Review Usb Copy Cruiser Plus From Aleratec

Writen by G Mo

The USB Copy Cruiser Plus is a USB copy device with the additional convenience of an 8-in-1 card reader. The unit will copy from one memory device to another or from one memory device to a USB flash drive without the need of a PC. This OTG (On-The-Go) USB technology is very useful and the USB Copy Cruiser Plus proves to be just that, useful. For the small foot-print and compact size, just bigger then your palm, the product performs well, is easy to use and provides clear and precise feedback.

When I received the USB Copy Cruiser Plus I was surprised at how small and light the unit was - add three AAA batteries and I was off playing and testing. The feel of the USB Copy Cruiser Plus is nice, fits well in your hand and custom push-button navigation setup is easy to use and has a nice tactile feel. The LCD is a 4x20 display which is easy to read in medium or low light, bright light might prove to be a little challenging, but expected for LCD without back lighting.

The memory card slots are on the top left of the unit which can be accessed via the top-side of the USB Copy Cruiser Plus. There are three USB ports on the bottom left side where by two ports are used to connect to standalone devices such as MP3 players, cameras, flash drives and other mass storage devices and a third USB port is used for PC connection.

The USB Copy Cruiser Plus is USB 2.0 High Speed compatible when connected to a PC/MAC and being used as a card reader. I noticed you cannot access USB devices through the USB Copy Cruiser Plus when connected to the PC, during this operation only the card reader is functioning and at 2.0 High Speed. Often times there are limited USB ports on laptops and it would be nice to use not only the card reader ports, but also access USB devices through the Copy Cruiser when connected to a host computer. The card reader supports Compact Flash Type I/II, MicroDrive, Smart Media, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Multi Media Card and Secure Digital cards. The USB Copy Cruiser Plus will support and recognize all FAT file systems (FAT12, FAT 16 and FAT32) but not NTFS, which makes sense since FAT files systems are universal and NTFS is only Windows compatible.

The USB Copy Cruiser Plus performed as expected. The menu screen is very easy to read and navigate. The display will immediately tell you when a memory card or USB device is connected via logos on the top of the screen. From this point, the arrow keys are used to navigate into a device and once there, the top logo turns solid color to indicate the device is selected. Next you arrow 'right' to enter the device, then easily select files or folders to copy via the center circle button, which is the enter key. I believe the user interface is very logical given all the requests and commands needed to perform a task. Once started, the USB Copy Cruiser Plus displays the exact file being copied and a time-bar indicating when that specific file will be complete, then moves on to next file to be copied. Upon completion the device will display "Finished." To copy from memory card to memory card you must use the "duplicate" command rather then the "copy" command which is used when copying to a USB flash drive.

The data transfer speeds where again, acceptable and good for the right application and use. Since the USB Copy Cruiser Plus is not USB 2.0 High Speed when transferring from memory device to memory device I saw the following during our informal testing: Memory Stick to USB flash drive; 321Kb/sec, Compact Flash to USB flash drive; 296Kb/sec and when connected to a PC transfer rates where in the neighborhood of 2.2MB/sec. I did see a significant slow down when copying from memory card to memory card, for example from Memory Stick to Compact Flash, transfer rates dropped to 4.6Kb/sec. Although speed is not the first priority with this product, it is clear that convenience and ease-of-use is a priority and Aleratec has succeeded in that endeavor.

The USB Copy Cruiser Plus is a good product for someone on the go. It's ability to copy from numerous USB devices to flash memory, or visa versa makes for a "must have" for professionals on the go. The copier simplifies the process for many tasks including photographers looking to off-load data from their digital camera, quickly share data between people without booting up a computer, or use as a one-to-one USB flash drive duplicator.

In conclusion, if you are going to invest money into a memory card reader you should spend a little extra money and purchase the USB Copy Cruiser Plus from Aleratec. Along with the fast USB 2.0 High Speed card reader, the USB Copy Cruiser Plus also provides a host of copy and duplicating features which you will quickly find to be a valuable tool. Ideal for the professional on the go and price right at around $65USD, this small USB and memory card copier and reader is a good investment to your office arsenal of digital products.

Reviewed by: Gmo April 9, 2006 permalink with images: http://getusb.info/?p=175

Gmo runs the GetUSB.info website which is a USB News and Information website focused on USB products, USB gadgets and developments using the USB (Universal Serial Bus) technology.

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Cisco Memory Approved Vs Third Party

Writen by Sabir Rizvi

There's a widespread confusion among Cisco customers as to what the difference really is between Cisco approved memory modules and their third party counterparts.

First of all, it should be clear to anyone interested in this subject that Cisco Systems simply does not manufacture any of its memory parts!

The memory parts customers get when they purchase Cisco equipment are manufactured by a Cisco approved OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer). The OEM could be any company from Cisco's Approved Vendor List (AVL) which includes companies such as OKI Semiconductor, NEC Electronics, and Samsung among others. It should also be noted that since Cisco Systems no longer releases its AVL to the public, thus the companies mentioned above may or may not still be on the AVL. There will definitely be new companies added from time to time and companies removed as well.

Approved/OEM or "first party" Cisco memory refers to memory parts manufactured by companies on Cisco's AVL; these memory modules have been engineered specifically for use by Cisco Systems and undergo strict and comprehensive testing before being approved by Cisco for use with their routers and other products. These modules are guaranteed to have 100% compatibility with their corresponding Cisco equipments and are backed by a lifetime warranty.

Third party memory modules on the other hand are manufactured by companies not on Cisco's AVL and are not tested nor approved by Cisco Systems. The manufacturer does offer warranty and compatibility guarantee for these memory modules but Cisco does not. And although manufacturers of such memory modules claim to be fully compliant with Cisco's specifications, Cisco does hold the right to refuse service, under warranty, when the fault is deemed to be caused by the 3rd party memory modules; and even if this was only discovered later on then Cisco will bill the customer for the service.

And while 3rd party memory modules are cheaper and useful for certain groups such as students learning about Cisco equipment, they do pose a certain level of risk for any business considering using these modules. Think about any unnecessary downtime and how much that will cost your business. Approved memory modules have undergone stringent testing by Cisco Systems themselves for use with Cisco's own equipment, they do not affect the service warranty of the equipment they are used in and the memory modules themselves are covered by a lifetime warranty.

It is simply the smarter business choice for any company to opt for approved Cisco memory modules. Even though the initial cost might seem higher, but in the long run they are actually cheaper as there is extremely low probability, if any, of incompatibility or faults. Approved Cisco memory results in a lesser need to maintain and service these modules and the equipment they are used in; think total cost of ownership.

Sabir Rizvi is a seasoned IT professional who writes for CiscoUpgrade.com, an online store that specializes in selling cisco approved memory at discounted prices. Visit the website to read more of his articles at http://www.CiscoUpgrade.com

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The Revealing Truth About Hewlett Packard Remanufactured Discounted Printer Inkjet Cartridges

Writen by Joseph Mercado

Don't hesistate to read this article on HP third party inkjet cartridges. You just never know when information such as this can help you save money.

Hewlett Packard remanufactured inkjet cartridges have both played a positive and negative role within the consumable market.

I can certainly testify that the question on using hp remanufactured cartridges would be both the best dream and the worst migraine headache for your printer.

After venture to venture using remanufactured hp ink cartridges and going through trial and error the answer is no for some and yes for others. Think of my answer as being neutral.

First I'm going to give you 5 reasons why end users buy remanufcatured hp printer cartridges.

1. Saving money.
2. Reduces costs.
3. Not concerned about print quality.
4. Special discounted cartridge offers.
5. Getting paid for their empty hp cartridges.

Listen, if you plan on printing graphics, family photos or high quality school projects, then you'll have no choice but to buy a genuine hp cartridge.

The defect rate on an hp remanufactured cartridge is much greater. The best way to avoid this defective loophole is to find a really good supplier of both genuine and remanufactured hp ink cartridges.

They can supply you with either one and you can test the qualities and seek for yourself. Make sure they are reliable.

I've spent a bank load of money on testing various remanufactured hp inkjet cartridges and found some suppliers aren't using the right machinery. For instance, I bought 10 hp remanufcatured inkjets from ths one place and only 2 out 10 cartridges would actually print properly.

There's been other times where I would buy 5 and find 4 of them would work. You better off learning from me and only buy one at a time so you don't play the exchange game. Remember, it's not always what you know but who you know in the ink business.

In description of, Joseph Mercado is known as The Internet Marketing Tyrant. He specializes in the consumable market involving studies on inkjet cartridges; http://www.yourhprep.com

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Refurbished Sony Laptops

Writen by Max Bellamy

One great thing about a refurbished laptop is that, computing freedom and mobility don't have to come with a hefty price tag. Some computer manufacturers refurbish laptop computers that have been returned. The laptop might have a scratched screen or other minor errors, and in many cases, the refurbished laptop was an unwanted gift or its packaging was spoiled. Such laptops are inspected by the manufacturer, tested for quality, renovated and repackaged for sale at a much lower price.

