computer software

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2011-05-21T22:13:00.001-07:00

2011-03-05T19:39:00.000-08:00

2011-03-03T19:10:00.000-08:00

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2011-02-22T07:07:00.000-08:00

Tutorial For Adobe Photoshop About How To Use Photoshop CS3 Interface

2010-05-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

The Photoshop CS3 interface is very user friendly and has many customizable features in it. This makes the user at ease while working with the product. You can customize the workspace and organize the tools which you use very often so that you have easy access to it and working on the tool becomes a wonderful experience.

If you are using CS2, you can upgrade to CS3 as it has many better and enhanced features incorporated. There are many video demonstrations available on the web giving you instructions on how to use the Photoshop CS3 interface. If you have been using the previous versions, then using CS3 interface would not be any difficult to you.

In CS3 interface you use floating palettes or dock them together to a side when not in use. The palettes can be grouped together and you can make multiple palettes for easy working. If you feel that these docks are taking up much of the workspace, just collapse them down. Expand them only when you need them so that you get ample of workspace for your images or videos. And if you feel that your current work does not need the docks, you can hide all of them by using the Shift+Tab keys on your keyboard. To make them re-appear, just move your mouse over to the area where the palettes were before hiding them.

The Maximize Screen Mode is a useful feature in the CS3. With the help of this feature, your working window gets resized automatically as and when you expand or collapse your customized palette. So you do not have to go and manually maximize or minimize the screen, thus giving you more time to concentrate on your work.

CS3 works well on Intel Mac and Windows. The Layers palette, you can collapse it down to a small box. And when you hit the Tab key, the palette is back on the screen. And the F key is another useful shortcut in the CS3. Using this key you can juggle between the full screen views.

In Photoshop CS3 you have some new features like the enhanced Vanishing Point and Live Filter. Using Adobe Bridge you can organize and manage all your files and folders well. There are many tutorials available on the web as well as with the product which gives you a better idea of how to use Photoshop CS3 interface. These tutorials will contain tips and shortcuts which can save lot of time and energy while you work. You can also view the video tutorials on the web for better understanding of the working tips. The shortcuts can be better understood when you use the video tutorials. Also when selecting your tutorial, be sure of the type of tutorial you choose. If you are a fresher on Photoshop CS3 opt for the beginner’s tutorial. Instead, if you choose the advanced tutorial you may not be able to understand the interface well as many basic functions will be missed out in the advanced tutorial

Tutorial For Adobe Photoshop - Discover How To Use Photoshop In Under 2 Hours...

Supply Chain Management and WMS for Microsoft Dynamics GP Highlights

2010-05-23T21:56:00.000-07:00

Great Plains Dynamics or its new name Microsoft Dynamics GP might be challenging in its customization and programming technologies, especially Barcode scanning and integration in real, RFID or batch modes. For existing Great Plains customers we recommend moderate to conservative approach, where you are waiting for the new version of core Dynamics GP or your required and critical GP ISV Partner add-on to be released, beta tested and preferably be proven through couple of service packs:

1. Possible Dynamics GP customization scenarios, Scenario #1. Let’s assume that you have complex Warehouse Management and Assembly system, which is coded in-house by one of your IT team programmers in MS Access, Oracle or MySQL/PHP. You are deploying Dynamics GP Manufacturing Order module, where you do want to push your MO from WMS and External assembly system up to the point of MO posting. In that case we offer you some touches to Alba Spectrum Posting Server, where we write relatively simple Dexterity Sanscript codes (VB, C#, you name it) in the Workflow sections of the Posting Server Interface – and your Manufacturing Orders are processed and posted in Dynamics GP automatically

2. Scenario #2. You are planning to implement Warehouse Management System where you receive your merchandize in GP POP Purchase Receipts. However existing WMS do not provide required custom functionality – you need Item Serial number and Weight to be appended into Item Barcode Label with special formula for Merchandize retail price tag. Here we roll out our Dynamics GP WMS extension source code and incorporate changes into its business logic according to your requirements

3. Scenario #3 – mid-size retailer. Let’s assume that you are franchise network of the restaurants, country deli stores or mid-size retailer. You already committed to one of the POS (Point Of Sale) platform, maybe Microsoft RMS, Counterpoint or another brand. You want your POS system to be seamlessly integrated to Dynamics GP, where Great Plains is chosen to be the system, where master records and transactions are controlled: Inventory Items, Prices, Sales campaigns. Perfect, we are opening our source code for the integration between Microsoft RMS and Great Plains to make changes in the SQL scripts

4. How to get more info? Please call us in USA: 1-866-528-0577 or internationally 1-630-961-5918 or email us help@abaspectrum.com or even skype us albaspectum. We are comfortable in implementing SCM and WMS extensions not only in USA and Canada, but also on the international market. Our Microsoft Dynamics GP consultants speak Chinese, English, Spanish, Arabic, Filipino, Russian, Portuguese. For International customers or multinational companies, expanding internationally – please note that Dynamics GP is only localized in English speaking countries, plus in Arabic and in Spanish speaking Latin America (not in European Spain). If do not have concerns regarding localization and only need foreign language support for Dynamics GP – there are language support add-ons, enabling GP in Chinese, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Swedish, German, Dutch, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese and more languages are in progress. If you need fully localized ERP systems for your foreign subsidiary, we recommend you to consider Dynamics AX Axapta for large facility and SAP Business One for smaller subsidiary

Protection Of Your Computer From Virus Is Important For Your Computer To Run Properly.

2010-05-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

Protection Of Your Computer From Virus Is Important For Your Computer To Run Properly.

here are several types of software that are geared towards both businesses and personal computers. One of the first things to do when choosing anti virus computer software is to determine which type of software best fits your needs. There are familiar names for more admired software.
Moreover, if you call the distributor of your computer they will also be able to suggest what software might be the best type for you. Do not be afraid to ask, not everyone extends all their time on a computer and there are people that can help you if you feel you are in over your head.

Remember, just like everything else, practice makes perfect and the more time you spend familiarizing yourself, not just with the anti virus software but with your computer, the better you will be and the more computer experienced you will feel

Try to look at it as a fun project that can benefit you. You will be learning valuable information while at the same time acting proactively to protect your information from harmful viruses.
Another great resource can be posting sites, where people Inquire and answer questions and get advice on all different types of computer and other information and facts. This can be fun and can get you in touch with people all over the world. It is a way not only to learn but also to expand your international community!

Most importantly, you must find a way and a program that works for you. Do your homework, and do not be too intimidated! In the end, you will end up with the protection you need as well as a little bit more advice on computers and how they work

Everyone needs to start somewhere, and protecting your valuable information is a great place to start. Make sure you do it, there is nothing worse than finding you have suffered a loss that could have been eliminated. Just take the plunge and try to enjoy yourself. The benefits are endless, as well as the capabilities.

