August 6, 2008
Are you able to recall the era when laptops for gaming were not so affordable? For sure they were never produced in massive volumes however resellers did generate a lot of money on them. Everybody wanted this type of laptop computer, however at the price they were going for it was basically not affordable. Simply they were the best laptops around. They probably weren’t fast sellers though because I think us people buy laptops that we can effortlessly afford. Recently all that has seemed to have changed as the international companies have learn ‘t of the opportunities in laptops for gaming.
In my point of view they would get off by retailing them at a higher price if they wanted. With such slim profits on other laptops it is not a surprise they would like to be included here. With their deep marketing resources I’m confident they can get anybody to buy laptops like these. Could this be the death of local system builders? I’m quite sure that the multinational manufacturers will seek to squeeze the small ones out. Global manufacturers can employ their brand names to effortlessly win prospects over.
I guess its some what laughable that because it comes with a brand name they are carelessly though of as the best laptops. This has the potential to be very beneficial for little resellers. Sometimes the littler companies are able to supply the latest components quicker and hence provide better configurations too. This kind of purchaser is typically well versed in the technical details and is able to compare the specifications. If you’re getting the laptop for gaming then surely the speed is the first concern.
This is all great from the consumers perspective. It will induce prices to dip and make high end technology low cost for everyone. I’m not quite certain any of that will occur though. I think technology is becoming increasingly better however the latest laptops should typically be highly priced. Increased competition traditionally creates better products at lower prices so the future should be great.
One can see the impact of this already. Just look at how low priced the gaming laptops are at http://www.rizeon.com
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June 26, 2008
The portable computer market has gone from strength to strength in recent times. But be warned if you want the most up to date tech than you need to build up some patience as there are likely to be part shortages. It doesn’t look like anything will obstruct the rise of laptops at the moment. Also with notebooks now it seems like every 6 months or so the technology is already replaced with something else.
Gaming laptops are one of the areas that have seen growth. Prices are also declining because the technology cycles have become so small for laptops. For those who require mobility, the performance laptops offer in relation to playing games shouldn’t be frowned upon much longer as power is better. Even more indredible these days I feel is how slick the cases are becoming especially when you think about much speed is in them. Ok so there remains a difference in performance no matter how good gaming laptops have become but that should always remain. It’s a niche to pay attention to as purchasers are searching for smaller, more powerful systems as we speak.
A lager number of small companies offer custom built laptops to specialist markets. The advantage with a few custom laptops is that you get better after market components fitted in them. By being able to remove some additional things from the configuration you can actually save money on parts you don’t intend to use. Despite there being numerous of laptop computers in the market its not likely you will find a lot of options of high end systems. Custom made laptops cater for everybody despite their specialist requirements. High levels of customer care and support can also be found when buying custom built laptops. Numerous small groups of consumers acknowledge they are catered for better because of this.
It will fascinating to see what gets next. The current trend along with those mentioned seems to be inexpensive ultra mobile laptops. I feel the concept for such a portable came from the requirements of the 3rd world. Buyers need laptops that are weightless yet additionally big enough to be functional and simple to use. No doubt that companies already have their plans made up. The way things are evolving I estimate gaming laptops will become slimmer. New portables are seen every couple of months and I’m certain the next few months already holds a lot of promise for us enthusiasts.
I actually like the gaming laptops from rizeon.
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June 12, 2008
A wide range of calibration transducers and their back-up electronics systems are readily available in the US. There are several types of calibration transducers that are suited for varied applications in engineering and technology.
Linear calibration transducers are strong, compressed SVLC sensors used in applications varying from metrology to heavy industry. These high-repeatability transducers can be based in any direction. Its salient features are - Ranges: 0-5mm to 0-50mm, linearity: greater than 0.01% of range, low temperature coefficient and high tolerance to radiation and magnetic fields.
Another major type of measuring transducer is the angular type. It incorporates SVLC technology and present high accuracy and environmental acceptance. Flawless bearings guarantee repeatabilities that exceed 1 arc second. Its salient features are- Ranges: 20 and 60, linearity: more than 0.01% of range, and strong construction with minimal rotor inertia.
Non-contact measurement transducers have fixed parts and are typically suited for applications involving long life; environmental acceptance and very high repeatabilities are basic necessities. Its salient features include: 5 ranges from 0-1mm to 0-25mm, and high resolution with unique repeatability. It is very compact in design and usable up to 200C at a stretch.
A Signal Conditioner is intended for application in ASL’s variety of linear and angular transducers. Single- or dual-channel versions are available in two performance grades. Its important characteristics are: Linearity: 0.01 or 0.001% of full scale, high resolution / low noise, low temperature coefficient, and a 4-20mA current output option.
Another important calibration transducer is the Model D600, which is a flawless AC bridge noted for its very high exactness and permanence. The D600 is apt for single or multi-channel installations. Its important traits are: accuracy of 0.004% full scale, resolution up to 1ppm Nul balance, and an AC transformer ratio bridge for exceptional long-term stability.
Calibration provides detailed information on Calibration, Calibration Equipment, Calibration Services, Calibration Software and more. Calibration is affiliated with Custom Die Cutting.
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If I asked you the question: which part of your computer is the most fragile, what would you say? What if I asked: which part is most important to you?
Often, the answer to both of these questions is your Hard Drive.
Your hard drive is likely one the most important things you own. It contains work data, school data, emails, photos, music, movies, tax information, etc… Incidentally, the hard drive is also one of only two moving components in your computer (the other being your optical drive). The following is a list of important maintenance and monitoring techniques you can use to maximize the life of your hard drive and prevent data loss.
Hard drives are physically fragile - handle with care
Statistics show that 25% of lost data is due to a failure of a portable drive. (Source: 2001 Cost of Downtime Survey Results)
Contrary to its seemingly rugged appearance, your hard disk is a very delicate device that writes and reads data using microscopic magnetic particles. Any vibration, shock, and other careless operation may damage your drive and cause or contribute to the possibility of a failure. This is especially relevant for notebook users, as they are most at risk of drive failure due to physical damage, theft, and other causes beyond their control. That’s why we recommend regular backup of notebook hard drives, as often as possible.
Possible solutions include external USB or Firewire drives (although these are prone to the same risks), desktop synchronization, or backup at a data center through the web.
Hard drives write data in a non-linear way forcing it to become fragmented.
When files accumulate on your hard drive, they do not just get written in a linear fashion. A hard drive writes files in small pieces and scatters them over the surface. The fuller your hard drive becomes and the more files you save and delete the worse file fragmentation can be. Hard drive access times increase with fragmentation since your drive must work harder to find all the pieces of the files. The more fragmented your data is, the harder the actuator arm has to work to find each piece of a file.
A case in point:
Disk fragmentation is a common problem for users of Outlook Express and database software. Each time outlook saves new mail, it does so in a different physical location from the previous time. This results in extreme fragmentation, causing longer hard drive access times and forcing more strain on the heads. This strain can eventually lead to a head crash, and often that means a virtually unrecoverable drive.Finally, in the event of a total crash, a fragmented drive is much more difficult to recover then a healthy defragged drive.
Luckily, Windows makes it remarkably easy to defrag your hard drive, simply launch the Disk Defragmenter utility (Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools), choose which disk or partition you’d like to defragment and set it to work overnight or while you are not actively using your computer. Defragmentation will speed up your computer and ensure a longer life for your hard drive.
A very small power surge can fry a hard drive - use a UPS and turn off your computer when you can
Another little-known fact about the fragility of your hard drive is its susceptibility to electrical failure. An electrical failure can be caused by a power surge, lightening strikes, power brown-outs, incorrect wiring, a faulty or old power supply, and many other factors. If a power surge enters your computer, it may do an unpredictable amount of damage, including destroying your hard drive’s electronics or crashing the heads and possibly resulting in total data loss.
The best way to protect your computer from such dangers is to use a highly rated protected power bar or an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). Although these devices won’t eliminate the chances of a crash, they will serve as effective protection in most cases. Also, you can minimize the danger of an electrical problem and reduce wear of your hard drive by turning off your computer or using power-save modes whenever possible. It’s a known fact that 100% of drives fail, the question is when will it happen and will you be prepared? Make sure to check out the knowledgebase section of our website for more detailed information on how electrical power affects your computer.
Be SMART, monitor the health of your drive to prevent unexpected crashes
All modern hard drives have a self-monitoring technology called SMART (Self Monitoring Analysis & Reporting Technology). What most people don’t realize is that the majority of hard drive failures do not have to be unexpected. Most failures occur as a result of long-term problems which can be predicted. By regularly monitoring disk health and performance, you can know about potential hard drive problems before you lose any of your data.
