the drivers it determines are out of date or corrupt, it then downloads and installs the correct one from a database. All drivers within that database are obtained from the manufacturer itself, ensuring that only official and certified drivers are installed on your computer.

So if you are looking to download Linksys drivers, instead of wasting time looking for only that driver you can use driver update software and make sure that each and every driver is updated and keep your computer running smoothly and error free!

To learn more about driver update software and get a FREE driver scan - visit Matthew's website, http://www.OfficialDriverUpdates.com today! Matthew is a 15 year veteran of the IT industry whose specialties include computer security and desktop optimization.

What Causes Physical Memory Dump? - How to Fix Physical Memory Dump Now

By Johny Foster

So your computer has been restarting randomly and showing you "Beginning dump of Physical Memory"? This error is also called Blue Screen Error or Blue Screen of Death and it is quite rare. The worst fact about them is that once your computer is affected it will never stop until your computer is fully unusable. Once your computer starts showing signs of this error it will never stop. However there are ways to keep it at bay and if possible, stop it.

What Causes Physical Memory Dump?

First of all to answer the question "What causes physical memory dump?" I will explain to you what actually happens during the error. There are many possible causes of physical memory dump but they are generally divided into three groups:
• Incompatible Device
• Incompatible Program
• System File Error

The first two groups are not hard to understand and normally disappear after the respective device or program is removed. If all your devices and programs are working fine then your windows system is the one causing physical memory dump.

System files or what people often call registry files are the most important files in your windows system. These files regulate your computer and run all your program and devices. Sadly such a complex system file also has many weaknesses. System files are regularly updated when you change settings or do anything with your computer. Given time, they grow and grow and sometimes they are also buggy. Such big system files will congest your computer and create more errors, they simply compound in number. It will reach a point where your computer finds too many problems and is forced to restart itself. When your computer restarts, your windows will create an entry, this process is called physical memory dump.

How to Fix Physical Memory Dump

The first step you should take to fix physical blue screen error is to remove problematic devices. You should do this if your computer starts showing blue screen error right after a new device is installed. The device can be anything starting from a new graphic card or printer or a newly installed Ethernet card. Try to remove the suspicious device and its driver. Check if blue screen error stops. If it persists then you should go to the next step.

Now if your hardware or devices are working fine you might want to check your programs. Have you installed something before blue screen error starts to appear? If yes then try to uninstall the program and see if it fixes the problem. Should the problem reappear then skip to the next procedure.

The last possible cause of physical memory dump is system file error or so called registry error. Repairing them requires a lot of computer knowledge and also very dangerous since one single mistake can lead to a disaster for your PC. The only way to fix blue screen error caused by system file error is by using a registry cleaner program. Simply download them and let it scan your PC. Once it finishes scanning it will prompt to fix your system.

The whole process is safe since the program is specially designed to carefully do its job. After the whole process is done physical memory dump should be fixed and your PC will be back to normal. Get the registry cleaner for free trial here.

Save Yourself the Headache Trying to Find Creative Webcam Drivers

By James Cannon

There are so many different webcams on the market that trying to track down the best one for your system can be more of an ordeal than it needs to be. Today, we have a new option in finding Creative webcam drivers that simplifies the process greatly.

Drivers, act as translators between your computer and its devices. This is because of all the different makes and models out there, your PC really only communicates with its devices on a very basic level. Sending generic signals to your webcam, the driver then decodes the messages into commands and such that your webcam can understand. Without the correct, and functioning driver you're certainly not getting the most out of any device on your computer.

There are many reasons why drivers need to be monitored for updates and performance. Malicious programming, such as spyware and viruses, can be designed to target specific devices and render their drivers useless. Additionally, critical updates are released fairly often thanks to just how buggy drivers tend to be.

Trying to find the right Creative webcam drivers used to be far more difficult than it really needed to be. The old method of driver searching had you spend time with a search engine, driver site and wade through page after page of useless information trying to find the best driver for your system. Today we have automatic driver software that takes this tedious process and breaks it down to a few small steps.

Firstly, these programs will scan your computer and determine which devices you have. From there, they'll determine whether or not your drivers are out of date, broken or just plain wrong for your PC. You are then given the option to download and install all the best, official drivers that you need for your computer. You can greatly increase your computer's performance, and troubleshoot a significant amount of errors simply by keeping up to date with your drivers. It's very easy, very quick and definitely takes the pain out of standard computer maintenance.

So if you've been having a difficult time tracking down the correct Creative webcam drivers for your system, I'd suggest giving automatic driver software a try. You may be shocked to learn that your webcam isn't the only thing that needs attending to.

For my personal recommendation on which software you should be using, visit today for a free scan and learn why automatic driver software is the most affordable way to stay on top of all your computer needs.

 

Franchise Sales & Space Mountain - An Odd Comparison

The great thing about social networking, that has been missing from online franchise lead generation, is the "meeting place." It's a place where a candidate gets to know the people in the know as well as on the fringe; the concept's customers. So, let's define the "meeting place."

The "meeting place" is anywhere online where cyber identities gather. Ok, it's where people network on social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, just to name a few of the most popular sites. I just wanted to be geeky cute so forgive me for the humor.

Anyway, in these social networks, individuals meet with others, share information and learn new things. In this process, if they're looking for a franchise or business opportunity, they'll seek out information that may assist them in the process. Through referrals and discussion groups they may be exposed to "experts" in their particular field of interest. Experts that may have the answer to what they're looking for.

But, would they trust a direct push right to a website full of information? The answer is no because they're only "hearing" it from one source. They need to have full understanding which the website may help provide. But before that, they need to "see" and "hear" what others have to say. Others that know what's going on. Others that have experienced the service or product as the end user. Others that are the "operational" people. Where does the candidate find that online? Is there a place online that is not intimidating and so one-sided that it creates a level of discomfort as opposed to excitement to proceed?

Yes, there is such a place. For one, a Facebook fan site of the concept, could be just the right place. A landing zone so to speak before being launched to the company website. This non-intimidating site may have a cross platform of many different individuals "talking" about their views, positions and experiences with the company as a candidate, a franchisee, a corporate executive or a customer. It's in this zone that the franchise candidate learns about the practical side of the concept, the pros and cons as they are conveyed from different individuals, and they get to "see" the experience of the concept itself through the "eyes" (comments) of others.

It's kind of like standing on a line for a ride at Disney World where the time up until the ride takes off is the Facebook site and the ride itself is the concept a franchise candidate is considering. On the long line for the ride, you kind of know what to expect and the anticipation builds as you move along. But, you just don't jump on the ride, right? You first go through the info stage. You read the general signs at the entrance. You hear directions and watch videos along the way. Sounds a lot like Social Media, doesn't it?

Further along, you see the caution signs. You interact with other guests on line. You share what you have heard about the ride with others and them with you. You interact with the ride personnel as they usher you to the ride itself. There, you interact with the people who just finished the ride and you see the excitement and joy on their faces. Now you're ready for the experience yourself. Hold on tight because as the ride leaves the station, YOU"RE COMMITTED!