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Computer Software

2010-05-23T21:50:00.000-07:00

Computer Software

Are you looking for good quality Computer Software articles to use on your website? Articles that convey exactly what you are trying to say about a software product or development? Or are you simply a consumer who is looking for an extra bit of guidance or advice when it comes to what Computer Software does and what is the best Computer Software for you to buy for your needs? If any of these things describe what you are currently looking for then you have certainly come to the right place. This Computer Software section here at Article Alley aims to help people in all of the above situations and much more. This is thanks to all of the articles that are submitted to us on a daily basis from all of our dedicated authors. All of the articles relevant to aspects of Computer Software are then placed into this section ready for you to use in whatever way you need to.

Lenovo Updates Consumer Lineup with Sleek Aluminum

2010-05-15T17:10:00.002-07:00

Lenovo Updates Consumer Lineup with Sleek Aluminum All-in-one and ION-powered Nettop

BY: ch sabir hussain gujjar DesktopReview.com Editor
PUBLISHED: 5/11/2010

Lenovo might be much better known for their business products, namely ThinkPads and ThinkCentre desktops, but that hasn't stopped the Chinese powerhouse from taking advantage of all that business savvy and stepping into the consumer market. Today, they bring out updates that span the depth of their offerings, from the tiny Q150 nettop to the stylish A700 all-in-one.

Lenovo IdeaCentre A700
The new Lenovo IdeaCentre A700 is Lenovo's follow-up to the striking A600 all-in-one introduced last year. This model refresh features a body comprised largely of dark aluminum with very slim profile - the all-in-one measures less than an inch wide at its thinnest point and 2.5 inches thick at its thickest.

The A700 has a 23-inch 1920x1080 high-definition widescreen display and doesn't shirk on the CPU - consumers will be able to configure the model with Intel's latest Core i7 processors. It comes with a multi-use remote similar to the A600 as well as up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM and 2TB of storage. It will be available at the end of June from Lenovo's website with a starting price of $999. A touch-enabled version of the A700 will be available for an additional charge. Unlike most all-in-one PCs, which use optical touch technology, Lenovo boasts that the A700 will be the world's first PC to take advantage of Surface Acoustive Wave touch tech, which is apparently in common use in healthcare industries.

Lenovo IdeaCentre B305
The B305 is a slightly smaller addition to the all-in-one family, with a 21.5-inch display replete with a full 1920x1080 resolution. Lenovo chose to go with AMD this time around; the B305 will be configurable with AMD's Athlon II X4 quad-core processors as well as optional discrete graphics.

The panel on the B305 is also LED-backlit and like the A700, will be available in both touch- and non-touch-enabled versions. It comes with 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and will be available beginning in June with a starting price of $699.

Lenovo IdeaCentre Q150
The IdeaCentre Q150 is Lenovo's answer to the swell in ultra-small nettop PCs that rose after the introduction of the netbook. Like most nettops, the Q150 is powered by Intel's Atom processor; Lenovo will be offering two different versions - one with NVIDIA ION discrete graphics and one without.

With the ION-enabled version perfect for fitting into your home theater setup, Lenovo will also be offering an optional multimedia remote control (seen above) with an integrated keyboard and trackball setup. Given the issues inherent with operating a home theater PC with just a remote control, it seems like a reasonable compromise. The IdeaCentre Q150 will be available starting at the end of June for just $249 at its base price.

Lenovo IdeaCentre H320
The IdeaCentre H320 is Lenovo's first ultraslim consumer desktop, designed for users who want all the power offered by a typical mainstream desktop system without any of the bulk. With optional Wi-Fi, TV tuner and Blu-ray optical drives, the H320 stands to pack a lot of power into a pretty small package.

Lenovo's new H320 partners a Core i3, i5 or i7 quad-core CPU with up to ATI Radeon HD 5570 discrete graphics. No strangers to health-conscious OEM software, Lenovo makes a point of including the Lenovo Dynamic Brightness and Eye Distance systems. When paired with a compatible Lenovo display, these two applications monitor local brightness conditions to automatically adjust the monitor's brightness while monitoring how close you get to the screen and warning you to back away if come too near. The IdeaCentre H320 will be available beginning at the end of June with a base configuration price of $549.

Dell Introduces the Studio XPS 7100: AMD Vision with Six-Core CPUs

2010-05-15T17:07:00.000-07:00

Dell Introduces the Studio XPS 7100: AMD Vision with Six-Core CPUs

BY: ch sabir hussain gujjar, DesktopReview.com Editor
PUBLISHED: 5/12/2010

AMD introduced their new branding concept,"AMD Vision", last year. The idea behind Vision is to simplify the computer buying experience for consumers. Dell is jumping on board with Vision, bringing AMD CPUs to its enthusiast-class desktops for the first time.

The new Studio XPS 7100 features AMD's latest six-core processors. Aside from the now Dell-owned Alienware brand, AMD CPUs have been used by Dell in computers designed for gamers and other enthusiasts. Since they were already shaking things up by adopting a new platform, Dell took the opportunity to tweak the design of the Studio XPS lineup, both internally and externally.

We've reviewed two of Dell's Studio XPS XXXX desktops, and each time have complimented the PC maker on the line's innovative and attractive design. The Studio XPS 7100 takes things a step further by replacing the striking white and brightly-colored panels with a grey and silver motif, Dell refers to the theme as "Carbide Silver".

In addition to the new six-core CPUs, Dell pushed the power supplies in the Studio XPS 7100 from 350 up to 460 watts. In Dell's own terms, a significant percentage of traffic on their forums comes from users looking to upgrade their graphics cards, and they all complain that Dell isn't supplying powerful enough power supplies in order to facilitate the upgrades. Dell claims that their 350W PSUs were more than sufficient for most graphics cards, but decided to throw up their hands and accede to the will of the people.

Other options for the new Studio XPS 7100 include high-end discrete graphics like ATI's Radeon HD 5870, up to 16GB of DDR3 SDRAM and up to 4TB of hard drive storage. The case offers eSATA, optical S/PDIF and HDMI connections in order to keep everything digital as well as native SATA3 (6Gbps) support.

Dell will be putting the new 7100 up for sale today at Dell.com; prices start as low as $699.

iBUYPOWER Launches LAN Warrior II with Futuristic NZXT Case

2010-05-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

iBUYPOWER Launches LAN Warrior II with Futuristic NZXT Case

BY: ch.sabir hussain gujjar, DesktopReview.com Editor
PUBLISHED: 5/14/2010

Remember the cool NZXT case we talked about just a few days ago? Boutique PC maker iBUYPOWER has wasted no time in fitting it into their second-generation LAN Warrior desktop. The LAN Warrior II is designed to be powerful but portable - ready to kick some gaming butt whether at home or at your weekly LAN party.

Specifications:

Case: NZXT Vulcan
Processor: Intel Core i7 CPU
Graphics: Up to 2x ATI Radeon HD 5970 or NVIDIA GTX 480
Operating system: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Memory: Up to 24GB DDR3 SDRAM
Storage: Up to 4x 3.5-inch HDDs (3 when configured with a memory card reader)
Optical drive: Up to 2x 5.25-inch external bays
Power supply: Up to 1.2kW full-ATX power supply
Optional 12-in-1 card reader
Dimensions: 16 x 7 x 16.6 inches (HxWxD)
Warranty: 3-year limited parts and labor

The iBUYPOWER LAN Warrior II is available now at iBUYPOWER.com; in its base configuration, it carries a starting price of $999.

Lenovo ThinkStation E20 Review

2010-05-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

Lenovo ThinkStation E20 Review Article Contents
Lenovo ThinkStation E20 Review Lenovo ThinkStation E20 Review: Performance - SPEC 10, CINEBENCH, Futuremark	Lenovo ThinkStation E20 Review: Power Draw, Noise and Conclusion Image Gallery

In recent months, computer companies have started to turn their aim from the biggest and baddest workstations possible to providing end users with what the industry calls a "workstation-class solution" at desktop prices. Enter the ThinkStation E20. Billed as the little workstation that could, does this slimmer workstation still pack a punch worthy of the name? Read on for our full review.

Specifications:

Processor: Intel Core i6-650 @ 3.20GHz (Dual-core with HyperThreading)
Memory: 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 2 1333MHz (2 x 2GB)
Hard drive: 500GB SATA @ 7200RPM
Optical drive: DVD+/-RW SuperMulti
Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro FX580 with 512MB graphics memory
Operating system: Windows Professional 64-bit
Networking: Gigabit Ethernet
Power supply: 280W internal, 80% efficient
Warranty: 3-year limited onsite

The Lenovo ThinkStation E20 workstation desktop computer starts as low as $449.00 when purchased without an operating system. As configured, our review unit carries a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $1,224.00.

Build and Design
Honestly, the build and design section of a Lenovo review is almost superfluous. We've yet to see a desktop come out of their factories without excellent build quality. On the business side, it's really one of the things that sets Lenovo apart from the rest of the pack. You want find lots of glossy cheap plastic here; instead, almost the entire case is constructed of a reasonably thick aluminum. As usual, the guard on the front of the machine is constructed of a matching black plastic, as is the sturdy handle on top. This is mentioned in almost every Lenovo review, but that handle is such an iconic and useful part of Lenovo's ThinkStation design that it would be a shame if they ever got rid of it.

On the bottom are four chunky rubber legs which serve to protect any work surfaces upon which the E20 might be set. Additionally, the legs are thick enough and constructed of such a material that they serve to protect the machine from stray vibrations as well transmitting internal case noise to the external environment. The sides of the machine are sparse, with little in the way of design features and a surprising lack of vent holes for the fans. The left side of the machine shows the Lenovo logo inset into the upper left and a depression in the center right. This depression is actually the means of entry into the ThinkStation E20's internals; pressing a thumb into the circle disengages an internal lock and allows the side panel to pulled free of the machine.

Just behind the front of the grate on the machine's face lies a small speaker setup. It's not great for listening to any kind of music, but it's perfectly suited to alarms and test results. The "hidden" speaker is a useful addition that many other manufacturers have started including in some of their business and workstation PCs.

Obviously, given that Lenovo is selling the ThinkStation E20 as a smaller workstation capable of competing with the big boys, parallels must be drawn between it and another recent effort, HP's X200 Ultra-small From Factor workstation. The HP is certainly thinner than the E20 at about 60% of its width, though the HP is roughly the same size when it comes to the other two dimensions. The E20 may be thicker, but that thickness allows for the use of standard sized optical drives and expansion cards the slim versions of which are often significantly more expensive if they're available at all.

Inputs and Expansion
Workstations are designed to input lots of information, process it and spit it back out in a reasonable amount of time. It's therefore helpful when manufacturers include sufficient numbers of inputs like USB and FireWire ports as well as open card slots so that end users can take advantage of the desktop's processing capability without being hindered in getting their data on and off of the machine. In addition to the optical drive and 25-in-1 card reader, Lenovo added two USB2.0 ports as well as audio in and out jacks to the front of the machine. More USB ports would be useful; two can be filled more quickly than one might think. One 5.25-inch drive bay remains open.

As with most desktops, the lion's share of the port selection lies in the rear. The offerings are surprisingly sparse, with Lenovo cutting out almost all legacy ports. That's a rare move for a business-oriented PC; it means there are no PS/2 ports (useful if a company decides to lock down its USB ports) or parallel ports. Lenovo did add a serial port, which still enjoys use in some sectors that employ very specific equipment.

There are also six more USB2.0 ports - no USB3.0 to be found on this machine - as well as Gigabit Ethernet and line in, line out and microphone jacks. If the ThinkStation is configured with integrated graphics, there are both VGA and DisplayPort options built into the motherboard. This review unit was configured with a discrete graphics card solution, which means there were an additional two DisplayPort outputs as well as a DVI-I port. When discrete graphics are present, the integrated video outputs are covered in a proactive attempt to prevent customer confusion.

Sliding the previously mentioned door off of the machine reveals a sparsely-populated and surprisingly neat interior. Wires are tied up and largely kept out of the way should customers need to get in and add or remove components. Lenovo designed the interior to be mostly tool free - that means that items like optical drives or hard drives can be slid in and out of their respective racks without needing to hunt down a screwdriver.

There are two drive bays open - one 5.25-inch externally-facing one as well as one 3.5-inch internal. The second 3.5-inch bay sits on the floor of the machine, and like its mate holding the system's single hard drive, it uses a handy pull system to add and remove drives. Push in the tab, pull out the handle, and the tray can be populated or emptied without additional tools.

Four DIMM slots for memory sit to the right of the processor and offer a maximum configuration of 16GB with filled with 4GB sticks. Two are empty in this review unit. Similarly, there are four expansion card slots on the bottom of the motherboard; one, the PCI-Express x16 slot, is taken up by the discrete graphics card. The other three, one PCI-Express x1 slot and two PCI slots,

AMD Goes Gangbusters: AMD Vision, AMD Computers, AMD, AMD, AMD

2010-05-15T16:52:00.000-07:00

AMD Goes Gangbusters: AMD Vision, AMD Computers, AMD, AMD, AMD

BY: J.R. Nelson, DesktopReview.com Editor
PUBLISHED: 5/12/2010

It's been a good year for AMD. Last fall they shipped their 500 millionth x86 CPU, they've handily beaten their competition on price/performance ratios and even scored a win from Intel and an antitrust suit to the tune of $1.25 billion. Now AMD is striking back by putting their chips in more computers than ever before and bringing their Vision marketing to the desktop space.

Late last year, AMD hosted a number of press events where they unveiled their new strategy for competing on both the CPU and GPU fronts. Instead of focusing purely on increased performance gains in the graphics segment, they innovated and introduced ATI Eyefinity, a new way of enabling multimonitor setups from computers with just one graphics card.

Rival Intel, with its significantly larger market share and marketing budget, is able to afford campaigns and market strategies that AMD can't. So AMD came up with AMD Vision, which is similar to the Genius and star ratings that Intel has given its processors over the years. As a quick recap, Vision replaces all of the AMD and ATI stickers that formerly covered a notebook or desktop. Instead of blinding the consumer with a lot of jargon that many who look for a new computer will be unable to understand, it mixes together all of the performance aspects of a system - memory, CPU power, GPU capability, storage, etc - and provides the machine with a single Vision rating.

Vision is broken up into three specific groups for laptops as well as four for desktops: AMD Vision, AMD Vision Premium, AMD Vision Ultimate and AMD Vision Black (desktop only). Now, both consumers and salespeople can be trained to understand what Vision is - "Oh, you want to edit HD video? You'll probably want to go with at least an AMD Vision Premium system, then." - and then feel free to choose whatever system they want that meets the level they need. No more worrying about gigabits and megawhats.

In addition to finally bringing their Vision marketing strategies to the desktop space, AMD has solidified their strategy for the remainder of the year. With the release of their six-core Phenom II X6 1090T processors, AMD has the final piece of their desktop platform in place: six-core CPUs partnered with a Radeon HD5970 graphics card and 890FX chipset for enthusiasts, dual- and quad-core Athlon II CPUs partnered with lower-end 5000-series Radeon cards for the mainstream, while low-end machines still have single- and dual-core Athlon CPUs joined by Radeon HD4290 integrated graphics present in the 890GX chipset.

Dell is the first of the major OEMs to apply Vision branding and marketing to a new machine. AMD is counting on many more to follow suit, however, with a full eleven notebook and desktop Vision systems available starting today. Acer, ASUS, HP, Lenovo, MSI and Toshiba are all joining Dell to bring this AMD resurgence into play.

Clearly, the number two x86 CPU maker isn't content to sit back on its haunches - in addition to appearing in more desktops (and more kinds, like Dell's enthusiast AMD PC) from major OEMs than ever before, AMD is being put into no fewer than 134 notebook models just this year. That's an impressive feat. While it obviously won't bring AMD anywhere close to where Intel is presently sitting, it's more than enough to close the gap at least a little bit, and give users something to hold onto until the next huge technology refresh comes with the new Bulldozer microarchitecture sometime next year.

Relate

Anti Glare Screens

2010-05-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

Anti Glare Screens

You remember those old green screen computers? I remember being in elementary school and learning to program in logo on one. Even at that time, the green screen monochromatic was a little dated, but the teacher assured us that it was the best possible system for our eyes. The four color and sixteen color screens we were using at home, she assured us, would lead to the ruination of our vision. This was far before anyone had heard of anti glare screens, but even back then, there was awareness about the possible harmful effects of computer screens on people's eyes.

Well, whether or not my 4th grade teacher was right, no one but a complete fanatic uses monochromatic computer screens today. Anti glare screens have become a necessity for the modern computer for many reasons. Many of us use our computers for everything – for work, for email, for movies and video games.

The amount of ultraviolet and other dangerous emissions from our computer screens inevitably builds up and does damage to our eyes if we don't use a screen glare filter. The anti glare screen may not seem to make a big difference if you are just looking at your computer for an hour or two, but multiply that by several hours a day for years and years, and you will see just how much of a problem it can be. But anti glare screens aren't just useful for safety.

The number one use of anti glare screens is, well, for reducing glare. If daylight is coming through your window at a bad angle, you won't be able to see what is going on your screen at all. What would you rather do? Would you like to close the shades and stay in artificial light all day? Do you want to have to turn the computer at different angles as the sun makes its transversal across the sky?

Or do you use the easy and logical solution of anti glare screens which will eliminate glare, not only from sunlight, but from artificial lighting as well. To me, the choice seems simple. I have anti glare screens on every computer in my house, including my laptops. Although they can be temperamental and fragile, anti glare screens in general really are a great technology. I'm sure the day isn't far away when they are built into every computer monitor straight out of the factory.

Article Source: http://www.zafarcomputers.blogspot.com

Where To Get Great Deals On Computer Hardware, Etc.

2010-05-11T20:28:00.000-07:00

Where To Get Great Deals On Computer Hardware, Etc.

So often we search for cheap printers for our homes or offices. Invariably we end up asking friends or colleagues where we can get the best prices in town. The time we spend on these activities can be enormous. However with online computer shops opening up our lives have been made much simpler.

From an Epson printer to an HP product or some obscure component, all are available online. The biggest benefits of buying online is the time saved as well as lower prices for quality products. Apart from ordering the product, there's nothing more we need to do. Within a matter of a day or so, the product is delivered to your door. Small items such as cartridges are delivered all over the world by online merchants.

With online sales increasing all the time, many reputable (and some not so reputable) computer shops are creating their own web interfaces with their customers. There are now many which operate online only. We do need to be careful with whom we trade however, particularly online, so look for reliability symbols such as membership of associations e.g. the PCA (Professional Computer Assoc.). These organisations hold their members accountable to certain standards and a disappointed consumer can often get help from that organisation if there is a problem with the vendor.

The range of products from online stores is amazing - from computers, laptops, components, printers, toners, adapters, batteries, to laptop bags, networking equipment, pen drives, memory cards and many, many more items. The best part of buying online is the way in which the items are displayed. Looking for a product could take hours or days walking up and down the High Street. Now however, one doesn't have to spend much time at all because everything a website sells is listed on that site and the search facilities on many websites makes it easier and easier to find exactly what you're looking for.

Shopping carts on the websites allow us to add the products we want, go to the checkout and pay with a credit card. It couldn't be easier, even children can do it. We recently heard about a three year old who wanted a particular toy. He went onto the website of his favourite toy store, found the toy, got his mother's credit card, went through the whole check out process but got stuck on what to do about accepting the terms and conditions. That's when his mother came back into the room. She was so impressed with what he had accomplished she completed the transaction and he got his toy!

One must be wondering how is it that the online stores are able to offer products so cheaply. One of the advantages for online shops is that competition within their supply chains helps them to buy cheaper and therefore they are able to sell cheaper.

For our home, or even office, printing we may not always want pay the price of original cartridges. Using online shops, we can find plenty of re-manufactured clones or compatible products from companies such as Print Rite, Alphajet and others. Often the "bricks and mortar" computer store simply can't offer us as many options as can be found online. The same is true for computers, monitors, printers, ac adapters, cameras, etc., etc., etc.

Quality can become an issue though, especially as we're not able to touch or physically check the goods before buying. So, it is even more necessary to read through the Terms and Conditions for their returns policy before buying any product. The exchange and return conditions can become very important if you are dissatisfied in any way with your purchase.

With the online marketplace becoming more and more crowded by computer hardware and software suppliers, you the consumer, are in a great position to choose. So the next time you want to buy a printer, laptop or even a cartridge, "Google" your requirement and see how wide the choice really is.

Article Source: http://www.zafarcomputers.blogspot.com

Graeme K. Ingram is the author of this article on Computer Hardware. Find more information relating to razer, andgaming here.

Computer enclosure protecting computers on factory floors

2010-05-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

Computer enclosure protecting computers on factory floors

With the price of standard computers dropping, this puts computers in the reach of everyone, most homes have at least 1 computer and 1 laptop, with the low cost and availability businesses are now using them to monitor and control the production on factory floors.

However we all know that the standard computer is best suited in an air conditioned office, so as soon as they are introduced to factory floors that are dusty, grimey and full of grease, problems occur, with lost records and this can result in lost production time.

To combat this, some companies either build custom offices on the factory floor at a cost of thousands to have an area that is safe and free from relevant dust contamination or they purchase special PC enclosures that offer a safe protective environment for the computer to run without being effected by any dust, dirt or fluid that is in the surrounding area. The PC enclosure is a more affordable solution, as it can be relocated if the production line is increased or reduced, were as the office would have to be demolished and rebuilt!

Computer enclosures are cooled depending upon the application and the extreme temperatures, there are solutions to cool an enclosure to -30 degrees and there are solutions to heat the enclosure to +60 degrees Celsius. Air conditioning units are also available, however they have moving parts than do wear out over time, there are options to maintain a ambient temperature inside the cabinet even if the external temperature range is to variable.

One solution to use in large temperature ranges, is a cooling tube, these run on compressed air and once fitted to the computer enclosure, are set to the desired internal temperature, for example 20 degree Celsius and it does not effect the hardware if the external temperature drops to -20 degrees or 140 degrees Celsius, as the internal temperature is a regular 20 degree C. These cooling tubes have no moving parts, so there is nothing to wear out and they will certainly pay for themselves.

This is why many general manufacturers such as Ford Motors, Vauxhall, Paccar Trucks, and SCA Hygiene use computer enclosures, to protect their computer hardware and to help control production.

Article Source: http://www.zafarcomputers.blogspot.com

Computer Security & Solutions are specialist manufacturers of computer enclosures that are used on factory floors, these are also known as a industrial computer cabinets.. Visit PC enclosures protecting computers on factory floors.

Media Player Classic Home Cinema

2010-05-07T00:48:00.001-07:00

One of the most common problems I experience when playing movies and videos on my home PC is poor lip syncing caused by the sound and video not marrying up perfectly. Rather than performing any degree of troubleshooting I always fall back to the trusty player ‘Media Player Classic Home Theatre’ which despite a complete lack of both bells and whistles always performs admirably.

The user interface for Media Player Classic looks just like the old Windows Media Player 6.4 which was bundled with Windows ME and early versions of Windows XP. I expect few users to know this specific version off the top of their heads so simply refer back to the version in your memory that could be described as looking ‘particularly primitive and dated’.

There are no fancy skins, no modern looking icons and no ribbon style interface; what you simply get is a blank screen along with play, stop, pause, rewind and fast forward buttons, a volume control and a series of options running along the top of the application in an old school grey drop-down menu.

The compensation for the primitive looking interface is that the 3mb application is capable of playing a huge number of audio and video files without the need for any additional software or codecs. Out of the box Media Player Classic Home Theatre includes support for MPEG-1, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4, VCD, SVCD and DVD playback. It also has built-in codecs for LPCM, MP2, AC3 and DTS audio along with H.264 and VC-1 with DXVA support, DivX, Xvid, and Flash Video formats. Media Player Classic Home Theatre can also support Quicktime and Realtime formats with the use of additional software.

The player is based on the old Media Player Classic application which was being developed up until the original author ceased development back in 2006. In the last few years, asides from the name change, a number of new features have been integrated in to this new release including additional video decoders, several bug and vulnerability fixes and a 64-bit version for those with compatible versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7.

The main appeal to me has to be the sheer simplicity of the application; it will load in literally a second and rarely skips a frame or misses a beat. If I ever find myself in a situation where a more ‘advanced’ player is struggling then immediately I’ll load up MPC Home Cinema and on the same PC with the same video file the problems cease. The low resource requirement means that it’s suitable for use on low specification machines making it especially tempting for those that can’t run the latest version of Windows Media Player.

Downloading a copy will take literally a few seconds from http://mpc-hc.sourceforge.net/ and as with all good software it is free of charge and doesn’t include any advertising.

Cooliris

2010-05-07T00:46:00.001-07:00

Cooliris is a free add-on for Firefox and Internet Explorer that enhances the way you view content on the hundreds of currently compatible sites. It is essentially a rather flash looking graphic user interface with a few nice features.

The main draw is the impressive way it presents you with an endless wall of images from your chosen page and allows you to browse them by dragging the page and then enlarging the picture/video of your choice. My description does not really do the effect justice, by comparison it is somewhere between Sci-Fi style smart boards found on CSI/Minority Report and the album selection method on iPod/iPhones. Although this may not seem particularly useful at first, once you begin to play around with the features including the add-on really begins to shine.

While hundreds of sites such as Facebook and Myspace are compatible, I would imagine most people would use Cooliris featured sites like Google image search or YouTube. Many other big sites are also featured in a handy drop down box towards the top right of the page such as Flickr, Deviant Art, Picasa and Bing. Additionally Cooliris can be used to search images in the same manner from designated folders on your PC but disappointing seems unable to do the same for video files.

Once installed Cooliris is never intrusive; the only sign of it being installed is a small logo that appears next to the search bar on your browser which acts as a shortcut to www.cooliris.com. When visiting a Cooliris supported site this logo changes to a blue and green logo that once clicked takes all content on the page and displays it in the dynamic endless wall format mentioned earlier.

Along with the browsing of images and videos, the add-on has the additional shopping feature that is fully integrated with the Amazon.co.uk for the browsing of their products. I would imagine this is where the revenue for the add-on comes from as there are no adverts to speak of apart from the featured videos which are simply an option available in the many categories available for browsing.

The program itself is extremely polished in appearance and really is a pleasure to use; my only real grumble is that some images do look a little grainy due to the resizing. When I consider that it was trying to display 104,000,000 image results for my search term ‘fish’ however, I find it impossible to hold a grudge.

I would hope more features will be added in the future as there would seem to be quite a lot of scope for expansion especially as I notice certain flash games also seem to be compatible with the add-on. While not an essential download or particularly revolutionary Cooliris is certainly worth the 2.9mb download to enhance your image/video browsing or even to get a bit of shopping done.

Long term data storage

2010-05-07T00:44:00.000-07:00

I’ve had a few people ask me just recently what method I would recommend when planning a long term backup strategy. One elderly gentleman in particular was creating a family time capsule that he wanted his children and grandchildren to be able to view many decades from now.

The question isn’t as easy as you may think. You may imagine that the data could be burnt to CD, locked in a cupboard and that it would last forever however unfortunately this isn’t the case. There are literally hundreds of suitably stored but physically decayed CD’s from my teenage years which I could use as testament to that.

Therefore I’ve made a list of common formats one would usually consider for archiving a large amount of data so you can pick the most suitable one for your needs:

Hard Disk – When used on a regular basis a hard disk will typically last for around 5 years before it starts to decay and if it is being used as an infrequently accessed backup drive then we can assume that this can be at least doubled. Unfortunately degradation of the discs metallic surface, along with the inevitable seizing of parts would still occur over an extended period of disuse.

Optical – Standard optical media includes CD, DVD and BluRay. If choosing this media type ensure that you go for the highest grade money can buy you; a premium brand such as Taiyo Yuden may well last a decade but a more budget brand such as Memorex may only last half that time before the aluminium starts separating from the plastic.

Flash Media – Clearly you would expect that since Flash Media has no moving parts it would be ideal for a long term backup strategy. To an extent you would be right but the published data retention of a unused flash drive is only around 10 years and unfortunately once the device has reached the end of its life it is likely that it will go out in style, taking with it all of the information stored within.

Paper – Rather obvious this one – if left in a dark, dry place then paper will last for many decades; we recently recovered a number of newspapers from 1964 from below the flooring of a building we’re doing up and aside from being a little yellowed they’re in perfect condition. Primary problems do of course include having to find a safe place to store them along with the physical limitations relating to the amount and type of information that can be stored on sheets of paper.

Tape – This may come as a surprise, but Tape backup actually holds one of the best data retention rates hence its continued use in banking and government sectors. Typically a manufacturer will warranty a tape for 30 years with an expected life expectancy beyond that. Although the tapes themselves are affordable and the capacities typically high (between 72GB and 1TB compressed), the actual drives themselves are relatively expensive, starting at £250 for a basic model.

Unfortunately that’s it for this week; we’ll conclude next Friday by covering the remaining options, including a storage media that’s provided with a remarkable 100 year warranty.

Long term data storage – Part II

2010-05-07T00:43:00.001-07:00

Last week I spoke about a gentleman I met who was creating a family time capsule and had come to me to ask the most effective way of achieving data that he wished to be available past beyond his lifetime.

The question is an interesting one as when you look in to the technology available you realise that many forms of media are simply incapable of storing important data for more than a couple of years. By way of example, a couple who videotape the early years of their child on to a DVD disc may be disappointed when ten years down the line the data has been destroyed by way of natural degradation of the media.

The last article already discussed the pros and cons of Hard Drives, Optical Media, Flash Drives, conventional Paper and Tape drives and so this week conclude with the remaining options I would consider:

Solid State Drive – An SSD uses solid-state memory (similar to that used in a flash drive) to store data and is most commonly used as a direct alternative to a hard drive, especially in notebooks where their small weight and size along with fast access times make them ideal. Unfortunately, they suffer the same major problems as flash drives in that JEDEC, the leading developer of standards for solid-state storage specify that data retention of an idle drive should only be considered to be around 10 years.

The Internet – The Internet is theoretically the most robust way of backing up data; an online server is typically backed up daily, monitored 24/7 and in the event of a problem with the hard drive housing your data, a redundant mirrored backup drive would immediately take over. If looking to store data that will be used in your lifetime this would be a suitable option however if the intention is to preserve data for future generations (such as the time capsule idea that inspired this article) then this method could be ill-advised. For example, if you backup data using a free online storage account then there’s nothing to say that the company won’t either go out of business or begin charging for the service in the future – these are both circumstances that would lead to the deletion of your data.

Magneto Optical – Although it is certainly a niche product, Magneto Optical might be your best solution if long term data storage is your goal. Originally introduced in the 1980’s, MO drives are slow and currently have a maximum capacity of just 9.1GB however with their slow speed comes a ruggedness that allows manufacturers to provide their discs with a 100 year data retention claim, often with a warranty to match. High end drives are expensive but you could enter the market with a 1.3GB drive for around £100.

Of course, when devising a long term archival strategy we assume that hardware will be available at the time that it needs to be played back. This is a serious consideration when we’re talking about storing the data for best part of a century but in our own lifetime it won’t necessarily be a problem – the first video camera my family owned used the 8mm Video8 cassette tapes and although 20 years down the line I don’t own a compatible reader, I could obtain one if necessary.

Along with choosing the most suitable format, ensure that you keep copies on several different media types and in several different locations, thereby increasing your chances that one media type in one location will survive the test of time. If possible, check on the media every couple of years and transfer it to newer and more suitable media types.

Google Books

2010-05-07T00:41:00.000-07:00

The idea of Google Books was first conceived in 2002 when a small group of Google programmers started pondering the question of how many man hours it would take to scan every single book ever written. We still don’t know the true answer to this question although just eight years from the idea conception there are now over 10 million books catalogued in their database.

While the first scan was done manually on a 300 page book and took 40 minutes to process, Google now use cameras capable of scanning at a rate of 1,000 pages an hour and also work with 20,000 publisher partners who provide content directly. They have also been able to provide over 1 million books that can be read in full from cover to cover; these unrestricted works are either books that have fallen out of copyright or have been provided with publishers express permission.

As well as simply scanning the books, Google performs OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on the pages, thereby turning them in to pure text which can be entered in to their database. As a result when you do a Google Search you are now not only returned results from relevant websites but also your search terms are checked against a library encompassing millions of books and appropriate matches are suggested for further reading.

The integration in to the Google Search engine means you may have already inadvertently stumbled across Google Books but if you haven’t and are eager to explore then the Google Books can be found by visiting the site http://books.google.co.uk/ directly. Being a Google service, it almost goes without saying that the service is completely free of charge and is instead paid for via a minimal number of sponsored links which are in no way intrusive or detrimental to the service.

From the Google Books site you can perform searches, add books to your virtual library or organise your collection in a logical manner. Searching for a book and then subsequently clicking on it opens an interface which allows you to either view the directly scanned pages from the book or in some instances a ‘plain text’ version. This plain text can then be copied and passed to another application or simply printed out for reading offline.

