Windows Vista - Which Version Do You Need?

By Robert Bell

After deciding to shift to a Windows Vista OS, you need to decide on which Windows Vista version you should pick. Before you consider shelling out $400 for a Windows Vista Ultimate license, you really should ask yourself exactly what features you need and want so you can decide whether the price is right.

Windows Vista Home Basic

This is the most rudimentary version of Vista available. It has the more secure IE 7, the firewall, the quick search functionality, and easier connectivity. When it comes to the features that distinguish Vista from previous versions of the Windows OS, though, Home Basic is somewhat lacking, though it does offer parental control.

Windows Vista Home Basic is a good choice only if you use your computer solely for web surfing and basic document processing, or if your computer is just barely powerful enough to run Windows Vista.

Windows Vista Home Premium

For an extra $40, you can get much more out of Windows Vista. Aside from including all the features of the Home Basic version, Home Premium offers all of the window-dressing that makes Vista look like Vista. You will have pre-packaged games and Aero interface capability. Aero gives your windows and icons a 3D appearance and smoother transitions, as well as allowing you to add transparency effects to window borders. Home Premium offers tablet PC functionality, document collaboration, and scheduled backups. Home Premium also offers the fully integrated Windows Media Center for all your home entertainment needs, plus a moviemaker which is HD format-capable.

Windows Vista Home Premium is designed for the user who uses the computer for PC and network gaming, since Premium supports DirectX 10, with its advanced graphics technologies incredible graphics rendering. Premium is also designed for watching High Definition movie, editing/making video clips, burning DVD copies, and interfacing with the Xbox 360, which Home Premium edition automatically detects to allow for Video, Audio, and Picture sharing.

Windows Vista Business

Windows Vista Business drops Parental controls, Media Center features, and pre-installed games for obvious reasons. Vista Business does have the rest of the Home Premium features plus support for business applications and business data security (fax, remote desktop connectivity, file encryption, and complete shadow incremental backup). This version of Windows Vista is, as the name implies, strictly for business purposes.

Windows Vista Enterprise

Windows Vista Enterprise adds Microsoft’s BitLocker encryption technology to the feature set found in Windows Vista Business, but this version of Windows is only offered to businesses participating in Microsoft’s Software Assurance program.

Windows Vista Ultimate

This edition has everything that is included in the Home Premium and Business editions. Vista Ultimate also adds Enterprise’s BitLocker encryption technology for the computer’s hard drives, protecting the drives so that only authorized users can boot up the OS or view the files contained in the drives.

Because of its full complement of features, Vista Ultimate is perfect for people who use the PC for fun and business in equal parts, as well as users who want to be protected from data loss and PC theft.


Copyright © 2007 MALIBAL, lLc
About the author:
MALIBAL is the Home of the World's Fastest Laptop! Please, check out these recommendations for the best laptops & notebook computers.
Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

10 Steps To Top 10 Rankings In Google

By Titus Hoskins

Most webmasters go totally "gaga" for top 10 rankings in Google. And for good reason, Google is the most dominant search engine on the net and will deliver the largest amount of traffic.

More importantly, those same webmasters will also inform you, getting top 10 rankings in Google often means your site will prove profitable. Mainly because obtaining targeted traffic is usually your first obstacle in creating a viable online business. In other words, if you get top ten listings in Google for good searchable keywords, it is almost impossible not to earn money.

How To Proceed?

First, you must know the rudimentary basics of how keywords work. Keywords and keyword phrases are the exact words someone types into a search engine to find what they're looking for online. If you have a site on "dog training" then your goal is to get a top 10 ranking for the keywords "dog training".

Now if no one searches for "dog training" it would be a useless keyword, you would get no traffic no matter how perfectly your site is optimized for that keyword.

How Do You Know If A Keyword Is Good?

To find out, you have to do some keyword research on your particular keywords. Many professional online marketers use keyword research software like Brad Callen's Keyword Elite. However, you can also use the keyword suggestion tools supplied by Google Adwords or Overture. Try here:

http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/suggestion/

Now if you check "dog training", you will find it receives around 4,469 searches each day. That's a lot of traffic but you must realize that it may be too good, or rather too competitive for your purposes, especially if have a new site.