Of course, franchise sales are not quite as easy or simple as anyone who has ever presented a franchise sales opportunity can attest. But when you consider the building and infrastructure of the ride and the time spent developing the ride concept, the design of the structure, the projected ride experience and the large financial investment, it's easy to see how both a franchise opportunity and a ride evolve the same and ultimately have similar objectives; to encourage participation, create a positive experience, instill a desire to do it again without remorse and to share their unique experience with others.

The one key thing that Disney has that may be lacking in many franchise organizations is "attention to detail." It's the little things along the way that create the desire, justify the value and establish trust that the Disney name brings to the experience. Is it ironic that key components of a sale are need/desire, value and trust? Are you ready for the Disney-ish way of selling franchises? If you are, then you're ready to sell franchises through social networking, social media and all the other goodies that make up Web 2.0!

Paul Segreto is President and Founder at franchisEssentials, with over twenty years' senior level management and development experience exclusively within the franchising industry. Paul can be contacted by email at segreto.paul@gmail.com. Company website can be viewed at http://www.franchisEssentials.com

This Apple MacBook Air MB003LL-A Laptop is Considered to Be Very Compact.

By Kirk Jons

Apple has presented the thinnest laptop in the world. It is the Apple MacBook Air MB003LL/A laptop. The model is ultrathin and ultraportable. It can be taken anywhere because the machine is so compact and light. Its weight is only 3.0 pounds.

The machine will fit everyone who is looking for light, compact and stylish laptop. This model also has a number of other advantages that every user will definitely like. The laptop is definitely worth purchasing.

It comes with a 1.6 Intel Core 2 Duo processor. The processor provides a quick and stable work of the laptop. Thanks to powerful processor, the machine turns on and off in a few minutes. Users have an opportunity to handle multitasking on the machine.

The Apple laptop has a bright and clean screen. Watching movies and playing computer games is a real pleasure on this machine. The screen viewing angle is great. No matter where a user uses the laptop indoors or outdoors, it remains bright.

A user-friendly keyboard and responsive touchpad are situated right under the display. The keyboard keys are big and soft. Typing on the keyboard is a real pleasure. There is no need to attach a mouse, because the touchpad works really great.

The integrated battery provides up to 5 hours of laptop usage. The Internet connection is quick and stable. Check e-mail and chat with your friends any time it is suitable for you. If you do not have time to visit your relatives too often, you can keep in touch with them any time it is suitable for you.

Latest laptop

Finding the Right MSI Motherboard Drivers Doesn't Have to Be Hard

By James Cannon

There are a lot of different reasons why you might be searching for MSI motherboard drivers. Maybe you've reformatted, or installed a new board, whatever the reason, finding the correct, and official drivers for your system can be quite a chore. But it doesn't have to be.

Drivers are a very important part of your PC. They're what do the actual grunt work when it comes to operating the different devices that make up a computer. Because there are so many makes and models on the market, computers actually only communicate with their devices on a very basic level. By sending generic signals, PC's give the device an idea of what to do, but it's the driver that translates these signals into commands and functions a device understands. Without the proper drivers, your computer and it's components are not functioning to the best of their abilities.

Finding the correct MSI motherboard drivers for your system used to be a really difficult task. There are so many versions online that people have uploaded themselves, or the creators have released, that tracking down the most up to date and right one for you can be a bit overwhelming since you might not be totally sure which one you need. That's why today we have automated software that takes this tedious task and simplifies it down to a couple clicks of a button.

The automated software I speak of is automatic driver software. These programs are specifically designed to make sure your drivers are in great shape, and that you're using the best ones for your specific system. After an initial scan, they'll identify all the components that make up your computer, then determine if any of your drivers are faulty, out of date, or broken. From their, they'll give you the option to download and install the best drivers for your system. It's very easy, and very fast.

So if you've been banging your head against the wall trying to find the best MSI motherboard drivers, or any other driver for that matter, for your system, give automatic driver software a try. You might be shocked to learn just how many need your attention.

For my personal recommendation on which of these programs to use, visit today for a free scan, and see why driver software programs are some of the most safe, and easy computer optimization programs available.

 

Before Buying a Franchise Consider This - Part 1 of 2

If you are considering buying a franchise, be sure you look and consider all your options. As you already know there are many and varied franchise opportunities. Your search has probably taken you through various searches including "the best franchise opportunities," "franchise(s)," "franchise," "franchise opportunities," "best franchises," and many others. I'm sure you have considered the upfront investment required to purchase a franchise. And you have thought about having a brick and mortar store front from which to operate your new business. You've thought about the concentration of the type of business; i.e., is there room in the market place for it. Are you acquiring an exclusive territory or is another of the same franchise located within a certain radius? How long will it take to recoup my initial investment? What support does the franchisee offer you and what additional cost is involved in that training? What are the ongoing royalties and fees that must be paid to maintain your franchise? Yes, doing your due diligence can be overwhelming at times, but it is necessary.

Compound the above considerations with the state of the economy and you might become discouraged. Realizing your goals may have to be postponed until the economy rebounds you wait for a brighter outlook. Considering the product or service the franchise provides, the state of the economy might not be a problem. Buying a particular product or service may be steady in both a good and bad economy. However, finding a product or service that is not affected by the economy will be quite a challenge.

You may be an experienced franchisor. If that is the case you are quite familiar with all that must be considered when shopping for a franchise to purchase. If you are a beginner, however, you will need to be very careful not to overlook anything prior to making that relatively large investment.

There are alternatives to franchises that should be considered. I was seriously looking at a particular franchise in the not too distant past and opted not to invest due to not getting an exclusive territory and having concern for the ongoing royalties and fees. I found that an online marketing opportunity existed with a much, much smaller investment and offering a much greater potential income. The comparison of the two made it quite obvious that the internet marketing business opportunity gave me the brighter outlook that I was looking for without the potential headaches of operating a franchise business. The advantages that presented themselves were affordability, low monthly overhead, no inventory to carry, high income potential, no royalties to pay, virtually no equipment, no staff requirements, relatively fast profits, and no bank loans.

I encourage you to look into the alternatives before investing in a franchise.

Donald Brewer is an internet marketer developing a team of world wide internet marketers. He thrives on helping others achieve their goals and overcoming personal and financial problems. Go to http://www.loveworkingathomeonline.info to learn more about Donald Brewer and his team.

4 Channel USB DVR Wired Surveillance System For $500 - Kidding Right?

I am not kidding. A complete 4 channel USB DVR surveillance system for under $500.00 is absolutely mind boggling. As recently as 6 months ago you couldn't get a 4 channel surveillance system for less than $1500. Thanks goodness for technological advances.

The USB DVR is a surveillance computer hardware that turns your home or office computer into a powerful, global-wide video surveillance system in 5 minutes or less.

There isn't any kind business that cannot use a 4 channel surveillance system. For that matter I can't think of a home that couldn't use one. Let's take a look at how you might be able to use it and how it works.