Several excellent utilities are available, including DiskView and Stellar SMART for standard IDE and SATA desktop drives. Also available are tools that monitor the health of SCSI drives and full RAID Array systems. Ariolic Software offers a great utility called ActiveSMART.
The only fool-proof way to prevent data loss is… Backup!
If you only take one of the suggestions here to heart, let it be this one: always back up your important data. After all the monitoring and all the prevention measures are in place, one fact still remains: all hard drives fail. Backing up regularly will ensure that you’re never caught without your critical data. For individuals, the simplest solutions include external portable hard drives, dvd’s, and online storage. For businesses, we recommend renting space at a secure data centre and implementing a disaster recovery plan, regardless of the size of your business.
I hope that the above techniques give you some idea of the importance of hard drive maintenance and provide some insights in how you can protect yourself from data loss.
Alex Bezborodov is the technical writer for Accurate Data Recovery, specializing in data recovery for end users, academia and small businesses. Check out the ADR Resource Center for more useful information.
Let ADR bring your data back to life!
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June 3, 2008
Printing photos at home is expensive
Let’s cut right to the chase. What does it cost to print your own photos? Everybody likes the convenience of printing their own photos at home, but nobody is satisfied with the quality. I will show you that the cost is actually much higher and the quality is much lower when you print your own photos at home as opposed to having them printed by a professional developer. I will also let you know what a good alternative is. First, let’s look at the costs of doing your photos at home.
Cost of printing at home
Supplies and cost w/tax
Med. Quality Photo paper $19.66/100 sheets.
Color and B&W Ink $61.61.
Photo Printer $382.49.
Photo Editing Software $53.11.
Total cost $516.87.
Total cost per Photo $1.64.
WOW! That is expensive
Before you say I am crazy I will prove that these are conservative costs. The medium quality photo paper was priced on clearance at Office Max. The monotone and color cartridges were priced as a combo deal. The photo printer was the PSC 950 which is in most regards a cheap printer. Last but not least the editing software was not Adobe Photoshop which can cost over $500. It was a cheap Microsoft version that will do simple editing on images and video.
This is also assuming that you only print 10 photos per week, and that you only use your printer and software for two years. If we used a more realistic number for instance 10 photos per month then the cost per photo would go up to $3.04. For the ink I used 60 full color sheets per set of cartridges. I have never been able to print over 20. With other printing on that same printer I only got about 8 full pages out of the cartridges. The pictures were so bad that they ended up in the garbage. So the prices of photos can range from $1.64 per photo to over $3. Pretty costly for prints that you cannot display or hang on your walls.
Printing them online and having them mailed or picked up costs much less?
How about uploading your pictures to a professional and having them ready to pick up in one hour? Or uploading them to a professional and having quality prints mailed to you for prices as low as 12 cents per print?
Digital Photo Printing
Utah Wedding Photographer
Online Photo Mugs
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May 3, 2008
In most cases when we think about temperature monitoring, we
tend to focus on freezers and fridges, forgetting all about high
temperature. For many people a data logger is no more than a
device that lets people know how cold it is.
Of course that’s true, but temperature monitoring is important
not only in low temperatures. A high temperature data logger can
be extremely useful for almost every kind of business that deals
with high temperature - possibly even for yours.
This article discusses only two possibilities of using high
temperature monitoring systems, but there are much more of them.
Cooking
Many restaurant and hotel kitchens could benefit by using high
temperature data loggers. For example, baking depends on
frequent temperature monitoring to produce a quality product.
The standard, old-fashioned thermometers are not very precise
and and don’t keep a temperature history during the baking
process.
Laboratories
The other possibility of using a high temperature data logger is
a laboratory. Standard thermometers are certainly less precise
than a digital temperature monitoring system. A high temperature
data logger or temperature chart recorder, whether digital or
simple pen-and-paper can be used to monitor and document
temperature profiles. Additionally they can produce a written
record of a process which can be used to measure future batches
against.
Other perspectives
Any kind of business that employs high temperature processed can
benefit from using a high temperature data logger. If you don’t
currently use temperature monitoring or a temperature chart
recorder you should consider how the use of one can standardize
your processes. This improves consistency and accountability,
which are only as good as your standards, which are, in turn
dependent on the accuracy of your data gathering processes.