Biggest Mistake When Choosing Keywords.

The most common mistake most novice webmasters make is targeting keywords which are too competitive. You simply will not be able to compete or place for extremely competitive keywords. Well established sites and businesses with very deep pockets have the resources to completely dominate those keywords.

While it is not entirely futile nor a waste of time to concentrate your efforts on highly competitive keywords, you will have better success if you target low to medium competitive keywords.

Long Tail Keyword Marketing

Besides online marketers have discovered that longer keyword phrases are usually the most lucrative. These phrases deliver traffic which is better targeted and more likely to convert into a sale. "Dog hunting training" which gets around 100 searches a day will be more targeted than the general term "dog training" and if you have a site devoted to training hunting dogs then this keyword phrase may convert better for you.

Always keep this "Long Tail" keyword strategy in the back of your mind as you implement the following steps to achieve your own Top 10 Rankings in Google.

1. Make A Master Keyword List

Your first step is to make a master list of the keywords you wish to target. Obviously these should be closely related to the theme of your site. Check the keyword competition by seeing how many sites are listed in Google for that keyword. Webmasters also check the Google PageRank of the sites that hold the top 10 positions. If all those sites are PR6 and above it may be hard to get ranked high for your keywords.

2. Choose Related Keywords

Once you have your master list of keywords, find long tail related keywords to target. Again, check out the competition and daily searches made for each chosen keyword.

3. Use Quality Content For Your Keywords

Creating quality content should always be your main goal. Write for actual visitors who will see and read your content. First and foremost you must have good useful content that your visitors will use themselves and recommend to their friends or colleagues. Tie this quality content in with your chosen keywords. Use one keyword phrase per page.

4. Keyword In Domain Name, Title and URLs

Having your keyword in your domain name will score big points from search engines. Plus, each page of content should contain your keywords in the title & meta tags for that page. Most experts also suggest you have your keyword in the URL and use hyphens to separate your keywords. Although the author has gotten good results by using an underscore and htm in URLs.

Example: www.yoursite.com/your_keyword.htm

5. Do On Page Optimization

Keyword ratio is a much discussed topic by SEO experts and many suggest you should have your keyword in the H1 or headline title of your page. Sprinkle your keyword and variations of it throughout your page. Don't over do it but make sure the robot/spiders will clearly discover what your page is about. Many webmasters make sure they include their main keyword in the first and last 25 words on their pages.

6. Use Traffic Modules

One technique that works extremely well in Google is clustering a closely related topic or subject into a distinct separate section on your site. For example, if you have a marketing site, you could create a whole section on article marketing where you would have 50 to 100 keyworded pages all relating to your subject. Writing articles, formatting articles, submitting articles, article software... place a keyword linked menu on each page to connect all your pages together.

Keep in mind, your main objective is to supply quality information to your visitors. One reason Google may favor this type of structure is because they want quality content returned in their SERPs.

7. Try Article Marketing

Article marketing is writing short informative articles on keyword topics related to your sites. You then submit these helpful keyworded articles to ezine directories on the web, when your articles are picked up by related sites you receive quality One-Way links. The higher the quality of your article, the more links you will receive.

Another ranking tactic to use, if you're just starting out your site will probably have a low PR rank and you will find it hard to rank for even modest keywords. That's why it's useful to take advantage of the higher PageRank of the major ezine directories. Your keyworded articles on these high PR sites will get picked up by Google and displayed in the top 10 rankings. Now the displayed URL will be the article directory site but the links in the resource box will be pointing back to your site. Over time this article marketing technique will raise your own site's rankings for those keywords. Simple but effective.

8. Anchor Text And One Way Links

Off page optimization is important in obtaining high rankings in Google. Getting quality One-Way links is very important. Anchor Text simply refers to "the underlined clicked on words" in your links. Most webmasters include their keywords in their anchor text as this tells the search engines exactly what the links are about.