How it Works

1. You select the locations for the 4 cameras indoors or outdoors or both. You have 100feet of cable included. If you need more you can get it easily at radio shack or thru the website.
2. Install the cameras. Brackets are included.
3. Wire one end of the cable to the camera hookups. Wire the other end of the cable to the USB DVR hardware.
4. Then hook up the USB DVR to your computer USB connection.
5. Lastly install the software on your computer.
6. Done. How hard is that?

If you ever have any trouble there is world class customer support available to keep you out of trouble and answer any questions you might have.

Use Suggestions

1. Home Use. With 4 indoor/outdoor day/night bullet cameras there are many combinations to provide the utmost security. Place one over the garage viewing the front yard and front door. Great for vandalism protection. Place another in the baby's room to see what is going on. Place one of the cameras in the backyard to view the backyard and back door or pool area. The fourth could go inside a room that has valuables or a safe. You are only limited by the length of cable you have.

2. Business Use. For office, retail operations, warehouse, restaurants, apartments, etc. The four cameras gives you awesome capability to see what is going on when you are not there from anywhere in the world and keep what is yours Yours.

You can turn your computer into a surveillance system that you can access from the Internet 24/7 using your computer's IP address. Watch your business, pets, nanny, babysitter, even your kids. View from any location in the world via the Internet. You can record live video from the camera connected to the PC's hard drive giving you limitless flexibility.

Amazing for $500--you have got to be kidding right?

Jack Krohn owns Security Solutions and has written over 400 articles on self defense and home security. 4 Channel USB DVR Surveillance System All Inclusive Hidden Cameras w/ built in DVR

USB Ports - Risks and Safety Precautions

USB might be termed as the latest craze in the industrial computer components industry, but this fashionable accessory can also be a root cause of disaster, if proper precautions are not adhered to. These thumb nail size marvels might be considered as one of the most convenient computer accessory, but it can be a great threat to Internet security as well.

The threat involved with the USB ports are the cyber criminals that are writing viruses and worms and thus infecting the USB ports. As soon as the user enters this infected port in the home PC, they can load the bug which can result in crippling the computer hardware. Their small size is one reason that makes them easier to lose and if some important data contained in it is not encrypted, there is chance that the USB ports can be tampered with, resulting in identity theft and other types of cyber crime.

This write up throws some light on this sensitive issue, which otherwise gets unnoticed. Following are some of the precautionary measures that can prevent the occurrence of these crimes to a large extent. Follow these tips to minimize the risk of your USB being hacked.

1. One of the most reliable way to prevent identification theft is to make sure that you do not load or carry any kind of personal information on the USB products.

2. Encryption is an important aspect to be taken care of if you are to put any personal or sensitive data in your USB's. Various reliable encryption programs are available and one only needs to download them. By encryption, one can be sure that the information on the USB cannot be read without being decoded first.

3. Using secure devices is another option. Various technologically advanced USB drives have added features like fingerprint authentication and built-in encryption that proves great in making this device hacker-protected. Invest in one of these USB ports that are much more user friendly and safe at the same time.

4. Keeping these computer components in a safe place is the most important tip of all. As they are very small, they are at a greater risk of being lost. Choose a USB drop spot which is easier to access and remember. This will ensure that you do not lose them easily.

5. If possible, try to keep separate devices for home as well as office purpose as there is a chance that you can accidentally introduce a virus to you home computer courtesy to one of the infected systems at office. As per the New York security consultant, Scudder, it is important to know the norms of any company before plugging your USB to the network.

Having an experience of 9 years in the engineering and scientific industry, i have been working in this industry as an analyst and researcher. Besides, various other undertaking in the scientific and engineering markets to my credit, I have been associated with some of the most renowned marts of scientific and engineering products.To know more log on to => USB Drives => Computer Hardware

Bargain Basement Prices on Datacard RP90

By Daisy McCarty

Datacard Group is replacing the standard RP90 ID card printer with their new Plus version. The opportunity to obtain one of the older models is hard to pass up. In some cases, the price for this printer can be as much as 60% off the original retail cost. These unique circumstances make it possible for businesses to do something really unusual - upgrade to a discontinued product. This is because the machine in question is a reverse transfer printer. Many companies settle for a simple direct-to-card device to save up front costs; but the steep discounts on this unit bring it easily within reach for even a modest budget.

Retransfer is overwhelmingly proven to be a superior printing method. It protects data from tampering by layering the image and text on the underside of a sheet of transparent film that is then bonded to the card surface. This process can be used on non-standard materials and is safe for contact and proximity smart cards. The print head never comes into contact with the data chip and therefore won't be scratched. In addition, the film easily contours over raised areas created by internally embedded chips.

The Datacard RP90 offers full color printing using dye sublimation and resin transfer. The edge-to-edge effect is vibrant and professional at the same time. The back of each card can be printed in black resin ink using YMCK-K ribbon (don't worry, the supplies aren't being discontinued!). A dual sided printer like this one makes it easy to include additional text and effects such as signatures that may not fit on the front of the card. One nice feature on this model is the "erasure" of the black panels on each YMCK ribbon. This precaution allows you to dispose of used supplies knowing that data printed off of each cartridge cannot be retrieved from the trash and read by an unauthorized party. This is especially important for medical information cards since social security numbers are often used as member ID #s for health plans.

The variety of solutions the RP 90 can provide is actually very broad. Cards can be printed for employee or student ID, customer reward and loyalty management, facility access, data control, and many other functions. One great thing about getting a significant discount off the regular price is that the money saved can be used to select extra options. These include magnetic stripe, contact, and contactless card encoding. Each feature opens up a new set of possibilities for card applications. The smart card modules come with both read and write capabilities making this type of upgrade a sensible and versatile investment.

Another add-on to consider for this Datacard printer is the RL90 lamination unit. This equipment can be attached in line with the print path for single-pass printing, encoding, and laminating. The RL90 uses the DuraGard brand of topcoat and laminate panels. These are available in thicknesses from .6 mm up to 1 mm. They can be purchased in either clear or holographic versions. Used in conjunction with reverse transfer printing, such products provide excellent durability and protection against abrasion and fading.

Visit ID Superstore for low prices on the RP90 and other Datacard printer models.

Graphics Tablets

A graphics tablet is a computer input device that allows you to draw with a pen on a surface, and have your computer read that as an input.

Why is that so great? Well if you have ever tried to use an image editing program to draw with a mouse, you'll know that a mouse just doesn't move like a pen. It's hard to draw with a mouse, but a graphics tablet puts a pen back in your hand, and allows you to draw naturally.

There are many programs out there that will accept pen input, and not only that they will respond to how hard you are pressing, drawing a thicker line for a harder press and a thinner line for lighter pressure, just like a pen. Try doing that with a mouse.

And you don't have to be a digital artist to use one. If you have tried to remove "red eye" from photos, you will know how awkward it can be. A graphics tablet is the way to go, making selection of the offending ocular area a breeze.