Sony's laptops are affordable with eye-catching looks. These are ergonomically designed and provide a comfortable hand and wrist position. Enhanced wide screen format lets you view DVD movies fully, and view spreadsheets and toolbars.

Refurbished Sony laptops are known as the best in the market. Sony laptops are lightweight and easy to carry around. A wide screen display using latest LCD technology for clear, crisp images makes a Sony Laptop worth the buy. In terms of hardware also, Sony laptops have some size; Sony?s hard drive comes with 40 GB standard, while, generally the memory is 512 MB of RAM. As for the standard processor, these laptops feature the Intel 1.1 GHz Pentium M processor.

Most refurbished Sony laptops are well geared for maximum wireless connectivity. Highly enabled with Bluetooth wireless technology, accessing your personal digital assistant, cell phone, and other wireless devices at home, at the office, or on the road is easy using a Sony laptop.

The prices of refurbished Sony laptops depend on the type of processor, operating system, modem, and network card; size of the hard drive and RAM, CD/DVD drives/writers, video and sound cards and even on the size of the screen.

Refurbished Laptops provides detailed information on Refurbished Laptops, Cheap Refurbished Laptops, Dell Refurbished Laptops, IBM Refurbished Laptops and more. Refurbished Laptops is affiliated with Used Cheap Laptops.

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Choosing An Lcd Monitor Part 2 Response Time

Writen by Jason Busch

If Contrast Ratios and Nit levels haven't confused you enough, then let's bring more terms into the discussion! In this 2nd part of "Choosing An LCD Monitor", we're going to take a look at response times, and how there are two very important and yet different response time specifications.

Black-To-White-To-Black Response Time

When LCDs began surfacing in the consumer market more noticeably a few years ago due to lower price costs, a measurement of how well the monitor responded to changes to input data on the screen was usually observed in the specifications of the product. This became known as Response Time.

The response times of various monitors were expressed in terms of milliseconds and gave the consumer an idea of how fast the LCD monitor could display images. At the time, playing movie content on the computer was just catching on and becoming rather popular and convenient.

The response time of the LCD monitor was not only expressed in milliseconds, but additionally meant how long it took for a pixel of the monitor (which is the smallest unit of an image on an LCD monitor) to change from "off" to "on" and back to "off" again. This also meant how quickly a monitor could change from black to white to back once again.

Initially, lower millisecond ratings meant the higher quality of the monitor and the quicker it could draw images as they were being fed to the monitor's input panel. If the response time was slower than another monitor, this meant the slower monitor could not interpret the transition of one image to another, and created "afterimages" or a blurring effect. Many users also refer to this effect as ghosting.

Gray-To-Gray Response Time

While response time was a good indicator of a monitor's performance, it did not demonstrate another important specification which was transitions between gray levels (i.e., Gray-To-Gray response time). Images include gray levels of color and not just black and white colors, so recently, LCD monitor specifications have included Gray-To-Gray response times.

Gray-To-Gray response times are a little more telling of a monitor because an LCD's crystal molecules respond faster to the high voltage needed for black-to-white transitions versus the lower voltage requirement for gray-to-gray transitions. What this means is that it can actually take longer for gray level transitions to finish, which will result in lower response times, regardless of the black-to-white response time.

Potential LCD users might wonder why the gray transitions would be more difficult for a monitor to produce than black-to-white transitions. A higher voltage excites the LCD crystal molecules much more easily than at a lower voltage.

A Tale Of Two Monitors

When purchasing an LCD monitor, you may come across two of them (or more) which have the same black-to-white response times. It is recommended you also look at the gray-to-gray response times. Most LCD manufacturers are now listing gray-to-gray response times, so this certainly helps you make the right choice.

For example, Monitor A could have a black-to-white response time of 16ms, while Monitor B has 20ms. You would normally think the one with the faster response time is better, but if the gray-to-gray response time of Monitor A is higher than Monitor B, ghosting and afterimage effects will be more prevalent for Monitor A. Today, LCD manufacturers are still playing around with both of these response times. Many response times are not quantified so you do not know which response time the numbers are supposed to be referenced from.

Investigate And Ask

The best investment, is a wise investment. Accordingly, if you're going to spend a significant amount, you really should contact the manufacturer if the response time of the LCD monitor are unclear. Demand an answer. A few emails and even a few calls to your prospective LCD purchase could save you a lot of trouble.

©2006 by Jason Busch (DigitalDingus.com)

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What To Look For In A Home Office Graphics Card

Writen by John Gibb

Let's talk about some specifics for the average home/office PC user. This PC is used for word processing, spreadsheets, viewing photos, and even watching a DVD movie or playing a 2D game. Most all of these functions are handled easily by today's low-end graphics cards.

To accomplish these tasks, you can get by with a 32-64MB card, with a clock speed around 166MHz. You can find a good card with these specs for $40. Most of them will have only a VGA connector, but you can find some with DVI and even S-Video for more like $100.

Prevent eye fatigue

If you are looking at spreadsheets and documents for hours on end, the best thing you can do is get a card that has a high refresh rate, at the resolution you work at. A minimum is 75MHz. The higher the resolution, the more memory is used on the card and the harder it is to refresh. If this rate drops below 75MHz, your eyes will be fatigued from the flicker of the monitor. Find out what your monitor can support at the resolution you use, then get a card that can pump it out that fast.

Don't get features you don't need

If you just play on the Internet, or balance your checkbook on the computer, you don't need all those available connectors on the back of your video card. Don't spend a lot of extra money on a card that has features you'll never use. If you're just playing solitaire, it's not likely you'll notice the difference in a $50 card and a $500 card. Another good thing to check is the software that comes with the card. Most come bundled with nice utilities to change resolution and even add some effects to the way XP looks. A lot of them also come with a game or two, which are usually a good indication of what the card can handle.

John Gibb manages http://www.computer-and-printer-reviews.com The site dedicated to computers and printers.

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Touch Screen Lcd

Writen by Kent Pinkerton

There are two kinds of touch screen displays. The more conventional display is the CRT or the Cathode Ray Tube, whereas the LCD or the Liquid Crystal Display is the more modern display technology. Most people know about the Cathode Ray Tube from the good old television set but LCD is a newer, less common kind of display.

Despite its apparent newness, LCD is making big waves in display technology. LCD is gaining in popularity primarily because it saves both space and energy. Combined with a touch screen display and LCD, display is the hallmark of today's age. An LCD touch screen is more compact, efficient, and like any other touch screen it is easy to use.

The touch screen LCD display is best understood when seen in comparison with its more established predecessor: the CRT touch screen. The absolutely divergent technologies make the CRT and the LCD display characteristics very different. Not only that, but LCD also has an edge when it comes to size. LCD monitors are compact and lightweight. Typically, an LCD touch screen will take up only a third of the space occupied by a CRT touch screen of the same size.

Newer LCD screens are available even in 15- and 17-inch sizes. Until recently, 17-inch touch screens used only CRT monitors. As LCD screens are flat, the viewing area is also larger in comparison to a CRT monitor. That is, a 17-inch CRT monitor will have a viewing area of only about 16 inches where an LCD monitor will have the complete 17 inches.

On the downside, LCD touch screens do not display all colors and also can't display multiple resolutions as well as CRT displays. Despite these limitations, LCD users are favoring touch screens. In fact, smart phones are the most commonly used LCD touch screens.

Touch Screens provides detailed information on Touch Screens, Touch Screen Monitors, Touch Screen Displays, Touch Screen LCD and more. Touch Screens is affiliated with Internet Kiosks.

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Ram Memory

Writen by Ken Marlborough

The RAM, or Random Access Memory, is where the operating system, application programs, and data in current use are kept on the computer. Though it reads faster than any other storage device, the data stays only as long as the computer is running. All the data is loaded into RAM, usually from the hard disk, once the computer is switched on. As soon as the computer is switched off, the RAM loses its data.

The RAM also has a much smaller memory than a hard disk. It has "discrete" or separate microchip modules plugged into the holes of a computer's motherboard. These holes are connected through what is known as a bus or a set of electrical paths to the processor.

The RAM never runs out of memory, it just keeps going. But when it gets full, the processor has to continuously go back to the hard disk to overlay the old data in RAM with the new thus slowing down the computer. The time taken to do this is expressed in nanoseconds. RAM size is important because the more RAM you have, the fewer times does it have to read data from the hard drive.

Today's PCs offer a RAM of 16 or more megabytes. For graphic applications, a RAM of 32, 64, or even 128 megabytes are used. RAM increases in multiples of 8 megabytes. PCs are usually designed to allow users to insert additional RAM modules within certain limits. New technologies promise to offer even more RAM. Check out the nonvolatile RAM that retains data when the computer is turned off or if there is a power failure. A battery within the computer powers it, and what's more it can write its contents to and restore them from an EEPROM. A RAM without its disadvantages? That's life today!

RAM provides detailed information on RAM, RAM Memory, DVD RAM, DDR RAM and more. RAM is affiliated with Linux Mail Servers.

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Moving To A New Pc

Writen by Meryl K. Evans

Getting a new PC is exciting and a pain. It's exciting because you get a faster processor, more storage and all the latest stuff even though it's outdated as soon as it hits your desk. The pain comes with re-installing all of your programs, re-customizing your preferences for programs, applications, and Windows, and transferring data to the new PC.

It can be simplified by using a bootable external drive or something similar and letting it load everything on the new PC. However, if you are like me, you probably had a few problems here and there that couldn't be found and fixed. So it's better to start with a clean slate.

I am getting a new PC at the office and my hard drive crashed on my laptop. There's nothing I can do about the laptop, but I kept it simple since it's a supporting computer rather than the main PC. I often used a remote application to connect to my desktop from the laptop. Therefore, the laptop had few loaded programs and data. I did try to make a backup of my user profile before the crash, but it was having too many problems and the backup didn't happen.

As for the work PC, here are the steps I took to prepare for moving to a new computer with the limited resources I had.

• Ensured all my work was on the network server. I kept backups of important files on the hard drive as a safety measure after my past experience.
• Deleted everything that I put on the hard drive.
• Made backups of data files such as the password manager's file.
• Took a screen shot of my Windows desktop, so I can rearrange things on the new PC to closely match the way I had things on the old PC.
• Used Belarc Advisor to create a print out of what's loaded on the machine.
• Changed my password to a temporary one that's nothing like my original so support could get in when I wasn't at my desk.
• Copied the properties of specially-made shortcuts like the one I use to lock the computer with one click.
• If you use Outlook, make notes of your preferences and options. Mine didn't get transferred.
• If you use the Office toolbar (typically on the side or top of the screen), add the programs and folders back in based on the screen shot you took earlier. I could not remember how to change the icons in the toolbar, so here's how: right-click on the icon you wish to change, select Properties, and Change Icon.
• Print the list of fonts loaded on your computer if you've added additional fonts.

Meryl K. Evans is the Content Maven behind meryl's notes, eNewsletter Journal, and The Remediator Security Digest. She is also a PC Today columnist and a tour guide at InformIT. She is geared to tackle your editing, writing, content, and process needs. The native Texan resides in Plano, Texas, a heartbeat north of Dallas, and doesn't wear a 10-gallon hat or cowboy boots.

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How To Buy A Lcd Monitor

Writen by Vaibhav B

I had been salivating for about an year, desperately wanting a LCD monitor for my computer but the prices were crazy so I decided to wait a while. A couple of months ago while I was in Dubai I decided to buy a LCD monitor because the prices had dropped by then. I went in search of a 17'' monitor but ended up buying a 19'' screen. This was because, for the money I spent in Dubai for 19'', I was getting 17'' in India. And as we all know...size DOES matter....at least in monitors!

I did some research before I bought this monitor which I would be delighted to share.

So why did I want a LCD in the first place? The advantages are many - easier to move around/clean as they are thinner, lighter and take up much less space, less eye fatigue, more energy efficient than a CRT (less power consumption) and of course LCD screens look good.

The first thing I thought about was the price obviously. I didn't want a very expensive model but I wasn't going to buy a ''no-name'' brand either. Then came the size - I was using a 17'' Samsung monitor so I7'' was good for me. During my browsing, I saw how beautiful things look on a 19'' screen and after comparing the price with India, I went in for a bigger screen. The next thing on my list was the response time. I wanted a fast response time (8-12 ms) so that when I played games, the image didn't ''ghost'' (motion blur). My Benq screen has a response time of 8 ms and I have not seen any blurring at all. I was also careful of the ''dead pixel'' policy of the maker. You see, LCD screens are notorious for dead pixels - even one dead pixel in the middle of your screen can ruin your LCD experience. Before you buy your LCD, get the salesperson to display a full white image on screen first followed by a full black image (easily done in Microsoft Paint) so you can weed out dead pixels. Check the dead pixel policy of the company. If you do find dead pixels in the warranty period, will they replace your monitor? Do try to test your LCD monitor before buying it - make sure that the salesperson gives you the same monitor and not a new untested one.

A couple of things to remember about a LCD screen - it has a field of vision restriction which means that you have to sit directly in front of them to get a good view. The better the product, the larger will be the field of vision and there will not be a darkening of the screen from a ''not in front'' position. All LCD monitors have, what is known as, a ''native resolution'' which essentially means that they give their best performance at that resolution. For example, my 19'' monitor has a native resolution of 1280 x 1024 (SXGA). Any other resolution looks washed out and blurry. Choose your resolution depending on the size of the screen you buy. For me the best resolutions are as follows: 15'' - 800 x 600 or 1024 x 768; 17'' - 1024 x 768; 19'' - 1280 x 1024. Physically try out various resolutions before you buy the screen - maybe the salesperson won't have a clue about the native resolution.

Game enthusiasts and DTP people will still prefer the CRT screen as they can buy bigger screens for the money they spend on LCD screens. In addition, the colours are brighter and there is no motion blur on CRT screens (provided you have a good video card). If you have space limitations or work extensively with ''words'' - word processing, Internet browsing etc, go in for a LCD monitor, provided of course you can afford it. Some LCD monitors come with speakers which makes them perfect for offices. But serious music lovers and game enthusiasts will hate the tinny sound.

I am very happy with my Benq FP91G screen and would recommend it without hesitation. Other companies like Acer/Samsung/Viewsonic make LCD screens which are equally good but prices differ. So sniff around a little before you splurge.

I am a Merchant Navy officer living in Mumbai. When I am not sailing the high seas, I enjoy surfing the net, playing computer games, swimming, listening to music and reading books.

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Adding Serial Ports To A Computer With Only Usb Ports

Writen by Preston Wily

So you bought a new computer but you don't have serial ports?

It's surprisingly common these days - you find an awesome machine that does everything you want it to do, but then you get home and find out that amongst the lightning-fast processor and terabyte hard drive, you're missing something - a serial port.

Most laptop manufacturers have killed RS-232

In an effort to enforce newer standards, such as USB and FireWire, many laptop manufacturers have let serial ports fall by the wayside. They don't take into account the millions of people and businesses that still require serial ports for one application or another.

Add a true serial port with a USB adapter

You can use a USB to Serial Adapter to easily and quickly add a serial port to your laptop. The nice thing about the adapter is that you can use multiple adapters on one machine (using a hub or an add-on card) and dynamically set the COM assignment.

Various serial devices requiring some type of serial port

Many PDA's, GPS units, routers, printers, fax machines, etc. still require serial ports. A lot of these devices are moving to newer standards, most notably USB, but many still operate on legacy technologies (serial or parallel) because of the difficulty in rewriting drivers for the newer standards.

Preston Wily is the Director of Marketing for Sewell Direct, a retailer of hard-to-find computer hardware and accessories.

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What To Do When System Hangs

Writen by Ravi Chamria

One of the thing windows is infamous for , is system handling. Everyone has had a run in with the Antarctic PC ( A frozen system) one time, or another. The problem is that this is one of the most complicated problems to solve. Almost anything can make a system stop responding- faulty hardware, software, drivers, etc., and with the sheer amount of hardware and software loaded on PCs today, it virtually impossible to prevent. However, if this happens too often, then you know you have a problem at hand.

The first thing you need to make sure of is that all devices are installed properly, with up-to-date drivers. Open the system Properties Device manager , and check the yellow exclamatory marks. These signify improperly installed devices. Reinstall the drivers for that device, or just remove it and check if the system has stopped hanging.

Check your system for a virus. Make sure that your anti-virus definitions are up to date, and use the through scan option to scan your system regularly.

Certain badly written programs can be memory hogs, and refuse to release the memory they had used. This leads to more and more memory being used, until the system is unstable and crashes. Update your Os and with all the Latest patches. Also, upgrade all applications and get all the available patches.

Ravi chamria is a webmaster, for more computer related articles please visit at Computers-and-Technology

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Compatible Cartridges And Remanufactured Cartridges

Writen by Kwan Lo

The sales of OEM cartridges have been major revenue for printer manufacturers for many years. This pattern is changing recently. Despite the steep drop of printer price, the price of OEM cartridges remains remarkably high. Many consumers are fed up with expensive OEM cartridges and look for cheap alternatives. As a result, compatible cartridges and remanufactured cartridges are becoming more popular than ever before.

Compatible cartridges are also known as generic cartridges. They are like the generic drugs in pharmaceutical industry. Compatible cartridges are made by third-party manufacturers. They follow the same specification of OEM cartridges but are offered at one-half to one-third of the price of OEM cartridges. This gives them a distinctive advantage for bargain-hunting consumers.

Remanufactured cartridges are OEM cartridges which have been through one cycle of service. They are disassembled, cleaned, repaired and refilled before they are released to the market again. Remanufactured cartridges save landfill space and extra resources to produce new cartridges. These replacement cartridges are very popular among environmentally concerned consumers.

With compatible cartridges and remanufactured cartridges taking up market share, printer manufacturers are working hard to protect their profits. Some manufacturers have incorporated smart chips into their cartridges, making it difficult or impossible to refill the printer cartridges or to use compatible and remanufactured cartridges from third-party manufacturers.

On the other hand, third-party manufacturers are capable of overcoming this by providing 100% compatible printer cartridges with new replacement chips. Some companies also offer smart chip resetter or refilling services to their customers.

In conclusion, compatible and remanufactured cartridges are viable choice to cut printing cost. However, consumers should be careful when shopping for cheap printer cartridges. In addition to low price, they should compare the quality and compatibility of the printer cartridges. It is also prudent to shop with merchants who offer good customer support and extended warranty.

Kwan Lo is the owner of http://inkjets.4reviews.net, an online review site promoting high quality discount ink and toner cartridge, including hard to find Samsung toner cartridge.

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How To Choose Computer Peripherals

Writen by Alex Fir

When buying a computer you must consider not only the quality of the internal components, but also the external ones that make the entire multimedia experience possible.

Computer peripherals, from printers to web cams, are an important part of our lives and activities, if not the most important one, depending on our needs and habits. When you are faced with the situation in which you have to choose peripheries, consider a few aspects before making your move: utility, price/quality combination and purposes they should serve.

Relying on these criteria, when we buy a printer we must think of why we are buying it. For example if it is meant to be an office printer and it will be mostly used to print out contracts and objectives, then the best choice is an all-in-one printer that can print, scan and have the functions of a fax machine at the same time. If however we want a home printer mostly to get copies of our digital photos then considering a color printer is a must and maybe we should think about making it a laser one.

The keyboard and the mouse come first in computer-user relationship and they also add a touch of personality to your personal computer. Browse for complete sets that can include even a mouse pad and try to assort them with the color and shape of your computer case. Nowadays the optical and wireless mice are the best choice, so buying a wireless multimedia keyboard can be of use also.

Communication with loved ones is done through the internet often. Then why not making it perfect by buying a web cam to assure a real time conference between us? Also, we will need a microphone to be able to hear and see at the same time the loved one and then we can talk as if he or she was in the room with us.

There are many types of computer peripherals out there: external hard drives, sound speakers form tiny to extremely large, real 5.1 systems, scanners, card readers for our digital camera and many more. All we have to do is to make of list of the uses we need our PC to have and then go shop for the according peripherals for every purpose. Whenever they can be combined you must diffidently do that to avoid taking up a lot of space.

If you are planning to buy laptop computer visit Laptop Computer Center for the latest news and information. You can also read laptop computer reviews.

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What Is A Hardware Firewall And Which Hardware Firewall Is Best

Writen by Debbie Jacobsen

If you have more than three computers in your home or business that share the same internet connection, a hardware firewall is something you may want to consider. A hardware firewall is a device that sits in between the internet and your network, protecting all computers on the inside from dangerous intruders on the outside.

As opposed to a software firewall (also known as a personal firewall), a hardware firewall is designed to protect ALL the computers on a network instead of just one PC. It is generally more efficient and cost-effective to purchase a hardware firewall (as opposed to several software firewalls) if you have three or more computers you need to protect.

A hardware firewall is a special device that is designed to prevent outside intruders from getting you're your network (where they can then easily get into your PC's and servers). Firewalls can be configured to prevent access to certain types of applications that are considered dangerous (like P2P file-sharing programs) by blocking the communication ports that these applications use. A firewall will also provide some protection against hidden spyware infections, as it can help stop outgoing data packets that an infected PC may be sending to a cyber-criminal.

A firewall is considered to be the first line of defense in protecting computers from unwanted "visitors" such as hackers, worms, and remote control applications via hidden spyware. Without firewall protection your network is an "open door" to the internet, and anyone (or anything) can easily come in and out. Even if you don't have any important files to protect, hackers and curious intruders can easily kill all your computers, take control of your network, or damage hardware beyond repair. The small investment in a firewall is nothing compared to the cost of replacing or repairing computer equipment as the result of an intruder's visit.

Hardware firewalls use various techniques to protect your network against intruders and other internet threats. All firewall rules can be configured to apply to outbound or inbound traffic, so giving you a lot of flexibility and control in how the firewall works. Hardware firewalls can be simple or very complex, depending on the size of the network they are designed to protect. High-end corporate firewalls should be installed by a certified technician, but most home office and small business firewalls can be set up by anyone with a general understanding of networking and good technical ability.

Most hardware firewalls use some form of packet filtering, which is somewhat like a "checklist". Certain types of data packets are allowed through, and others may be blocked. If a packet attempting to travel in or out of a network meets the criteria set for "blocked", it is not allowed to pass.

Another technique that is often used with hardware firewalls is called Stateful Packet Inspection, also known as SPI. With SPI, a hardware firewall analyzes additional characteristics of the data packet in order to determine what to do with it. It checks to see where the packet came from, if it was sent as a response to a user request for information, if it just "appeared" out of nowhere, etc... Combined with packet filtering, SPI really makes a firewall appliance "smart", as it can make decisions whether to block or allow data packets based on logical analysis.

Depending on the type of network they are designed for, hardware firewalls can cost anywhere from $100 for a home firewall appliance up to several thousand dollars for an enterprise-class device. Simple (easy to install and configure) hardware firewalls designed for home use are offered by D-Link, Lynksys, and NetGear. SonicWall and HotBrick are very popular hardware firewalls for small and medium businesses.

For more information, see my Hardware Firewalls page. Another good resource for firewall information is Virus&Spam at bellonline.com

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Hard Disks Firewire Vs Usb

Writen by David Stone

These two technologies are competing to be the best way to connect electronics together. They both began as a connection to your PC or Mac, but they have grown to be a form of data transfer between almost any electrical data storage device. See who is the winner in one of the biggest technological races of this century.

USB first showed up on the map to solve the problem of Plug N' Play devices. Most devices were, at that time, connected to a computer via a serial port. Serial ports were not intended for such a wide application of uses and it is a relatively slow port. What USB set out to do was to create a standardized plug that can be duplicated easily with adapters and hubs. The result was the same standard port you see today. It is much faster now than its original version, but it has remained as unchanged as a wall socket. When it was introduced, you actually create 144 USB ports from just one source by duplicating it with hubs. Of course, the PC needs to able to handle the software load. USB started popping up on all types of devices from digital cameras to MP3 players. It is now used to even connect devices together with out even using a computer.

Firewire came about shortly after the release of USB. This severely hurt the spread of its use because USB had quickly become a standard for personal computers. It was developed by Apple and released in 1995 on its G3 Power Mac. Apple had the advantage of being the standard computer in the artistic community, so this was the edge that they had on USB. It took a couple of years, but consumer electronics began using Firewire to appeal to the industry that connected video and sound equipment to their Macs. It was also praised for its speed of data transfer. It was nearly impossible to transfer digitized video via USB because it was too slow. Firewire affected the entertainment industry in such a way it won the 2001 Primetime Emmy Engineering Award.

Which technology is better? With the release of USB 2.0, USB has dominated Firewire and almost made it disappear in the PC industry. Mac still embraces it; even cell phones have USB ports on them. USB is now fast, universal and you can actually charge devices like cell phones and iPods through a USB port. Firewire started out with the speed, but USB has pulled ahead in a dominating way.

Find more information about hard disks at http://hard-disk-help.info

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Cheap Laptop Batteries

Writen by Richard Romando

Laptop computers are becoming popular and the power source that they use is crucial to the efficiency and commercial viability of the laptop. If a laptop is not usable for more than two hours then the user is stuck with a device that is invented for speed and mobility but shuts down very quickly because of an inefficient power supply.

There are many types of batteries that include nickel-cadmium batteries, Lithium ion batteries and nickel hydride. The price of these batteries depends on the material that is used for manufacturing them. A nickel cadmium battery is the cheapest among all the three types of batteries mentioned above.

The price of a nickel cadmium battery can range from $50 to$100 whereas a nickel hydride battery is slightly costlier compared to cadmium batteries. The price of a nickel hydride battery can range from $80 to $150. A lithium polymer battery is more expensive compared to the other two types of batteries that are mentioned above.

Another invention that is revolutionizing laptop batteries are the new external batteries that offer a run-time of about seven hours (also depends on the programs being used on the laptop) at about half the price. Many vendors on the Internet offer batteries at low cost if bought in bulk. Some companies offer discount on batteries if the same company manufactures the laptop.

Alkaline batteries are the cheapest among batteries, but incur the highest cost per cycle. Other cheap batteries include lithium ion polymer and lithium ion batteries. Cheap batteries are also available in the Chinese market and can be shipped to the US by booking them on the Internet.

The life of a battery can be increased by about fifty percent thus decreasing the price of the same. Many precautionary steps can be taken in order to increase the life of a battery such as - fully discharging the battery and recharging them again at least once a month, keeping the batteries cool and dry, and making sure that the batteries are not overcharged.

Laptop Battery provides detailed information on Laptop Battery, Laptop Battery Chargers, External Laptop Batteries, Cheap Laptop Batteries and more. Laptop Battery is affiliated with Cheap Cell Phone Batteries.

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Introduction Of A Basic Printer

Writen by Alan Ross

The word printer means different things in different fields of applications. Going by the generic meaning, a printer means one who is in the occupation of printing and publishing. It also means a device which prints out the results of data computed by computers, as applied to computers. In the celluloid world, it stands for devices used to copy and modify films. It is extremely relevant to talk about the computer printers in this article.

Computer Printer

A computer printer transforms digitally stored documents of graphics or text data into paper/hard copies. Printers can be permanently interfaced with individual computers or can be anywhere in the network, invariably through network interfaces, either wired or wireless, so that any or all users can share for hard copy production. You will normally see a wired network in small areas known as LAN and wireless networks or Ethernets are over a wide area (WAN).

Types of Modern Printers

Printers have evolved so much that you can have true life quality printing with them which is a departure from the earlier 'dot matrix' printers. Here are some printers which are relevant today.

· Inkjet printers
· Laser printers
· Plotters
· Thermal printers
· Digital minilabs

Generally in an office environment, the first three types of printers are the preferred ones. These are designed especially for office needs such as printing text matters, graphics like charts and power point presentation documents etc with an exception that plotters are dedicated for uses like constructional drawings which can't be 'printed'.

How Printers Work

Inkjet printers print by placing extremely small (50-60 microns in size) ink drops precisely in the format of the original document. The precision is so high that equals resolutions of 1440x720 dpi. The dots can any colors in predetermined combination to create color images. Laser printers work similar to photocopiers but differing in producing images. The document is directly scanned on to a photosensitive drum creating a negative image which is later developed by 'lamping back' and pressurized rolling over the paper by fusing.

Plotters can print only line diagrams by one or more pens moving laterally according to the commands received by them.

Buying Printers

Fundamental points to consider while buying printers are price, speed, quality of print and in addition, cost of printing. You may want to look at the features offered like inbuilt cameras, resolution of minimum 1200x1200 dpi, cost of toner cartridge etc. Warranty will be usually for a year and generally speaking, you need not worry about maintenance/after-sales-service during their lives. But for photo printing, you need to buy the specific type of printer, if your preferred inkjet doesn't boast of this feature inbuilt there.

Alan Ross is a regular article contributor on many topics. Be sure to visit his other websites Laser Printer, Label Printer and Printer Resources

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Backup Your Hard Drive Manually Or Automatically

Writen by Mike Furlong

Are you regularly backing up the hard drive on your PC? It has been said that there are two kinds of people ... those who have had a hard disk crash and those who will. I'll tell you some easy ways to protect your data.

And I present my qualifications by saying that I have experience with data storage and backup. And you know the definition of experience right? Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted!

Let me begin by saying that I have used many different kinds of backup devices over the years. I have used cassette tapes, floppy disks, tape cartridges, disk cartridges, writable CDs, writable DVDs, and external drives. And I still recommend some form of this kind of backup today. For today's high-capacity disk drives, you can't go wrong by backing up, at the least, your critical data on some external media. Because even if you don't use your PC to store sensitive personal or financial data, there are still configuration settings for your PC you may not want to lose.

Now you can buy hardware and software that automatically starts backups and cycles backup media in and out of the backup device as necessary. But that tends to be pricy and best left to servers. I'll leave that topic for another time.

If your system has a drive that supports writable CDs or DVDs you can manually backup your hard drive on this type of media. Writable CDs and DVDs can hold from 650 megabytes (MB) up to 4 gigabtyes (GB) and more of data. Your CD or DVD writer probably came with software that lets you drag copies of data from the hard drive to the CD or DVD drive folder. Or it may even include some automatic backup software. One disadvantage of CDs and even DVDs is that hard drives today typically won't fit on one of these. With hard drives in the range of 10-200GB are common. And it's not unusual to see 250GB drives now. Another disadvantage is the write speed. Even with high-speed CD or DVD writers it can take a long while.

Another option is an external disk drive. Large sizes are available which makes it possible to backup your entire hard drive in many cases. And the hard disk drives are very fast. You can copy an entire drive quickly.

However many people find it difficult to make data backups on a regular schedule. I'm a people! I mean I'm a person and I just can't seem to make the time for backing up my data.

So I'll tell you what I do. I use mirrors! Not smoke and mirrors ... just mirrors. In my machine I have two hard disk drives ... not to double my storage capacity, but to provide a continuous backup of my hard drive. Every time my computer writes to the disk drive, it actually writes the same data to two different disk drives. They are a mirror image of one another. Most Windows computers since Windows NT have had this capability.

The first, and most painful part, is to get two hard drives in your system. I usually buy my computers that way, but I have added hard drives later. It's not exorbitantly expensive though. Hard drives, even large hard drives, are reasonably priced these days. It's usually best to have the two hard drives the same size (or you waste space in some form). And I like to have the drives from the same manufacturer (but maybe I'm just anal). I say painful, because you, or someone will have to open up your PC and put a second drive in if doesn't already have one. If you don't feel qualified to do this, check with your nearest PC store. Most will do it for you, for a fee, or for free if you buy the hard disk there. They may even perform the next step which is to set up the mirror.

After that, you go to the Control Panel, select Administrative Tools, then select Computer Management, then click on Disk Management. You right-click on the existing or "old" volume and select "Add Mirror", then right-click on the new disk that will host the mirror and select "Add Mirror". This will establish a mirror and initially copy the data from the "old" drive to the "new" mirror. Thereafter, the data is automatically written to both drives when changes or updates occur. You can also view the status of your mirrored volumes to make sure the mirrors are healthy and all your data is backed up. On Windows systems you may not see the options for mirrors until you have a new unused drive in your system on which you can create a mirror. There are detailed instructions for your version of Windows on Microsoft's site.

I recommend to all my friends to set up mirrored disks. I've had a couple of friends call to tell me they had a a hard disk crash. Instead of a catastophic loss of data, this turned into a minor inconvenience while we recovered the data from the other disk. They expressed undying gratitude and told me they would be eternally indebted ... because they couldn't pay me anything!

What will your reaction be when you have that hard disk crash?

Hard disk drive reviews and recommendations at ShoppingDroid.com By Mike Furlong

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Laser Printer Cartridges

Writen by Elizabeth Morgan

Laser printers have become a dominant feature in most offices, hospitals, hotels, and homes. They are becoming increasingly popular because of the high quality of prints of both text and images. They are also a cost-effective solution for high-end print jobs. These printers are designed mainly for official use, as high-quality, high volume prints are required. Laser printer cartridges are specially designed for remarkable professional quality text and graphic reproductions.

Ink is the most essential component of any printer. Since ink is a limited resource, the cartridges need to be refilled or replaced from time to time. Purchasing a new ink cartridge may be expensive. However, refilling them can be an inexpensive alternative.

An ink cartridge is a removable component of all laser printers. The cartridge functions as both a store for the ink and as a means of applying the ink to the paper. The cartridge is docked into the printer and placed closely above the printing surface of the paper. A laser printer may make use of a single ink cartridge or two cartridges simultaneously. The cartridge contains divisions that serve as a reservoir of the ink, electronic components, and an electric chip that connects the cartridge to the printer.

A laser printer is usually provided with specification about the number of prints it is capable of producing per cartridge. It is advisable to use the same brand of laser print cartridge for the corresponding printer, as they are known to function flawlessly. The companies that sell laser printer cartridges offer high-quality, long-lasting goods that need fewer refills and, hence, prove to be more efficient.

Laser printer ink cartridges use two types of ink, namely the pigment-based black ink and the dye-based ink. This ensures crisp, quick, anti-fading outputs. It is advisable to purchase laser printer ink cartridges from reliable sources, as there are many duplicates available, and it becomes difficult to differentiate between the original and a replica.

Printer Cartridges provides detailed information on Printer Cartridges, Discount Printer Cartridges, Inkjet Printer Cartridges, Buy Printer Ink Cartridges and more. Printer Cartridges is affiliated with Printer Ink Refills.

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All In One Printers Home Office Workhorses

Writen by Bill Smith

All in one printers, also known as multifunction printers (MFPs), are printers that also can copy, scan, and in some cases, fax. These machines perform all of these functions, generally using a single set of ink cartridges for both printing and copying. They are not much larger than stand-alone printers, making them a great tool for small home offices.

You can find an excellent all-on-one Epson printer for under $200 – a steal if you ask me. Have you ever priced a copying machine? Good luck finding one for under $750. These little gems produce high quality printouts and color copies that are indistinguishable from the originals. You'd think that these machines would "drink" ink – I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is not the case. The copying process uses about the same quantity of ink as the printing process.

Most MFPs offer high resolution, photo-quality printouts without sacrificing speed. This makes them ideal for the amateur photographer, the average home owner, or even the college student who needs to print thesis papers and PowerPoint presentations. You can't imagine how helpful it is having a copier in your home. For a few extra dollars, you can pick up a printer with a built in copier and never have to run to Staples again.

The printer market is so competitive right now that you can probably score a significant rebate on an all in one printer. Recently I've seen rebates for as much as $50 off new Epson all-one-printers. Check around, do some price-shopping, and you too can experience the luxury of a low-cost, home copier/printer.

Bill Smith has written hundreds of articles about printers and ink cartridges, some of which can be found at http://www.buythebestbuy.com.

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Refurbished Wholesale Laptops

Writen by Max Bellamy

The business of refurbished laptops is booming in the field of IT markets as these laptops are mostly cheap and reliable. Renowned exterior professional firms collect erratic laptops that are returned from retailers to the manufacturers. Then these laptops undergo various examinations for quality checking. Refurbished wholesale laptops are a bulk quantity of laptops that are reconditioned for better performance.

During the refurbishing process, laptops are thoroughly checked for manufacturing defects, if any. An extensive inspection of all hardware mechanisms, a functional diagnostic test and performance test are done. Then the laptop is repacked with a new serial number, description, and model number. The packages also have stickers indicating the product as a refurbished item. Before despatching, individual checking of each and every part is done by the quality assurance department. All refurbished laptops have AC adapters, batteries, and pre loaded operating system.

The wholesale of refurbished laptops is done at cheap rates as a large number of laptops are serviced and maintained at a time. Refurbished wholesale laptops of renowned brands such as IBM, HP, Compaq, and Toshiba are available at low prices. There is also an advantage of getting the latest models and versions of laptops. Discounts are offered for bulk purchase for educational, military, and charity programs.

Refurbished wholesale laptops are available to retailers for three to five percentage discount per laptop. Retailers also have an option to return the refurbished product for upgrading and maintenance. As a number of laptops are ordered in a single wholesale dealing, transportation charge is saved to a great extent.

Some refurbished wholesale laptops come under the manufacturer warranty itself. This enables the customer to get direct support from the manufacturer. In addition to this warranty, the external firm which does the refurbishing process also grants on site warranty for six to twelve months. An extended warranty period can also be purchased if needed, to support maintenance and parts replacement for a certain time.

Refurbished Laptops provides detailed information on Refurbished Laptops, Cheap Refurbished Laptops, Dell Refurbished Laptops, IBM Refurbished Laptops and more. Refurbished Laptops is affiliated with Used Cheap Laptops.

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Capture Video Into Your Computer

Writen by Gary Hendricks

You've shot that wonderful video of your daughter's birthday. Now, how can you get it into the computer to do some snazzy editing and perhaps produce a VCD or two? If the video is on that MiniDV or Hi8 tape, how can you possibly move it out of there into the computer? Seems tough. Well, let this article help you.

Analog or Digital?
The first thing you want to do is to determine if your video is in digital format (MiniDV, Digital8, MicroMV, Digital Tapeless, DVD) or analog format (8mm, Hi8, VHS-C). If it is in digital format, which is increasingly popular these days, you will need to transfer the video to the computer using a Firewire card. If it is in analog format, you will need an analog-to-digital conversion device to do the transfer.

Firewire Cards
A Firewire card is the channel through which video from your digital camcorder can enter your computer. A Firewire cable runs from your camcorder DV output port to your computer's DV input port. Due to the extremely fast transfer speeds that Firewire achieves, the digital video will be transferred with almost zero loss in quality. Most computers do not come with Firewire cards - if you are lo
ing for one, I'd highly recommend the Belkin FireWire card which retails for less than $35 online.

If you want to find out what factors to consider when purchasing a quality Firewire card, you can check out my article on choosing the best Firewire card.

Analog-to-Digital Conversion Devices
An analog-to-digital conversion device converts video from analog format to digital format. These type of device is well suited for the following video editing scenarios:

• You have video shot by an analog camcorder and wish to convert it into a digital format.
• You have some old VHS tapes which are growing dusty and you wish to convert them into a digital format.

If you are in either of the above scenarios, I highly recommend you get an analog-to-digital conversion device to help with the time consuming work. One product that I've had excellent experience with is the USB Instant DVD from ADS Technologies.

This is is a neat little device that has ports to allow analog video input from your analog camcorder or VCR. It outputs the converted digital video via a USB cable into your computer's USB port. You will definitely want to check out my full review of USB Instant DVD.

Conclusion
Well, I hope this article has given you some insight into the process of capturing video into your computer. The main point is to always remember what video format you're dealing with. If it's digital, go with Firewire and if it's analog, use an analog-to-digital video conversion device.

Gary Hendricks runs a hobby site on digital videography. Visit his website at http://www.desktop-video-guide.com for tips and tricks on buying digital camcorders, as well as shooting and editing great videos.

Network Wiring Standards

Writen by Dean Novosat

There are two wiring standards for network cabling. T568A and T568B are the two standards for the RJ-45 or 8-position modular connector, permitted under the TIA/EIA-568-A wiring standards document. The only difference between T568A and T568B (also known as Weco, AT&T 258A) is that the orange and green wire pairs (pairs two and three) are interchanged. How to decide which wiring pattern to use:

1. Does the job specification call out a wiring pattern?

2. Does the customer/end user have a preference for T568A or T568B?

3. Have patch panels already been purchased for the job? If so, they will probably be either T568A or T568B. The jacks should be wired to the same pattern as the panels.

4. Are you adding on to an existing wiring plant? If so, your new wiring should match the existing wiring.

If none of the factors above apply, either T568A or T568B may be used. It is important to ensure that the workstation connectors and the patch panels are wired to the same pattern. T568B is commonly used in commercial installations, while T568A is prevalent in residential installations. For these reasons, we almost always use T568B for unspecified installations.

One bonus is that most networking equipment presently on the market have wiring diagrams for either T568A or T568B. Since the difference is only the switching of two pairs of wires, it is easy enough for manufacturers to print both standards on their hardware. For example, a patch panel that is labeled for T568A/T568B will usually have the color-coded wiring diagrams above and below the actual punchdown. One will typically be labeled T568A and the other T568B. This type of hardware is preferred by installers due to its flexibility.

Dean Novosat is computer expert and network engineer. He is the author of including How to Wire Networks for Profit. He has several websites including http://www.YourOwnNetwork.com and http://www.sageadviceltd.com.

What Is Optical Disk

Writen by Park Oskar

OPTICAL DISK
Optical disk is an electronic data storage medium from which data is read and written to by using a low-powered laser beam. It is flat, circular, plastic or glass disk on which data is stored in the form of light and dark pits. The laser beam reads the pits and the data can be accessed. There are three basic types of optical disks:

• Read-only optical disks: The optical disks, which are recorded at the time of manufacture and cannot be erased. CD, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and DVD-Video are the read-only disks.

• WORM: WORM stands for write-once, read many. The optical disks that can be recorded by the user only once but cannot be erased. After they have been recorded once, they behave like a read-only optical disk CD-R, DVD-R, and WORM disks are write-once.

• Rewritable/Magneto-optic disks: The optical disks that can be erased and written to with the new information. CR-RW, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, and magneto-optic disks and Data play are rewritable. Rewritable disks use magneto-optic or phase change technology.

An optical disk offers many advantages over magnetic storage media.

• Highest storage capacity
• Low cost per Megabyte of storage
• Environmental condition tolerance
• High data stability
• Long media life

An optical disk has much more storage capacity on the order of gigabytes, than a magnetic disk. It can hold up to 6GB of data in comparison to 1.44 MB of a diskette. Optical disks are inexpensive to manufacture. Data stored on optical disks is resistant to power surges or magnetic disturbances, such as head crashes or corruption form stray magnetic fields. Hence, they provide high data stability. Optical disks are less vulnerable to extremes of hot and cold as compared to the magnetic disks. Optical disks have long media life than magnetic disks.

OPTICAL STORAGE DEVICES

CD-ROM

CD-ROM: is an abbreviation of Compact Disc Read-Only Memory. A CD-ROM is a CD that contains computer data, which cannot be read or rewritten. In computers, CDROM is the most commonly used optical storage technology. CD-ROM is a compact disc that contains information, which is accessible by a computer. It is composed of polycarbonate plastic, thin reflective metal layers, made of aluminium and a lacquer coating. Data is stored on the disc as a series of light and dark pits; the light portion refers to the spaces between the pits. A laser beam reads the pits and the data can be accessed.

CD-ROM is an adaptation/EXTENSION of the compact disc that is designed for music storage and playback. The format of CD-ROM is very similar to an audio CD; the only difference being the standards used to store data. A standard 120 mm CD-ROM holds up to 700 MB of data, or about 70 minutes of audio. This may mean that One CD can contain over one thousand novels; an average novel being composed of 60, 000 words. Once the data is written to a standard CD-ROM disc, it cannot be altered or rewritten.

A CD-ROM can be read using a CD-ROM drive, which is almost common on the personal computers. A CD-ROM drive may be connected to the computer in several different ways depending on the type of interface, such as:

• IDE (ATA)
• SCSI
• SATA
• Firewire
• USB

Almost all modern CD-ROM drives can play audio as well as video CDs.

CD-ROM STANDARDS

CD-ROM format provides an outstanding solution to the problem of storing large digital files. Several formats are used for data stored on CD-ROMs. These include Red book standards for audio-CD, White Book and Yellow Book for CD-ROM. An ISO 9960, which defines the standard file system of a CD-ROM is due to be replaced by ISO 13490.

CD-ROM FORMAT

One CD-ROM sector contains 2352 bytes, which is further divided into 98 24-byte frames. A CD-ROM contains a third layer of Reed-Solomon error correction in order to achieve improved error correction and detection.

Mode-1 CD-ROM: It has full three layers of error correction data, which contains 2048 bytes of the available 2352 per sector. Mode-2 CD-ROM: It is mostly used for video files, which contains 2336 user-available bytes per sector.

CD-ROM SPEEDS AND USES

+ Early CD-ROM drives were known as single-speed and could read the data at the speed of 150 KBps.

+ CD-ROM drives can transfer data up to the speed of 7800 KBps

+ CD-ROM can store audio, video, text and program instructions. It is used to store software programs.

DVD-ROM

DVD-ROM: is an abbreviation of Digital Versatile Disc- read only memory. DVD-ROM is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, which includes movies with high video and sound quality. DVD-ROM is a non-volatile optical storage medium similar to CD-ROM, which contains computer data that cannot be erased or rewritten. These DVDs are read-only disks that have storage capacity for 133 minutes of high quality video, in format, and audio full- length feature film. The discs are pressed in a similar fashion as the CDs. The reflective surface is gold or silver colored.

DVD-ROM can be accessed using a DVD-ROM drive attached to the personal computer. DVD-ROM drives are backward compatible, i.e. they are also capable of reading CD-ROMs and audio CDs as well. The DVD-ROM supports disks with capacities of 4.7 GB to 17 GB and access rates of 600 KBps to 1.3 MBps. A standard DVD disc store up to 9.4 GB of data. DVD-ROMs are of same size as a compact disc, but holds data about 7 times more. DVD can store that much of data because both the sides of a disc are used, with sophisticated data compression technologies.

DVD-ROM is a variation of CD-ROM that is being used in place of CD-ROMs in many personal computers. All DVD-ROMs contain a file system, UDF, which is an extension of the ISO 9660 Standard used for data CDs.

CD-RW

CD-RW is an abbreviation of compact disc-rewritable. It is a recordable CD format that can be erased and rerecorded multiple times, just like a floppy disk or a hard disk. It is a rewritable version of CD-ROM. CD-RW disc is round plastic, about 5 inches in diameter. CD-RW disks can be played or recorded in the CD-RW drive only. These disks behave unusable when put in a regular CD-drive or a CD-R drive cannot be played. A CD-RW drive can read everything except a DVD.

A CD-RW can hold 650 Megabytes of data (unlimited number of times) written by a CD-RW drive. CD-RW cannot be selectively overwritten but can be extended. CD-RWs must be closed before they can be read in a normal CD-ROM drive. CD-RW disks cannot be read using a CD-ROM drive built before 1997. CD-RWs can be randomly read and written because of the variation of UDF format. CD-RW disks and drives are more expensive than a regular CD-ROM drive or media. A CD-RW disc can be read optically by laser light.

DVD-RW

DVD-RW: stands for Digital Versatile Disk-Rewritable. It is a re-recordable optical disc, which can record up to 4.7 GB per side in a similar fashion to a CD-RW. DVD-RW supports sequential read/write access i.e. the device may need to wait for the correct location in a constantly revolving medium. The information stored on DVD-RW can be erased and rerecorded over multiple times without damaging the medium.

DVD-RW is a phase-change erasable format based on DVD-R, using similar mark length, track pitch and rotation control. The format is supported by the DVD Forum. DVD-RW is also called "DVD Dash RW" and "DVD Minus RW".

DVD-RW can be played in many DVD drives and players. Depending on quality, recording time varies from 1 hour to 6 hours.

If these optical disk gets damaged then the stored data becomes in accessible, these lost or damaged data can be recovered by usinig Stellar Phoenix CD Data Recovery Software

About Authur Park Oskar a free lancer writer for http://www.stellarinfo.com, a leading provider of data recovery software & Services provider. Download recovery software Demo to recover lost, deleted or corrupted digital data.

Flat Panel Monitors One Less Worry In Your Hectic Life

Writen by Ellis Pullman

Technology by and large has made life easier for us and more productive in the workplace. However for many who are not technologically inclined it could be annoying to have to deal with the almost daily things that can go wrong with your technologies.

When it comes to flat panel monitors, though it doesn't reduce all your worries, it does untangle you from many that you probably experience from one time or another from your cathode ray tube monitors.

Here are some things you don't need to worry about with a flat panel monitor. Keep in mind that this is by no means a comprehensive list and you can probably add your own pros and cons to the list if you wished:

1. Focus

2. Convergence

3. Magnetic Fields

4. Burn-In

5. Excessive Power Usage

6. Heaviness and Being a Space Hog

7. May contain integrated TV tuner or has built-in features to output audio/video without the use of special (and additional expense inducing) accessories.

So think of it this way, by investing in a flat panel monitor you aren't only getting more bang for your buck vis a vis cathode ray tube monitors, you also get a lower frequency of headache inducing technological issues that plague your life on a daily basis. Isn't it time for change? That's a rhetorical question, of course.

Flat panel televisions associated packages and services are available at our website.

http://www.flatpanelmonitorzone.com

Mail Servers

Writen by Marcus Peterson

Perhaps you have a business with offices in several locations, or maybe your family members are spread across the world. How do you keep in touch without running up huge telephone bills? E-mail is the answer. It's hardly surprising that e-mail has become the most popular service on the Internet.

Electronic mail or e-mail for short refers to the composition, transmission and receipt of communication using electronic communication systems as the medium. E-mail was first used in 1965 as a method of communication between multiple users of a time-sharing mainframe computer. Developed in the late 1960s, the ARPANET computer network is believed to have made a significant contribution to the development of e-mail. In 1971, Ray Tomlinson initiated the use of the @ symbol to separate the name of the user and their network.

A letter you post is first picked up by the postal van and sent to the central sorting office. From here all letters are sent to the cities specified in the addresses. Letters received in each city is then sorted according to individual areas in the city and then distributed. Similarly all the e-mails you send first travel to the Mail Server of your Internet Server Provider. From here they are sorted and travel over the Internet to the Mail Server of the service provider at the destination. Here they are stored in an electronic mailbox. When your friend logs on to the Internet his e-mail application, such as Microsoft Outlook or Eudora, then downloads the e-mails sent by you from his mailbox to his computer.

The whole process can take place in seconds, allowing you to communicate quickly with people at any time of the day. To receive e-mail, it is necessary to have an account on a mail server. This is like having a physical address where you receive letters. The advantage you have over postal mail is that you can retrieve your messages from any computer at any location by simply accessing your mailbox using an e-mail client. Most of the mail servers are designed to operate without the need of any human intervention. They receive messages, store them, process them, and transfer them.

Nowadays, web based e-mail has become completely intertwined with business and personal communication. Using web based e-mail, you can access and send messages from anywhere in the world at any time of day.

Mail Servers provides detailed information on Mail Servers, Free Web Mail Servers, Linux Mail Servers, Email Servers and more. Mail Servers is affiliated with DVD RAM.

Discount Refurbished Laptops

Writen by Jimmy Sturo

Refurbished laptop computers are a bargain compared to new laptops since they allow buyers to save up to 60% off the retail price and still get the same quality. Refurbished laptop computers are generally used with the manufacturers original standards. Mobile computing has been made a lot easier and more affordable with refurbished laptop computers. These refurbished notebook computers contain the latest technology.

Some top brands are the IBM ThinkPad, Dell Latitude, Compaq Presario, and HP Omnibook. They are faster, store more memory, and have the latest applications. Some of the manufacturers also offer an optional two-year extended Warranty.

A new notebook computer becomes a used, or refurbished laptop computer, if the customers purchase new notebook at top price, gets it home and realizes they don't need it or don't want it and return it to the store within 30 to 90 days. The returned laptop computer is then sent to the original manufacturer and is put through a strict inspection and any defects are repaired to assure the laptop is reconditioned to like-new condition. IBM, Dell, Compaq, and HP do not sell new or refurbished laptop computers unless they meet their standards because each company's reputation depends on it. Hence, refurbished laptop computers are trustworthy as well as being cost effective.

Refurbished laptops are a good value as with refurbished laptops and refurbished notebooks the customer gets upgraded models with faster speeds, more memory, and more features at a discounted price. Also, reconditioned or remanufactured laptops and notebooks will often have a manufacturers warranty, though some do not have that option. Some manufacturers offer a two-year extended warranty in many cases.

Discount Laptops provides detailed information about discount laptops, discount laptop batteries, and more. Discount Laptops is affiliated with Live Spy Cam.

Does Size Really Matter In Our Digital Age

Writen by Robert Hartness

Well, we've all seen the advert, but that's not what I want to talk about, so get that out of your head straight away. No, let's think about what many call the "Queen of Arts" - namely painting.

Have you ever wandered around a huge Art Gallery and marvelled at the works by Tintoretto, Raphael, Constable or any master painter who has produced huge canvasses? Then again, we have many fine examples of beautiful artwork in cameos and miniatures. In fact, in all sizes between these two extremes the evidence of creative genius can be found down through the ages.

However, it's patently obvious that the correlation between size and creative genius is poor. Mere size on the premise, "never mind the quality feel the width" is not the prime element of a masterpiece. Yes we are fascinated by the Sistine Chapel, for example, by the sheer scale of the paintings, but it's the genius of the painter that draws the eye. It's also true though that the artist tugs at our heartstrings by the wealth of detail that working in a large format permits.

In the same way, large format and medium format cameras have traditionally been the working tools of professional photographers for many, many years. In a previous article, I suggested that there would always be room for film, especially for users of the larger formats.

Now, we get to the nub of the matter, because in digital parlance, the wealth of detail evident in the larger formats is expressed as the size of the file. Unlike physical dimensions which cannot be changed once the work has been committed to the recording medium, be it film or indeed canvas size, the digital file is not so restricted.

Of course, when image size is changed from the original during, say, image compression, there is generally a loss in quality e.g. jpeg Even the use of a lossless transformation doesn't add anything to the image, it merely preserves what's there.

However, there is a revolutionary item of image manipulation software that does totally "change the picture" It comes as a Photoshop plug-in with Photoshop 6.0 or higher and it's called "Genuine Fractals" and here is what the originators claim,

"It's an indispensable tool for photographers, graphic artists and digital imaging professionals, Genuine Fractals enables you to create resolution-independent images from any size file and lets you print superior quality enlargements without any degradation in image quality"

By saving your digital image with this package as a very small stn file, you can create lossless files of up to 70Mb and beyond. After saving and re-opening this file in Photoshop, Genuine Fractal kicks in and you can easily produce files of a specified size

I was stunned by this software and began to wonder what the impact might be for both digital photographers and medium/large format professionals. Of course, as already stated, this increased size does NOT put extra information into the shot. There again, neither does making a 67 dupe of a 35mm slide improve image quality and many photographers still do that when submitting to libraries.

Digital photographers may get even more benefits by beefing up the file size using Genuine Fractals, before printing out enlargements. This could be very useful for Wedding Photographers who want the convenience of using a digital camera, but are unhappy about the quality of enlargements often requested. Using Genuine Fractals may save time effort and money by eliminating the need for a film backup camera.

On the other hand, it may be that Genuine Fractals may produce the best result with photos captured from film and then scanned, because noise in the original image is not removed when enlarged, in fact it will be more obvious. This means that mid-range digital camera shots are likely to fare worse on enlargment than film shots captured with 10 million pixels+

With a new version Genuine Fractals 3.5 just released, it could be worth a test and could be a worthwhile investment too. So, if you want to explore this a little more, get a copy of Amateur Photographer for 23 October 2004 and read their review of this exciting software.

You can get a free test copy of the software itself from this link: http://www.dcp-systems.co.uk

Why bother with a medium format camera if 35mm caressed by this Software will do instead? Oh I know I'll get lectures from purists for even suggesting something so daft, given superior lenses and better optics, but for some people that may be just overkill. If this article has opened up the possibility of a better working method for some freelances, that's all that matters.

So don't please run around telling your mates that size does not matter and that I've assigned medium format cameras to the dustbin of history. No, I'm just shining the spotlight on that funny old coin digital/film and giving it a flick in the air. Who knows how it will land? At least I've got a 50-50 chance of being right!

About The Author

One of a series of articles by Robert Hartness, successful freelance and author of an hotlinked, flip-over, e-book, published on the web in October 2004. It offers a step-by-step guide to those on the threshold of freelance photography and is illustrated with 40+ published photographs. Acclaimed as a great reference source for serious freelancers. More information and order link - http://www.cashfromyourcamera.com Press Release: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/10/prweb168698.php

With So Many Barcode Printing Technologies Which One Is Right For My Business

Writen by Vaughn Balchunas

First of all, it is not necessary to have a dedicated barcode printer. Any printer that can print labels will print barcode labels with the right software. But, in almost every serious business situation having a dedicated printer makes sense.

Dedicated barcode printers are designed to work with barcode software applications and with many types of barcode media. They do an excellent job of printing accurate labels which at first glance may not seem like much. But, consider that the barcode is an intricate pattern that must meet exacting specifications in order for barcode readers to understand the code. Most shared document printers are not designed to meet these specifications. Yes, you can make a document printer work, but the time and cost in all but the simplest business situations is prohibitive.

Barcode printers can be segmented into three main categories based on their intended environment. They include:

1. Small offices where cost effectiveness is important and speed is not an essential requirement. These are the least costly if you are not printing labels often.

2. Industrial applications such as hospitals and industry where reliability and durability are critical. These printers have the most flexibility when it comes to speed, label quantity, and type of media. They are constructed to work in harsher environments than the average office.

3. Portable barcode printers where your needs are to print receipts at a customer site, prescriptions, or other types of forms. These portable printers sometimes use wireless connectivity, especially when used for credit card processing applications. A few of the more popular models work with portable Palm devices.

Most barcode printers use thermal direct or thermal transfer. In most cases, you want to use thermal transfer because thermal direct paper is sensitive to light and will deteriorate in a few days. It is used mainly for mail labels. The thermal transfer process uses a ribbon that is poked with a hot pin to transfer the ink to the label, making a very reliable label.

Many dedicated barcode printers come with WYSIWYG label design and printing software. For some, this is the best way to start. But you need to do a full evaluation of your needs to make sure you are getting what you need.

If you have a bigger organization you will probably need a professional label design software solution that works with many types of printers and computers, and integrates well with your other applications.

You also need to consider if you want to print barcode fonts, or bitmaps. Which you decide upon will determine what kind of software you buy; the interfacing requirements would follow. The decision as to font or graphic is based on quality and flexibility. Good quality barcode fonts give you the best print quality, flexibility and control. They are easy to use, faster to print, and produce higher quality printed images. They also give you flexibility in heterogeneous computing environments. But, they may not be suitable for your situation if you are designing or printing barcode labels using a web application or browser. This is because the fonts have to be located on the local computer. However, solutions to this problem do exist.

In the end, putting together a bar coding system is relatively easy, but it does require careful planning. We recommend having a barcode coordinator and process in place to document all your barcode processes so others can step in. The coordinator will determine the requirements, analyze, design, and implement the barcode system. This is a fulltime effort that obviously requires a dedicated person or small team, depending on the complexity of the transition.

Vaughn Balchunas writes about technology in business, with emphasis on business processes, automation, and automated data collection. You can read more about the different types of bar codes and wireless barcode printers available for your business at http://barcodegeek.com