9. Tags, Blogging And Web 2.0

Take advantage of Web 2.0 by using blogs, RSS feeds and the social bookmarking sites like Reddit and Digg. Try AddThis.com for a simple social bookmarking system. At the very least your site should have a blog and RSS feed attached to it as this is an effective way of boosting your keyword rankings.

Tags have become very important for getting higher rankings. Keep in mind, in free blogging software such as WordPress, categories will automatically be seen as tags. Blogger, which is owned by Google, now has a form where you put your keywords (tags) for each post you make.

10. PPC vs Organic Search

Of course, one of the fastest ways to get your links displayed on Google is to pay for them by using Google Adwords. Your ad and links will sit side by side with the organic link results. In Pay Per Click advertising you bid or pay so much per click for your keywords and you only pay when someone clicks your links. But smart marketers also know since you're getting millions of impressions advertising your products, acquiring name recognition and branding through PPC advertising can be a major side-benefit.

However, most webmasters would say that organic links (SERPS) will return better traffic than paid links or advertising. In most cases, this may be true because Google's organic rankings are becoming more respected and more trusted by users. They simply carry more weight with surfers.

This makes it even more beneficial to obtain top 10 rankings for your keywords in Google. Depending on the competitiveness of your chosen keywords reaching the first page listing or even the favored number one spot is well within any webmaster's reach. Just go for it. The rewards are well worth your efforts.


The author is a full-time online marketer who contributes his high rankings in Google as the major source of his online income. For the latest web marketing tools try:
http://www.marketingtoolguide.com
For the latest Internet Marketing Strategies go here:
http://www.bizwaremagic.com

How to Calculate Cost Per Page for Laser and Inkjet Printers

by stalin@submitinme.com


Here's some information on the prices of different laser and inkjet printers, their cost per page and what to expect when planning your budget.

The price of a typical inkjet printer will be between $40 to $150. Photo-printing inkjet printers will start from $200. You will also find a few high-performance inkjet printer models in the $300-$1000 price range. In general, inkjet printers are cheaper than laser printers but as inkjet cartridges need more frequent replacement, laser printers may be less costly in the long run.

Laser printers are often much more expensive to purchase compared to inkjet printers. Monochrome laser printers start at around $200 and may go up to $2000 and color laser printers start at $1000 and may go up to $5500. Workgroup laser printers start at around $400 (for monochrome).
The MFD’s (Multifunction Devices) cost between $100 to $800 and portable laser printer prices vary between $200 to $350.

Most printers do not come with a printer cable that connects the printer to the computer. Include printer cable cost in your budget as well.
One of the major factors to consider when buying a printer is the cost per page as you will regularly need to purchase ink cartridges for your printer. Generally, laser printers’ cost per page is lower than inkjet printers (even with monochrome lasers) as ink cartridges used for inkjet printers need frequent replacement.

Typical cost of ink cartridge replacement for inexpensive inkjet printers varies between $20 to $50 and between $20 to $75 for high-end inkjet printers. So the cost per page will generally be lower with the expensive printers as they hold bigger ink cartridges that do not require frequent replacement. Before you buy a printer, you should calculate the printing cost per page by dividing the ink cartridge price by the yield. Yield is the number of pages that can be printed with one particular inkjet cartridge or toner. For example, if the price of an inkjet cartridge is $33.99 and its yield is 800 pages, then its cost per page will be $33.99/800=$0.042 (4.2 cents per page).

About the Author
This article is prepared by Christy Berger that writes for PrintCountry.com. A lo Laser Printing nger version of this article can be found at Calculating True Cost of Inkjet and Main idea and resources of this article is taken from PrintCountry Recycle Printer Ink Cartridges.
Source: Free Blog Articles

Internet Tips

by B. Bashir

How to Disable and Enable Cookies

If you want to enable and disable the cookies then perform the following actions.

• In the Internet Explorer go to Tools > Internet Options > Security Tab > Click Custom Level.
• Go to the Cookies section.
• To enable: Set "Allow cookie that are stored on your computer" to "Enable" Set "Allow per-session cookies" to "Enable"
To disable: Set "Allow cookie that are stored on your computer" to "Disable" Set "Allow per-session cookies" to "Disable"

How to speed up the loading of HTML pages with images

If you want to increase the image’s loading time then just add the height and width tags in the image tag. e.g. . This can increase the images web pages loading time significantly.

How to find out the location of the website?

If you want to know that where the website is physically located, what’s the associated IP address of the website and what’s the registration information of the website use the following URL.

Domaintools.com and put your web address in it.

It will display all the required information regarding the website.

Tips to avoid Internet Fraud

Some of the known internet scams are jobs scams, charity scams, Nigerian money offers, work-at-home scams, scholarship scams, bogus credit card offers, phishing, get rich scams, fake check scams and investment scams etc. The best way to avoid all these scams is to block all the scams related email addresses and not open any email attachment from unknown source.

Google Operators

Link:domain name

It shows you the incoming links to a webpage

Cache:domain name

It shows the version of the webpage that Google has in its cache

Define:

Define shows the definition of the word that you enter after it define:

Intitle:keyword

If you use this operator then Google will restrict the results to the web pages that has same title as you specified keyword.

Inurl:

If you use this operator then Google will restrict the results with searches that contain the same word in the URL.

Internet Security Tips

According to Antivirus Solutions Company Symantec that every computer, which is connected to internet can be infected in only 20 minutes if no proper security measures have been deployed on that computer. The best tips of being secure on the internet are use an up-to-dated antivirus program, anti spyware program and firewall software. Using updated antivirus program and regularly scanning your computer with it makes you secure while you get connected to internet.

B. Bashir manages Networking Tutorials and regularly writes articles on various topics such as Computer Networking, Introduction To Computer Science Wireless Networking, Computer Hardware, Certifications, How Tos, Computer Buyers Guide and computer tips.
Article Source: Free Articles from http://www.ArticleSphere.com

Website Standards Required for SEO Services in Outsourcing

by Rajeev Guglani

Outsourcing is a good opportunity for the individuals who get this job and also beneficial for the company which indulge in such type of strategy. Outsourcing helps in getting resources or human resources outside the company or even outside the country that company is based on. In SEO outsourcing every company providing the outsource work expects certain standard of websites work to be done to other companies or individuals on the other end.

So the website standards in SEO services outsourcing must include following prospects-

Home page- See if website is organized in a clear fashion which promotes navigation. The users should be able to predict immediately about you and what you offer. The home page should be like an information destination and not a lending page. The home page must provide good impressions that general user click through on its links.

Performance issues - see whether images, videos and pages in website are able to load quickly. There should be clean and precise code in the site. The website must include the search function that should be fast and useful. Do quality assurance testing of how the site looks on different browsers.

Content-The content should be written clearly and influentially. Include the relevant resources like case studies, articles etc in the website content. The content should effectively describe the products, services had its benefits. Content keyword should be focused on users and search engines but do not include keyword stuffing to fool the search engines. These days search engines give preference to content that is written more from user's point of view.

Links and Navigation- Check whether all the links in the website work. See whether all links are clearly marked. The navigation structure should be consistent throughout the website. Determine if the navigation structure links the whole site and provides access to the entire site

Cricitical pages- Define the top level page that describes the client's products and services. There should be an about us page that describes the information about company. Define contact us page that is entirely clear and informative. Define questions and answers page where users can ask questions and answer their own. Define testimonials section. Make a blog for website to update it frequently. Create a social bookmarking button to take advantage of web 2.0 technology.

Usability -see whether the website is well organized and user is easy to find the information in it. Create sitemap that combines all the organizational structure and links to the pages. Try to keep site user friendly. The site should be easy to reads and written on the web. Utilize the bullets, headlines and other stylish content whenever required. Try to use CSS to control the layout of entire site.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - See whether the site is search engine friendly. Try to optimize the site for specific and relevant keywords. Try to acquire a lot of high quality and relevant links. For SEO benefits use the online press release and social media marketing. See the navigation structure provide the access to the entire site.

Thus the companies which provide the services of outsourcing to its far clients must define above stated web promotion standards while designing and promoting a website. This will be beneficial in its achieving the long term online goals and objects.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com
About The Author:
Rajeev Guglani writes articles for SEO. He has vast exposure in writing for Web Promotions. He is working for NDDW. For Web Promotion, SEO Services India and Outsourcing SEO Services visit http://www.nddw.com

Copywriting Tips On The Internet

By Mario D. Churchill

Copywriting is one of the most important principles in having high search engine rankings. Other ways of doing things on the Internet are by no means as important as what copywriting is compared too.

Copywriting with a search engine it like having an ace in the hole. If you have something published the best way to have the best copy is through the use of the SEO system. As keywords are important, copywriting on the internet is different than copywriting or the publication of standards out in the world.

By capturing your market with powerful copywriting, It will help your web site profit and grow, as well as your ideas.

The use of Internet copywriting ensures that no one can take your ideas from the Internet or use them as their own. This specifically means, techniques, styles, or designs on a way you do things.

There are copywriting web sites that can offer consultations and creates a powerful campaign in sales and generating, with optimal results. These copywriting sites can also assist you in advertising copywriting and corporate communications. It is also capable of showing your business and marketing techniques. By translating technical terms into words consumers can understand.

Copywriting on the Internet gives you an experience that can gain hundreds of lead-generating and marketing communications with the business informational copying.

There's also web site copywriting in which words that sell the best of the business marketing tools.

Copywriting is also a site about selling, because copywriting shows how well you can sell things. In advertising, copywriting is a key as well.

You see, there's nothing wrong with advertising on your web site, as long as you are not duplicating what some else already has on their website. Ownership copywriting is a single demonstration of one's own words. Originality is a quality for better sales on your website.

When copywriting the protection should begin when any described work is actually done and fixed by you. If people violate any type of copywriting laws even on the Internet it can cause monetary damages and is a definite violation, your web site could even be shut down completely.

Copywriting agencies and web sites assist you so that this doesn't happen to you. You may have to pay a fee however, your original material is protected; as well as the fact that they can tell you whether or not someone else has the same type of material on another web site before you put it onto your web site.

Most web sites are not a matter of public domain. As far as graphics and other material on the web site it is copy written material. It using has a symbol depicting the fact as well. Right down to the java scripts that one might find on the web site. So be careful what you put on your web site and be sure it is all original material you are putting on your own website. Then you don't run into the copywriting problems you will eventually incur upon yourself.


Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information on copywriting tips checkout his recommended websites.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mario_D._Churchill

Can A Successful Online Business Be Started With $100 Or Less?

By: Alex Edevane

The internet has become a great advantage for many people wanting to start their own business as there are no longer heavy costs involved with starting an online business and one can easily be established for under $100.

Your Primary Costs for Any Online Business will probably be Your Domain Name and Hosting

The primary costs of an online business will probably be your domain name and hosting fees. Domain names can be bought relatively cheaply (under $20) and hosting fees can be decided bearing in your mind your budget. There are free hosts if you really cannot afford more but it is generally better to go for a paid hosting service, and these start from only a few dollars.

It is understandable that when starting a new business you want to cut costs. However, always weight the pros and cons. Some costs can be minimized but some cant for reasons of quality.

There are Many Free, Yet Effective Ways to Promote Your Online Business

One of the greatest advantages for starting an online business on a tight budget is that, unlike many offline marketing methods, many online marketing methods are free but just as, if not more, effective than paid advertising. Search engine optimization, for example, is the best way to market your website and there are many free tutorials available on the internet which will help you to optimize your website yourself. Article marketing is another powerful but free marketing method. This means that you can have an effective marketing campaign for free.

Sourcing Products for Your Business is Free or Very Low Cost

There are a number of ways that you can source products for free or a low fee as well, depending on your budget and what you want to do. Many affiliate programs are free to join, so you can start promoting their products with just the cost of your domain name and host and get free products and free advertising. Drop ship companies are another way of sourcing products for your business, they may have a membership fee to belong to them but customers will pay you for the products before you pass the money on to the drop ship company.

Payment Processors are Free and Take a Percentage after Sales

In general, the payment processors that you use will also be free to join and will just take their cut after you have made the sale and the money comes through. This means that there are no upfront costs associated with payment processors. If you decide to go for your own merchant account then it could become more costly but this is not necessary to begin with. Most websites use Paypal as their payment processor and this is free to join.

The internet has made it easy to start a successful online business for under $100 as your primary costs will probably be your domain name registration and hosting and this can cost only a few dollars, while many products, marketing methods and payment processors can be got for free.

Alex Edevane is an accomplished internet marketer and educator focusing on innovative and unique techniques for building a successful online home-based business. To learn more about Alex's revolutionary techniques please visit http://www.alexedevane.com

Article Source: ArticleHub

Common Web Design Acronyms

By Frank Woodford

This article explores the standard acronyms used in web design today and explains what each one means as well as the technology behind it. It will be a massive help to new starters in the field and could potentially help more experienced user gain a better grasp of the things they are working with.

The web is full of scary technologies but getting a grip on the basic ones will make life a lot easier. As with everything that is connected with computers there are a lot of scary acronyms but we will be taking a look at a few of them and hopefully giving you a boost to your general knowledge.

W3C: The W3C are the World Wide Web Consortium and their goal is to "lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing protocols and guidelines that ensure long-term growth and stability". This basically means they try their best to make sure internet technologies actually work and that everyone plays nice out there.

HTML: The most common acronym you will come across in web design is HTML. It stands for Hyper Text Markup Language and was created by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989. It is now overseen W3C.

HTML is essentially a simplifies programming language that helps computers (or more specifically, browsers) to understand text and what to do with it. It uses a standardised set of "tags" that surround some text to "mark it up" for a certain formatting. An example would be the tag strong which defines the surrounded text as important and generally emboldens the text.

By combining different sets of tags as well as editing their attributes you can soon open the door to thousand of possibilities for just simple text content.

XHTML: This stands for eXtended Hyper Text Markup Language. It is the natural progression from standard HTML and is a big part of the future for the web. It is part of the W3C project "The Semantic Web" and is part of an idea to get several new web technologies understood by browsers and humans and open new doors for what is possible on the internet.

DHTML: Dynamic Hyper Text Markup Language is variation on standard HMTL. It involves a combination of HTML and special scripts (executed on the clients side) to create interactive effects or animation. DHTML also commonly uses CSS to help it define styles.

In today's climate DHTML is most commonly associated with JavaScript as many client based browsers and OS support it.

CSS: As part of the evolution of the web HTML and XHTML are no longer truly used to fully decide the full visual style of a web page, only define its content and how it fits in to a style. To handle the presentation of a site the W3C worked to help create CSS or Cascading Style Sheets.

CSS has many advantages including specifying a layout for all mediums (such as browser, printer and TV) and helps to reduce site loading time and complex page by allow a single file to control every web page on a site.

This article may be of use to you in the future so I recommend you bookmark or print it out just in case you ever think, "I wonder what HTML actually stands for?" I hope it has been of some use and that your future web developments go smoothly.


Frank Woodford is an experienced copywriter from Nottingham, England. He has worked along side many English based companies to generate content for promotional magazines and websites. He also recommends certain companies for web design Nottingham and enjoys basketball and squash in his spare time.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frank_Woodford

So What Does Web 2.0 Design Mean?

By Tanicos Cosmin

Which are the most important aspects of Web 2.0 Design?

1. Centered Layout

2. Fewer Columns

3. Separate Top Sections

4. Simple Navigation

5. Bold Logos

6. Bigger Text

7. Strong Colours

8. 3d Effects

9. Gradients

10. Reflections

11. Rounded Corners

12. Cute Icons

What to avoid?

Here are a few things that you must avoid when designing a Web 2.0 website:

1. Animated GIFs, blinking logos or banners, anything that can distract the main contetn atention

2. Flash Web Sites

3. