IT Crowd

Oh Mighty IPhone: Cell Phone Review

2009-04-29T12:51:00.003+07:00

The iPhone 3G offers a tangible improvement over its ground breaking predecessor. Its 3G wireless network arrives with much justified fanfare, enabling faster connection speeds and improved call quality. The appearance is only slightly different, as Apple understands there's no need to rework the classic minimal design. There are also dozens of third party applications available, which keeps the new iPhone on the cutting edge of modern, functional, and fun.

Though Apple still has yet to address a few shortcomings, the iPhone 3G continues to affirm the standard against which all other mobile phones shall be judged.

Looking past all the bells and whistles for a moment leaves us with a phone with notably improved call reception and lower background noise. This is a welcomed improvement, as the orignal iPhone caught a fair amount of deserved flack for its sometimes frustrating call reception. At that time, the iPhone was so distractingly pretty and, with the help of a groundbreaking interface and a wide variety of aps, no one seemed to care too much about call reception that needed to be improved. So before it became a forefront issue, Apple dealt with it proactively by upgrading to what has become known as the Third Generation Network - 3G - that almost lives up to its promise of better reception. As mentioned, the reception on the iPhone 3G was improved overall, but there were still intermittent problems with faltering call signals. Push comes to shove, the Blackberry Storm with Verizon service might edge out iPhone/AT&T in the department of call signal integrity.

The price also made me flinch a little. The iPhone is a "subsidized" phone, which means you what you pay for it depends on the current deal you have with your current carrier. Steve Jobs initially introduced the 3G with the price costing ranging from 199 for the 8GB version, to 299 for the 16GB model. This turned out to be not exactly true. It's mostly accurate that most people - to make a very long story short - will in fact qualify for the aforementioned lower price. However if you do not "qualify" for such a price you will pay $399 or $499 for the respective models. The terms of the price qualification lie with AT&T, and are sufficiently complicated as to go beyond the bounds of this review to explain. For reference, please refer to AT&T's website.

There are also gaps in the 3G coverage; in a sense you could say that 3G is still in its "beta" version at the time of this writing. Although this matter will clearly become resolved soon as hardware phone networks are updated. During a broadband test, video games played much better on the 3G compared to the older model.

The 3G also now features a true GPS instead of the approximate position interpolation of the original iPhone. As long as there's a network, this one puts you exactly where you are. The new iPhone also features compatibility with Microsoft Exchange server messaging and email services.

The iPhone also supports Wi-Fi based email synching and, though the email services are not quite what the Blackberry's are, the new iPhone is catching up quickly as a serious business phone. One of the most glaring shortfalls of the iPhone 3G is its continued inability to text images without 3rd party aps and modfied hacks. Why an iPhone can't do what a 1st generation LG phone can do is beyond me. The battery runs fine but doesn't last quite as long as the previous generation iPhone and is not changeable by the user.

The display is the same size as its predecessor (480 X 320) and features a slightly higher resolution of 163 dots per inch as opposed to 160. The images are "iPhone sharp" as ever with an identical icon display, plus the edition of a Contacts icon that opens your phone book, and the App Store icon opens the iTunes App Store. The display's glass surface, accelerometer feature, touch interface, and secondary menus remain unchanged.

All in all, the problems with the new iPhone amount to only blemishes on what remains the gold standard in mobile phone design today. If Apple/AT&T can simplify the iPhone's pricing structure and continue to upgrade its 3G coverage, the iPhone will continue to remain the most popular mobile phone offered today.

Password Protection, Encryption And Generation For Everyday Use

2008-05-17T08:40:00.000+07:00

Author: Lisa Carey

With technology comes convenience, and the technology of the Internet grows each day allowing busy people and consumers to do more in less time. Some of the most often used Internet sites include; on-line banking, internet shopping, on-line bill paying, research at our fingertips, e-mail, instant messaging, photo image storing and creation and so much more. Not only can we communicate, pay bills complete many other day to day tasks, but we can also help our children with homework, do research, plan a vacation, make reservations (for restaurants to travel) and so many other things. But with this technology comes risks, especially as websites try to "personalize" the site to each individual, even to greeting you by name when you log in. As a result, more and more information is gathered, and to keep that information safe, more and more passwords created.

As personalization becomes standard as does our reliance on many websites to do everything from pay bills to monitoring assets the security of this information becomes of utmost importance. So, how do we complete all the forms for the sites we need as well as create passwords that are unique, unusual and that will protect our online services and accounts?

If you are like many people, you probably use one or two passwords, alternating them between sites, so you don't forget your password. Or you write them down and store them somewhere-but not too far from the computer so you don't have to go looking for them. Internet security experts, as well as many websites warn us of the dangers of an easy password as well as the dangers of having our passwords within easy access. Another situation that needs to be considered is what happens in the event of emergency, disability, illness or even death, and your family needs those passwords in order to keep your finances in order, and you are the only one who knew what your passwords are and where they are located.

Is there a safer alternative to writing them in an address book or on a piece of paper underneath my keyboard? Absolutely, there is a software system available to consumers called Roboform. This software not only generates original passwords but stores them, and personal and financial information frequently used when working online.

Roboform software completes online forms and creates securely encrypted passwords. It will even generate a random, highly safe password for you when you hit generate. It uses an artificial intelligence system that is created to identity forms, complete them as well as generate and safely store passwords, keeping your account information safe.

This form filler and password service saves time and effort as well as provides security by: managing passwords and logging you in automatically as well as filling in long forms for registration or shopping checkout with just a click. This function also cuts down on "keystrokes" making it more difficult for keylogger software to work in any possibly attempts to "steal" your information.

Roboform Features:

-The ability to create one identity, but have multiple credit cards, addresses, user names and passwords stored.

-Roboform detects and fills in drop down boxes.

-This software detects what formation of numbers need to be used, for example is the telephone number field presented in ten digits or a different format and completes the form correctly.

-Customization of information according to country locations and traditions. For example, date formats will be completed based on country location, so US dates will be month, day, year while foreign forms require day, month and year.

-Customization based on language.

-A highlight function that indicates that Roboform should only complete specific sections of the form.

Roboform Protection and Security services include:

-Encrypting passwords for increased security.

-Generation of random passwords.

-Detection of "phishing" websites and only completing forms on legitimate sites.

-Eliminates keyloggers, because the keyboard is not used to complete forms.

Roboform first became available in 1999. Because of its popularity and reliability, it has been translated into 30 languages and is used by millions around the world. Also available is RoboForm2Go, one of the first of applications that can operate from USB flash drives. RoboForm2Go is a portable version of RoboForm that allows consumers to their passwords with them and enjoy the conveyance of this service anywhere.

Roboform and Robofrom2Go are compatible with many different operating systems and software, including: Internet Explorer, AOL, MSN, Firefox, IE 7 and Vista.

The cost for a lap or desktop computer is $29.95. Roboform2Go for U 3 drives or non-U 3 drives is available for $19.95. The PALM version is $9.99. A 30 days free trial is available with a "No Questions Asked" Money Back Guarantee.

This service has been awarded PC Magazine's Editor's Choice Award, Soft32.
com's Editor's Review Award (Excellent in 5/5 categories) and the blue
ribbon FDM (Free Download Manager) User's Choice Award. Independent consumer reviews say over and over that it is "easy to use," "a quality time saver" and "fast, fast, fast."

Roboform software can not only save consumers time (and time is money in many cases) but it also protects their personal and financial information. The creation of unique passwords as well as elimination of keylogger access makes all the conveniences of using the Internet, not only convenient but safe. Financial information, online bill paying and more can be done safely and effectively, and in case of emergency your family will have the information it needs all stored in one place, permitting them one more level of security not only financially but personally.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/password-protection-encryption-and-generation-for-everyday-use-415567.html

Naruto Wallpaper

2008-05-02T00:37:00.003+07:00

3 Simple And Low Cost Marketing Ideas To Create Visibility

2008-04-09T19:18:00.000+07:00

by: Tracey Lawton

Marketing your business is one of the biggest challenges for any solopreneur – it’s a task we all find quite daunting, and are simply overwhelmed by all the information that’s available. Below I have put together some information on 3 simple and low cost marketing ideas, which you can easily implement right away to create more visibility for your online business and web site. They all work well for me!

To help you decide which is the best strategy (or strategies) for you, I have listed the pros and cons of each one.

Create a Blog

Pros

You can really show off your expertise by posting on a regular basis.

Blog posts don’t need to be very long – approx. 200-350 words.

If you have some important information to share, you can instantly create a post – no waiting for your next newsletter to make your announcement!

If you use a blogging platform such as WordPress, this is hosted on your website. Each time you post to your blog you are creating fresh content for your website, which the search engines love!

Cons

You need to post regularly - at least once a week – in order for this to be an effective marketing strategy.

You need to feel confident that you will be able to write fresh content regularly.

It can be difficult to build a direct relationship with your reader.