Books still under copyright enjoy the protection of a variety of access limitations and security measures which limit the number of viewable pages making the experience somewhat akin to being able to flick through the first couple of pages in a library or bookshop. Despite this protection there have rather predictably been a number of fairly major lawsuits issued by individuals and publishers alike; some with legitimate grievances and others just seeking money or publicity.

Possibly the most notable case was between The Authors Guild, the publishing industry and Google which resulted in Google agreeing to a settlement on October 28, 2008. This would see them pay a total $125 million not only to pay the court costs of the plaintiffs but also create a Book Rights Registry which will collect and disburse revenue generated by all third party sites such as Google which provide content based on the content of books covered by the agreement.

These issues aside, on the whole I am amazed that again this relatively new company have been able to offer such an incredible gift to the world. With Google Books we have the potential to preserve centuries of human literacy work for generations to come as well as promoting the spread and availability of knowledge amongst all groups and all classes of people.

Windows 7 Hidden Gems

2010-05-07T00:39:00.000-07:00

I’ve been living with Windows 7 for a good few months now and in that time have discovered a couple of little ‘hidden gems’ which I wanted to share with you:

Aero Shake
In Windows 7, when you click on the title bar of any window and shake it every other open window gets minimised straight back in to your taskbar, reducing clutter on your screen. This allows you to focus on the one window and then when ready shake it again and the other windows will reappear.

There are additional Aero user interface related features which make a welcome debut. These include Aero Peek which allows you to immediately see what’s going on in an application just by hovering over the icon in the task bar and Aero Snap which quickly allows you to rearrange your desktop by slamming any open window against the left, right or top side of your screen; try it!

Sticky Notes
Proof, if needed, that some of the simplest applications make the largest differences to the end user experience. One of the most commonly used applications on my PC used to be the incredibly simple ‘notepad’ as I find that my working life works a lot better if I simplify everything down in to lists.

Rather than jotting notes on random pieces of paper that will almost certainly get lost throughout the day I used to dump everything in notepad and ensure that every line was eventually cleared so I was left with a blank page before I went home.

Sticky notes have a similar application. To get started click on the start menu and type in ‘sticky’ and begin typing tasks for the day or things to remember in to little post it notes that stick to your screen. When complete either close or minimise the application to get back to the job in hand, safe in the knowledge that once Sticky Notes are reopened, these tasks will reappear exactly as you left them. When a task has been completed or the note simply isn’t needed, it can be deleted with one click of the mouse.

Improved Calculator
Windows 7 calculator has improved considerably; now rather than being an arithmetic only affair, it can be operated in four modes – Standard, Scientific, Programmer and Statistical. It can also perform unit conversion, for example grams to ounces, metres to feet and Celsius to Fahrenheit along with a couple of unexpected features such as the ability to calculate the number of days between two dates or the value of your mortgage repayment. Surely in the next version of Windows the calculator application will finally gain graphical capabilities.

Windows Disk Image Burner
For some time now the preferred method of copying and storing CD’s and DVD’s has been by using an ISO file; a single image which includes the contents of an entire disk. Reading these files used to require a specific application (the likes of which I’ve covered previously in Click) but every version of Windows 7 now includes support for these straight out the box; simply double click on the ISO file that you wish to burn, insert a blank CD or DVD and you’re done.

Share and Enjoy:

Pidgin – Multiple Instant Messenger Service

2010-05-07T00:38:00.001-07:00

If like me, you find yourself juggling multiple messenger applications to keep your friends, family and colleagues happy you will be glad to hear about Pidgin. Formally known as Gaim, Pidgin is an open-source messaging program that allows the simultaneous use of multiple instant messenger services through one application.

Available as a free of charge download fromwww.pidgin.im, this small program supports 17 networks including favourites AOL, MSN and Yahoo as well some lesser known ones such as Jabber and Gadu-Gadu. Additional chat clients such as Skype and the Facebook Chat tool can be added through the use of freely available third party plugins which are easily located on the Pidgin site.

Once installed, simply select the type of account you want to add (for example a Google Talk account) along with your user name and password. Any of your contacts from that account that are currently online will automatically appear in the buddies list and you can begin chatting straight away. Not only does this offer the distinct advantage that you don’t need to switch between several applications if you have contact with friends on multiple networks but it also cuts down on the resource requirements of having multiple chat services running on one machine.

Along with being cross compatible with different networks, the Pidgin application is also available for many different Operating Systems; as well as the obvious Windows version, the developers have provided support for Solaris, SkyOS, Qtopia, UNIX, Linux and even the AmigaOS.

All the standard features you would come to expect such as contact organiser, custom smileys, file transfers and group chats are present. The only slight criticism that I would have is that it doesn’t support video and voice chat however my assumption is that these protocols are difficult to integrate in to an application that has been designed to be compatible with dozens of networks and half a dozen different Operating Systems. Hopefully this lack of functionality will be addressed in future releases.

Pidgin is completely customisable; the preferences dialog box provides an area where you can define every conceivable option including the interface, sounds, network connection, chat logging and your default availability status. In terms of appearance you can also change the font type, size and colour, formatting along with installing new themes which change the appearance of smileys and status icons. An additional option to install themes in order to change the actual user interface would be welcome as the default interface may be a little dull and unintuitive for some users.

Google Buzz

2010-05-07T00:35:00.000-07:00

The Click article for this week is brought to you by Hayley Underwood, my soon to be wife, so that she can tell you about Google Buzz; a new social networking application that she has been getting to grips with.

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Google Buzz is an extension of the Google Mail service offered by Google which the Internet giants hope will lure users away from alternative services such as Facebook.

Google Mail initially created shockwaves when first introduced as they offered a huge 1GB of storage space for messages and attachments compared to most of its competitors who at the time offered a feeble 2 to 4MB. Today they offer a huge 7GB as standard however times have moved on and alternative providers such as Yahoo Mail and Hotmail also now offer an almost unlimited amount of storage space free of charge.

Despite not having the advantage over the competition in this respect any longer, Google Gmail continues to be a popular service due to its ability to integrate well with other e-mail accounts and the way in which it allows you to manage your messages. As an example, Gmail groups together messages that are of the same subject, making them part of a conversation file. In this way you can manage large number of e-mails grouped into the same conversation quickly and easily so that deleting or achieving them doesn’t cause a headache.

Google Gmail is free to use and paid for by advertising however the adverts are very small, non-intrusive and are targeted so that they are more relevant to subject matter that you might find of interest. There are no large graphic adverts and no pop-up or pop-under adverts to clutter your browser.

Google Buzz is a social networking application integrated into Gmail. It aims to offer a better method to share photos, links, videos, and events with your Gmail contacts and personally I believe it is rather coincidental that this was developed after Facebook announced plans they were developing their own email system.

Buzz has all the basic features that you would expect from a social networking application including the ability to share status updates, photos, links and videos both privately and publically. You can choose who you’d like to follow by simply entering their Gmail address at which point they can be added as a friend for you to see a steam of all their updates that have been shared either publically or privately with you. As with Facebook, other users can comment on public posts and show their appreciation for an update or users status by clicking the ‘like’ button.

You can direct a comment into a fellow users Gmail inbox by simply putting @ the beginning of your comment and the user name of that person is then hidden to protect their privacy. This feature can only be used with people that are in your Gmail contact list. Also by clicking on the arrow to the right of any post, you can link content to the post, email the contact directly and mute the buzz that appears in your inbox.

Google Buzz also integrates with Picasa, Flickr, Google Reader, YouTube, Blogger, and Twitter meaning that you are able to share content from these applications directly. This is a nice feature as it allows you to post files and albums you may have already created without having to go through the hardship of creating them twice.

The social networking market has the potential for huge rewards, especially for a company such as Google that makes such a large amount of its profits from revenue generated by advertising. With news that Buzz will soon be available on the Android phone and iPhones platforms, it will almost certainly give the more established social networking sites a run for their money.

Spider Player

2010-05-07T00:33:00.000-07:00

Despite the fact there are an inordinate number of media players available, it is difficult to find one that is quite as well rounded as Windows Media Player; the application included as standard with Windows. Many other media players are either overloaded with features you will never use or stripped down to the point where the few extra features you are likely to use on a daily basis are missing.

Just recently, however, I was pointed in the direction of Spider Player, an application that is available via a free download at www.spider-player.com. Admittedly this is just a music player and does not support videos files but focusing purely on audio allows it to excel in this area.

It offers a 32-bit sound processing irrespective of the specification of your sound card which should ensure a high quality of playback of all your audio files. The player also supports 5.1/7.1 surround as well as traditional stereo/mono audio files.

Standard features such as the ability to open individual files and create and save playlists are also included along with a wonderfully simple equalizer panel which is available at all times. This can be minimised if you should wish but this feature, along with the DSP effects manager allows you to customise the sound of the playback to your personal taste.

Along with supporting every conceivable file format, Spider Player will also allow you to convert existing audio files in to another format; for example to change a WAV file to a small MP3 file. This is provided in addition to the ability to rip tracks directly from a CD and then convert them in to a number of formats including MP3, WMA and OGG.

Direct access is provided to a number of Internet radio stations and can record up to five minutes of transmission to any one file (recording time is unlimited in the professional version).

While the standard design of the player is relatively pleasing as it is, the player is fully skinnable with a variety of designs available for free from the developer’s website. If you would rather personalise your own player, there is a skin development package available for download from the website.

Users who require the ability to play video may be best looking into downloading the excellent VLC Media Player, one of the many alternatives mentioned in Click over the years, or sticking with the faithful Windows Media Player. For those that are primarily concerned with music, Spider Player certainly comes highly recommended as although the claim “The Ultimate Music Player” may seem rather grandiose it certainly comes with all the features I could hope for without any of the chaff I would have previously tolerated.

Cashback Websites

2010-05-07T00:30:00.000-07:00

I have a saying that goes something along the lines of ‘A penny saved is 1.22 pennies earned’ and while I’ll admit it’s not the catchiest of proverbs it certainly does hold some truth for the majority of us. Owing to the fact that you’re taxed on almost everything you earn, it is genuinely better to save a penny than earning an additional one and fortunately the Internet offers various methods of allowing us to do just that.

Money Saving Expert (www.moneysavingexpert.com) for example is a site that I turn to time and again to ensure that I’m always getting the best deal on my current account, credit card, utilities and so forth. As well as offering news and comparisons of various financial products on the market is also gives you a heads of to any discount vouchers or special offers valid at places such as restaurants and supermarkets which you would most likely visit anyway.

Keeping with the financial theme, I’m amazed at how many people are unaware of the various ‘cash back’ sites that are present on the Internet. One which I’ve just started using is Top Cash Back (www.topcashback.co.uk), a site which takes only a couple of minutes to sign up to before you can start earning money on purchased that you would most likely be making anyway. Top Cash back has no set up or membership fees and the idea essentially is that if you visit one of their sponsors via the site then you’ll actually get a cash reward paid straight in to your account.

There are hundreds of big name featured retailers including Play.com, Tesco, Asda, B&Q and Dell and along with the usual couple of per cent back you occasionally come across an offer which is ridiculously generous. As an example I recently signed up for O2 broadband at home which, as an existing O2 mobile customer, would usually cost me £7.50 a month for the 16mb package, including unlimited bandwidth. By going via Top Cash Back I actually got a £75 cash back bonus meaning that during the contractual year my O2 Broadband has actually only cost me £1.25 a month (£7.50 a Month x 12 Months – £75 Cashback = £15 per annum or £1.25 monthly).

The service works as retailers pay Top Cash Back to be featured with the intention that they can then accumulate more customers by also offering them rewards to buy their products. It’s only a beneficial system for the customer if they buy things they would only have purchased anyway; I also signed up to Sky HD last month which again was something I was planning to do but simply by visiting this website first I got an extra £50 straight in to my bank account. It’s just too easy!

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AlgoLab Raster to Vector Conversion Toolkit

2010-02-24T04:49:00.000-08:00

AlgoLab Raster to Vector Conversion Toolkit converts architect, mechanical and various technical drawings, maps and other types of line artwork including black and white graphics for books and journals from raster to vector formats. This means that a paper drawing can be scanned, line artwork automatically recognized and represented in a vector format that then can be imported to your CAD or drawing program.

Professionals in Cutting, Engraving, Sign Making and other CAD/CAM systems may want to take a very close look at Toolkit due to its ability to create fine lines and outlines. Toolkit has the unique special feature to refine curves. So with a proper choice of parameters a vectorized drawing composed of curves normally looks better than the original one.

Toolkit is also tailored to digitize drawings including mathematical graphs for further use in MS Excel, Mathematica, Lotus 1-2-3 and other mathematical programs.

Toolkit is designed to provide quality of high-end products. Even those who have one of such high-end products may certainly find that at least for some kind of drawings Toolkit provides better quality of the output vector files. So it is reasonable to have Toolkit available.

MULTI CURENCY ON THE MONEY

2010-02-24T04:47:00.001-08:00

Xero automatically does foreign currency conversions for you. No other small business solution can match the simplicity and precision that Xero gives you.

Exchange rates for over 160 currencies, updated every hour from XE.com
Real-time currency conversions
Manage foreign currency invoices

Reconcile foreign currency bank accounts
Gains and losses calculated automatically
All reports are re-valued with currency conversions

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