Wacom are the world leader in graphics tablets, from professional models such as the Intuos4, to hobbyist or entry-level products such as the Bamboo range, they have one to suit. And is you really want to push the boat out, why not try a Cintiq display tablet - that combines a display with a tablet, so you draw directly on the screen! They're not cheap, but for digital artists and graphics professionals who work with computers, they can't be bettered.

And finally, here's a tip for you: why not scrap your mouse and replace it with a graphics tablet? A small (A6) tablet doesn't take up much more space than a mouse mat, and can be used just like a mouse: you move it about on the drawing surface, and press to click. Then when you actually want to draw, your pen is right there.

We have opened a webstore called techdoodle that is currently supplying graphics tablets to the UK market - do drop by and take a look at our range. wacom graphics tablets

What Makes a Good Training and Education Franchise?

A franchise is a business relationship through which the parent company or the franchisor authorizes a franchisee to sell their goods and services in a particular area. The franchisee has the right to use the technique, trademark but is bound by the business standards of the franchisor.

The concept of franchising has caught up in the career training and education field. A number of parent institutions have handed over training centers to franchisees today. This is an opportunity for students who are not able to relocate to the parent institution itself due to various constraints.

The Franchising Advantage

Reasons why a franchise relationship is established are many. From the franchisor point of view it is easier to extend their services to a wider base of individuals with less operational hassles. The franchising model is also cost effective for the franchisor as it does not have to waste its resources on manpower management and other administrative costs.  

It is possible to expand the geographic presence while making use of the franchisee resources and local expertise. The challenge for the parent company is to make the authorized entity maintain the same quality of business standards and ethics and ensure that the customer satisfaction levels are not compromised.

From the franchisee point of view all that is required is capital and business acumen to flourish in that particular field. The need for building goodwill and credibility of the brand is almost nil as it is taken care of by the parent company. This makes it easier to concentrate on the business and deliver quality service to the customers or clients.

Gauging The Right Training And Education Franchise

Training and education is a part of the service industry. Gauging the quality of the services provided by the franchisee is not always easy. The challenge a prospective candidate will face is to weigh difference between the parent institute and the authorized institute. It could be that the parent institute is a century old and has established its repute for decades. But that cannot be a scale to measure the success of a franchisee as the service provided is intangible.

The success of a training and education franchise largely depends on its manpower resources. Although the course curriculum is from the parent institute, the faculty resource is a major criterion that needs serious evaluation. Before enrolling into any program you should take a few steps to find out about the resources on the program. You can talk to the counselor at the institute, past or present students enrolled in the program or take opinion from others in the same field. Look for the qualification, experience in teaching, hands-on industry experience and their ability to deliver as a teacher.

It is always good to ensure that the franchisee follows the course curriculum provided by the mother institute. Also make sure that you get all the benefits assigned to students by franchisor, if any. For example, the price of the courseware might have been included in the fee structure. You can also avail the infrastructure facilities such the library, computer center or any other additional facilities that has been authorized to the students as per the franchise agreement.

James Copper is a writer for http://www.trainingebase.co.uk where you can find information on new job training

How to Make Vista Boot Faster

By Trevor Johnson

Vista has been seen as a slower Windows program, but how do you make vista boot faster? A lot of people when asked to choose Vista or XP as an operating system choose XP. They claim that this new Vista does not work as well as the traditional XP operating system.

Personally, I think the main reason why Vista is looked down upon is because there are not that many tools out there to make the program better. Windows XP has BootVis and TuneXP if there happens to be any problems with the system that causes it to slow down. But, both systems are not compatible with Vista.

The best course of action to take in making Vista boot faster is to defrag your system. When you open new files or download anything new, the files spread themselves along your hard drive. When this happens, it takes space away that you could be using on that hard drive to make the computer faster. Defragmenting your hard drive condenses files together so you have more free space to operate your computer with. You can even place the boot up files at the start of the drive to cause the system to come on faster.

Some people say that you can manual defrag your system by utilizing "defrag c:-b" as the command prompt. This command will defrag your c drive and allow Vista to boot faster. It is your personal preference if you want to utilize this method to fix the problem you are having with the Windows Vista program. The thing with the program is there is no status bar so you have to wait until the computer prompts that the defragmentation has ended.

Hopefully some of these tips were useful in helping you solve your Vista problem. If all of this does not work, you may want to try to take your computer to a specialist to get it fixed. Network administrators can work wonders on a computer.

To get more help to make Vista boot faster just click here.

GIS Mapping - Industries Awaken to New Breed of GIS Solutions

New developments in GIS mapping have allowed more accurate and complex analyses which directly benefit all industries, from environmental resources to market analysis. GIS mapping is more pervasive than ever due largely to developments in GIS software and an increase is abundant and more accurate spatial data. GIS analysis methods have been developed for every major industry so that complex models, decision support systems, mapbooks, and map production can be achieved with remarkably high precision and reliability.  With recent innovations in remote sensing and other forms of data collection, the private and public sectors create the GIS data necessary to support existing and new technical applications.

GIS mapping technology is relied on by almost every industry, though less than 10% have the ability to apply it proficiently and cost effectively. GIS software alone is a major cost consideration, often costing even the smallest companies between three to ten thousand dollars a year in license fees. With the use of a GIS mapping service, the end user can spend its resources making the best use of the GIS end product, and avoid the often cited reasons for GIS misuse: poor training, inept application of GIS, and high GIS overhead (software licenses, data, and continual training).

Services that offer GIS solutions to industries have the flexibility and cross-disciplinary experience to properly apply the best use of GIS for the most accurate results. As an example, business territories can be accurately delineated using the client's information of store locations, sales data, demographics, and market trend data. Multiple territory scenarios can be evaluated by having GIS calculate the logistical costs of serving these markets over time. The same GIS service can also analyze the air or water pollution discharges of a facility or non-point source over time. This cross-discipline ability by one GIS mapping service to service multiple industries benefits each industry.

GIS mapping is gaining more traction in every industry due to recent innovations in industry specific GIS applications and the necessary spatial data to serve them. GIS services still remain the most cost effective and skilled solution for industries to realize the great benefits of GIS to their operations and business practices.

Chris Erichsen is a GIS Mapping consultant with the Erichsen Group in northern California. He has over 10 yrs of GIS experience and helps many industries around the world apply GIS mapping technology. Learn more examples of GIS mapping capabilities.

How Do I Install a Wireless Router? Here Are the Step by Step Instructions!

Start by making sure you've got everything you need. There should be some instructions in the box that will tell you what was supposed to come with your router.

If you can't find the instructions, look on the CD that came with the router. They're usually on there. Print them out, or read them on your computer.

What you want to do is insert the wireless router between your ISP's modem and your computers. This way the wireless router will take your Internet signal and make it wireless so you can connect to the Internet with your laptop.

Look at the back of your wireless router. You should see four ports and one other port. The four ports are to connect to the Internet with wires. The other port is to accept the Internet from your ISP's modem. This is called the WAN or Internet port.

