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How to Build a Pinhole Camera

Last Updated: 2011/10/07

Do You Want to Build Your Own Pinhole Camera? Read On…

As you probably know, these days, there are all kinds of cameras designed for different purposes. From digital and photo cameras to hidden or tiny spy cameras. There’s one more type of cameras that has gained popularity over the long years. It is called – a pinhole camera.

What is a Pinhole Camera?
A pinhole cam is a simple camera without lens. It’s a small box or can with a tiny (usually 0.5mm or smaller) hole inside one end and a piece of photographic paper in the other. The image is build by light passing through the hole. Although in the early days, pinhole cams did not have very clear image quality, these days there are pinhole cameras come with micro lens and provide very good image quality.

The first pinhole camera was built in the 19th century. It gained some popularity and that time. Although cameras have advanced in size and quality, the principles still remain the same.

Therefore, nowadays there are many enthusiasts who still prefer to build a pinhole camera themselves. This might be fun for amateurish purposes, however, for more serious tasks such as secret surveillance, an already built pinhole cam is much better choice.

How to Build a Pinhole Camera?
If you still prefer to build a camera yourself, then here are the basic steps you should look at. First, you’ll need a cardboard with a tape hinge , which can be used as a shutter. Second, you’ll need to make a pinhole. Simply take a needle (small in diameter, about 0.5mm) and punch through a piece of tinfoil. Then tape that piece to the inside of the box through a larger hole.

If you’d like to change the angle of the view, you might want to create a moving box. You can simply take a sliding film holder so that the distance between the film and the pinhole can be changed.

If you’ll move a film closer to the pinhole, you’ll get a wider angle of view, but shorter exposure time. Moving a film further from the pinhole will result in longer exposure time, but the angle of view will be narrow.

More Serious Use of Pinhole Cameras
Actually, pinhole cameras may be used not only for taking photographs. They may be used for video recording too. However, making such pinhole video camera yourself would be very difficult if you don’t know the technical side involved.

However, you may order small pinhole cameras for surveillance at very reasonable prices these days. You may order it online for less that $100 as a matter of fact.

Such pinhole cameras can be used to track nannies or your spouse for instance. You never know, what these people are doing in your house. If you trust them, then you (probably) have nothing to worry about. But if you’re suspicious, then there’s nothing better than buying a wireless pinhole camera and putting it inside some fluffy bunny or behind some books on a book shelve.

About the Author

Dan Crane specializes in spy camera industry and provides information and guides to consumers about spy cameras and surveillance equipment. If you’d like to learn more about color bullet cameras or wireless pinhole cameras, then browse Vedosoft website for more information at: http://www.vedosoft.com

How to Choose the Right Webcam Surveillance Software?

Last Updated: 2011/10/07

Many people want to have some kind of spy equipment for better home security. However, besides wireless spy cameras, VCR or DVR systems, there is also special software used to control those surveillance gadgets.

Large companies use professional security systems along with already built in (embedded digital video recorder or PC based DVR soft) spy camera control software. But what about smaller guys? Do you also have to spend thousands of dollars for professional spy security system and software to feel safe and secure in your house? And the answer is not necessarily.
Webcam for Spying Purposes
You have the ability to use your webcam (connected to your PC) as a surveillance tool. And to control it, all you need is inexpensive webcam surveillance software. As a matter of fact, such software allows you to connect more than one camera. It can display as much as 16 webcam views on your computer screen.

Moreover, webcam surveillance software even allows you to detect motion and start capturing an event within milliseconds. This means that you don’t have to keep your webcam surveillance software turned on all the time in order to secure the area. By using motion detection webcams, you can also save your computer’s HDD (hard drive) space.

You know, video takes a lot of hard drive space. Non stop recording for 24 hours can cost you 1GB of HDD space a day. Well, it depends on the chosen image quality. Lower quality images will require less bandwidth. Also, if you set lower FPS (frames per second), then you’ll save even more HDD space.

But if you have a large HDD (like 160GB or more), then there’s nothing to worry about.
What to Look for in Webcam Surveillance Software?
Before you decide to order webcam surveillance software, there are a couple of things to consider. Let’s take a look at some of the features of webcam software that you should seriously consider, ok.

Audio Capturing – Does your webcam surveillance software have audio capturing option? If not, then you should consider that carefully. If you want to record a conversation, it’s crucial.
Compressed Files – Does your webcam software compress video files? If not, then the space of your HDD might fill up quickly. Try to search for software that compresses the video without losing its quality.
Remote Access – This is very important. If you leave your webcam to record the area, you should have the ability to access your webcam’s view via internet connection. This is very neat function that is absolutely must in webcam software.
Motion Detection – We’ve already mentioned that. Motion detection is also extremely important. You don’t want to record the area when nothing’s going on, right. So make sure that motion sensing is enabled in your software.
Alert Options – Does the webcam surveillance software have an alert option? Some webcam software alert when they detect something. They can alert via email or even dial a phone number. You should seek for this feature, because it’s very neat.
Multiple Webcams – Can your surveillance software record a live view from multiple web cameras? 2, 4 or 16? If you want to connect more than one camera to your PC, then multiple webcam support is absolutely must in the software you choose.
Stealth Mode – Does the webcam software run in stealth mode? Stealth mode means that nobody can see if the software is running or not. Not even if they Press “Ctr+Alt+Del” and look at Windows Task Manager!

Look for webcam surveillance software that allows you to do all or at least most of the functions mentioned above. If your software isn’t capable of detecting motion, doesn’t have alert option, doesn’t have audio recording options, then search for a better solution.
In Conclusion
Webcam software (for spying or home protection purposes) combined with a few inexpensive webcams, can definitely serve as a basic home security system. You can put your webcams in the most important places and have your PC to record each camera’s view. And if motion sensors detect something unusual, they can alert you via email or phone.

However, if you’re really looking for quality and all-in-one solution for professional home protection, then a more powerful DVR security system with multiple spy cameras could be your best shot. Such systems cost over thousand dollars, but they’re ideal for quality home or office protection.

About the Author

Dan Crane offer free tips and article about spy cameras, bug detectors, security systems or body worn cams. If you’d like to find out more information about webcam surveillance software used to control nanny cams, then check out Vedosoft website.

How To Select The Best Gaming Laptops

Last Updated: 2011/10/07

Most veteran PC gamers know exactly what they want in a gaming laptop, and those who have the time and money have probably already built their dream computer themselves, but if you are a little newer to the field, a little more fond of the smaller notebook footprint, or a little less comfortable with a do-it-yourself computer, you need to be armed with these basic facts before purchasing your gaming laptop.

The three most important components for any high-end laptop are the processor, RAM and graphics card. Since you are building a gaming rig, you will want to focus on your graphics card first and foremost. Make sure you load up the video memory with at least 256MB and remember to select a notebook that has a dedicated graphics card. Integrated graphics simply cannot handle any modern, 3D gaming.

The next most important component is your processor. Dual-core CPUs are the hottest thing out right now. Ideally, you want to stay within the top two or three fastest dual-core CPUs, in terms of processor speed, that are currently available at the time of your purchase. This will ensure that your notebook is fully optimized for all of today’s latest 3D games.

The third most important factor in the speed of your laptop is RAM. You will need at least 1GB to safely play most 3D games without any memory bottlenecking, although most hardcore gamers opt for 2GB or more just for the added punch and/or bragging rights.

The fourth and final tip would be to go with 7200rpm hard drives, as these will definitely speed up load times by adding some extra horsepower to your gaming machine.

With recent advancements in mobile technologies, laptops are now becoming more and more popular in the gaming community, as the prospect of a portable gaming rig that can produce desktop-like performance on the go is something that appeals to all gamers. Just remember to follow these four simple guidelines to ensure that your laptop will be able to meet or exceed all of the hardware requirements for your gaming sessions.

Please, check out these recommendations for the best notebook computers for gaming.

This article may be republished freely as long as this copyright notice and box of resource links are included at the bottom.

About the Author

MALIBAL is the Home of the World’s Fastest Laptop! Headquartered in Las Vegas, this groundbreaking company has transmuted the world of mobile computing with its nonpareil laptops and unrivaled 24-hour USA-based support.

Inkjet Printing: The System that Demonstrates Printing Excellence

Last Updated: 2011/10/06

Inkjet printing is a flexible, affordable, user-friendly and upgradeable printing service for the ever changing business needs. The inkjet printing system makes use of a variety printing techniques, inks and configurations that allows it to print vivid, concise codes and markings that penetrates almost any surface. And since it is user-friendly anybody with mediocre knowledge on printing may use it.