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April 22, 2008
When you’re studying to pass the CCNA exam and earn your certification, you’re introduced to a great many terms that are either totally new to you or seem familiar, but you’re not quite sure what they are. The term “broadcast domain” falls into the latter category for many CCNA candidates.
A broadcast domain is simply the group of end hosts that will receive a broadcast sent out by a given host. For example, if there are ten host devices connected to a switch and one of them sends a broadcast, the other nine devices will receive the broadcast. All of those devices are in the same broadcast domain.
Of course, we probably don’t want every device in a network receiving every single broadcast sent out by any other device in the network! This is why we need to know what devices can create multiple, smaller broadcast domains. Doing so allows us to limit the broadcasts traveling around our network - and you might be surprised how much traffic on some networks consists of unnecessary broadcasts.
Using the OSI model, we find devices such as hubs and repeaters at Layer One. This is the Physical layer, and devices at this layer have no effect on broadcast domains.
At Layer Two, we’ve got switches and bridges. By default, a switch has no effect on broadcast domains; CCNA candidates know that a switch will forward a broadcast out every single port on that switch except the one upon which it was received. However, Cisco switches allow the creation of Virtual Local Area Networks, or VLANs, that are logical segments of the network. A broadcast sent by one host in a VLAN will not be forwarded out every other port on the switch. That broadcast will be forwarded only out ports that are members of the same VLAN as the host device that sent it.
The good news is that broadcast traffic will not be forwarded between VLANs. The bad news is that no inter-VLAN traffic at all is allowed by default! You may actually want this in some cases, but generally you’re going to want inter-VLAN traffic. This requires the use of a router or other Layer 3 device such as a Layer 3 Switch. (Layer 3 Switches are becoming more popular every day. Basically, it’s a switch that can also run routing protocols. These switches are not tested on the CCNA exam.)
That router we just talked about also defines broadcast domains. Routers do not forward broadcasts, so broadcast domains are defined by routers with no additional configuration.
Knowing how broadcasts travel across your network, and how they can be controlled, is an important part of being a CCNA and of being a superior network administrator. Best of luck to you in both of these pursuits!
Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage (www.thebryantadvantage.com), home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages.
For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, “How To Pass The CCNA” and “How To Pass The CCNP”, visit the website and download your free copies. You can now get a FREE CCNA and CCNP exam question sent to your email inbox every day! Get your www.thebryantadvantage.com/”>CCNA certification with The Bryant Advantage!
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April 9, 2008
When surmounting trouble rises, an optic fiber technician must choose the most suitable patch panel for a particular situation. That technician must recognize that when it comes to easy installation, proper termination and long term maintenance, not all patch panels are created equally. Optic fiber is robust and therefore deserves some special treatment. For example: if a horizontal copper cable is damaged, one user will be affected. If a backbone fiber goes down, it can take a lot of users down with it. This is why using fully enclosed connecting hardware for optic fiber is crucial. This is where the technician must choose between using wall-mounted or rack-mounted hardware. The optic fiber density required will most likely influence the technicians choice between the wall-mounted and rack-mounted connectivity. Many technicians will choose to use fiber patch cables. Trust your technician to know what’s best.
Wall-mounted enclosures are suitable for up to 24 optic fibers, although with small form factors and high density connectors, can extend the fiber optic cable count to as many as 144. Wall-mount enclosures also offer the benefit of reduced floor space requirements. Rack-mounted optic fiber enclosures can be used with higher fabric counts or depending on the proximity to communications equipment, where rack-mounted optic fiber enclosures are preferable. 1U enclosures can handle up to 24 optic fiber cables with ST or SC connectors, or up to 48 optic fibers by using small form factor connectors. For extra protection, 2U to 4U enclosures can be used to handle up to 144 optic fiber connections.
A 12 fiber MPO connector can speed installation time and increase the concentration of connection hardware. The factory terminated and tested cassettes take care of breaking out the optic fibers from the MPO connectors to ST, SC, or MT-RJ connectors. The MPO cassettes can double the concentration that are possible in rack-mount enclosures - up to 72 optic fibers in a 1U enclosure and 288 optic fibers in a 4U enclosure - making these optic fibers perfectly fit to meet high density applications, such as data center’s and storage area networks.