Unplug the ethernet cable-it looks like a big phone cord-from the back of your computer and plug it into the WAN port. This will send your Internet signal into the router.

Now flip over the router and look at the bottom of it. You should see an IP address (four numbers separated by dots) and a login and password.

Plug an ethernet cable into one of the ports in the back of the router and into the ethernet port on your computer. It doesn't matter if you use a laptop or desktop. You just need to connect to the router with a wire so you can set it up.

If you didn't get an ethernet cable with the wireless router, then you'll have to buy one. But most wireless routers come with an ethernet cable.

Now launch your browser, and type the IP address into the address bar. You should be asked for a user name and password. Enter the user name and password from the bottom of the router. This should get you in.

Run the wizard, and your router should be set up automatically. Now just test the wireless connection with your laptop. If you can connect to the network, and surf the Web, you're done. If you can't, you'll have to do some troubleshooting.

If you have any problems, consult the instructions that came with the router. If you still can't figure it out, call the manufacturer's technical support line. Most of the companies have excellent technical support, and they can walk you through getting the router working.

John Harper blogs about the best rated computer laptops at http://bestratedcomputerlaptops.blogspot.com

i9 3G Review - A Look at the Features and Performance on This 3rd Generation iPhone Clone

By Rae Edwards

I get a lot of emails asking about the quality, the performance, and the features on the CECT i9 3G.  People want to know if it is worth it to upgrade from i9 to this new version.  Or, if they are in the market for a new iPhone clone, they want to know if they should go for the very popular regular version of the i9 or if it's worth it to pay a little more for the 3rd generation model.  I'll try to shed some light on this by reviewing the phone in the following article.

The 3G Version Is A Great Phone Because The i9 Is A Great Phone: I guess I didn't build up much mystery here, but the truth is that both of these phones are great.  In essence, the 3rd generation version of the phone is basically the i9 with some updates and upgrades.   This phone still has dual sim active (you don't have to switch back and forth between the cards) Java support, shake and tilt, and is a quad band.  It is still sleek and light.  It still has web browsing, Bluetooth, MP3 / MP4, video recorder and web cam, digital camera, FM radio, and e book reader.  It has email, MMS, EMS, and SMS. 

None of these popular features have been taken away.  The quality is still really high.  The phone is still high performing and functioning.  The only real difference is the change in appearance and the upgrades, which I will discuss now.  

The Rounded Back: Obviously, this phone wants to mimic the iPhone 3G. To that end, the back and corners of this phone have been rounded to give this new sleeker, rounder appearance.  If the having the latest look or style is important to you, you will probably like this very much. 

The 16MB Of Memory: The i9 could hold 8GB of memory and this was considered very generous at the time.  This new one can now accommodate 16.  This comes into play if you download alot of songs, games, or movies.

The Moving, Changing Icons: Probably the biggest difference is that you can now drag and manipulate the icons and that there are now 10 pages of them.  You can now use the page turn motion to go through all of your icons like on the iPhone commercials.   You can now create shortcuts and / or icons for the features that you use the most and you can move these to the top.   Again, this greatly appeals to those who really care about the appearance on the phone.

Colors: Speaking of the appearance of the phone, the housing on this is thicker and sleek / shiny.  It's also available in white, red, and sometimes gold.

So, Which Is It?:  Which phone is better is going to be an individual decision.  The i9 is without a doubt the best selling iPhone clone.  Customer satisfaction on it is very high.  Many people wouldn't trade it for anything.  It's reliable, high functioning, and reasonably priced, but the 3G wasn't available when this phone made it's entrance.

The new generation model seems to appeal to folks who are either buying a new phone or who were going to upgrade anyway.  If you were going to get a CECT anyway, it can be appealing to get the latest model, especially since there is not that big of a cost difference.

To view video, close up photos, full specifications, and real time rock bottom pricing on the CECT i9 3G, please see http://hiphone-3g-review.com/ For much more information on the exceptional i9 (specs, pricing, videos, etc.) please visit http://i9clonephonereview.com/

Green Dot Prepaid Visa Card - Review

By Laura Stenson

The Green Dot Visa & MasterCard are prepaid debit cards. You may be unfamiliar with debit cards so let me explain the basics.

Unlike with an unsecured card where the company issues it and attaches a limit on which they then charge interest as it is used. With this you must load or deposit money and that amount then becomes your limit.

Instead of making purchases and paying for them later, along with the interest rate and associated fees, you pay for your purchases beforehand by loading cash amounts. The issuer is Columbus Bank and Trust Company.

You will, at times, need to load and reload value onto the card. The minimum amount of the initial load is $20 and the maximum amount of the initial load is $2,500.

You may never have more than $2,500 loaded onto the card at any given time. To load or reload your Green Dot card, you may have a portion of your paycheck directly deposited to your card or you may purchase a Green Dot MoneyPak universal reload from locations such as Rite Aid, CVS, Eckerd, Radio Shack, The Pantry and other participating merchants. The MoneyPak costs $4.95.

The card charges a $4.95 per month maintenance fee, $2.50 for each ATM transaction ($3.00 per international ATM transaction, $4.00 per cash advance from a teller or non-ATM transaction), up to $1.00 per call to obtain your balance using the interactive voice response system or a live operator, and $10 fee to replace a lost or stolen card. Always be sure to read the Terms and Conditions before applying.

Columbus Bank and Trust Company also offers a Premier version of this card. Be sure to research the Premier card fees before moving forward.

Fees include, but are not limited to, a one-time $19.95 membership enrollment fee and a $5.00 fee per month if you do not load $750 per month to the card. Additional charges may accrue if you use an ATM.

Likewise, if you purchase one of these cards at a store, the retailer will charge an initial activation fee and a reload fee. Be sure to check with the retailer for the costs involved with purchasing one of these cards.

Personally, I would not apply for one of these cards, though I guess it would depend on your situation and why you need the card. Again, personally, I don't really feel that I want to pay to call someone's answering machine.

I also don't want to pay $5 per month merely because I don't reload $750 per month. I believe I should be the one to decide how much a balance I want to maintain.

Additionally, there are other cards which allow more flexibility as to reload options.

Instead we suggest the prepaid credit card the AccountNow Visa instead of the Green Dot Visa. You can also get a free credit consultation by calling 1-800-483-0256

Roll Laminators - Most Common Questions Answered

By J. David Stuart

Lamination film is an effective and reliable way to protect and preserve documents. This could be a business card, a book cover, a picture or a sign. Laminators are nothing new, but the technology behind them has changed. Gone are the days of frustrating projects, cloudy results and ruined documents.

Many roll laminators are now utilizing technology and computers to help balance heat, adjust speeds and help eliminate waste. For years operating a laminator almost required a college degree. Dials and levers had to be fine-tuned to prevent a flawed job. Many modern laminators now have an LCD interface and require little setup, usually only requiring the operator to push a few buttons.

Laminators are used to apply a thin protective layer of plastic over the surface of a document. This plastic, known as lamination film, uses adhesives to bind itself to a flat surface. The adhesive glue in lamination film is usually activated with heat, although cold lamination film is available for temperature sensitive items. Cold pressure-sensitive film is applied to an object using an adhesive that is similar to tape.

Lamination film is available in different thicknesses. The thickness of lamination film is referred to as a "mil." A mil is one thousandth of an inch. Film is typically broken down into 1.5, 3, 5, 7, and 10 mil thicknesses. The thicker the film, the more rigid the end result is. If rigidity is not a factor, a thin 1.5 or 3 mil coat is more than enough to protect and preserve.

Pouch laminators, the smaller cousin to the roll laminator, are used to laminate pictures, menus, signs and other material. Roll laminators are used to laminate larger items, such as posters, maps, signs and banners. Roll laminators, however, can still laminate the small stuff if needed.

Roll laminators, unlike pouch laminators, use two rolls of film to laminate. A top roll and a bottom roll are combined to completely encapsulate a document. The film is placed on metal mandrels, which keep the film in place. Mandrels vary in diameter, depending on the laminator and the film being used. The most common core size of roll lamination film is one inch. Wider laminators use a larger diameter core, usually around 2 ¼ to three-inches.

The most common width of a roll laminator is 25 to 27 inches. Copy shops and schools commonly use this size of roll laminator. This is because the 25 to 27-inch range is very versatile, allowing the operator to easily laminate small documents or laminate larger items such as a small poster or map. This size of laminator is also much easier to transport, set up and use.

Roll laminators are available in much wider formats as well, with some in excess of 65-inches. Wide format laminators are used to laminate banners, large posters and other large material. These laminators are typically used by print shops.

Features in laminators vary, depending on the make and model. A few options that will vary between roll laminators are luxuries such as variable speed control, heated rollers, mounting capabilities, slitters and variable temperature control.

Lamination continues to be an effective, fast and cost-effective way to protect and preserve documents. Contact Office Zone at 1-800-543-5454 for more information on laminators.

Dave Stuart is an industry expert on lamination.

Linear Actuator III

By Gordon Petten

Mechanical motion is produced by actuators through a conversion of different energy forms into mechanical energy and this is a basis of major exploration. Through science, new ways are found for utilizing actuators daily including for purposes of medicine. An actuator is basically something capable of energy conversion into motion. A linear actuator can be described as a device used for developing force as well as motion from any available source of energy in a linear-like manner and not rotationally like electric motors.

There are different types of linear actuators including a mechanical linear actuator which is typically used in the conversion of a handle or control knob's rotary motion into a form of linear displacement through gears and/or screws to which the handle or knob is attached. A car jack or jack screw is a mechanical linear actuator that is familiar. Another mechanical linear actuator family is based on a segmented spindle. The jack handle rotation is converted mechanically into the jack head's linear motion. These actuators are commonly applied in the optic and laser field for position manipulation of rotary stages, linear stages goniometers, mirror mounts as well as various positioning instruments. For repeatable and accurate positioning, users may use index marks on the control knobs.

Some mechanical linear actuators are inclusive of encoders and digital readout positions. There is a similarity of the micrometer adjustment knobs except that they are used for position adjustment rather than for position measurement.A, hydraulic linear actuator or hydraulic cylinder typically involves a hollow cylinder with a piston insertion in it. The two piston sides are alternately de-pressurized or pressurized to achieve a controlled and precise piston linear displacement and the piston entity connection. Physically, the linear displacement is along the cylinder or piston axis and this design is generally based on the hydraulic principles. A hydraulic car-jack is an ideal example of a hydraulic linear actuator that is manually activated although typically, a hydraulic linear actuator is used to refer to an appliance controlled through a hydraulic pump.

A piezoelectric linear actuator effect is present in particular materials whereby the voltage application to a certain material causes its expansion. When the voltages are very high, this is only correspondent to tiny expansions thus the linear actuator achieves an extremely fine resolution positioning, although the motion range is very small. Additionally, the materials exhibit hysteresis and make the expansion control difficult in a manner that is repeatable.

An electro-mechanical linear actuator has similarities to a mechanical linear actuator although the handle or control knob is replaced using an electric motor. The motor's rotary motion is converted into the actuator's linear displacement. There are numerous modern designs and respective manufacturing companies tend to have individual proprietary methods. In electro-mechanical actuators a rotary driver is connected mechanically to a screw lead to ensure that the electric motor rotation makes the lead screw to rotate. In most designs of linear actuator, the basic operational principle is of one of a plane that is inclined.

Linear Actuator

How to Maintain Canon Printers and Canon Toner Cartridges

Canon printers are considered to be one of the best computer printers available in the market.  The same fact is right about Canon toner cartridges as well. Canon is one company which has continued to manufacture printers to improve the efficiency and quality of the printers.  Canon toner cartridges have also played a huge role in maintaining the Canon printers. The latest products of Canon have some added features which add to the value of the product. At one point of time, Canon had limited its business to the manufacturing of inkjet printers.

However to sustain itself in market and to face the tough competition posed by reputed companies like Ricoh, Xerox, HP and Xante Printers, Canon has involved itself in the production of Bubble Jet Printers, Compact Photo Printers, laser and Multi functional printers. Not only this, Canon has also achieved considerable success in the market because of its printer supply products like Canon toner cartridges and other printer accessories.

The Canon printer and printer supplies are bound to delight the user with its quality and efficiency, provided they are maintained properly. This article aims at helping the users with a few maintenance tips for the Canon printers and Canon toner cartridges.

The basic but the most important tip is to keep the canon printer clean at all times. This is important because Canon printers use static electricity which attracts dust around the printer. This dust, if not cleaned in time is bound to affect the functioning of the printer in the long run.
 
Using paper of better quality will not only decrease the regular paper jams in your printer, but will also enhance the efficiency of the Canon printer. While purchasing paper for printing purpose, one should ensure that there is very less clay content in it.
 
One of the key factors in proper maintenance of canon printers is the maintenance of proper density. Canon toner cartridges tend to release loose cartridge into the printers, hence it is recommended to set the print density on a regular basis. If the print density is not checked or set more frequently, then the canon printers might give you prints which are pitch black in color. However, if one likes to take prints of darker nature, then it is best not to increase the toner in one's printer. One can simply get darker prints by altering the density settings at printer properties.
 
Canon is a company which takes extra caution to manufacture printers and printer supplies like canon toner cartridges which are liked and cherished by majority of its customer base. They are designed to give the users a good printing experience. Like all other quality machines, Canon printers might pose a few very minor issues for the user, but by following some very basic but important maintenance tips discussed in this article, the users of Canon printers and printer supplies like canon toner cartridges, are most likely to cherish the printing experience provided by them.

Philip Griffiths is a partner at Paragon Matrix, a leading ink, toner and pc product supplier based in the small county town of Newport, Shropshire, England. If you want to enlighten yourself with more information on Canon toner cartridges such as Canon printers or Dell's ink cartridges discover the info here.