The upgradeability of the inkjet printing system also allows it be readily reconfigured to suit every printing requirements there is. Likewise, inkjet printers are also very easy to repair in fact the replacement of parts alone may only take a mere 5 minutes. Inkjet printing system is also very reliable and seldom breaks down unlike the conventional printers that require time to time repairs and changing of parts.

The use of the inkjet printing system in place of the conventional printing system helps businesses save in terms of their printing costs especially when it comes to printing for their packaging requirements. That is because Inkjet printing provides high quality printing and an inexpensive printing operation. Moreover, inexpensive but compatible inks in inkjet printing may be used instead of expensive industrial inks these way businesses may further lower down their printing costs.

The role of inkjet printing in the business industry is very much apparent and can be seen in almost any aspect of business endeavors. From the common everyday printing of office documents to the most complex projects like printing on round shaped bottles, printing on woven bags and then even printing on lumbers for advertising. The list simply goes on and on.

The inkjet printing system is divided into two main category and these are the drop-on-demand and the continuous inkjet printing. The drop-on-demand printing is the most frequently used by businesses as well as home owners. The drop-on-demand technology is the one used for bubble jet printers and even for Hewlett-Packard deskjets. The Epzon printer on the other hand has its own drop-on-demand system. A recent development in the high-resolution system ranging up to 300 dpi has been added to the inkjet printing system. These three inkjet printing categories creates a more efficient delivery of barcodes, batch numbers, lot numbers, date codes as well as product identification on any types of material.

The drop-on-demand used for industrial purposes requires two types of technologies. The first one pertains to the distribution of the ink, valve or plunger. The ink is distributed by means of a manifold to the various valves which is controlled by a high speed electrical pulse.

On the other hand, the continuous inkjet printing works differently since it involves the releasing of small droplets of ink. An electrical field and a deflection plate sort outs and determine which droplets are to reach the substrate or the material. The droplets that are not utilized are then recycled through the system. In addition, the finer the droplets, the higher the resolution, the better to print bar codes and graphics.

For comments and suggestions about the article kindly visit Inkjet Printing Services

About the Author

Jinky C. Mesias is a lover of simple things and of nature. She spends most of her time reading and writing poetry.

IP Telephony – the Big Wave of Global Communication Systems?

Last Updated: 2011/10/06

IP Telephony – the big wave of global communication systems?

IP telephony, or Internet Protocol telephony deploys the Internet infrastructure to transmit voice and fax calls. IP phone systems digitize voice and transmit it in the form of packets to unique IP addresses designated by the user. Slow to get off the blocks, Internet phone systems have gained significant ground in the recent years. This is largely due to the rapid rise of convergence as the ultimate destination for communication technology. In this context, voice over ip phone systems are seen as a crucial first step in the march towards achieving seamless low-cost connectivity by integrating data, voice, and video onto a single Internet based platform.

Enterprise communications at the cross-roads

A recent study by META group, a subsidiary of the global consultancy major Gartner, indicates that convergence is fast catching up among businesses across the globe. As per the study, 26 per cent of the Global 2000 Enterprises are in the process of migrating to converged networks, whereas another 42 per cent will be taking it up in the next one to two years. Impressive figures indeed! In the same vein it predicts that the IP lines deployed by the hybrid ‘computer phone systems’, are bound to see a 50 per cent growth annually in the coming years. One reason why enterprises are boarding the IP telephony bandwagon is that it enables them to generate substantial cost-savings by using their existing IP infrastructure for voice traffic. Plus, prominent communication equipment vendors, such as UK based Actimax Plc, have clearly cast their mandate in favor of the Internet phone system. Going by the Actimax Web site, the benefits of adopting an IP phone system include:

1. Connecting remote workers at no extra cost

2. Integrating IP applications with telephones to harness the best of two technologies

3. Connecting geographically disparate sites together at no extra call cost

IP telephony – the roadblocks

From the above, the IP phone systems appear simply unstoppable and clearly the future of the global communications. But then why is it still moving at a relatively slow pace? For example, an overwhelming majority of enterprises in upcoming markets still remain unconvinced by its efficacy. In the developed world too the picture is not so rosy. As per estimates put forward by world telecoms major Ericsson, ‘pure-play VOIP phone system PBXs account for less than five per cent of customer premises equipment (CPE) shipments’ across the globe. Apart from this, businesses implementing VOIP phone systems too prefer to remain on line with the traditional wire line telephony. The reasons are not hard to find. META group studies point towards the a still lingering adverse public perception about reliability, degree of integration with legacy systems, and the money that needs to be pumped into the new applications.

Besides, a number of countries, including India and China, are still to recognize IP telephony, which puts a big question mark over its usability in these fast growing markets. Apart from this, convergence require a high degree of customization for companies in different sectors. Experts also point out that converged networks are still to come up with common technical standards that are essential to make the technology ubiquitous.

An idea whose time is nigh

Despite the remaining hurdles, it clearly emerges that the future belongs to converged networks, which means that we are in for a greater proliferation of voice over IP phone systems both at the workplace and in life away from office. The technology has got too many things going for it. After all how can we turn away a system that offers advantages such as greater efficiency and productivity while lowering your total cost of ownership? Those of you who have had a feel of concepts such as ‘Computer Telephone Integration’ will know what we are talking about. And, to those still to get a taste of this upcoming communication revolution, we can only say: Go out and try it for yourself. It makes more sense to be an active participant in the technology sweepstakes than to wait and let the convergence wave sweep you off your feet.

About the Author

John Massey is the Managing Director of http://www.actimax.co.uk, who’s background in the communications industry goes back over 30 years is invaluable in the company being one step ahead of the competition.

Link Load Balancing

Last Updated: 2011/10/06

Load balancing is the even distribution of computer processing and communication activities so that a server is not overwhelmed. Load balancing is especially important for networks where it is difficult to predict the number of requests that will be issued to a server.

Link Load Balancing balances out critical resources on data networks with unpredictable requests issued to a server. For example, a web site with heavy traffic may employ two, three or more servers in a link load balancing program. The link load balancing routines enable a network to “juggle” more traffic that otherwise possible If one server is overwhelmed, the link load balancing scheme forwards them to a different server with extra capacity.

Another aspect to link load balancing concerns the communications channels themselves. In this case the “juggling act” is meant to better distribute processing and communications demands more equitably across the network so that no single a computer is overwhelmed by the demand.

Link Load Balancing – Key Features & Benefits

First and foremost is “availability” – 24/7 Application Availability for complete IP Application access. Local and Global Service providers rely on redundancy and link load balancing between servers, WSD units and distributed sites for complete server continuity across global networks

Performance

Network Bottlenecks – Link Load Balancing

Network managers are constantly seeking new solutions for eliminating bottlenecks and latencies for the fastest performance of all networked applications and web-enabled transactions. The idea link load balancing technology combines both unlimited application scalability with flexible traffic distribution management of data centers and server farms.

Network Security – Link Load Balancing

Link load balancing is a key element in the overall network Intrusion Prevention effort. Expert Link Load Balancing guards the network against internal and external attacks such as viruses, worms, Trojans, anti-scanning and protocol anomalies. Above all hovers the ultimate link load balancing challenge and network threat – DOS – Denial of Service.

Remember the song, “Take a load off Annie” Just listening to it makes you feel nice and relaxed… For maximum performance and 100 percent uptime, networks use link load balancing to even out resource use throughout the network.

Radware is the global leader in link load balancing solutions delivering maximum performance and security of critical networked applications. For more information on link load balancing , visit RadWare.

About the Author

Mark henry is the author related to Load Balancer, Dual Port Router, Multiple Gateways, Server Load Balancing Xrio provide solutions for bandwidth management, load balancing, link bonding, server load balancing, multiple gateways, global traffic management, wan optimization, wan performance, isp, adsl, sdsl, dual port router, high availability router, local director, multihoming router, vpn clustering.

Natural Disasters Raise Data Recovery Awareness

Last Updated: 2011/10/06

Technology v Nature. The fight still continues without any clear winners. Nature’s fury occasionally reminds us of how easily it can overwhelm all that modern technology has to offer, but indomitable man just goes back to the drawing board to come up with an improved solution.

The tremendous advances in data storage technology have been taken for granted by most users for whom the phenomenal growth in storage capacity can hardly keep pace with their appetite for more and more data. At the same time, the high-tech world of computers gives the users a false feeling of invincibility. While data storage devices have become more robust than in the past, the sheer numbers have made data disasters more common than ever before. There are many reasons why hard disk drives and other data storage devices can – and do – fail.

When Mother Nature strikes, as with the recent tsunami that ravaged half the earth or the winter storms that gripped much of North America, it is big news. While loss of life is truly irreplaceable, these disasters affect many other aspects of life. At times like these, there is a heightened awareness about data loss and data recovery. “But the single biggest culprit in data loss is human error,” claims Allison Beckley, VP (Customer Service) at Disk Doctor Labs, Inc., one of the pioneers of data recovery. “And a close second is the inherent limitations of the data storage technology itself,” adds Tariq Aslam, the CEO of Disk Doctors. It can happen anytime, anywhere, and to anybody. If you deal with data extensively, the odds are you will suffer data loss sooner or later. The important thing is being able to cope with it. And different types of users need to have different strategies for safeguarding their data. A high school student who uses his PC for gaming and the occasional term project cannot be expected to have UPS, tape back-ups and RAID systems. On the other hand, a bank cannot feel complacent that it has protected its database by installing the latest anti-virus software and anything else is overkill. The user profile, the data criticality, available budget and resources all impact the data protection strategy. However, these are some general tips Disk Doctors has for avoiding and surviving data loss:

+ Make a regular back-up of all your important data (including laptop drives)

+ Test your back-ups regularly (especially if it is a tape back-up)

+ Carry laptops in padded cases

+ If it is mission critical business data, store it on RAID systems

+ Use power surge protectors, and UPS systems for critical data

+ Use regularly updated anti-virus software
+ Restrict unauthorized access

+ If you experience problems with your drive, move the data to another drive; don’t take any chances unless your data is worth less than the cost of a new drive

+ If you still lose the data, do not panic; seek professional advice

+ Data recovery is a specialized field, and not every computer technician can retrieve data

+ If the data is critical, or if the drive makes unusual noises do not try DIY solutions

+ When you shop around for a data recovery company, don’t consider the recovery charges only

+ Look at the company experience, expertise, locations, facilities, testimonials, etc.

+ You should not have to pay an up-front diagnostic fee, or pay for any hidden extras over the quoted price, or pay for the ‘effort’ if you did not get your data

For more information on the data recovery please visit http://www.diskdoctors.com/

About the Author

Disk Doctor Labs, Inc. is a pioneer and leader in the data recovery industry. It was founded in 1993 in Atlanta, and has since grown to 16 full-service labs in most major metros spread across the US, UK, Australia, and India.

Original Cartridges: A definite Boon

Last Updated: 2011/10/05

Original Cartridges: A definite Boon, then the compatible or the refilled versions, although the latter are cheap and easily available, but hazardous to the printer as well as environment.

It has been technically proved that original cartridges printing quality is far better than the refilled or compatible ones. Printer Ink is made up of mixture of pigments and condensed surfactants, biocide along with fungicide, buffering agent, humectants & resin, de-ionized stream of water (May vary depending on the type of Ink).

Some Facts about Printer Ink:

There are two generic categories in accordance to the printer ink.

1. Pigment based Ink

2. Dye Based Ink

Pigment Based Ink: A pigment is a material reflects back the light rays as per the color absorption spectrum. Pigmeted ink consists of agents that permanently embark themselves on the paper and cannot be reomved by any scratch or abrasion. These can include solvent based inks as well as water based inks.

Dye based Ink: Dye based ink consists of micro granuals and is of high density and mostly give out a blurred results due to its slow penetration properties.

Why Original Cartridges?

Answer to the above question is: Reliabilty, Supeiror quality, Quick Drying of ink, waterproof results and fade resistent print outs. As the Original cartridges are filled with pigment based Inks, they tend to dry faster when used to print. Moreover, the surfactant supports to balance of the wetting of paper, the surface tension. The resins in the ink make sure that the ink remains permanent & waterproof on the surface, humactents reduces desertion, That is only available in the Original Ink cartridges and not the refilled ones.

The Use of pigment ink ensures quick drying of ink and non abrasion proof printing, enhancing the printouts quality.

Disadvantages of refilled cartridges:

The refilled cartridges are filled up with dye based inks most often and is made of inferior quality material like non-biodegradeable plastic frames, and ink clogged filters. The dye based ink being of higher density due to its micro granuls, has a very slow penetration rate thereby resulting in a blurred output and often the ink remains clogged in the nozzles causing a serious nozzle jam. More over the printer head starts up printing outputs with strike off lines in the printed matter. Which is not the case with original cartridges.

The dye based refilled cartridges are not waterproof, and does not carry a warranty or a gaurantee, in case the faults show up. Using of refilled cartridges voids off the printer warranty, as the head compatibilty with the cartridges is best suited with the original ones. Refilled cartridges generally do not maintain the air balance, which eventually causes the ink flow to be discontinous in nature causing missed printouts.

Buying an Original Cartridge would be much advantageous and hassle free for a long term use. Refilled Cartridges might seem cheaper, but cause the above said problems and do not ensure the quality and worth the money you spend. Natla.co.uk Provides Original Ink Cartridges at Low prices with no hidden extras e.g postage, package, VAT.

About the Author

Natla has a speciality to supply quality printer ink cartridges and photographic papers. Internet Marketing Company and Ink Cartridges services available.

OST File Conversion

Last Updated: 2011/10/05

Email communication has expanded itself from professionals to normal home users. As a child enters into teenage, he becomes familiar with the power and usefulness of email communication and uses emails to correspond within his circle of friends and relatives.

If we quickly look at some of the public email portals like Yahoo, Hotmail, Rediff etc; it can be analyzed that these portals regularly increase email storage limits for its users and as long more space is provided will thus encourage the user to utilize it.

Email communication proves more useful in the corporate world where hundreds of emails are exchanged daily between the professionals. They could be meeting notices, memorandums, important business attachments or simple emails of well being.

If the importance of email communication has increased, so has increased the importance of data storage and the level of corruptions of email messages. This importance has resulted into duplication of data and information, data archives, and waste of hard drive storage space.

Email Storage
As you receive many emails in a day, have you ever wondered where these emails get stored? The answer could be an email server or on the user’s computer system.
MS Outlook and Outlook Express are the widely used email clients because of their ease of use and user friendly features. While working on MS Outlook, the email files are stored in PST and OST file formats and an exchange server is maintained to handle the incoming and outgoing emails.
Now arise the common questions; what is exchange server, .pst files and .ost files and how are they used to store emails?

Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft Exchange Server is a messaging system which supports transfer of internal and external electronic messages. The application is widely used in organizations where Microsoft infrastructure solutions are used. The exchange server stores data in highly organized relational database with the help of algorithms thus helps in transfer of mails and manages communication between other Exchange servers also.

How does Exchange Server work?
As the Exchange server stores messages and manages incoming and outgoing process of emails, the working of the messaging server also becomes a crucial point. The process of receiving, sending and managing the messages by Exchange server is as follows:

Step 1: The client connects to the server and sends the message.
Step 2: The exchange server then processes the message and determines saving location in the messaging database.
Step 3: The recipient of the message is notified by the server.
Step 4: The client to receive the message connects to the server and receives the message.

The simple working of the exchange server makes it easy for us to send and receive messages, thus transferring data electronically.

MS Outlook – Personal Storage Files
“The file where MS Exchange server delivers messages”

The Personal Storage File (.pst) is the most robust storage container of emails and MS Outlook has the ability to store and deliver messages in the .pst file format, other file types can also be stored inside the PST file. But the PST file can get corrupt due to accidental file deletion, virus attacks or it can get damaged internally causing into data loss. There are number of email recovery and pst recovery software which effectively recovers mails and data from the corrupt pst files.

MS Outlook – Offline Storage Files
“The storage file where emails and other information can be stored, which can also be accessed offline.”

In the corporate arena, Exchange Servers are used to store email messages. The Outlook Offline Storage Folder (.OST) in Microsoft Outlook provides unique synchronization method with an Exchange Server and existing mailbox accounts. The OST file gets stored on a users computer system which constantly gets synchronized with the Exchange mailbox account, which results into duplication of data on exchange server and on the user’s system.
Access to .ost file requires an Exchange mailbox account, and if the mailbox is damaged, missing or removed, the .ost file will not open. For this you need to convert the .ost file to .pst file on your own or try the exchange ost recovery software.

Here I would like to guide you with some simple steps, following which you can convert the damaged .ost file to .pst file successfully in Outlook 2002 or 2003. This is the method which worked for me:

Backup the ost file(s)
Rename the outlook.ost file to outlook.pst file
Use scanpst.exe from Outlook 2002 to repair the outlook.pst file. (C:\ Program Files\Common Files\System\MSMapi\1033)
Rename outlook.pst back to outlook.ost
Run OST to PST which will then successfully convert the file to outlook.pst
MS Outlook will then open the outlook.pst file.

OST/PST file formats are very complex and are designed around relational database concepts. The messages in these files are organized in hierarchical format using folders to store the messages. If the above mentioned steps do not work in your case of corruption, then it might be due to major corruption which can be effectively repaired by the ost recovery software. There are number of OST file recovery and PST file recovery software to convert and repair your damaged email files.

The OST conversion software is such corrupt ost recovery software which effectively converts .ost files to .pst files which become inaccessible due to virus attacks, exchange server crashes, accidental deletions and database corruptions. The pst recovery software effectively repairs outlook pst emails with complete emails, attachments, email properties etc.

About the Author

Neha Gupta is a technical writer for Nucleus Data Recovery, provider of the best data recovery software and data recovery services. The Kernel recovery tools are developed for email recovery, database recovery, tape recovery, backup recovery. http://www.nucleustechnologies.com

Putting Productivity and Economy to Work with Intelligent Business Phone Systems

Last Updated: 2011/10/05

Putting productivity and economy to work with intelligent Business Phone Systems

Is your business communication equipment really working for you? Is it helping you maximize productivity? Are you getting optimum returns on invested capital? Is your business phone system scalable and extensible enough to help you remain in sync with leading-edge convergence technologies?

In highly competitive markets across the globe, answers to these questions often draw the line between the winners and the also rans. And, this is where the role of specialized service-oriented resellers come into play. For the solution here lies in sourcing your business communication equipment from quality suppliers such as the UK based Actimax, Plc., which have created a niche for themselves by adopting a solution – oriented approach. Over the past decade, companies like these have helped a growing number of enterprises to thrive by harnessing the power of leading edge technologies.

Solution oriented approach

Every organization operates in a constant state of flux. With an ever changing business environment that needs to constantly adapt to the transforming competitive landscape, you need an office telephone system that is not only open-ended, robust, and sophisticated but is also affordable and easy to use.

Good business phone systems invariably result from the extra effort made by your supplier to understand your distinct needs. With a customer – centric business model in place, these companies stress upon studying the client’s business processes up close. Office telephone system from quality suppliers are designed ground up, which make them almost custom-made to support your mission critical operations, efficiently and cost effectively. The service-oriented resellers not only empower you to choose from a complete range of business communications equipment from the world’s best manufacturers but also provide the whole portfolio of supporting products and services.

Advanced services to suit diverse needs

Over the years, the communication space has changed and evolved constantly. This trend has lead a number of vendors to adopt a business model centered around providing exceptional support and services to beat back the competition. These companies not only provide you the equipment but also research your business, your customers, and the markets to try and identify the weak spots. This is followed by intense brainstorming to arrive at the best possible solution in the shape of communication system that is robust and simple, enhances productivity, and brings about a perceptible change in the way you go about doing your business. Digital phone systems marketed by some of these players is a case in point that truly demonstrates these capabilities.

No nonsense digital phone system

Owing to their accumulated knowledge base, the top line service oriented suppliers now posses proven expertise in installing tailor-made high utility digital phone systems. Shorn of complex features rarely used, these companies focus on equipping your office telephone systems with services such as Caller Line Identification (CLI), Direct Dialing Inwards (DDI), business telephones integration with databases, and Trunk to Trunk technology. Of course, the digital phone system has enough scope to integrate other services as and when the need arises. A simple, and effective voice mail phone system is another example where highly qualified and experienced professionals make it easy for you to adapt new technology.

Voice mail phone system:

Voice mail phone systems offer the answers to your need for streamlining your messaging system. It provides you seamless access to your messages anytime, and from anywhere. You no longer need to scribble notes on pieces of paper, or get onto the e-mail to stay in touch. Every time a call goes unanswered, an efficient voice mail phone system lets you leave messages that are sure to get across to the right person, sooner or later. While Installing a voice mail phone systems the seller should be able to clearly comprehend your unique needs, and install a system that is simple and easy to use. The sellers have a key role to play to get you quickly up to speed from the word go, thus eliminating any stoppages in your work flow.

About the Author

Registry Cleaner: Protection for Your PC

Last Updated: 2011/10/05

Your personal computer saves all the processes that are happening within it. The operating system has its own log of these programs running, and changes that are happening within it. What is a registry cleaner? First you must understand what a registry is. A registry is an applet within your compendium pack of an operating system. Within the term itself ¡°registry¡± registers the processes that take place. It also takes note of the automatic processes that are happening in your PC and are running in the background. Think of the registry as a big notebook of your PC¡¯s to-do list and it logs everything into it.

Why a registry cleaner important? Registry cleaners are important because it protects your PC from other processes that are not considered viruses, but can be harmful to your PC. Is your computer slowing down without your knowledge? Are you having errors that are not distinguished by your anti-virus program? Your PC might be affected by applications that are running without your knowledge. Registry cleaners are a must!

Your PC might be inflicted by Adwares, Spywares and Spambots. In addition, your registry might be littered with logs that commands your PC to execute these files. A registry cleaner is needed to clean some of these programs. Registry cleaners detect errors in your PC. Registry cleaners help your PC function properly and registry cleaners detect errors, and deletes and/or fixes them. For your PC to function in its optimum performance, you must have a registry cleaner. The basic programs that your PC should have in order to function properly should be: anti-virus software, firewall, anti-spam, and a good registry cleaner.

When your PC suddenly has a mind of its own, it might have caught a Spyware, or an Adware from the internet. Spywares and adwares are small programs that download themselves from the internet to your PC. They affect your PC¡¯s registry and a registry cleaner can possibly fix the errors that they cause. Spywares monitor your PC¡¯s activity?the programs running, registry information, websites visited. Adwares are annoying pop-ups and spam mails. Registry cleaners often block these from proliferating in your PC. These programs are not considered virus by your anti-virus, but it tinkers your PC¡¯s registry, and sometimes cause errors.

A registry cleaner fixes ¡°bugs¡± or errors that are inherent in your PC. If you don¡¯t have a registry cleaner, your PC will function at a slower rate. Also, without a registry cleaner, a PC will be inflicted with many annoying programs that run on the background. A registry cleaner scans, identifies and fixes the bugs that are contained in your operating system¡¯s registry. Some of the bugs in your PC are actually from other programs that you have installed. Sometimes, your PC is running programs that are non-existent anymore. Installation and uninstallation processes also affect your PC¡¯s performance. Registry cleaners also deal with these errors. Sometimes, files are corrupted when you uninstall. Some PC¡¯s even restart on their own, behaving erratically and uncontrollable. If you have these problems, you need a registry cleaner.

Registry cleaners are softwares. You can download free registry cleaners in the internet. But it is advisable to buy a licensed registry cleaner because it offers better technical support. Crashes are inevitable without registry cleaners. Losing all your data, or having a corrupted program is a nightmare, so be wise, have a registry cleaner!Your personal computer saves all the processes that are happening within it. The operating system has its own log of these programs running, and changes that are happening within it. What is a registry cleaner? First you must understand what a registry is. A registry is an applet within your compendium pack of an operating system. Within the term itself ¡°registry¡± registers the processes that take place. It also takes note of the automatic processes that are happening in your PC and are running in the background. Think of the registry as a big notebook of your PC¡¯s to-do list and it logs everything into it.

About the Author

Irene Graham is the owner of Free Internet Eraser. To learn more about using registry cleaners to protect your PC, go to: http://free-internet-eraser.com.

Review of the Epson Stylus Pro 9800: Its First Year in Retrospect

Last Updated: 2011/10/05

It has been a year since the first announcement of the Epson Stylus Pro 9800 printer, the new generation of 44 inch width, inkjet printer from Epson. Like many of the new releases from Epson, the printer was highly anticipated; offered breakthrough new features; and was impossible to get for about 7 months. The initial rush has past, the printers are readily available, and it is time to take a moment to reflect on the good and bad points of Epson’s latest printing wonder.

I think there are far fewer negatives than positives, so I will address them first.

You have to perform an ink swap to switch your dark black ink from photo-black to matte black. For a brief time Epson offered the Stylus Pro 4000 which had 8 inks including both the matte black and the photo black, there was no need to swap dark black inks if you changed from photo paper to mat paper. This new generation still uses 8 inks but has added a light light black ink instead of offering the two varieties of dark black inks. The additional of light light black ink has enable the printer to produce finer gradations of tone and finer detail in the highlight area, but having to swap out the dark black inks to optimize printing on photo paper as opposed to matte paper is an inconvenience and an unfortunate waste of money.

There are quirks with the LCD menu on the printer. One in particular, comes up frequently with a message that says “Power Cleaning?” Y or N. Having been prompted many people select yes to this prompt, thereby executing a power cleaning cycle which wastes a good bit of ink and maintenance tank capacity. I have had a number of clients really upset about this situation and I hope Epson will rectify it soon in a firmware fix.

Dark ink density not improved when using matte black ink on matte papers. The new K3 inks made a giant leap forward in providing richer blacks when using the photo-black ink on photo surface types of papers. The K3 matte black ink on matte papers seems not to have improved black density, and some users report that matte black is less dense on matte papers than the previous UCM matte black ink. I find the blacks to be the about the same density as with the previous inks, but had hoped for more from the matte black K3 ink.

Epson designed the new 220 ml ink cartridges to fit inside the ink bays, unlike the previous 220 ml cartridges that stuck out to the point where you could not close the cover. Well you can close the cover with the new cartridges but the new cartridges are pressurized and occasionally arrive leaking. This has led us to always check cartridges for leaks before sending them out. If you are using the new 220 ml cartridges, check them for leaks as soon as you receive them.

A final negative, although not affecting the quality of the printer, was that for nearly 7 months of last year, dealers like myself, that focus mostly on the Epson printer line, had no Epson printers to sell. Epson announced the new printers, stopped supplying the previous models, and was unable to ship the new generation of printer for what seemed an eternity. Our belt was tightened more than a few notches.

That’s it on the negatives, so here’s some of the positive highlights:

The printer is about 2.5 times faster than the previous generation, but Epson hasn’t sacrificed quality for speed. Epson built the new model with a print head that is more than twice as large as the previous print head, thereby more than doubling the speed.

Time consuming and confusing manual nozzle checks and print head alignments have been streamlined and are now carried out automatically, at the touch of a button.

Metamerism and bronzing, which were significant problems with the previous UCM inks, have been virtually eliminated. If you don’t know what these are, consider yourself lucky and know that you won’t have them with the new printers and K3 inks.

Deeper, richer blacks when using photo-black on photo surface papers. This represents a significant improvement over previous models and inks.

A new advanced black and white mode in the driver that produces stunning black and white prints.

Improved color gamut- not earth shattering improvement like in black density but still a nice addition to the color palette.

In my opinion, the positives far outweigh the negatives and this new generation of Epson Stylus Pro printers will take their rightful place in Epson’s track record of award winning, superior value and outstanding quality, large format inkjet printers. Kirk Economos recommends you visit http://www.meridiancyber.com/C_1037.aspx to get an in-depth price catalog for the Epson Stylus Pro 9800 printer.

About the Author

Kirk Economos is President of Meridian Cyber Solutions, digital equipment and printer dealership headquartered in San Francisco, that offer products and services nationwide. Kirk is also a practicing fine art photographer and fine art printer. Also visit http://www.meridiancyber.com .For more information you may call (888) 782-7878.

Save hundreds on your next Dell purchase – Amazing secrets revealed

Last Updated: 2011/10/05

Getting ready to buy a Dell computer? Before you do so, you had better read the following tips, because they can save you big on your next computer purchase. Before you get started, I would like to give you some background on Dell and their marketing/pricing strategy. Dell Computers is the largest manufacturer and retailer of computers in the world. They have about a 15% market share of all computers sold in America. Because Dell only builds a computer when it is sold, it enables Dell to keep very low inventories, and therefore, a very low price. Moreover, you can only buy a Dell at Dell. They have no retail presence. No middlemen!

Dell utilizes many channels of advertising to get the word out about their low prices. You have probably seen their ads on TV or their full page print ads in the newspaper. You may have even received a Dell catalog if you have purchased from them before. What you probably haven’t noticed is that the price of these seemingly equivalent systems vary greatly depending on where you saw the ad. This is the very first lesson on being “Dell smart.” Dell is NOT transparent in their system pricing. This means, depending on where you learned about the computer deal can greatly impact the price you pay.

Okay, so if Dell does not consistently price computer system ads, where should you go to get the best deal? That’s simple — the Internet. And by Internet, I do not mean going straight to Dell.com! To become “Dell smart,” you need to choose a Dell computer that is right for you, one that suits your needs. Computer shoppers often overspend on options they will never use. Go to your favorite search engine and look for a buying guide. After you narrow your search, go back to your search engine (I use Google) and enter “model name + review.” Read a few independent reviews about the model you’ve selected and find out what other people are saying. What are the system’s pros and cons?

Now that you know what you are looking for, let the real money saving begin! Go back to your favorite search engine and enter the words “Dell Coupon Codes.” What you should get in return is a list of Dell affiliate web sites that supply FREE coupons from Dell. These coupons are not advertised, as Dell tries to keep these for the savviest shoppers. More often than not, Dell has a $750 off coupon that can be applied at checkout allowing you to save big! Sometimes, these coupons can even be stacked, meaning you can apply more than one coupon towards your purchase, or they can be used in combination with rebates or other instant savings. Check several coupon sites until you find a coupon that works for your model. Make sure you read the fine print, and verify that the coupon is not expired. Some coupon sites give step-by-step instructions on applying coupons so make sure to do your research!

Once you have found the relevant coupons for the system you want to buy, you are ready to go to Dell to make your purchase. Purchasing a computer from Dell requires that you go through several pages of options and add-ons. This is where buyers typically get bogged down as they are overwhelmed by a number of options and upgrades. Be sure to use the buying guides you came across to identify which features and upgrades are right for you. And be aware that you can often down-grade from many of the default Dell options. For example, Windows Media Center and Windows XP Pro are practically the same operating system. However, Dell sometimes defaults to XP Pro in their options which costs significantly more than Media Center. So, downgrade whenever it makes sense for you and your needs. Once you have gone through the pages of options, you will be at checkout. This is where you will apply your coupons, select the cheapest shipping and pay tax. If you followed these steps, you should be saving hundreds of dollars for the computing system that exactly meets your needs.

Let’s recap:

1. Dell prices are not transparent, always search the internet.

2. Research the right model for YOUR needs. Use a buying guide.

3. Search for a review of the model you selected on a search engine. Use “model name” + “review”

4. Go back to your favorite search engine and enter “dell coupon codes.” Find a good coupon site with current coupons and good instructions.

5. Go to Dell, select your model, and DOWNGRADE unnecessary options and add-ons.

6. Apply your coupon at checkout (stack whenever possible)!

7. Use the lowest priced shipping.

Pat yourself on the back, because you have now saved BIG!

Looking for Dell Coupons and Dell Coupon Codes? Visit >http://www.cheapstingybargains.com/cheapster/dellpage.html

About the Author

I have been running a coupon and deal site for over 2 years called Cheapstingybargains.com. I enjoy finding the best deals and coupons for our readers. I have worked in IT for 8 years in various disciplines, and use my tech savvy to help readers save time and money.

Specifics of Color Bullet Cameras

Last Updated: 2011/10/05

Color Bullet Cameras for Spying. What are the Options?

If you want to protect your house or office buildings from unwanted thieves, then color bullet cameras can be your best shot.

Bullet cameras are called this way, because they look like a rifle bullet or ammo cartridge. Bullet cams usually have a shape of cylinder and are used in outdoor environment. Of course, they may also be used inside the building without any problems whatsoever.

Benefits of Bullet Cameras

First of all, bullet cameras are small in size. It is relatively easy to install them on walls or the ceiling.
Second, bullet cameras can be wired or wireless. Wireless, are much better, because you can use them almost anywhere.
Some bullet cameras are weatherproof. It means that they can be safely used outside even in all weathers.
Waterproof bullet cams allow you to use them outside in a bad weather or rain. Not only that. It’s possible to install them on a submarine and dive into water. They can hold pressure up to 100 feet below water surface.
Infrared bullet cameras can capture video in complete darkness. They’re ideal for night vision. Such cams may turn on infrared regime when in gets dark, and get back to normal when it’s light.
Wireless cameras can connect to a transmitter and send signals to VCR, DVD or your PC.

Image Quality

Image quality may differ in different bullet cameras. More expensive ones will offer you a better image quality, while cheaper ones might give you not so good view. However, most bullet cameras come with 4mm lens that allows up to 70 degree angle of view.

This is the widest angle you may have without distorting the quality of picture. Color bullet cameras may also capture quality color view. For night view however, it’s best to opt for black-and-white bullet cameras. Resolutions for these cams can be up to 420 lines. This produces much better picture quality.

Prices of Bullet Cameras

Bullet cameras vary in price. You may get yourself relatively cheap bullet camera for less than $100 online. Some may cost less than $50, but quality won’t be superb in many cases. You may also pay over $1500 for a whole bullet camera system, which includes remote controls, DVR’s with LCD monitors.

Basically it all depends on what you need. If you need one bullet camera to install near the front door of your house, then you may easily get away with one hundred dollars.

But if you need more bullet cameras with high quality video resolution, then you might want a more expensive, but quality product. Maybe a whole system of color bullet cameras. If you need to secure an office for example, then you’ll probably need infrared cameras for night view and pretty high quality either.

About the Author

Dan Crane specializes in spy camera industry and provides information and guides to consumers about hidden cameras and surveillance equipment. If you’d like to learn more about hidden cameras or surveillance cam software, then check out Vedosoft website for more information at: http://www.vedosoft.com

Take Advantage of Internet Phone Calls (VOIP)

Last Updated: 2011/10/05

Voice Over IP (VOIP) is a relatively new technology. Voice Over IP allows people to leave behind the old and very traditional analogue phone networks and now adapt in favor of the very new and very progressive Internet-based calling system infrastructure. Using this technology for your communications actually works out cheaper for you in the long run as it means you won’t need to pay for calls if the people you are calling and speaking to are also using the same VOIP system.

Voice Over IP runs on several different types of infrastructure. This is the main reason why you should take the time to do your homework and find out how it works and what is involved, before you even consider setting up a Voice Over IP network at your home or place of business. When you do your homework you will see that invariably VOIP offers lots of advantages over and above the standard traditional telephone based analogue service that most people are currently using. Let’s take a moment to examine some of the advantages of using Voice Over IP.

The main advantage of Voice Over IP is to be honest – the cost – the cost benefit goes directly back into your pocket. And because Voice Over IP uses the infrastructure of the Internet to make outgoing calls, you will never need to pay your traditional phone provider to maintain a telephone line or for phone and line rental. In addition, many Voice Over IP service providers allow customers to make long distance calls that attract minimal or no long distance charges at all. Many service providers even offer customer VOIP packages that allow you to opt for discounted internet call rates so you can save even more.

But what about this for a benefit? If you have Voice Over IP software installed on your PC and you want to speak to someone who is also uses Voice Over IP, then you are able to talk for as long as you want without having to pay a single cent. This is because your voice is actually transformed into digital data packets rather than audio, and the data is transferred in a similar fashion to that of email. Voice Over IP also makes it very easy and cheap to conduct conference calls and video calls.

There are, of course, some minor disadvantages to using Voice Over IP and you should consider these before you embark on setting up Voice Over IP. Since Voice Over IP is a relatively recent and largely untapped technology, Voice Over IP is prone to experience more errors than using a normal phone would. In addition, if you experience a power failure, then you would be unable to make a call, like you could with a traditional analogue phone. In any event, Voice Over IP is something that you should investigate for your own home and business needs and you should consider it soon while the rates are cheap and the deals are good.

About the Author

Colin Brin is the owner of AB Voip which is a premier source of information about Voip. For more information, go to: http://abvoip.com.

The Skinny on RFID

Last Updated: 2011/10/04

RFID is the abbreviation for Radio Frequency Identification. RFID is a method used to store and retrieve data using RFID transponders or tags. RFID tags have antennas that allow them to accept and respond to queries from the RFID transceiver. There are passive and active RFID tags. The difference between the two is that passive tags do not need an internal power source, but active tags do. RFID technology is already used in many technologies today. The future of RFID technology seems limitless as new ways to utilize its effectiveness are discovered frequently.

Passive and Active Tags

As stated before, passive RFID tags do not have an internal power supply. There is a minute electrical current induced in the antenna by the radio signal it receives. This small current is enough to power the tag to respond to the signal. Passive RFID tags have a very brief response because of their limited power. They are very small, and may be used in the future for medical purposes or, as some fear, tracking devices. Passive RFID tags can be embedded within the skin because of their small size. The smallest RFID tag in existence in 2005 was 0.4 mm by 0.4 mm. Passive tags have a read distance that ranges from 10mm to almost 6 meters. Passive tags are cheaper than active RFID tags and as a result are more commercially available. Active RFID tags have a longer range and larger memory capacity than passive RFID tags and may therefore be able to store a significantly higher amount of information. Active RFID tags may have a battery life of up to 10 years.

How it Works

In order to understand the uses, and potential uses, of RFID technology, one must understand the RFID system. RFID systems consist of tag readers, tags, edge servers, middleware, and application software. Having an RFID system will allow data to be transmitted by a tag, which is then read by the RFID reader and processed in accordance with the application’s specifications. Data transmitted can have information about the location of the tag, or specifics concerning the product tagged. Typical RFID systems have a small and inexpensive tag on a product. There is then an “interrogator” which has a certain range in which to detect the RFID tag, activate it, and receive the response.

Current and Potential Uses

RFID technology is used in every day life. RFID tags are found in CD stores and in library books. When an alarm goes off because an item was not purchased or checked out, that is the RFID tag responding. Wal-Mart has even used RFID tags on shipments to improve supply chain management. Other RFID tags are used to track trucks in shipping yards. More recently, RFID tags have been used in automated tool booth systems like the E-ZPass system on the east coast. Mobile gas also implemented RFID technology to allow customers to simply pull up to the pump, pump gas, and then leave without having to scan a credit card or pay a cashier.

RFID technology has great potential and is constantly being improved. RFID workers are constantly trying to improve the current usage in systems like E-ZPass. It was recently announced that the eastern states will be improving E-ZPass so that cars can move faster through the tool-booth (35mph rather than 5mph). RFID technology may also be used to monitor inmates, and potentially parolees. Some consumers worry as to citizen privacy invasions by the government. RFID technology is always growing, and the government may be able to use RFID to inspect citizens, or keep track of them. Currently, however, RFID technology seems to be limited to the innovation sphere. RFID technology has been utilized to make the lives of consumers easier and more efficient. Despite the qualms of some citizens, RFID has a very bright future.

About the Author

John Hanson writes about RFID technology for RFID Lowdown ( http://www.rfidlowdown.com ).

Tips To Select Proper Motherboard

Last Updated: 2011/10/04

Selecting motherboard is really simple. As name suggests “Motherboard” acts as a protective mother of CPU, RAM and other add on cards since these components stand firmly on motherboard.

Number of devices have been integrated on motherboard over a period of time. Now a days motherboard with onboard features is more popular in Branded PCs. Onboard integrated peripherals are offered by many branded PC manufacturers to provide you latest technology if you buy a system from a big computer manufacturer recently.

It is recommended to select motherboard with maximum number of ports preferably with 2 serial, 1 parallel and 4 USB ports. Most of the recent devices have USB port. Also check the upgradation options such as memory support and number of available PCI slots etc.

Technology changes so rapidly that manufacturers add the new features such as serial ATA, USB 2.0 and RAID on the motherboard to stay ahead of the competition. Many manufacturers even provides FM radio on the motherboard to survive in the race making it fully entertainment machine.

Important Motherboard Tips:

1) Do the survey by reading the reviews on motherboards and then look for either same motherboard or compare it with it’s competitors product in the market.

2) Don’t buy the costliest motherboard if you are not going to use additional features. Always check cost to benefit ratio and make the selection just by assessing the utility value.

3) If you are dedicated gamer or fan of overclocking, verify whether the space around CPU is spacious enough for you to install a larger heat sink-fan combination for cooling. Go for motherboard, which has the facility to overclock FSB in steps of 1 MHz and core voltage adjustment.

4) Confirm that chipset on the motherboard is compatible with the speed of the processor and speed of FSB. It is very important to check the compatibility to improve the system performance.

5) Select feature rich motherboard for future up gradation. Also ensure that it has enough PCI and memory slots for future expansion.

6) If planning for expensive motherboard go for the motherboard with onboard video chipset and an AGP slot. Don’t forget to check whether AGP slot supports latest transfer rate.

7) Also see whether motherboard has onboard sound and integrated Ethernet.

Check the type of memory that supports motherboard.

9) DDR RAM is the most popular option today. Most motherboards have at least two slots. But expensive motherboards have 4 slots. The total amount RAM you can install is also dependent on the motherboard chipset.

10) The smooth transfer of data without errors is the most important function of the chipset. This function of the chipset decides overall performance of the system. That is why the maximum speed a processor that the chipset supports is very important. In case of future upgrades you will need to change only the processor. This will save your time and money.

About the Author

Krishna Pai is a webmaster and a writer. Get Computer Tutorials, reviews, Hardware & Software Tips, How to guides at http://www.cheapest-computer-hardware-software.com/. For more Computer tips join his “Build Computer ezine” at http://www.cheapest-computer-hardware-software.com/build_computer_ezine.html

To Buy? Or To Build?… That Is The Question!

Last Updated: 2011/10/04

So, you have identified a need in your business for which you believe would be a great candidate for a software solution.

Now the question is …

Do you “run off” and engage (one or more) developers to build this software system(s) for you?

And/or …

Do you “run off” to the “nearest” and/or your favorite on-/off-line software store and buy a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) package solution, and if so which one?, to meet these business needs?

Which one of these alternatives is the most efficient and (overall) cost effective solution to satisfy your business needs as soon as possible?

That is “The Question”!, To Buy? or To Build?, isn’t it?

Getting the answer to this question is actually not nearly as difficult as you might imagine!

All you need to do is execute a “Buy vs. Build” analysis and/or a Software Selection process for the type(s) of software that meet these of your business needs and chose the best, most efficient and (overall) cost effective solution, right?

The “Big Boys”, larger companies and corporations, often perform, and/or engage consultants to perform, a formal “Buy vs. Build” analysis and/or a Software Selection process on many to all of their significant software purchases.

You should execute a “Buy vs. Build” analysis and/or a Software Selection process, for any significant software purchase, before you decide whether it would be most efficient and cost effective, in the long run, to build an application “from scratch” vs. buy a COTS (commercial-off-the-shelf) package, and if so which one will best fit your current and future needs!

This may save you a significant amount of money, time, effort and *headaches* in both the short term and in the long run!

As otherwise, you may end up paying to “recreate the wheel(s)”, which really doesn’t make sense, does it?, and therefore none of us wants to do, do we?

Or …

Purchasing a package only to find that it doesn’t (and possibly can’t) meet your needs and/or the cost of modifying such a package to meet your needs is prohibitive, in which either case you will most likely “scrap” this package (now a.k.a. “shelfware”), you just bought and paid for, and pick or build another one and possibly repeat this whole (costly) cycle again, you know?

We will not have the luxury of going into detail on either how to perform a formal “Buy vs. Build” analysis, as this would require extensive discussions of how to define, analyze and estimate software development projects for which there are many books on these subjects, and/or how to execute a formal Software Selection process, as this is a topic for which whole Methodologies have been developed and are used (I know, as I assisted in the initial development and used just such a Software Selection Methodology for one of the largest global software and services corporations ).

We will, however, in this article, attempt to outline some of the factors that you should consider when performing your own “Buy vs. Build” analysis and/or Software Selection process(es) for yourself.

Firstly, in either case you will need to define (and prioritize) your requirements / selection criteria such that you may evaluate how each of these “Buy vs. Build” alternatives will meet your immediate and long-term business needs, right?

Further, throughout these processes, you will want to insure that you compare these options in terms of “apples to apples”, you know?

Therefore, I would recommend that you compare both(/all) of these options in terms (of the “Total cost of ownership”) including the total time and cost to get the application into production and/or market and the total cost of supporting and maintaining the application for its expected lifespan.

The “formality” with which you execute these processes should be proportionate to your investment (in terms of the long-term / “Total cost of ownership”) in the application and its criticality in your business.

First, let us consider the “Build” option.

Some of the advantages of the “Build” option include:

1) You get an application specifically developed to satisfy your business requirements/needs and designed to fit your specific business processes.

2) It is more likely that you will be able to adapt your software system(s) to changes in your business needs and/or processes, as you would either presumably have the application source code and/or access to the original developers of it, right?

3) You may develop your new application(s) to interface and “play nicely” with the other software in your overall application architecture.

Some of the disadvantages of the “Build” option include:

1) The typical project duration from conception to production(/market), through the complete software development life cycle, for a custom developed application may be significantly longer than that for implementing a package solution.

2) The initial development costs of producing the first release(s) of your application(s), including the associated documentation and training materials, are typically higher than those for purchasing a package solution.

Briefly here are just a few of the additional factors that, IMHO (in my humble opinion), you may wish to consider in determining whether or not it is best to “Build” an application “from scratch”, including:

1) In addition to the estimated “coding” time and cost, make sure you also consider all of the time and possible costs to complete the definition, analysis and design phases, prior to “coding”, and the subsequent testing and implementation phases required to complete the overall software development life cycle for you application.

2) Are you planning to manage the project, and project team(s), yourself? And/or are you planning to “outsource” part to all of the management of your project? What are the costs in terms of time, effort and money for each of these alternatives? Which of these alternatives has the minimum risks to the successful completion of your application development project?, These are *important* considerations as failing to complete the development of your application(s) may make pursuing this option very costly!

3) What are the costs – time, effort and/or money – to also develop the documentation and training (if applicable) for your application(s)?

4) How do you plan to support the developed application(s)? By training “in house” staff to support it? And/or engaging external developers and/or support staff?

5) How do you plan to handle maintenance on this new application(s)? Do you have the source code? Do you plan to handle future maintenance yourself / “in house”? and/or Are you going to engage the original development team (assuming they are willing and available) to make any future additions and/or changes to your system(s)? If so have you negotiated / “locked in” a rate for these future maintenance efforts?

Etc. Etc.

Now, let us look at the “Buy” option.

Some of the advantages of the “Buy” option include:

1) The time to get a package solution implemented such that you may start using it and reaping the corresponding benefits for your business is typically quicker than that for building the application “from scratch”.

2) The initial purchase price of a software package, although it may be considerable, is often less than the (initial) custom development costs.

3) The software vendor may deliver regular maintenance upgrades to the software package, including a number of “bug fixes” and/or enhancements, which you may receive for a “fixed maintenance fee” such that you do not have to bear the costs of all these “bug fixes” and enhancements alone.

Some of the disadvantages of the “Buy” option include:

1) A COTS package may not satisfy all your business requirements/needs and may not fit your specific business processes well “out of the box”. The software vendor may or may not be willing and able to modify the package to better fit your business requirements and/or processes and even if so, this may be costly.

2) A software package may be less able to quickly adapt to changes in your business needs and/or processes. You may have to wait for the vendor’s next maintenance release to get the changes you want, or you may have to pay the vendor to make these changes specifically just for you and wait for them, or they may not be willing (and/or able) to make these changes to their software package for you at all.

Briefly here are also just a few of the additional factors that, IMHO, you may want to consider in evaluating / selecting a package solution(s), as part of your “Buy options”, including:

1) What is the additional time and cost, if it is even possible / an option, to modify the package to satisfy your current requirements/needs? A “general rule of thumb” I have used over the years is that … If you have to modify 50% or more of the “code” to make it meet your needs, then you are probably better off re-writing it “from scratch”, you know?

2) Is it maintainable?
Meaning, will you, the vendor, and/or developers you engage be able to modify the package to meet any changes in your current and/or future requirements/needs? If not, then this package may become “shelfware” should your needs change at some point, you know?

3) How well does it integrate and/or “play well” with the other applications in your overall application architecture?
If it does not “interface nicely” with other applications in your overall application architecture and it will need to, then you may find that you will need to have these interfaces custom developed. Therefore, you should also consider the development of these interfaces in the “Total cost of ownership” of this package, right?

4) What kinds of documentation, training and support are available? And how good are they? Bottom line … a package you and/or your staff can’t use isn’t worth much now is it?

Etc. Etc.

Granted, again, there is a lot more to both a good formal “Buy vs. Build” analysis and/or Software Selection process, as discussed above, but …

Once you have narrowed it down to the top “scoring” candidate COTS software packages from your Software Selection process, this along with your assessment of the advantages, disadvantages and costs of the “Buy” vs. the “Build” alternative, as discussed above, will allow you to make a good informed decision about which solution is better for you and your business, namely to “Build” or “Buy”, in this case, right?

I hope that the discussions herein will at least help everyone see the value (and potential time, effort and money savings) of performing a “Buy vs. Build” analysis and/or a Software Selection process “up front” vs. ending up with something that either doesn’t meet your (short- and/or long-term) needs and/or is too costly to maintain.

If you have any further questions regarding and/or would like further assistance with any of this, please feel free to contact us via the contact information available below.

I hope this all helps you all and Have a Great Day!

About the Author

Michael S. DeVries is the Moderator of The Virtual Consulting Discussion List and Principal of The Virtual Consulting Firm. Learn how to work from Wherever, Whenever: http://www.TheVCF.com/vcdl.phtml

Using A Data Recovery Service ï¿½ A Quick Overview

Last Updated: 2011/10/04

Monday night you shut down your computer and call it a day. Tuesday morning you attempt to start the system, but it refuses to boot up. That afternoon, the system is checked by your computer service people, who cannot get the hard drive to be recognized. Your hard drive is removed and placed in another computer, but it again is not seen by the system – the hard drive does not even appear to be spinning. They suggest that the data might be able to be rescued by a data recovery service company, and they recommend one or more companies to call.

Most established data recovery companies have extensive information about their services on their websites, as well as a toll-free phone number. The recovery process begins with a phone conversation about your problem. A data recovery service representative should be able to answer all of your questions, and you may find it helpful to have the following information at hand when you call:

The make, model, and capacity of the storage media to be recovered
The operating system and version (or release level)
The most important file types that you need to recover

The representative will ask about what occurred leading up to the actual data loss event. Any and all previous efforts at restoring or recovering the data should also be discussed. The representative should be able to provide an expected service time frame (usually 1 to 3 days) and the costs associated with the recovery. Instructions for shipping or delivering the media to their facility can be explained, and in some cases emailed or downloaded from their website.

When the data recovery company receives the media, an evaluation is started to determine the extent of the damage and the feasibility of recovery. Upon completion of the evaluation, the actual cost of the recovery effort can be quoted for customer approval by fax or email. The recovery process will begin upon acceptance of the quotation and receipt of an authorization to proceed.

Data recovery generally involves repairing the damaged storage device to the point where data can be extracted at the block level. This process creates an exact duplicate (or a “mirror image”) of the original media, minimizing the possibility of any further damage. This image can be analyzed to determine the original file and folder structure and to make any repairs to the structure that are needed.

The recovered data is then scanned to identify and remove any possible virus code. The scanned files and folders are transferred to a server for eventual output to the customers’ choice of media and format. Data is generally written to CD-R, DVD-R, or a new hard drive, depending on the amount of data to be transferred and the customer preference. In some cases, data files can alternately be transferred via FTP or email attachment.

Professional data recovery services can be an absolute life-saver when it comes to salvaging critical or irreplaceable files. This sequence of events above is how many data recovery companies handle recovery projects. However, no two companies will have the same capabilities or operate in the same fashion, so it always pays to ask questions and check references.

About the Author

Kevin Sullivan is Vice President of Operations for Vantage Data Recovery. Founded in 1989, Vantage has specialized exclusively in recovering data from damaged hard drives, tape, optical and digital data storage media. For more information, visit the Vantage website at http://www.vantagetech.com

What is Data Recovery?

Last Updated: 2011/10/04

What happens when you are working on a special project or document and your computer system displays a blank screen? Or one of the partitions is not recognized by the BIOS – It could be anything.

So is this a warning from your computer about some mis-happening about to happen such as hard disk failure, system crash or some other problem that caused your system to shut down? Don’t be surprised! This could lead your computer system to become dead and all your valuable data is gone forever. But Stop, Don’t Panic, the relief is there.
“The data which appears to be lost and inaccessible, in real terms is not lost forever. The lost data can be recovered with the help of professional data recovery software and services.”

Many times organizations or individuals do not give much importance to such kind of incidents and after wards suffer major loss of their valuable data. In such cases when the computer system shut downs or reboots or there are indications of disk failure, it means that your computer system needs your immediate attention.

You need a data recovery solution if you experience inaccessibility of files and folders, unrecognized format, virus attacks, accidental deletions, permanent deletion of files, inaccessible partitions, corrupt documents, unexpected system shutdowns, error messages while opening a file and there are endless reasons due to which you cannot access your data.

As the article targets towards importance of data recovery, the first question arises – What is Data Recovery?

Talking in simple terms, it’s like repairing a broken toy with the help of glue and making it usable again. Here, the broken toy is your damaged and corrupt storage media and glue refers to recovery of data with the help of software and services which instantly gets back your lost and inaccessible data to life.

In technical terms, Data Recovery is defined as a scientific approach followed to get back the lost and inaccessible data. This can be made possible through data recovery software utilities and services.

How useful are Data Recovery Software?

Data Recovery software effectively recovers and repair files, databases, storage media, corrupt partitions and brings back your data safely. The recovery software are helpful and effectively recovers back your lost, deleted data, which can be easily purchased through on-line sale transactions. Almost every data recovery company provide FREE demo version of their software range.

The Free demo version is the best evaluation technique for a user. You should always try demo version of the software before deciding to purchase it. Test your corrupt hard drive or file with the demo version and see whether the software is capable enough to recover back your data. This is a reliable means to test features, performance, speed, user friendliness of the software. If the demo version displays your data then you can purchase Full version of the software as the demo versions might not allow you to save the recovered data.

The number of data recovery software present in the market promise to recover data from the damaged or corrupted file systems: Windows (FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, NTFS5), Linux (Ext2, Ext3, JFS, ReiserFS), Unix (UFS, EAFS, HTFS, VxFS, FFS), Novell Netware (NWFS, Net386, NSS) and Apple Macintosh (HFS, HFS+) and also from corrupt access databases, MS backup, corrupt zip files, corrupt excel files and corrupt word documents.

So whenever you face situations of data corruption or data loss, always follow the rule: “Test, Evaluate and Purchase!!!!”

How useful are Data Recovery Services?

Following the scientific approach, data recovery services are performed in Class 100 Clean rooms with high biometric security to recover every bit of data. These clean rooms should be equipped with the entire infrastructure like, air flow rate and direction, pressurization, temperature, humidity, specialized filtration and other standards required to perform recovery of data.

Data Recovery Services are usually performed when the software to recover data is unable to recover your data or the complexity of the damage to data is to such an extent that specialized attention of the data recovery technician is required. This generally happens in cases when your hard drive or storage media indicates the following symptoms:

Clicking noise from the hard disk drive

Lots of bad sectors
S.M.A.R.T failure
Drive not recognized by the BIOS
Fire and water damage
Hard disk component failure
Computer is not bootable and many other undefined reasons.

The specialist data recovery service providers offer services to recover data from hard disks of desktops and laptops, RAIDs, Tape media, Pen drives, Zip drives, Compact disks, DVDs, Digital Cards, Memory Cards etc where data gets lost due to Logical and Physical crashes.

Always ensure that the data recovery company has a Class 100 Clean Room and lab to perform data recovery on your media, as this would increase the possibilities and assurance of recovery of your data.

Computer forensics has also indulged itself in data recovery services. This kind of investigation is required for legal argumentation in the cases of evidence recovery or to prove any case in court against any theft of data, digital fraud, unauthorized data duplication, bankruptcy data investigation, private investigation of personal computer – PDA, disloyal employees, forgeries, murder, industrial espionage, theft, assault, IP theft, computer break-ins, inappropriate internet usage, internet abuse, email abuse and there are endless reasons to carry out legal investigation on an employee or individuals computer system.

Data recovery services are the most efficient and economical way to recover your data and files. If you choose for data recovery services you can be assured that you will get back your data.

Conclusion:

Data Recovery has become essential activity for the people in the computer world. The valuable data can get corrupt or lost at any point of time or the partitions might become inaccessible. In these situation(s) you need to contact data recovery specialists.

The importance of data recovery can be measured by the number of organizations opting for data recovery services from the data recovery service providers.

About the Author

Contact Chily Softech – the data recovery software provider of email recovery, backup recovery and MS Office file repair corruption software solutions.

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