Publish an Ezine

Pros

Unlike a blog, readers sign up to receive your newsletter so you already have a connection with them.

You can build a relationship with your newsletter reader and encourage one-on-one communication.

You can go into more depth in your newsletter article than you can with your blog posts.

Your clients/target audience can get to know you through your newsletter.

Cons

You have to make a commitment to publish on a regular basis, otherwise your subscribers will see you as unreliable, and may even forget about you!

There is more work involved in putting together a newsletter than writing a simple blog post.

You will need to subscribe to one of the ezine distribution services – I strongly recommend you do this and not send your ezine via your email client!

Article Marketing

Pros

If you are already blogging or publishing a newsletter, you have your articles written.

It is highly likely that once you submit your article to one of the article submission sites, it will be picked up and published on other article submission sites.

Regularly submitting your articles will elevate you to ‘expert’ status within your field/niche.

Cons

You have to write the articles if you’re not publishing a newsletter or posting to a blog.

It takes time to manually research suitable article submission sites and submit articles.

In order for this strategy to be effective, you have to submit your articles regularly – at least once a month.

Conclusion: You can just pick one strategy to focus on, or you can do all three! Whichever one you choose make sure it’s the right one for you. The key is to be consistent in your approach. If you decide to go with a blog make sure you have the time and motivation to add new posts regularly – at least once a week. Don’t start a newsletter if you know you won’t be able to keep to a regular publishing schedule! And for article marketing to be effective you need to submit articles on a regular basis.

(c) 2007 Tracey Lawton

The Joy's Of Owning A HDTV

2008-04-07T17:20:00.000+07:00

by: John Wilkerson

There is only one way to play video games now days and that is playing them on a HDTV. Whatever people have told you, what ever your friends, family, or co-workers have told you HD is the only way to go. Ok you might just happen to be an individual that has never seen something in HD and that is alright your not alone. Just about everyone in the United States has heard of HD but really don't understand what it is.

A simple way to explain it is that the resolution of the picture is greatly improved. Improved? One may ask, well yes that is just it. So you should go out right now and see for your self. Now back to video games on a HDTV. For starters the picture is much clearer. When it is not in HD the picture has what looks like to be a fuzz effect going on with it. Now if you are one of those people that have never seen HD then you will not notice it and would have to look for it. But if you do have a HDTV and play your video games on it normally you will in fact notice a significant difference the quality of picture.

Not only that, if you were to play a video game that you play often in HD and then switched it over to standard definition it would be enough to make your self sick. Also it is a great excuse for you to go out and buy a HD DVD player. That way you can start buying HD movies and when you see an ad on TV about a movie and it says also comes in HD you can go out and buy it. The only down side to buying HD movies is the increase in price of the movie. You can usually get a normal DVD at around twenty dollars, for a HD movie you will be spending up wards to around thirty dollars.

Although that might be a lot for just one movie, HD movies come with an extreme amount of content compared to just a normal DVD. On every HD DVD there are just about all the extras for that movie that you possibly could want. If you want behind the scenes or interviews with the cast of the movie they are all there. I have personally only seen a couple of HD DVDs my self one being Pirates of The Caribbean: At Worlds End which was a great movie, but I know for a fact that all HD DVDs have all of the content I have just said.

It is kind of like a guarantee when buying a HD DVD player. Not only do you get an amazing improvement in the quality of the picture but you get all of the in depth coverage of the movie it self. I would say to all gamers or movie lovers that enjoys watching TV in general and is looking for a better experience save yourself the pain of standard definition and buy a HDTV.

Firefox Just Got Better

2008-04-07T17:16:00.000+07:00

by: Burk Pendergrass

The safest most secure app for browsing the internet currently available just got better and has more improvements on the way. Are you ready for the latest Mozilla release? Firefox 3 Beta 4 is available for download, but before you go running off like some half cocked Microsoft groupie notice the "beta" tag.

Hello!! The internet is a dangerous place. The Remote Helpdesk 1 Team continues to be amused (we can no longer say amazed) at people who would not dare to venture into certain parts of a city but who seemingly rush into the internet's dark corners and dimly lighted streets ill prepared.

Before you sail into a storm baton down the hatches, and before you cruise into hacker, virus, trojan, and criminally infested areas of the world wide web at least darken the windows and arm yourself. Not to take appropriate precautions will assure your computer a visit to the infectious disease controls center if not the hard drive morgue.

Firefox developers have thus far proven themselves to the best at incorporating necessary safety features into their browser while preserving user options and cruise speeds. Online PC Repair folks feel they owe a lot of their success to getting their loyal users involved in the development and testing process. These folks, like The Tennessee Mountain Man, have helped keep the programs on track and the applications minimal. For instance, if a client wants twenty-five cents - give him a quarter like Mozilla tends to do rather that twenty-five pennies as Microsoft is famous for.

It takes a lot less resources to process one coin than it does to count twenty-five. Mozilla recognizing this has given the new "beta" release a lot of new features and improved compatibility while freeing up resources. The end result being a more nimble and faster overall browsing experience. At the same time they have enhanced Firefox's security.

Released to the public via the Mozilla website Monday, 10 March 2008, Firefox 3 Beta 4 is in the beta stage of any software's life cycle. Firefox 3 Beta 4 loudly proclaims that it is "for testing purposes only" therefore it is not for everyone. It you are a newbie or maybe even an intermediate internet user, the suggestion of the Computer Man would be that you use Firefox 2.0.0.12, the latest most stable full release until Firefox 3 is out of beta.

If you just can't wait for a better browsing experience Mozilla reports "the new release includes more than 900 enhancements from beta 3, including drastic improvements to performance and memory usage, as well as fixes for stability, platform enhancements and user interface".

But that is not the half of it... not by a long shot. "Firefox 3 is based on the Gecko 1.9 Web rendering platform, which has been under development for the past 31 months. Building on the previous release, Gecko 1.9 has more than 12,000 updates including some major re-architecting to provide improved performance, stability, rendering correctness, and code simplification and sustainability. Firefox 3 has been built on top of this new platform resulting in a more secure, easier to use, more personal product with a lot more under the hood to offer website and Firefox add-on developers improvements.", according to Mozilla.

Enhancements like these reported on the Mozilla website:

"More Secure

* One-click site info: Click the site favicon in the location bar to see who owns the site and to check if your connection is protected from eavesdropping. Identity verification is prominently displayed and easier to understand. When a site uses Extended Validation (EV) SSL certificates, the site favicon button will turn green and show the name of the company you're connected to. (Try it here!)
* Malware Protection: malware protection warns users when they arrive at sites which are known to install viruses, spyware, trojans or other malware. (Try it here!)
* New Web Forgery Protection page: the content of pages suspected as web forgeries is no longer shown. (Try it here!)
* New SSL error pages: clearer and stricter error pages are used when Firefox encounters an invalid SSL certificate. (Try it here!)
* Add-ons and Plugin version check: Firefox now automatically checks add-on and plugin versions and will disable older, insecure versions.
* Secure add-on updates: to improve add-on update security, add-ons that provide updates in an insecure manner will be disabled.
* Anti-virus integration: Firefox will inform anti-virus software when downloading executables.
* Vista Parental Controls: Firefox now respects the Vista system-wide parental control setting for disabling file downloads.
* Effective top-level domain (eTLD) service better restricts cookies and other restricted content to a single domain.
* Better protection against cross-site JSON data leaks.

Easier to Use

* Easier password management: an information bar replaces the old password dialog so you can now save passwords after a successful login.
* Simplified add-on installation: the add-ons whitelist has been removed making it possible to install extensions from third-party sites in fewer clicks.
* [Improved in Beta 4!] New Download Manager: the revised download manager makes it much easier to locate downloaded files, and you can see and search on the name of the website where a file came from. Your active downloads and time remaining are always shown in the status bar as your files download.
* Resumable downloading: users can now resume downloads after restarting the browser or resetting your network connection.
* [Improved in Beta 4!] Full page zoom: from the View menu and via keyboard shortcuts, the new zooming feature lets you zoom in and out of entire pages, scaling the layout, text and images, or optionally only the text size. Your settings will be remembered whenever you return to the site.
* Podcasts and Videocasts can be associated with your media playback tools.
* Tab scrolling and quickmenu: tabs are easier to locate with the new tab scrolling and tab quickmenu.
* Save what you were doing: Firefox will prompt users to save tabs on exit.
* Optimized Open in Tabs behavior: opening a folder of bookmarks in tabs now appends the new tabs rather than overwriting.
* Location and Search bar size can now be customized with a simple resizer item.
* Text selection improvements: multiple text selections can be made with Ctrl/Cmd; double-click drag selects in "word-by-word" mode; triple-clicking selects a paragraph.
* Find toolbar: the Find toolbar now opens with the current selection.
* Plugin management: users can disable individual plugins in the Add-on Manager.
* [Improved in Beta 4!] Integration with Vista: Firefox now has Vista-specific icons, and uses native user interface widgets in the browser and in web forms.
* [Improved in Beta 4!] Integration with the Mac: the new Firefox theme makes toolbars, icons, and other user interface elements look like a native OS X application. Firefox also uses OS X widgets and spell-checker in web forms and supports Growl for notifications of completed downloads and available updates. A combined back and forward control make it even easier to move between web pages.
* [Improved in Beta 4!] Integration with Linux: Firefox's default icons, buttons, and menu styles now use the native GTK theme.