Hottest Franchise Business Opportunities For the Work From Home Mom

By Candice Clem

Anyone who has ever been or grown up with a stay at home mom knows that stay at home moms are some of the most hard-working people out there. As the kids grow a bit older and start heading off to school, many moms find themselves in a position where they still need to be around the home to shuttle kids around, go to soccer games and generally be available for their little ones, but would still like to earn some extra income in their free time. For these moms, entering the work force doesn't always make sense, and that's where work from home franchises really begin to make sense.

With a home based franchise, the work at home mom can set her own schedule, choose from a large variety of different work from home franchise opportunities, and in most cases choose how little or how much to work each week based on her particular schedule. To that end, if you're a stay at home mom looking for a new home based franchise, take a look at a few of the Hottest Home Business Franchise Opportunities For The Work From Home Mom.

Cold, Hard Cash

ACFN ATM's franchise program was birthed from the common questions, "Wouldn't it be convenient to have an ATM machine right here?" With the advent of the debit card it seems that no one carries cash anymore, yet many businesses, restaurants, bars and movie theaters still only accept cash. ACFN ATMs are a must have for locations where cash is needed and the ability to place these kiosk ATM machines virtually anywhere has made it possible for people to have instant access to cash in places where it was previously impossible. As an ACFN franchisee you'll place your machines in high traffic areas where people need cash, keep your machines stocked and running and collect plenty of profits from convenience fees charged to the customers which typically range from $2-$4 per transaction. Image having your ATM at an outdoor concert where a couple thousand people all need to buy a beverage and dinner and need to take out cash to do so and you can start to see how $2-$4 really starts to add up quickly.

Cool Jobs for Hot Weather

As the weather heats up, one thing every barbecue or summer get together needs is plenty of ice. This is the idea behind Polar Ice Express Inc., the self-service ice vending station. Like other vending machine franchises, Polar Ice is of the, "insert money, get desired item" business model, but Polar Ice has really put a lot of thought into something most people never really think about: ice. The system they sell consists of an Arctic-Temp AR 1000 Ice Maker that is attached to an ice bagging and vending machine that will allow you to vend up to 300, 20lb bags of ice per day. The machine has wheels and only takes up as much space as a standard parking space, so it's completely mobile. Just park, hookup water and electricity and you're off! Standard components make repairs and maintenance easy for any standard electrician or AC personnel. If you're interested in this vending machine franchise, get in touch with Polar Ice and request more information about this cool home business opportunity.

Ready to Clean Up?

At first glance, you may not think that a home based franchise from ElizaJ seems that much different that the port-a-potties you could see driving by a typical construction site, but ElizaJ has decided to take a refreshing approach to the utterly important and often overlooked portable restroom industry. ElizaJ's products are designed to provide portable restroom services that not only get the job done, but actually create a pleasant experience and combine the convenience of a portable restroom with a series of products that have been described as, "elegant, refined and discreet." This home based business opportunity is part of a $1.5 billion/year industry and with parties, outdoor weddings and catered events seeking a much more elegant alternative to the typical portable restroom, ElizaJ is poised to stake claim to a large chunk of this booming industry.

Even if you've never owned or even been a part of a business before, a home based franchise is the perfect way to get into a unique and exciting business while receiving all of the training needed to succeed coupled with the solid business plans and ongoing training offered by nearly every one of the many work from home franchises. We've looked at just a few different types of home based franchises, but there are plenty more work from home franchise opportunities in nearly every type of business, so don't be afraid to get your feet wet with your own business as these work from home franchises can be one of the easiest ways to start and run a business that will generate serious income fast. Like anything in life, with a home based franchise, you get out what you put into it, so if you're a work from home mom with a desire to invest a little startup money and your time into something that's all but guaranteed to pay off, a work from home franchise will be the best choice for you, and your family.

Find more franchise opportunities including Party Franchises and home based business franchises at Franchise Gator

NTP Synchronization and FAQ

With a variety of acronyms and timescales the world of time synchronization can be quite confusing. Here are some frequently asked questions we hope will help enlighten you.

What is NTP?

NTP is a protocol designed to synchronize computer networks across the internet or LAN (Local Area Networks). It is not the only time synchronization protocol available but it is the most widely used and the oldest having been conceived in the late 1980's.

What are UTC and GMT?

UTC or Coordinated Universal Time is a global timescale, it is controlled by highly accurate atomic clocks but kept the same as GMT (Greenwich Meantime) by the use of leap seconds, added when the Earth's rotation slows down. Strictly speaking GMT is the old civil timescale and based on when the sun is above the meridian line, however, as the two systems are identical in time thanks to leap seconds, UTC is often referred to as GMT and vice versa.

And a NTP Time Server?

These are devices that synchronize a computer network to UTC by receiving a time signal and distributing it with the protocol NTP which ensures all devices are running accurately to the timing reference.

Where to get UTC time from?

There are two secure methods of receiving UTC. The first is to utilize the long wave time signals broadcast by NIST (WWVB) NPL in the UK (MSF) and the German NPL (DCF) The other method is to use a the GPS network. GPS satellites broadcast an atomic clock signal that can be utilised and converted to UTC by the GPS NTP server.

Richard N Williams is a technical author and specialist in atomic clocks, telecommunications, NTP and network time synchronisation helping to develop dedicated NTP clocks. Please visit us for more information about a Galleon ntp server or other ntp server solutions.

Brother Intellifax 2600 - A Quiet and Effective Choice For the Office

By Ben Pate

The Brother Intellifax 2600 Printer is a plain, simple and affordable laser fax printer suitable for home users and simple office works. It is a very good and dependable solution for those who need to send a lot of faxes and also need to make sure that their data will actually reach the other end.

It is a very well appointed and user friendly fax machine; it is fast and reliable, marking the way to face the paper when sending faxes. This is actually very practical, because many people, who are not used to sending faxes, deal with this problem on a daily basis. It rids users from guesswork, which is not needed anyway.

The Intellifax 2600 is also a quite fast fax machine; according to the specifications, users can send a new page every six seconds, which is a quite realistic time. Most users get impatient while sending faxes, due to the amount of time that a standard fax machine needs to send the fax. The Intellifax recovers from idle condition pretty fast as well; a standard printer-fax machine needs approximately twenty to thirty seconds to warm up, but the 2600 needs half or even less time.

It comes with a 2MB of internal memory, which is not expandable, and can store up to 120 pages for reception. It features a Quick Scan memory transmission and can broadcast faxes to several locations simultaneously. The dual access capability allows users to scan the fax into memory prior to sending; the fax machine can keep the incoming fax in memory as well, which is quite practical in the case that the fax is out of paper. As long as there is space in the memory, the user can be rest assured that no fax will be missed even when out of paper.

The fax printer delivers laser performance and accuracy; it comes with 600 dpi of resolution and features a caller ID and Distinctive Ring Detection. It doesn't give a written report of successful sending, but the user can access the history of fax transactions and check if the fax has reached its destination.

This printer is a quiet fax machine as well; it is audible only if you are standing in front of it. Among its other features are the photocopying abilities; the intellifax 2600 can make multiple copies and even enlarge or reduce the source paper. It has an automatic fax and telephone switch on, which allows the user to use the machine both as fax receiver and voice call on just a single phone line. There are also 16 slots that permit the storage of phone numbers you use more often.

The printing abilities of the Brother Intellifax 2600 are quite good but not impressive; as in all fax machines of this category, the device can deliver the printing result of a photocopy machine. The texts are clear and readable but not crisp or sharp.

Overall, the Brother Intellifax printer and fax is a dependable solution for home users; it is also quite affordable, especially since the standard Brother Intellifax 2600 Toner comes in reasonable prices. For more information visit http://www.qtoner.us.

DigiPro USB Graphics Tablet With Cordless Pen Review

By Seymour Glass

Wow, is there a lot of information on the web about how to go about doing this.  Some of it is even quite amusing-that is, if you know what you're doing first.

It's always best to start out with taking a look at the federal civil rights laws (under the Americans with Disabilities Act) and the civil rights laws in your own state.  These are the ultimate authorities and really all you need to make a determination.  By the way, if there seems to be any disagreement or conflict between the federal laws and your state's laws, it's important for you to know that the federal laws trump your state's laws.

In just about all cases, NO certification is needed for a service dog in order for it to have that designation.  All you need is to have a disability as defined under disability law (check that if you're unclear about it), and for your service animal to assist you with tasks that are specific to your disability.  The only questions you are ever required to answer are, "Is this a service dog?" and "What tasks does it do for you?"

However, having some kind of visible identification will make your life and that of your dog's infinitely easier, and there is more than one reason for obtaining some ID.  For example, I have an acquaintance who took her service dog with her on a plane flight at the end of last year.  She had gotten a service dog license from her local licensing bureau by asking for one and submitting a doctor's note along with her application for the license.  As she passed through security at the airport, she showed the special license (as well as the dog's health record), and was told by one of the security agents that if she didn't have the license she would have been turned away.  Security these days can be quite complicated as well as a pain, and having the identification made things go smoothly.  [She had also been given a special service dog license tag for the dog's collar, and was informed by the licensing bureau that the special tag insured that if the dog was lost and identified as a service dog through the tag, extra care would be taken to locate the dog than would be if it was simply a pet.]

To sum up, having some kind of visible identification for your service dog, while not required by law, can make your life so much easier than you might imagine.  So it's most highly recommended for both of you!

Spot is the owner of http://www.ServiceDogTags.com and is a prolific writer on matters concerning service dogs and the disabled. Spot lets his owner help him put the web site together and write articles as it's hard as heck to type with paws. Besides it's good to throw his owner a bone every once in a while so he feels useful.

XY Tables III

By Gordon Petten

XY tables are the types of tables that are used in the creation or manufacture of different types of frames and structures like the gantry, which is a structure with steel bars that is raised on side supports so that they may bridge around or over items. This table can display signals on railways over a number of tracks or be able to support a traveling crane among other functions. The standard laser XY tables have a range of 15"x15" to 51"x100" in regards to size. The different companies that make the table give different ranges in configuration to enable the customer get the desired table for the type of application being made.

The size of XY tables needs to be considered depending on the table's use, affordability and dependability. In regards to the construction type that is required, the easiest form of dual linear degrees of the freedom of the system positioning where the top axis base is screwed to the carriage located at the lower axis is suitable. The typical XY tables are designed and built from heavy-duty steel, which has the inclusion of steel that is heavy duty. This includes stainless steel and they are supposed to last for a long while, with little maintenance and could last for an unprecedented number of years. Buying XY tables is definitely not cheap and there may be a need to buy a long lasting table. Many table working tops are made to withstand tough conditions in design for 'stressed', 'relieved' and rigidity for a small environmental effect.

There is an attempt by a lot of companies to alter the precision ground for many XY tables to be improved. The precision bearings and rail blocks are utilized to give customers repeatable and accurate operations. The most essential tables are rather accurate but more accurate tables can be prearranged from many companies. Vibration control inside the table makes for little vibration, because as one is working on a project that is very delicate, the vibration may be a serious issue. Many companies offer vibration control with the tables.

The XY tables with a higher vibration control may have a difference in the price. Another vital consideration is the type of work the equipment may be used for because there may not be any concerns concerning the vibrations. Speaking to the vendor is the best way through which a person can establish the kind of XY tables that may suit the work one is undertaking. The XY tables are also known as laser tables. The laser tables are a sophisticated equipment setup that is used in the precise guiding of a laser beam. This laser is fixed to the side of the table permanently and emits light in the direction of two movable mirrors and every point of the surface table is swept by this laser. These XY tables, at engraving point, have the laser beam focused via a lens at the engraved surface, enabling intricate and precise patterns being traced out.

XY Tables

 

Benefits of Buying a Xerox Printer

If you hear the word Xerox, the first thing that probably comes into your mind is photocopying. But believe it or not Xerox is actually a company that is known for making quality photocopiers and printers for small businesses and some home owners. Xerox has made such a huge impact that people are using their company name as the actual action of photocopying even if the photocopier isn't a Xerox machine. But if you ever come across one in a store, then this could be your next pick that won't disappoint you.

Here are some of the benefits of buying yourself a Xerox printer.

High Quality Outputs

People that want to get quality photocopies end up going to the local printing store to make some since they are very affordable per copy. If some photocopying needs to be done at home, the best you can do is scan it and print it again or use an expensive multifunction printer, but the quality of the copy isn't going to be as good as the original. These local stores also have very expensive printers that significantly exceed in quality. With a Xerox printer, you can have that same quality without paying so much on an expensive device.

Many Paper Types Supported

For that added professional touch, people like to print their work on special paper types. If the right paper type is used, the overall impact of anyone reading the material is much higher and usually leads to a greater impression on the individual. The only problem is that if it is printed on the wrong printer, the output may not be as great as expected. This is because certain paper types need special printers for it to be printed properly. Xerox printers handle them fine and are best for people that want to print to professional standard.

Takes Less Time to Warm Up

Starting up your regular or laser printer can be quite an annoyance once you find out that the first print job takes too long. Fortunately, Xerox printers do not fall into that category so it is safe to turn them off when they are not in use as the warm up time isn't very much.

Good Company Reputation

Remember that you are buying the Xerox brand if you decide to get a Xerox printer. Xerox had a legacy in satisfying people particularly business users because of the good advantages of their printers. Even today, Xerox continues to make quality printers including multifunction printers along with other types.

Strong Environmental Drive

Xerox has a positive stance on the environment and aims to push new devices that meet environmental stands forward. Many of the devices made today are very eco-friendly and utilize fresh tactics in preserving the environment.

Although most Xerox machines are often too big to keep at home, they are powerful systems that are more geared towards businesses. The printers can also be quite expensive, but the extra features and good reputation makes the Xerox company a great addition to any business.

Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who represents a number of UK businesses. For a range of Xerox products, he recommends Printware Ltd, a leading supplier of Xerox Printers.