Accessibility is a concern for long term maintenance when choosing a rack-mount enclosure. The 1U enclosures may have a an access panel to reach the rear optic fibers, while larger enclosures may have a removable rear cover with adequate room inside to make changes or perform repairs. Strain relief and loop management for incoming cables must be provided, nonetheless management devices should be small enough as to not interfere with access to the optic fibers. Cable management for patch cords should be provided on the front of the enclosure with clear front covers and labeling arranged to ease moves, adds and changes and by ensuring that port identification is not obscured by patch cords.
Since copper patch panels need to be strong enough not to flex too much as the cables are punched down. The rolled edges on the panel sheet metal stock help to make the panels rigid. Copper patch panels should provide 24 ports in a 1U height or 48 ports in a 2U height. It’s very important to make sure that the modular jacks and circuit traces on the panels are protected from debris that can short out circuits. All cable management systems must be easy to use and maintain to avoid any potential problems.
James Croydon, Fiber Network Engineer and Fiber Patch Cables expert - focusing on Fiber Optic Cable and LC Fiber
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April 4, 2008
Step One: Create a content rich niche web site, narrow in scope
with less than ten high potential keywords and with around
twenty to thirty relevant secondary keywords.
Step Two: Locate and make contact with other site owners who’s
site has the same theme as your site, and ask them for a
reciprocal link - having already placed a link to their site,
of course! If you build a site that is tightly focused on one
theme, content rich, informative, and above all else has unique
content, then all your peers will beat a path to your door,
asking you for a link!
Step Three: Get your site listed in all the top directories and
especially the specialist directories that closely match your
theme. Do the necessary research to find the most appropriate
category and spend time on creating attention grabbing copy for
your title and description.
Step Four: Write a series of content rich articles that focus
on your top keywords and submit them to the popular article
directories and submit them to the top ezines in your niche.
Writing and distributing one or two articles a week will build
you a lot of permanent incoming links.
Step Five: Locate and register with the popular forums within
your niche market and ensure that you include a link to your
site in each forum post you make.
Step Six: Take each of your most popular keywords and create
another content rich web site. Repeat steps one through to five
for each keyword and place links on these “feeder sites” to your
main web site.
Copyright John Taylor PhD August 2005 - All rights reserved.
About The Author: To learn more information about Link Building
I strongly recommend that you visit
http://www.Link-Advantage.com
About the Author
None
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December 20, 2007
Digital media is everywhere you look. Music and video production have made it to the grass roots level thanks to the affordability and widespread use of powerful computers. Inexpensive digital video cameras are widely available, and older analog video cameras can be connected to a computer through a video card to download movies to the computer for editing, storage, and distribution to friends and relatives over the internet.
It has become fairly easy to edit your own videos, and there are many software packages available aimed at the amateur. The Windows operating system has its own video editing package called Windows Movie Maker that allows you to produce professional-looking videos.
As you explore this exciting new world, you will inevitably come up with the need to edit the audio portion of your video file. The sound quality of most video cameras is not great, so you may want to process the sound or replace it all together with music or voice-overs.
It is very easy to separate the audio from the video. Free software packages that do this task include Windows Media Encoder from Microsoft (if you are working with WMV video files) and VirtualDub (if you are working with AVI files). Either of these programs (and many others) allow you to save the audio portion of video file quickly and easily.
Once you have your audio file, you can process it for noise reduction, bring up the volume, add music or do any digital magic to it that you desire.
With many video editing packages, however, it isn’t necessary to split the audio to a separate file. Even simple packages like Windows Movie Maker have basic audio editing functions, and you can add separate music or voice tracks and mix all of them together.
If you have a particular audio file that you would like to use in your video (maybe a special effect or a voice over that you have recorded separately) simply add that file to the list of media to be included in the video. Other media formats can be separate video files, picture files or graphics.
The audio file can be placed anywhere on the time-line, and you can use the same file many times without requiring any extra storage space on your computer. For precise placement, zoom all the way into your timeline and place the audio exactly in sync with the video. That’s it! You are well on your way to making professional-looking videos!
About the Author
Ross is an enthusiast audio professional take advantage of his knowledge about MP3, AAC,OGG, FLAC SHN and other compression techniques
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