Computers and Technology Articles

You might think that those Mac users get all the good luck with the iPod and being able to burn or copy DVD’s to the iPod to watch. However, us Windows users (mac’rs quit laughing!) can now do the same thing!

There are a few steps to accomplish ripping and burning a DVD to an iPod for a Windows user, so I am not going to go into detail about each program you need, but point you in the right direction.

Disclaimer: It is unlawful to copy or burn DVD’s that you don’t own to your iPod.

Get a good Ripper

You will need to get a good DVD ripping program to use. Visit Doom9.net and scroll down to the Descrambling / Ripping tools section. You can download and use the DVDFab Decrypter or DVD Decrypter.

Both of these should be fairly self explanatory or check the help files with them.

Convert to AVI

Next, you’ll want to convert your video to the AVI format using a decoding tool. Also on the Doom9.net site, look for the Decoders section. There are three decoders to use. I personally like the DVDx 2.2, but you can try them out and see what you like.

Convert your AVI to mpeg-4

Now is the final step in burning your DVD to your ipod for Windows users.

You need to visit the Videora site and download the Videora iPod Converter software. This will allow you to convert your AVI file created from the last step and put it into the mpeg-4 format that your iPod needs to play correctly.

That’s it!

It is relatively simple to accomplish, just a few steps and a little time to convert your DVD over to an iPod friendly download. Hope you enjoy!

You can find the Doom9.net site here: Doom9.net

You can find the Videora iPod Converter here: Videora iPod Converter

There are virtually no limits to what you can learn from cell phone applications. Mobile learning can reach all fields of study and you can use your cell phone to get new facts about business, culture, social issues, education, entertainment and more. Modern cell phones offer larger displays, which are more suitable for mobile learning. You can also see graphics and visual support implemented in some of the learning applications you can use on your cell phone.

Traditional learning Vs. Mobile learning

Learning something from a small cell phone screen is different than reading a book or browsing through an online learning application. And although most people would prefer the traditional way of learning when the conditions are appropriate, mobile learning has the great advantage of accompanying you everywhere. For various reasons including limited battery life, mobile learning is not a process that occupies contiguous hours of time. Assimilating information from an application installed on your cell phone is a process consisting of several short bursts of information intake, rather than a continuous study.

Mobile learning benefits and weak points

Although limited by screen size, the cell phone keypad and shorter battery life, mobile learning still presents users with a series of benefits that canÂ’t be ignored. Mobility is essential in todayÂ’s fast paced world, and mobile learning applications are perfect for such situations. User interactivity levels are also high (please visit www.gotestgo.com for more information) and this makes the learning process more involving and thus it allows for easier information assimilation. Mobile learning applications give cell phones a whole new dimension and take learning at a new level of interaction and accessibility.

Headsets have become an integral part of the computer. They are useful while chatting, for voice recognition, listening to music and gaming. Looks and the price are generally the only things considered while buying a headset. But most people do not realize that there are other aspects to a computer headset than just the basic functionality.

Use of computers in offices has become the norm, and this has increased the need for the right kind of equipment to accompany those computers. VoIP applications and video conferencing are two applications, which can be enhanced by the use of superior quality headsets. Use of headsets reduces neck, back and should strain considerably resulting in fewer workers’ compensation claims and increasing productivity.

There are two kinds of computer headset connections: analog and digital. Computer headsets that use the USB (Universal Serial Bus) technology are currently much in demand. USB technology is more advanced than the sound card. providing very good digital sound quality.

Aspects to be taken into account when buying a computer headset are: the external noise level; the cost of the headset and possible parts and repair costs and warranties, the brand, the product range available. Whether you need corded or wireless, the kind of ear piece (monaural/ binaural), the kind of phone or computer connection used with the headset (Bluetooth, USB, 3.5mm/ Analog), the compatibility (to music), the kind of computer usage (VoIP, Computer Gaming), the range of bass/treble, the power of the speakers, sound quality, durability and comfort.

The basic aspects to be considered while buying a computer headset are: is it comfortable? Does it stay securely in place for long hours? Is the microphone flexible and unobtrusive? Is the cord long enough for easy movement? Are the volume and other controls easily accessible? Is the sound quality on both the lines clear? Etc.

The leading manufacturers of headsets are Plantronics, GN Netcom, Headsets.com, Sennheiser, Jabra, and Sony. Headsets are also very inexpensive, depending on the kind of model. A good decent pair of headphones would cost around $10 though an extremely advanced model with all the works may go up to $150-$200 or beyond. The Internet is a good source for locating the ideal headset. There are several web sites that provide comprehensive information about the wide range of headsets available in the market today.

Point of sales is the point where the actual sales of the firm take place. It is the point where the buyer gives the money for the goods purchased and then takes the possession of the goods. The point of sales software is helpful in this aspect of the business that is recording the sales in the books of the company. Thus, this software helps us in determining the trading profit of the company. Since most of the companiesÂ’ records are computerized, this software plays an important role in the functioning of the company. As such, the accounts of the company are considered as secured from the point of view of the sales made.

The point of sales software is installed generally in the companies that have big shopping centers as well as the malls. As such, this software is mainly useful for the companies who have many points of sale of their product and recording the sales from the different points becomes difficult. This software helps these companies by recording the sales properly and avoiding the frauds. Thus, the companies can feel secured about their products and it can trust its employees. As such, the people behind the management of the company can heave a sigh of relief.

The providers of the point of sales software provide the software at a very high cost. The cost is so high that the small retailers and wholesalers are not able to afford the purchase and installation of the software. This proves to be a very big problem for the managers of the small firms and they themselves have to keep a check on the sales of the firm. As such, this becomes a very tedious work for the manager, as he has to manage everything in the business. In this competitive world, such management becomes very difficult and not all managers are able to survive in it.

The point of sales software is installed in such a way that the products provided by the company and the products in the software are connected. The prices of the product have to be updated regularly so that no discrepancy can be made during the sales. As such, the products and software are connected with a unique code. Also in some malls, sensors are also installed such that all the products are properly placed at their right place. Any effort made to move the products from its place to any unauthorized place directly comes in the notice of the security of the mall and the culprit can be caught easily.

The point of sales software is provided in the most advanced form to most of the developed countries as they have the capacity to pay more for the software. As such the developing as well as the under developed countries do not have the advantage to get the advanced software.

Issues with spyware

1. It brings the speed of your computer to a crashing halt.

Spyware is a software that is running in the background of your computer out of your sight. This extra program may cause your computer to slow. Additionally, because spyware may install other software onto your computer, you could have multiple programs running without your knowledge, thus slowing down your computer speed.

2. Your internet service provider may shut you down

Spyware may use your computer for illegal spam operations. If an ISP provider spots this, they may shut you down so that they don’t face legal consequences. This could cost you to lose your internet service.

3. Internet Explorer is vulnerable

Microsoft Internet Explorer is regarded as the most vulnerable to spyware attacks. Many spyware packages exploit vulnerabilities in IE’s system to install spyware on your computer. Another web browser like Firefox would be better for protecting your computer.

4. There are fake anti-spyware programs

A number of websites online offer spyware protection software, but are in fact fake and may install more spyware on your computer. It is best to purchase anti-spyware software through a reputable third party like Best Buy or Circuit City, rather than buying directly from a company online.

5, Spyware has other names

Some sites are leery of using the term ’spyware’ for fear of being sued for defamation. If you see a website describing a product as ‘potentially unwanted software’ or ‘greyware’ these are other names for spyware.

6. There is no cure

If your computer becomes too infected with spyware, the only solution may be to back-up all the useful information on your computer and completely re-format it. That is why prevention of spyware is so important.