More Personal

* Star button: quickly add bookmarks from the location bar with a single click; a second click lets you file and tag them.
* Tags: associate keywords with your bookmarks to sort them by topic.
* [Improved in Beta 4!] Location bar & auto-complete: type in all or part of the title, tag or address of a page to see a list of matches from your history and bookmarks; a new display makes it easier to scan through the matching results and find that page you're looking for. Results are returned according to their frecency (a combination of frequency and recency of visits to that page) ensuring that you're seeing the most relevant matches. An adaptive learning algorithm further tunes the results to your patterns!
* Smart Bookmarks Folder: quickly access your recently bookmarked and tagged pages, as well as your more frequently visited pages with the new smart bookmarks folder on your bookmark toolbar.
* Places Organizer: view, organize and search through all of your bookmarks, tags, and browsing history with multiple views and smart folders to store your frequent searches.
* Web-based protocol handlers: web applications, such as your favorite webmail provider, can now be used instead of desktop applications for handling mailto: links from other sites. Similar support is available for other protocols (Web applications will have to first enable this by registering as handlers with Firefox).
* Download & Install Add-ons: the Add-ons Manager (Tools > Add-ons) can now be used to download and install a Firefox customization from the thousands of Add-ons available from our community add-ons website. When you first open the Add-ons Manager, a list of recommended Add-ons is shown.
* Easy to use Download Actions: a new Applications preferences pane provides a better UI for configuring handlers for various file types and protocol schemes.

Improved Platform for Developers

* New graphics and font handling: new graphics and text rendering architectures in Gecko 1.9 provides rendering improvements in CSS, SVG as well as improved display of fonts with ligatures and complex scripts.
* Color management: (set gfx.color_management.enabled on in about:config and restart the browser to enable.) Firefox can now adjust images with embedded color profiles.
* Offline support: enables web applications to provide offline functionality (website authors must add support for offline
browsing to their site for this feature to be available to users).
* A more complete overview of Firefox 3 for developers is available for website and add-on developers.

Improved Performance

* [Improved in Beta 4!] Speed: improvements to our JavaScript engine as well as profile guided optimizations have resulted in significant improvements in performance. Compared to Firefox 2, web applications like Google Mail and Zoho Office run twice as fast in Firefox 3 Beta 4, and the popular SunSpider test from Apple shows improvements over previous releases.
* [Improved in Beta 4!] Memory usage: Several new technologies work together to reduce the amount of memory used by Firefox 3 Beta 4 over a web browsing session. Memory cycles are broken and collected by an automated cycle collector, a new memory allocator reduces fragmentation, hundreds of leaks have been fixed, and caching strategies have been tuned.
* Reliability: A user's bookmarks, history, cookies, and preferences are now stored in a transactionally secure database format which will prevent data loss even if their system crashes."

Mozilla provides Firefox 3 Beta 4 for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X in forty different languages, and reports it can be removed without losing your bookmarks, web browsing history, extensions and other add-ons. Best of all - it is FREE ! Just download, install, and enjoy a whole new faster browsing experience if your computer meets one of the following system requirements.

Windows
Operating Systems

* Windows 2000
* Windows XP
* Windows Server 2003
* Windows Vista

Minimum Hardware

* Pentium 233 MHz (Recommended: Pentium 500MHz or greater)
* 64 MB RAM (Recommended: 128 MB RAM or greater)
* 52 MB hard drive space

Mac
Operating Systems

* Mac OS X 10.4 and later

Minimum Hardware

* Macintosh computer with an Intel x86 or PowerPC G3, G4, or G5 processor
* 128 MB RAM (Recommended: 256 MB RAM or greater)
* 200 MB hard drive space

Linux
Software Requirements
Please note that Linux distributors may provide packages for your distribution which have different requirements.

* Linux kernel - 2.2.14 or higher with the following libraries or packages:
o glibc 2.3.2 or higher
o XFree86-3.3.6 or higher
o gtk+2.0 or higher
o fontconfig (also known as xft)
o libstdc++5

Minimum Hardware

* Intel Pentium II or AMD K6-III+ 233 MHz CPU (Recommended: 500MHz or greater)
* 64 MB RAM (Recommended: 128 MB RAM or greater)
* 52 MB hard drive space

And, if you still have not tried Mozilla Thunderbird,

get ready to kick Outlook Express to the curb!

Information about Sony A810 Mp3 Player

2008-04-06T20:49:00.002+07:00

By Corwin Brown

Sony will soon release the A820, an upgraded version with Bluetooth, larger screen, and larger capacities. However, the A810 should not be pushed aside; it is still a very viable MP3 player that will still keep up with anything in its class. It is a great choice for people not needing all the bells and whistles of its newer sibling.

It has a very impressive sound quality and its user interface is user friendly too. The best part of it is that it is not expensive. In addition, it comes with a very good stereo earphone which is MBR headphones. Sony NWZ A810 is slim. It has a 2.0 inch screen to enable users to view videos. The Sony NWZ A810 doesn't have a lot of button which makes it easy to use.

Supported audio formats include WMA, AAC and MP3, with the integrated image viewer capable of handling JPEG files. Video formats include AVC baseline profile and MPEG4. You can download movie trailers in .movie format and convert them for use with the Walkman video players. As can be expected, Sony Pictures Entertainment has also provided video content for both the players.

Sony A810 Features:-

Up To 8GB Built-in Memory: - Store up to 5,050 Songs or up to 30H 40M of video on your Walkman video MP3 Player and never be without your entertainment again.

High Quality Video Playback: - Playback your favorite videos right on the player using MPEG 4 and M4V profile at 30 frames per second.

2.0" QVGA LCD Screen: - Easily view your movies, photos and music information on the high quality, 320x240 displays.

Compatible with Secure Windows Media Audio: - Giving you more options than ever for downloading and listening to music.

MP3/WMA/AAC Audio Codec Support: - Supports playback of MP3 and WMA DRM and non-DRM audio files downloaded from multiple sources. Also supports non-DRM AAC content, giving you multiple options for downloading music the way you want.

4 Clear Audio Technologies: - Digital Sound Enhancement Engine, Clear Bass, Clear Stereo and EX Series Headphones give an enhanced listening experience. Clear Bass enhances the bass sound, minimizing distortion while Clear Stereo reduces the leaking from one channel to another. DSEE restores the higher sound frequency lost when creating compressed music files, thus reproducing a sound quality closer to the original CD quality.

Time Machine Shuffle: - Shuffle play among songs from a randomly selected year. (Information will come from CD information that is downloaded from the Grace note CDDB)

Music Search: - Search for music on your Walkman video player by All Songs, Album, Artist, Genre, Release Year, Folder and Play lists.

Initial Search: - Use the first letter of the song, album or artist to easily find the music you are looking for.

Bi-Directional LCD Display: - Watch your videos and view your photographs either vertically or horizontally by adjusting the screen to the orientation you prefer.

Battery Life: - With up to 33 hours of audio playback and up to 8 hours of video playback you don't have to worry about charging your player.

Wii- Play the change

2008-04-06T20:45:00.003+07:00

By andrena markley

Games create new avenues for interactivity. It incites the game lovers to take a plunge into the huge explosion of excitement. Video games are fun and exciting and the presence of such interactive medium will allow the users to access a gaming process with a difference.

The Wii games require the physical participation from the user. This is because of the motion-sensor technology that is inbuilt in it. The users can enjoy games like tennis by using the Wii mote.
The user can select the games of their choice for regular exercise like tennis, bowling, boxing etc. It also has a fitness age test that will enable the users for accessing their physical condition after playing few rounds of the games
.
People of all age groups can enjoy the game. People can have great fun playing these games, and they would find themselves griped throughout the gaming process. The online features in it provide the users with a scope of interactivity very easily.

The users of this game enable the user to connect to the Nintendo’s website by using the wireless WiFi. When the users are logged in, it will enable them to download additional games to their Wii. By using the “Virtual Console” it will allow you to use the backward capability to play Nintendo’s NES games. To play the games, points can be purchased with the credit card. On the other hand, you can avail the Nintendo point’s cards at any local gaming store or other supermarkets such as the Walmart and Target.
Analysis has shown that after the release of these games, the industry has expanded a lot. People, who have never played before such electronic games, suddenly got involved in experiencing it. The games had touched new heights, as it is able to engage and attract the people of all ages.

Notebook / Laptop Memory (RAM) Upgrade In 5 Minutes Or Less

2008-04-06T20:31:00.002+07:00

by: Christophe Catesson

This article is set up in two parts, one part about RAM overview and a second part about RAM upgrade. If you are curious on how the RAM works, you will find a detail summary that should give you all the information that you need to know about RAM, organization and speed. If you just want to read the how to upgrade section, move on directly to part two Upgrade your laptop ram in 5 minutes or less.

1 – RAM Overview

There are two big categories of random access memories:

* Dynamic memories (DRAM, Dynamic Random Access Module), not very costly. They are in most cases used for the central memory of the computer

* Static memories (SRAM, Static Random Access Module), quick and expensive. SRAM is notably used for cache memories of the processor

Functioning of the random access memory

The random access memory is constituted of hundred of thousand small condensers storing charges. When it is loaded, the logical state of the condenser is equal to 1, otherwise it belongs to 0, what means that every condenser represents one bit of memory.

Given that condensers off-load, it is always necessary to recharge them in a space of regular time called cycle of refreshment. Memory DRAM requires cycles of refreshment for instance (Ns) is about 15 nanoseconds.

Every condenser is coupled with a transistor allowing to "recover « or to change the state of the condenser. These transistors are lined up in form of matrix, that is they achieve a hut memory (so called memory) by a line and a column.

So, for a memory of type DRAM, the time of access is of 60 nanoseconds (35ns of delay of cycle and 25 ns of time of latency). On a computer, the time of cycle corresponds contrary to the frequency of the clock, for instance for a computer pulsated in 200 MHz, the time of cycle is 5 ns (1 / (200*106)).

As a result a computer having a frequency well brought up and using memories the time of access of which is much longer than the time of cycle of the processor must perform cycles of wait to access to the memory. In the case of a computer pulsated in 200 MHz using memories of types DRAM (which the time of access is of 60ns), there are 11 cycles of wait as a cycle of transfer. The performances of the computer are of as much diminished as there are cycles

Formats of Random Access Memory (RAM)

There are numerous types of random access memories. These all come in the form of barrettes of memory attachable on the motherboard.

* SIMM (Single Inline Memory Module): it is about printed circuits among which one of the faces has fleas of memory. There are two types of barrettes SIMM, according to the number of connector cables (30 or 72)

* DIMM (Dual Inline Memory Modulates) are from memories 64 bits, what explains why it is not necessary to match them. Barrettes DIMM have fleas of memory on both sides of printed circuit and have also 84 connector cables on each side, what endows them with a total of 168 brooches. They have bigger dimensions than barrettes SIMM (130x25mm).

* RIMM (Rambus Inline Memory Module, conscripts also RD-RAM or DRD-RAM) are from memories 64 bits developed by the society Rambus. They have 184 brooches. These barrettes have two notches of location (détrompeurs), avoiding very risk of confusion with the previous modules. Considering their well brought up speed of transfer, barrettes RIMM have a thermal film made responsible for ameliorating the clearing up of warmth. As in the case of DIMM, there are modules of smaller size, called SO RIMM (Small Outline RIMM), intended for laptop computers. Barrettes SO RIMM include only 160 brooches.

* DRAM (Dynamic RAM, dynamic RAM) is the type of memo most spread at the beginning of the millennium. It is about a memory from which transistors are lined up in a matrix according to lines and of columns. A transistor, coupled with a condenser gives the information of a bit. 1 byte consisting of 8 bits, a barrette of memory 256 Mb DRAM will contain 256 therefore * 2^10 * 2^10 = 256 * on 1024 * on 1024 = 268 435 456 bytes = 268 435 456 * 8 = 2 147 483 648 bits = 2 147 483 648 transistors. A 256 Mb barrette has so in reality a capacity of 268 435 456 bytes, that is 268 Mb! These are memories from which the time of access is 60 ns. On the other hand, accesses memory are made in general on data lined up consecutively in memory. So the mode of access in gust (burst mode) allows to achieve the three successive data in the first one without time of additional latency.

* DRAM FPM to speed up accesses to DRAM, there is a technology, called pagination consisting in achieving data located on the same column by changing the address of the line only, what allows to avoid the repetition of the number of column between the reading of each of the lines. They speak then about DRAM FPM (Fast Page Mode). FPM allows to acquire time of access in the order of 70 - 80 nanoseconds for a frequency of functioning that can go from 25 to 33 Mhz.

* DRAM EDO (Extended Data Out, Goes out of data ameliorated sometimes also called "hyper-page") appears in 1995. The technology used with this type of memory consists in addressing the following column during the reading of the data of a column. It creates an overlapping of accesses allowing to save time on every cycle. The time of access to memory EDO is therefore about 50 - 60 nanoseconds for a frequency of functioning going 33 - 66 Mhz. So, RAM EDO, when it is used in mode gust allows to acquire cycles of form 5-2-2-2, that is a benefit of 4 cycles on the access to 4 data. As much as memory EDO did not accept the upper frequencies in 66 Mhz, it disappeared in aid of SDRAM.

* SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM, translate synchronous RAM), appeared in 1997, allows a reading of data synchronized with the bus of the card-mother, contrary to memories EDO and FPM (qualified as asynchronous) having their own clock. SDRAM allows therefore to free itself from time of wait owed to synchronization with the card-mother. This one allows to acquire a cycle in mode gust of form 5-1-1-1, that is to say benefit of 3 cycles in comparison with RAM EDO. In that way SDRAM is able of working with a cadenza going until 150 Mhz, allowing him to acquire from time of access about 10 ns.

* DR-SDRAM (Direct Rambus DRAM or else RDRAM) is a type of memory allowing to transfer data on a bus of 16 wide bits to a cadenza of 800Mhz, what confers on him a band passer-by of 1,6 Go / s. As SDRAM, this type of memory is synchronized with the clock of the bus to ameliorate exchanges of data.

* DDR-SDRAM (Double Dated Miss SDRAM) is a memory based on technology SDRAM, allowing to double the rate of transfer of SDRAM with equal frequency. Reading or writing of data in memory am accomplished on the basis of a clock. Standard memory DRAM uses a method conscript SDR (Single Data Fails) consisting in reading or writing data in every forehead going up. DDR allows to double the frequency of reading / writings, with a clock pulsated in the same frequency, by sending data in every forehead going up, as well as in every downward forehead. Memory DDR has in general a commercial appellation of type PCXXXX where "XXXX " represent the debit side in Mb / s.

* DDR2 (or DDR-II) allows to attain twice as well brought up debit sides as DDR with equal external frequency. They speak about QDR (Quadruple Dated Fail or quad-pumped) to indicate the method of reading and used writing. Memory DDR2 uses in effect two channels separated for reading and for writing, so it is able of sending or of accepting twice more data than DDR.

2 - Upgrading Your Laptop RAM

upgrading a notebook memory is a specific simple process pending that you have the right RAM and are somewhat delicate.

There are different types of RAM, and you must choose the one that is compatible with your notebook computer. Memory is also a fragile, so you need to be very cautious when installing it. You should ensure that the laptop is turned off and disconnected from any exterior power supply. No lights should be visible.

It is a lot easier to install RAM on a laptop versus a desktop PC. Access to the memory slots is via a panel generally located in the bottom of the laptop. Once you have opened this panel with a small screwdriver you can see the existing memory. you can check the exact type of memory that your Notebook currently uses, because it is usually shown on the front of the memory strips and will be evident when you open up the memory panel.

The memory strips are generally locked in with small clips on the ends of the strips. To take out existing memory, simply flip the clips and then remove the memory strips gently from their holding place. If you are simply adding memory, and there is space available, just add the new memory, gently pushing it in to ensure it is fully seated in the slots, and then push the clips to hold the new memory in place.

Once you have replaced or added your Notebook computer memory, replace the access panel, and then screw the panel back in place. Lastly, power up the notebook, When the PC starts up, it will count the memory and tell you how much RAM is loaded on your laptop.

As long as you have right memory, the whole operation should take less than 5 minutes, you can then enjoy your faster, less crash prone laptop.

Statistical Process Control (SPC) Software: The Past, Present and Future

2008-04-06T19:41:00.003+07:00

by: DataNet Quality Systems

Remember the first time in school you used a calculator instead of paper and pencil to add, subtract, multiply or divide? It made the job so easy, it almost felt like cheating. The technology freed you to focus on the problem rather than the mechanics of arithmetic.

Statistical process control (SPC) methods have been applied in manufacturing process control since the early 1930s. Over the decades, countless hours were expended plotting charts with pencils on graph paper. Then computers arrived and, like the calculator did for the schoolboy, freed the engineer to spend time analyzing the process instead of focusing on the formulae.

Over the years SPC software has matured in functionality, making statistical analysis quicker, more powerful and more flexible. The driving force has made the software easier for the practitioner to use. SPC software will continue to develop in ways that eliminate unnecessary steps, freeing quality practitioners from rote tasks and enabling them to focus efforts on improving the manufacturing process.

The Past

SPC software can show real-time control status of all data collection stations plant wide. As access to computers in the manufacturing environment grew, along came the first wave of products that automated the tasks associated with statistical analysis. Although they provided the tools for engineers to analyze the manufacturing process, these systems were difficult for many practitioners to use. They required tedious data entry and a Ph.D. statistician's knowledge to configure the software and analyze the data--a combination of tasks and abilities not easily married. Furthermore, obtaining interpretable results was a process completed long after the production run being analyzed had finished. This delay complicated the task of addressing process problems that continued to change--and probably resulted in additional process variation--in the interim.

The Present

Many timesaving features have since been added to advance SPC software usability. These software systems leverage other technologies such as automation standards and Internet access to simplify and integrate tasks--making administration, data collection, statistical analysis and reporting easier for today's practitioners.

Administration

Today's SPC software is designed to make the setup of parts and processes easy to accomplish. Common graphical user interface features such as tree views with drag-and-drop functionality dominate the market. These features reduce the repetitive tasks of separately creating items with only minor differences and instead allow for copying and duplicating similar components and then assigning unique parameters.

The introduction of communication standards across various platforms takes this ease-of-administration approach even further. Now SPC software can be configured to automatically obtain and update parts, processes, specifications, nominals and other pertinent information from values stored in other enterprise software systems such as manufacturing resource planning, manufacturing execution systems and human machine interface. Not only does this eliminate the effort spent re-entering and updating configuration information in multiple packages, it saves the effort expended tracking down entry errors that occur when the process is done manually.

Data Collection

Today's SPC software can automatically collect data from other enterprise software systems. As with the time-saving benefit for administrative tasks, this capability reduces the need to configure and maintain separate data collection interfaces and eliminates re-entry errors.

Current SPC software also has used communication standards to simplify the time-consuming job of connecting the system to data collection devices. Advances in software masking functionality permit out-of-the-box connection to a wide range of digital devices. And with dynamic masking capabilities, SPC software can automatically react to changes in device output and adjust to collect the specified data. This flexibility frees the practitioner from the tedious chore of administering SPC software every time there is a change to a device's output.

Real-Time SPC Analysis

Today's SPC software products are designed to collect data, produce charts and alarm in real time. This enables shop-floor operators to receive statistical feedback as close as possible to the point of production. Alarming capabilities include notification of supervisors, managers and other personnel responsible for maintaining and improving the production process. Immediate feedback and alarming enable all parties to begin problem solving and root causes analysis immediately. Eliminating the delay between a special cause and detection can reduce the investigation and corrective action effort by empowering quality practitioners with useful production feedback at the moment of a problem's inception.

Current development in SPC software includes the ability to provide supervisors with dashboard-style status indicators of all collection operations in the plant. Snapshot views of production status on a single screen allow busy supervisors to manage by exception instead of manage by walking around. Such SPC software systems aggregate and prioritize production information for the supervisor, reducing data-gathering demands.

Reporting

One of the most time-consuming tasks in applying statistical methods to a manufacturing process is developing relevant and understandable reports to form the basis for decision making. Modern SPC software makes the job easier by providing built-in report templates that can organize and deliver reports focused on the key characteristics of a process. Moreover, reports that are needed on a regular basis can be scheduled and automatically generated based on then-current production information. This is a time saver for those responsible for communication among quality team members.

Finally, the effort previously expended producing and distributing charts to various users and locations is reduced by leveraging the Internet. A Web-based SPC report with hyperlinks to various types of analyses can easily be distributed to multiple persons, teams or facilities.

The Future

Future SPC software development will follow the trend to eliminate cumbersome, low-value tasks and generally make SPC systems easier to administer and use. Describing the particular form such future development will take is speculative, but the combined capabilities of intelligent and expert systems is one possible way SPC software could evolve to address new challenges.

Intelligent systems emulate the human ability to learn from past experience and to make reasoned decisions and take action based on those experiences. Expert systems rely on a knowledge base to build models to diagnose, advise and act on real-world problems. Intelligent and expert systems are already deployed in control technology for manufacturing processes. It is not a great leap to believe that these technologies will profoundly change the nature of SPC software.

There are many ways in which intelligent and expert SPC systems would enhance the effectiveness and simplify the work of quality practitioners. On the most superficial level, these systems would learn from previous SPC configuration to logically reorder the system to make future administration easier. For instance, such systems could recognize which devices are being deployed and suggest effective collection methods and preferred connection approaches based on past experience.

But the administrative assistance offered by intelligent and expert SPC systems would run much deeper than that. Such systems could save countless hours helping determine how to monitor the process. Building on the history of previous production successes and failures, SPC software could select key parameters to track when to set up new parts or processes, and determine the most effective way to chart and report on those parameters. The software itself could anticipate problems and alter monitoring methodologies to adapt to changes in the manufacturing process.

The impact of intelligent and expert systems would perhaps be greatest when it comes to interpreting process statistics and acting on that analysis. There is not enough time in the day for the quality practitioner to thoroughly analyze the mountain of information generated from each production run. SPC software with learning and knowledge-based capabilities, coupled with computational power, will provide insights into the process beyond what the practitioner alone could achieve. With the advent of intelligent and expert SPC systems, the computer can transcend the earlier comparison made to a calculator. Such systems could not only assume or simplify menial tasks currently performed by the quality practitioner, but will also become a readily available and trusted source of expert guidance and advice.

Of course, the future developments suggested here may never come to pass. Nonetheless, it is almost a foregone conclusion that the SPC software of tomorrow will be more intelligent and capable of simplifying many jobs that burden today's quality practitioner. The future of SPC software is what frees those practitioners from time-consuming, low-value tasks and enables them to more easily obtain the analytical results that inform business decisions.

How a Surge Protector Can Help a Laptop Computer

2008-01-31T02:29:00.000+07:00

by: Stephanie Larkin

Electrical power spikes can be devastating to any electronic device, but the damage to a laptop computer can be even more significant to its owner because of the potential for lost information and reduced productivity. Safeguarding laptop computers with a surge protector (also called surge suppressors) is one simple and inexpensive way to lessen the risk of physical damage or lost information due to electrical surges.

Fluctuations in electrical service are common around the world. Known as power spikes, surges, brownouts, and blackouts, these fluctuations can cause anything from fire to data loss in an unprotected laptop computer. When power returns, it can come in a rush, rising significantly above standard household voltage levels to burn wires, overwhelm circuits and potentially cause damage to laptops, adapters, and any external peripherals that may be connected to the computer. Even when the power surge is not strong enough to knock out a system, it can slowly damage the computer's components, reducing its reliability and lifespan. A surge protector diverts the extra voltage from a power surge to a ground wire, sparing harm to any connected electrical devices.

Most household appliances use 120- volt power (AC) - the level of electricity that you get from a regular electric outlet. Laptop computers covert 120- volt power to about 12 to 18 volts (DC) by way of an adapter that is usually located along the power cord. This conversion offers some measure of protection, but it never hurts to add the additional shield of a surge protector.

Surge protectors are inexpensive insurance for costly electrical gear. They also add functionality to most office environments, as they typically come in a power bar format that offers extra outlets. While most surge protectors are also power bars, not all power bars are surge protectors. Be sure to check whether surge protection is offered before purchasing a power bar. Power bars with surge protection may cost slightly more than a regular power bar.

Many office environments use surge protectors as part of their standard equipment configurations. However, portability is a key feature of laptops, thanks to their small size and alternate battery power, so laptop operators often find themselves using their laptops outside of the surge protected office. Ideally, laptops should be guarded by a surge protector wherever they are being plugged in, so a travel-size surge protector is a good investment. This is especially true in a hotel or large building where air conditioners, elevators or other equipment requires periodic bursts of large amounts of electrical power.

Not all surge protectors offer the same level of protection, and none can guarantee electrical equipment won't be damaged if there is a severe power surge such as that caused by a nearby lightning strike. A powerful surge may also damage the surge protector, so try to find a model with an indicator light that goes out if the unit fails to function properly. There are several Underwriters Laboratories (UL) ratings (found on the label) that can help you choose an appropriate surge protector, such as clamping voltage, energy absorption and dissipation, and response time. Clamping voltage is the point at which electricity is diverted to the ground wire. Look for 330 to 400 volts. Energy absorption and dissipation is the amount of energy, in joules, that the surge protector can handle before it fails. The higher the number the better. A rating of 200 to 400 joules is adequate, but a rating of 600 joules or more will offer superior protection. Response time is the delay between the power surge and the surge protector's diversion to ground. Faster is better, in this case, as the less time your laptop is exposed to the extra energy, the safer it will be. A response time of less than a nanosecond is desirable.

Power surge consumers who aren't knowledgeable about electricity and UL ratings can also judge a surge protector by its price: more expensive models tend to offer better protection than the cheapest discount store models. Quality laptop travel surge protectors can generally be purchased for less than $50 (USD), and offer a variety of features including telephone and network/broadband Ethernet jacks, and universal plugs and sockets that will work in countries with electric utilities offering 100 volt AC service to 240 volts AC service. Some travel adapters have built- in surge protection that protects laptops as well as cell phones and personal digital assistant (PDA) devices. Most laptop surge protectors are designed with convenience in mind, and are compact and easy to pack.

The last consideration in purchasing laptop surge protection is the quality of the warranty offered by the manufacturer. Some companies will offer compensation if equipment is damaged by a power surge while it is protected with a functioning surge protector, but warranties vary, so read the fine print.

Wake Up with an Radio Alarm Clock!

2008-01-31T01:40:00.001+07:00

When you look at the vast amount of brands of alarm clocks which are available in stores these days, you will find that alarm clock radios are possibly the favorites with many people. These clocks are now available in a diverse range of options. Some of these options may be ideal for the today's techno lover and include an alarm clock radio that you can purchase that also has such additional features as a Cd or mp3 player. These are essentiall alarm clocks with an extra music source. These two features - the radio (mp3 or Cd player) and the alarm clock will work together to provide you with great timekeeping and [tremendous way of hearing and listening to music.

Other types of alarm clock radios include digital ones, you will find these clocks in most good electronic goods stores. For a more detailed understanding when you are looking into the idea of purchasing an alarm clock radio you may want to see what the Net has in the way of recommendations. The user and purchaser reviews that you can find are a good way of weeding out alarm clock radios which you may not be able to afford or ones that have tons of problems associated with them.

This insider information is significant as you don't want to be sucked into media and advertising hype which leaves out the downside of some products that you really only get accurate advice from current users.. When you are looking for this information you may want to check out a selection of local stores or online stores where you can find the desired product of choice. Don't forget also the other significant issue that you should decide upon before you go shopping is that of the price and what you feel comfortable spending. The Interent is great for price comparisions as well.

You will find that some of the more well known brands will feature certain functions which are important and useful for your individual needs that other brands do not offer. That;s why its always best to do your research and decide first what your needs will be. For example, if playing cds is important to you, you should make sure that you can play your CDs without any interference from the clock or[interference to the clock's functioning ability.

You can check out these areas and all the features by requesting detailed information from the staff at your local store and online from help desks which many online retailers have.

While there are some people who love to do their shopping through the internet you may want to just make your enquiries online which will allow you to see the new models and the old ones which are available so that when you visit your local store you already have detailed knowledge

Additionally by choosing your alarm clock radio from a shop it offers the ability that you have the chance of examining the clock in detail and being able to return it if there are problems, this can be extremely useful with an item like a clock radio that's needed for day to day use.

Choose wisely and you will end up with a product that will give you many years service.

Nokia 6500 Classic-A Complete Blend Of Multimedia Technology

2008-01-31T01:27:00.000+07:00

Want a silver screen to watch movie on your palm! The Nokia 6500 Classic can offer fun imaging feature, allowing users to record, playback and stream video on the phone. Born with the best; the Nokia 6500 Classic Phone receives praises from the users because of its compact casing, 3G technology and a 2 inches QVGA LCD screen to provide sophistication while phoning, high speed broadband connection along with fast data transfer, multitasking capabilities and video streaming, and to provide excellent visual presentation respectively. Order Nokia 6500 Classic from the retailing sites to get the excellent phoning, imaging, and web browsing at an affordable price. The Nokia 6500 Classic Phone encompassed with 2-mega pixel camera and music player provides users with the ultimate imaging and music experiences. The camera can steal the show by offering beautiful images and portraying videos on the screen. The music player can soothe the minds through its tuneful sound and melodious music. As far as messaging is considered; the Nokia 6500 Classic Phone has put much emphasis on text messaging, multimedia messaging and email to assess non-verbal communication. The clarity of communication is determined with wireless connectivity and networking. Order Nokia 6500 Classic online as it does not rely on cables t download games and applications, transmit data and files, send multimedia messages and email and browse internet on the move. In fact, the Nokia 6500 Classic Phone supports Bluetooth, USB, EDGE, Quad Band technology, HSCSD, WAP and XHTML to render wire free communication in the form of multimedia and mobile computing. When multimedia communication is at its offing; the introduction of the Nokia 6500 Classic Phone has set a new trend of communication to develop computer-generated performance on the mobile phone. In short, the Nokia N6500 Classic is regarded as a sophisticated device designed with all the latest technology you could need.

Brain Training and Mind Games: Interview with Japanese Expert Go Hirano

2008-01-23T15:21:00.000+07:00

by: Alvaro Fernandez

Today we are traveling to Japan to learn about latest gaming trends there. Go Hirano is a Japanese executive with experience in neuroscience and gaming.

Alvaro Fernandez (AF): Hirano-san, what is the state of Brain Fitness and Brain Training in Japan? what are the most popular programs so far?

Go Hirano (GH): So far, the most popular application is anti-aging, and most popular product is Dr. Kawashima's book of calculations and oral reading for adults.

TV variety shows regularly come up with Brain specials. It is hardly deniable that brains enchant Japanese people. We love brain training.

There were two times of "brain boom" in the past and Brain Imaging created a third one most recently. Dr. Kawashima claimed calculations and oral reading are good to develop kids' brains in the book for children "Jibun no Nou wo Jibun de Sodateru (Develop your own brain)" in 2001. In the book, gaming was said to reduce prefrontal activation and have bad or no benefit for kid's brain. He compared the fMRI image of someone doing simple calculations and playing games, and apparently the image of the former showed more activities. To see the activities inside the brain was fresh for people, but the methodology and logic was not reviewed by any scientific publication. It was published by a company that provides a franchised chain of learning classes. The company maintained books at bookstores to create a boom and was very successful. Then they came up with adult version of training book, and sold more than 2 million.

Adults and senior people were seriously did addition and subtraction of 1 digit numbers for countless times believing it will maintain and even enhance their brainpower.

This then became the basis for the Nintendo Brain Age video game. More recently from him, cooking became good for brain since cooking demands planning and multiple tasks. They demand prefrontal cortex activation, and he showed image of a brain when cooking. A gas company that wants to sell more gas ranges and ovens helped sponsor the research.

AF: we have heard there has been a backlash recently. Is it more of a scientific, or consumer one?

GH: Scientific for adults' games, consumer for kids' ones. In 2001, another researcher, Dr. Akio Mori wrote an article called "Gemu(=Game) Nou(=Brain) no Kyofu (The Fear of Game Brain)". He created his own EEG machine and gathered the data of people who frequently play games and people who do not. He found the "beta-wave" from frequent game players that are "same as senior people with dementia". That, he said, is because of lack of activities in their prefrontal cortex, and that means more probabilities for lower academic performance and crime. Though his equipment was not verified, and he was said to get confused about alpha and beta wave of EEG, parents and education authorities like municipal education committees loved his book and invited him for lectures and conferences. His new book in 2006 became the recommended book of the year from the National PTA Committee.

The sales of software on home game machines have declined from its peak of 533 billion yen in 1997 to its 53%, 315 billion yen in 2005. Dr. Mori's book and phenomena was the finishing blow to the industry, especially for kids' games. Therefore game companies had to find new targets who had never played game machines, like middle-aged group and women. Brain Age was preceded by a Sega's game box that was the natural next step after the book from Dr. Kawashima I mentioned.

For women, games on English training, language support for traveling, cooking, common sense and etiquette are provided. These new sort of serious games not only helped the handheld game machine stay always out of stock and reach multi-million sales, but also successfully gave the image that games are, depending on the software, good for the brain and education. Funny it is that the authority backing the campaign is the same Dr. Kawashima who originally recommended kids to calculate rather than to play games for the benefit for brains.

No wonder, authorities from the academic and medical societies of the neuroscience field started criticizing scientifically unproven or no evidence-based products, books and opinion makers. This year, neuroscience researchers started a group called "Nou wo Ikasu (Make the best out of Neuroscience)" and have frequent meetings of researchers where people can join.

However, adult consumers keep devouring such games. Dentsu, the biggest advertising agency announced the No.1 Consumer-chosen Choice of the Product 2006 was game software and books for brain training. So far, apparently the demands went far out before the real neuroscience comes to fill. Between the balance of body and brain, Japanese people are one of the extreme that is most brain-ism oriented, to the brain side, says Dr. Yoro.

AF: Hirano-san, many thanks for your insights.

GH: you are welcome.

Creative Zen Microphoto 8gb Review

2008-01-23T15:13:00.000+07:00

by: John Applin

This device was recommended to me by a friend, this is an ipod like device that can store up to 8gb of mp3's as well as photos. Creative have been manufacturing alternatives to Apple ipods for a while now and this model, the Creative Zen Microphoto, is sold to directly compete with the Apple ipod photo (although the ipod photo comes with a 60gb hard drive). On first appearances the Zen Microphoto feels well built and sturdy, most of Creative's lineup seem to be built to a high standard which is what you'd expect from any device which costs a significant amount of money. One thing that usually lets devices like this down is the quality of the earphones. A lot of thought usually goes into the device and the bundled earphones seem like they were thought of at the last minute. This isn’t the case with the Creative Zen Microphoto however, the earphones feel quality, fit comfortably in the ear, and actually produce a decent sound. One thing that would have been a nice feature is in-line volume controls for volume and track navigation. As it stands you have to root around in your pocket, fish out the Zen, then activate the controls before you can perform any of these tasks, which would become annoying if you were riding a bike or jogging while listening to your music. Since you have to use the main controls on the Zen you'd expect them to be easy to use, for some reason though Creative have opted for a control panel which consists of 4 touch buttons and a touch slider. You have to tap the buttons or the slider in order to activate the device, then use the slider to navigate through the track listings and menus. Once into the menu function it is self explanatory and easy to navigate, with a nice bright display which is clear and easy to read. What I found in my experience was that the slider was oversensitive and the 4 touch buttons were undersensitive, this proved a little infuriating. One thing I did notice is that there was no stop button, only play and pause. What I think would have been a better option would have been to use simple click buttons for the controls and a classic volume wheel instead of a slider. I can see what creative have tried to do in choosing the buttons and the slider that they have, in trying to keep the lines and style of the device simple, but in doing so have made the zen more difficult to use and ultimately lets the device down. An aspect that I think Creative needs to seriously look at is when you switch to viewing photos on the zen, the music stops. Quite why this happens I'm not sure but I think this is something that will frustrate a lot of people. When switching on the Creative Zen Microphoto the edge around front face of the device lights up to compliment the buttons and really does look good. Creative's choice of navigation buttons for the Zen become evident when switched on as the whole package has a quite a stylish look when illuminated. The Zen Microphoto comes with a USB lead to connect to a PC, this allows for the easy transfer of music and photos onto the Zen as well as being able to use the Zen as a portable USB storage device for other files which is quite handy. The 8gb hard drive size means there should be sufficient space for most people to carry around their entire music collection. Conclusion Good Points Stylish, easy menu navigation, good sound quality, excellent build quality, 8gb hard drive Bad Points No in line volume control or navigation, poor navigation controls, inability to view photos while listening to music. John's Reviews rating: 6/10

Macbook Air Ad

2008-01-23T14:58:00.000+07:00

How To Avoid The Google Sandbox

2008-01-21T00:31:00.000+07:00

There still is a lot of discussion going on wether the Google Sandbox exists or not. Some say it exists, some say it doesn't. Just pretend it does exist, how is it possible that some SEO's don't get hit by the sandbox filter?

First of all, let me explain to you what the Google sandbox is. The sandbox filter is a filter that Google uses on keywords with high search volume and high competition. The whole mindset of the filter is that new website go in some sort of quarantine so they don't rank high in the search engine result pages of Google. This quarantine could take from several months to a year. This was originally introduced to block out spam websites. Before the sandbox filter was born, as a spammer you could make a website, spam Google with it, get banned, and instantly make another website and get your original ranking in Google back again. But with another domainname. And because Google isn't really fast in giving penalties and bans it takes a couple of months before the new domains get caught. This was easy money making in those days! But not anymore, because now the Google Sandbox filter will solve the problem!

But that doesn't mean we're really stuck to that filter. We are optimizing for search engines, and the sandbox is part of that, so there is a solution.

Only new domains trigger the sandbox filter. So a solution may be to buy an old domain name, or if you already have one, use an old domain name. But this is often really expensive and it doesn't always fit your needs. But there is a solution for that: DeletedDomains.com. On this website are domains that come available the same day. Just search the age of some of the domains with the Archive.org wayback machine, and if you find an old domain, you can buy it at a hosting company for as little as 15 bucks. You can also take a look in Google to see if the website on the domain is still indexed in Google, that fastens up the process a bit. It doesn't matter what domain you choose, the only thing you have to do is to 301 redirect the domain to your main domain. Then you have to hope your old domain get's indexed again so Google will know that the domain moved permanently to the new location. This will give you all the linklove of the old domain and you get the age of that domain. So you can easily build your website and gain high rankings without any sandbox restrictions.

There is another way that I used. I had bought a domain, but didn't use it at the time I bought it. I had plans for it but for the future. So I put a page on the domain, with a few backlinks to get it indexed, and a year later I started using the domain for real. But I could begin right away because the domain was already a year old!

This last one isn't really a way to avoid the sandbox but it happens a lot that you buy domains to use in the future. It isn't hard to get like 20 backlinks to it just to be out of the sandbox at the time you really want to start your website.

Free Spyware Removal Software - Why Use It?

2008-01-21T00:06:00.000+07:00

I guess most of us have been bothered with spyware infections once or more. Nobody likes that their computer become slow because of them, and nobody likes to pay a huge pile of cash just to get rid of them either. In this article I write about a great spyware removal tool that is free. What you get for zero bucks could sometimes actually be a whole lot.

When people get infections into their home computer, many are not aware of the existence of such threats. They just keep on working with their slow running computers until they stop almost completely. Some ask friends or relatives with a little computer experience to take a look at their computer. Therefore I will try to explain the importance of having protection, and how to get something that works.

Through the two latest decades we have seen computers eventually come into our lives, and that we use them more and more, and integrate them to become more or less a necessity in our homes. But, when internet was made public in 1990 we also began to see more and more of all the problems that came along with it.

An experience that I've had often is, when a system was near a breakdown, the problems was very often caused by a massive infection of online threats. Today we know them as spyware, adware, worms, trojan horses or viruses. They crawl up your cables and into your system, and when they become many they start competing with eachother for the available resources.

This will cause the computer to slow down, and when it eventually comes to a complete stop, the number of nfections will be too high for the computer to handle. All the power you need to do your stuff will be unavailable. An overrun system is of no real value to the user, because there are virtually no resources left to run real programs. This computer system has also become a real danger to privacy.

A good security tool could get rid of these bugs. I recommend that you have three basic types of security software installed on your system. Number one is a firewall protection. This will help prevent hackers from breaking into your system. Number two is a good antivirus solution. This keeps viruses, worms, trojan horses and often other types of threats away. Number three is to have a good spyware removal tool, because these threats are the most common ones today. They spread between computers like wildfire. Some of them are even made to steal your private information.

A quality piece of security software would protect you from various types of threats. But no software will make your system total immune, and a combination of different pieces of quality software is always preferred.

No matter what, it is always better to atleast have somekind of protection software installed, rather than nothing at all. So you might need to look for some you too. A good place to do this is online. This is because you simply get the fastest delivery and the best prices. But you have to look carefully for it.

I need to alert you about a new type of threats that is spreading around the world these days. A bug slips into your system, and almost instantly pops up with a warning about a "system error" from something called "Security Center" or similar. You should pay attention to this kind.

They infect you in the first place, then they want you to purchase a remedy for their disease and other types of infections. But most of them don't get rid of anything but the warnings, and even slips more bugs into your computer. Sneaky don't you think?

There are alot of software and solutions to choose from. Some are expensive, some are cheap, some are good and some are worse. They vary as much quality as they vary in price, and the most expensive ones are not by far always the best ones.

Infact there are actually spyware removal software packages that will protect against several categories of threats, and it will even clean up your computer's registry. This feature alone is a good way to increase the computers speed. I know about a really great tool that will do all this for you, and even for free.

This package does unfornately not include a firewall protection, but if you are running Windows XP there is a good firewall included in this operating-system. Just go to the control panel, and then to the Windows security center to activate it. It works great, and you should definately turn it on if you have it in the first place. This firewall in combination with the totally free spyware removal tool we provide on our website, you'll suddenly have a nice protection.

If you see the point of being protected for free rather than not protected, I have met my goal. Take care, and secure your computer properly. More information about this great free tool is to be found at our website.

Free Cell Phones, How can you find the Best Cellphone Deals?

2008-01-21T00:04:00.001+07:00

Free Cell Phones, How can you find the Best Cellphone Deals?

Have you had a chance to look at any of the cell phone offers lately? The free cell phone offers that are available today are very imaginable. Some of them you have heard of and some you haven't. Just about every cell phone provider will give you a free cell phone when you sign up for their service such as Samsung, Verizon, Motorola, U.S. Cellular and Sprint just to name a few. Here are some examples of some of the companies that you can choose from to get a honey of a deal:

AT & T

This company has a free pink RAZR cell phone when you open a new account. Free shipping is offered as well as a Bluetooth headset when you arrange to have service with them.

1.) Another free cell phone that you can get when you open a new account with AT & T is a Black Berry pearl red phone.

2.)When you activate a new account with AT & T, you can get a free Motorola V3 RAZR, which is valued at $320.b.

3.)You will also be able to choose a Sony Walkman style phone when you open a cell phone account with AT & T.

T Mobile

This company offers a free Nokia wireless cell phone if you sign up for their service. This offer includes free FedEx shipping.

Sprint

If you activate a new cell phone account with Sprint, they will give you a free Sanyo Katana II pink cell phone that has a value of $199.

1.)When you activate an account with Sprint, you also have the choice of a free Samsung M300 red cell phone which includes a Jabra Bluetooth headset.

2.)You can get a Samsung Upstage M620 that retails for $99.99 but after the activation and mail in rebates, you end up getting this cell phone for free.

Verizon

You can receive an LG Chocolate cell phone, valued at $299, for the price of $49.99. However, after your service is activated with them and you send in your rebates, your will get the cell phone for free.

These carriers are just a few of the best cellphone deals that are available today. If you do a Google search, you will find that the offers are numerous. Your e-mail box is probably full of offers from different cell phone companies that are offering their best free cell phone deals as well as cheap cellular phone deals on a daily basis.

Since so many cell phone companies are competing for your business, cell phones have become much more affordable over the last several years. If you are only concerned about using a cell phone for emergencies there are cell phone plans that are available that have as little as 450 minutes a month at a very reasonable cost. Various agencies have cell phones that only have 911 services if you just want to use one in case of an extreme emergency.

One very good cheap cellular phone deal is a mobile plan where you are able to call others who have the same service as you have for free. This way you do not have to worry about using minutes when you talk to family and friends. Most of these companies will let you rollover any time you have left over. This kind of cell phone would be a great gift for your parents who live in another state. You will also have the peace of mind that they are all right since you will be able to call and check on them especially if they are elderly.

Just about every teenager in today's society thinks that a cell phone is an absolute necessity. It seems that all of their friends have them so they have to join the crowd! You can find affordable plans for your teenagers and even your pre-teens so as to avoid any embarrassment in front of their friends. There are many cell phone deals that offer a service that will allow you to choose so many friends and family that you may call for free. If you have watched TV lately, you will find that these plans have become quite popular.

If you are looking for affordability, then consider getting a family plan. A family plan works this way. You pay one price for a certain amount of minutes that are shared between two or more cell phones for just one price. There are some plans today that offer extra cell phones free when you decide to go with a family or shared plan. These are excellent ways to keep in touch with your spouse or your children especially in these days when everyone is so busy with school, work and all of those extracurricular activities.

If people happen to be traveling, they may be on the lookout for cheap cellular phone deals. This is truly a lifesaver if you happen to get lost or break down. Keeping safety in mind, it would be a good idea to keep a mobile phone in your car at night in case it would break down or if you are in an area that is not well traveled.

It is possible to track someone's whereabouts using their cell phone. For some people this can be seen as an invasion of privacy, but it can serve its purpose in the event there happens to be a kidnapping or an unexplained disappearance. Law enforcement personnel could use this tool wisely with the rising rate of child abductions.

Another good point about this technology would be to locate a relative who has Alzheimer's disease. If you have ever been put in the position of not being able to find your father, mother, grandfather or grandmother then a cell phone could give you peace of mind, which could end up being priceless! People with Alzheimer's disease tend to wander off and get lost. If you make sure that they have a cell phone with them, which could help you find them before any harm could come to them. The benefit that you may be able to find your loved one far outweighs any idea that you may be intruding on someone's privacy.

This feature that comes on your cell phone can be disabled if you wish. As with any technology, there are ways to disable anything you do not wish to have activated on your cell phone. Just give this some careful thought before you do this, as it can really be a valuable tool down the road. There can be abuse with this feature, but that is true with just about anything today.

Free cell phone deals are constantly changing. The best way to find the right deal for you is to decide what you are going to use the cell phone for and how much you are going to need it. Then you can do a comparison of all the different plans that are available and see which one is better suited for your budget. Then that will be the right cell phone for you!

Video Games are Man's Greatest Invention

2008-01-20T14:46:00.000+07:00

Throughout time man has invented, innovated, and dreamt big to lead us to our present day world. Is the wheel the greatest invention, or the cell phone, or perhaps modern medicine? No. Video Games are man’s greatest invention…easily.

Why can something so trivial be as of importance and even greater than the wheel or even the smallpox vaccine? The answer is a simple one but you must open your mind; video games are responsible for creating more imaginative minds than any wheel or cell phone have ever created. Modern technologies have allowed dreamers to create their own 3d worlds, universes if you will, that are beginning to rival the size of our own Planet. If God is thought to have the biggest imagination of all, clearly he gave us the ability to think big, but we lacked the tools until recently.

Early man showed signs of artistic thought and thinking outside the box with pictures telling great stories on the sides of ancient cave walls; would we have known about their artistic side if the cave or material they wrote with didn’t exist? Of course not, just like we wouldn’t know Mozart was a great piano player, or Michael Jordan was the greatest basketball player ever if the piano or basketball were not created. It is the inventions that allow people the most freedom to express themselves; who they are, what they think, and what they dream about. Never in the history of man has a tool allowed one to express themselves so emphatically other than Video games.

In a world where we are limited to 100 years or less, video games allow people to explore vast universes, join hunting parties, make friendships, establish enemies, engage in combat, lose battles, gain great victories, and still live to fight another day. It is the greatest teacher of all that encourages trial and error, and thinking outside the box. Has a wheel ever inspired a kid to dream of another universe, or find out if he/she is a relentless explorer, an achiever, a socialite, or perhaps even a great guild leader?

It is easy to look at a game and judge it at face value, as just a fun toy to play with, while looking at the wheel as the greatest architectural advancement in the modern world. I simply ask what’s more important: To understand architecture and the intricacies of the wheel and shapes or to be able to question the very thing discovered and simulate your own virtual empire with all different shapes and sizes.

Imagine if our ancestors had the ability to play Eve Online two-thousand years ago. They would be so excited about space travel and the virtual space they played in, they would probably have dreamt up a better space shuttle than we currently use. Only a handful of people dream about actually entering space, and this is why Nasa isn’t advancing as fast as it could. What if every child in America was exposed to mock simulations of space travel, space exploration, in a 3d environment that would rival real life? The outcome would be a society hell-bent on traveling outside our solar system. Those children would grow into adults, adult explorers, leading the way to exploration all because of a spark, a seed, of imagination implanted in their psyche since they discovered their virtual space.

Is it any wonder why our society craves violence and misery as we are exposed to it constantly as children? We seek out in our adult life what we know to be true as children. Thankfully video games are here to save our minds from “reality” and allow us once again to think of possibilities and a world where boundaries become laughable and society becomes free willed.

So log onto World Of Warcraft, City of Heroes, Ultima Online, Shadowbane, DAoC, Tabula Rasa, or perhaps Eve Online, without feeling guilty for expressing your inner self. The wheel’s time to shine has come and passed…it is now merely a tool under my chair to wheel me closer to my magical box that lets me think ever so freely.

Being the best in your online MMORPG

2008-01-20T14:26:00.000+07:00

Playing massively multiplayer online role playing games is adventurous and extremely fun, however there is always a zeal for many player to be the best amongst all the other MMORPG players. Even if it is impossible to be the 'best', here are some styles and tips that can definitely help you on your journey to be number one in your chosen game.

Enlisted are few steps that must be followed in order to improve your game:

*Experimentation: this is the first key to get experienced and be versatile to handle all kinds of online games. You must experiment with different games available and different tactics needed to get through the combats. This experience loads you with the basic skills needed to tackle various situations.
*Avoid powerless class: a well researched MMORPG player is well aware of the games which lie in a powerless class. Avoid those and go for other powerful class subjects. The message boards or the reviews on fan sites can be other sources to get the class checked. For example, healing class are as such unplayable while playing alone but they can be referred as your tool while playing in a group.
* View guides: character build guides are promising when it comes to having tips for exploiting any of the characters. You can easily collect information and make sufficient use of it.

However, few tips to be the best for online MMORPGs are:

*Never intrude in other’s fight: never ever indulge yourself in others fight is the key to keep safe. In case he asks for help you might help them else it may lead to a counter attack on you by his community members.
*Avoid believing single opinions: never rely on a single person’s opinion. These opinions may not be reliable and land you in great trouble. Some people enjoy fooling others around and hence, single opinions are best to be avoided. However, they may be kept in mind but they are still frowned upon.
*Team play: it is advisable to form a team/guild/clan when trying to dominate an online game. The basic motto of online gaming is socializing hence it adds to your benefits. Not only does it improves the exp per minute but also adds to your knowledge by group hinting. Hence, it proves to be quite beneficial for you.
*Be courteous and polite: politeness remains the mantras for online gaming. As this virtual world is played by sensitive humans, being rude is inconsiderate. Not only does it enhance your relationship but also lends you a hand to get into groups.
*Be interactive: talk, talk and talk. This is the best way to get into contact with many people online and hence get a better gaming group. Moreover, making contact helps you for better trade and you can save monetarily while you’re trading within your online MMORPG.
*Be precise of what you want: always be sure of what you actually expect out of your group. Set your goals and stay focused. Be courteous and determined and you will surely succeed.