PC’s have internal real time clocks designed to maintain system time. The internal clocks rely on relatively low-cost crystal oscillators, which are notoriously inaccurate. In many cases PC system time can drift by several minutes each day. This article describes various methods of maintaining a highly accurate time on your PC. It describes how to utilise Internet time references, radio and GPS clocks and dedicated NTP server systems.

Internet Time References

The Internet utilises the Network Time Protocol to distribute accurate time information to network time clients. NTP has been an important part of the Internet for over 25 years. The protocol was born through the need to provide synchronisation of time critical processes across the Internet.

Most modern operating systems, including Windows XP, 2003 and LINUX have the ability to synchronise time with a NTP Server. There are a host of Internet based NTP Servers with public access that can be used to synchronise your PC. Below is a list of popular Internet based public access NTP Server references:

time.nist.gov - US based time reference

ptbtime1.ptb.de - German time reference

ntp.my-inbox.co.uk - UK time reference

canon.inria.fr - French time reference

clock.isc.org - Canadian time reference

Windows XP has pre-installed SNTP client software that can synchronise time with a NTP server. This is achieved by simply entering the domain name of an Internet NTP Server in the time properties tab. The host computer will then periodically contact the NTP Server and synchronise the system time to the specified reference.

LINUX and UNIX systems have the NTP software distribution available from the NTP website, ntp.org. The NTP application runs as a daemon, constantly monitoring specified NTP servers. The application reads a list of NTP servers from a configuration file, ‘ntp.conf’, and periodically synchronises time. A list of NTP server references is specified with the ‘server’ configuration command thus:

server time-a.nist.gov # NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland NTP server

server time-c.timefreq.bldrdoc.gov # NIST, Boulder, Colorado NTP server

Once configured, the NTP daemon can be started, stopped and restarted using the commands: ‘ntpd start’; ‘ntpd stop’ and ‘ntpd restart’.

Radio and GPS Clock Timing References

There are many commercially available radio and GPS clock timing references for PC’s. Radio and GPS clocks obtain accurate time from national radio timing references or from the GPS system. The devices have serial or USB interfaces and provide an accurate timing reference to PC’s. Driver software periodically synchronises the system time of the host computer to the received reference time. Often reference clock drivers are available that interface to the NTP application software to provide your own dedicated NTP server.

Radio time receivers often have the advantage of having the ability to obtain a good signal, indoors, close to the host computer. However, the signal can only be received locally to the transmitter. There are a number of radio time broadcasts available: MSF transmitted from Rugby, UK; DCF-77 transmitted from Frankfurt, Germany; WWVB transmitted from Colorado, USA; CHU, Canada and TDF, France. GPS has the advantage of providing a global time and frequency solution; however, an externally located antenna is required which can be impractical.

Dedicated NTP Servers

NTP servers are dedicated time servers that obtain time from an external source, such as radio or GPS, and provide a network with an accurate timing reference. NTP servers are generally rack-mountable devices with an external antenna and an Ethernet connection. The devices obtain time from a radio or GPS timing reference and maintain an accurate internal time. The accurate time is then distributed to network time clients over an IP network. Dedicated NTP servers often minimize the set-up and configuration effort required to get a NTP server installation up and running.

With a huge variety of laptop computer bags, how do you go about choosing the one that is right for you? You need to first consider a few things before hand.

Firstly, what style are you looking for? There are plenty of styles for laptops; briefcases, backpacks, bags that can hold a wide variety of accessories and even bags that will just hold your laptop. Choosing a style is something that will be very important, if you travel to work by train and know that you can’t carry a laptop with your fingers think of buying a case with a shoulder strap. When thinking about style you also want to think about the material you would prefer as well. You can go for the cheaper computer bags and buy a ballistic nylon bag or you may consider buying something a bit more stylish and go for a nice leather case for your laptop. When you decide which type of material and the type of case you are looking for then you need to take the next thing into consideration when buying your laptop.

Take it with you!

A really obvious point here, but you would be surprised by how many people don’t take their laptop with them and end up having to buy a case without knowing the dimensions or the weight of the laptop. Yes, some cases are specific to screen size (you can go in and buy a case for a 17 inch laptop) but sometimes these may not be the best option because without taking your laptop you don’t know if you are able to fit in all your accessories. By taking your laptop to the store you have the ability to find a bag that has enough space for a charger, an extra battery and a book or two. This way you are able to make sure that your case isn’t too heavy or looking like a mess. Even if you forget your laptop one thing you need to remember when buying a case is to buy one with padding. No padding can lead to a lot of damage.

Choosing a laptop bag isn’t simple, you can’t just buy any bag you feel like buying. You need to take things into consideration before you go out and buy it. Keep these guidelines in mind next time you shop (don’t forget your laptop!)

As you can see, choosing from any available laptop computer bag is not as simple as picking the first bag you see and leaving. There are things that you should not do without. Keep these guidelines in mind before you shop.

A Game controller is an input device that is used to control video games.

They are connected to either a video game console or a computer and is installed to govern the movements or the actions of an entity in the game. The example of a game controller is not confined to joysticks but even keyboard and mouse can serve the purpose of being a game controller.

There are various types of game controller available in the electronic hardware market. Some of the most common ones are game pad, paddle, joysticks, steering wheel for driving games, light gun for shooting games, motion sensing and others. Some devices, such as keyboards and mice, are actually generic input devices and their use is not strictly limited to that of a game controller.

Due to the technological advancements in the electronic markets, these game controllers have become obsolete, thus forcing the game controller manufacturers to bring some more effective and convenient game controlling devices in the markets. A Wii video game console that allows one to enjoy any game directly using their hands on the screen. This device unifies a new ZCam, a 3D camera that plugs directly into a PC. The Zcam works by emitting short infrared rays pulses and then measure the reflection of the objects. The sophisticated software algorithms present do the job or interpreting these reflections in a manner that the system is capable of judging distance and secernate between various objects and also someone’s hands.

Due to the fact that it is entirely dependent on reflection of the light from the camera, it does require ambient light to work, thus allowing the camera to work effeciently in a dark room as well. This technology has the ability to be autonomously applied to existing software. This software can key on in the hands of the gamer, even between the fingers and can run various applications based on what that person does with their head, hands, fingers, or torso.

This software has its focus for now on video games and how the ZCam technology could make a dent in the traditional interface market.

This product is very much similar to Sony’s eye toy, but the eye toy works in 2D only, therefore limiting their effectiveness for games like boxing only. The limitation of 2D is that it only can detect motion when it’s to the side. It cannot detect motion when the background is yourself.” With the benefit of applications beyond the video game, this technologically advanced product can be applied to one’s existing product.Following the footsteps of Nintendo’s motion-sensitive Wiimote controller for its Wii video game console, that became a success all over the world, this Zcam 3D camera also aims to move the technology genre forward even further.

The CCNA certification (Cisco Certified Network Associate) is an entry-level networking certification. After completing candidates should be able to productively carry out any number of essential networking, upholding and troubleshooting duties such as installing, configuring and operating LAN, WAN and dial access services for small networks. You should also be able to have good working knowledge of protocols such as IP, IGRP, Serial, Frame Relay, IP RIP, VLAN’s, Ethernet and Access Lists.

There are no prerequisites to CCNA, but it should be treated as an intermediate certification. Those who have no prior knowledge about networking should lay their foundation by taking CompTIA Network. CCNA certification is itself a prerequisite to CCNP, CCSP and the CCIE.

Higher salary more responsibility:

Higher salary everyone’s dream come true, but you would need to be committed and dedicated to your work. The responsibilities you received will be doubled and you need to work twice as hard in less amount of time. There also will be budget constraints. Luckily your certifications would have trained and oiled you well. The personal satisfaction you feel after you have completed your tasks and the look of approval on your employers face will be priceless. The clients and colleagues will now look up to you as one of their favorites in the company.

Recognition and skill and knowledge:

After receiving such recognition your confidence will take you to better future and prospects. The experience you gain after the certification will enhance and to keep climbing the ladder of success you would continuously want to take related certifications. Your skill and knowledge will vastly improve and maintaining a steadfast relationship with your work and certifications would be your top priority.

Our Experts and professionals agree certification should be main concern for every IT personnel because without it your foundation would be quite frail and you wouldn’t be able to quite stand up your career.

Since Adobe Systems introduced the PDF format in 1993 it has rapidly become the number one universal document format on the internet. Not without any reasons, as there is a growing demand for such a universal format to allow people to share their ideas and work digitally on the internet. The number of different software programs keeps on growing and growing, from fantastic organizers, spreadsheet programs, to photo editing software: they all tend to make our lives easier, but often forget one major point: the ability to allow the user to share his/her work! The so called web 2.0 is already a fact, and the internet is becoming a place of creating and sharing your own ideas and work.

The popular PDF format solved this problem by introducing itself as a system-wide universal format: almost anyone on any computer system is able to open a PDF file these days. People have clearly discovered some advantages of PDF files, but yet only a few are actively creating PDF files themselves. So why should you consider creating your own PDF documents? I present you the top 10 advantages of this widely popular format:

• 1. Compatible Across platforms

From Windows, Mac, Linux, to even modern mobile phones and PDAÂ’s: PDF files can be opened on basically any system! You donÂ’t have to worry about your co-workers, students, family, or whomever youÂ’re sharing your work with, not being able to open your files.

• 2. Compact & Small

When you convert an existing document to a PDF file, it will automatically be highly optimized making it much smaller in size without losing any quality. Note that you can often also combine and merge multiple documents into one single PDF: spreadsheets, word documents, photos, etc..: you can join them all together into a single PDF File!

• 3. Can be created from any source document/application

The powerful technology behind the PDF format allows you to convert almost any document, from any application to a PDF file. With a decent PDF Creator your PDF file will just look like you printed your file on high quality paper.

• 4. Securable, avoid people from modifying & redistributing your work

Protect your PDF File, and prevent users from printing, duplicating or even opening your work. The encrypted protection makes it possible to share your work, without having to worry about various doom scenarios.

• 5. Secure, almost no chance of getting infected with viruses.

ThereÂ’s almost no chance of a PDF file getting infected with something like a virus or trojan, which makes it a safe and trusted way of sharing your work.

• 6. Easy and quick to create when using the right software

YouÂ’ll find a ton of different pdf conversion programs on the internet, one looking even more fancier than the other, with prices varying from $30 to $4000. Most of them are pretty easy to use though, and youÂ’ll usually be able to convert your documents to PDF in a few simple clicks. Choosing a good software solution is another story, but you can find some advice at my other PDF Creator article.

• 7. Software to view PDF Files is completely free

Software like Acrobat Reader to open PDF Files can be downloaded for free, and is already installed on most computers. Often it will be installed in combinations with other software you bought on CD-Rom. (A lot of companies deliver their documentation as PDF files.)

• 8. Viewable within most web-browsers

YouÂ’re simply able to open and view PDF files in your favorite web-browser. You can simply click a link whenever someone links to a PDF file on a website, and the file will be opened automatically.

• 9. PDF Files meet legal document requirements.

A document must be kept in a format that canÂ’t be changed or altered without leaving any footprints, if you want it to be admissible in a court of law. A created PDF file canÂ’t be altered, and usually meets these legal requirements. (Contact a legal advisor for more info.)

• 10. Compatible with modern portable reader systems

This is a whole new but powerful phenomenon: various companies like Sony are working on digitally paper pads. These flat panels, not much larger than a regular book, allow you to upload your PDF files to the device, so you can read through the information like a normal book. Sounds like science fiction, but you can already buy these devices for +- $299. Prices are guaranteed to drop the coming years, and itÂ’s a great way to save literally heaps of paper!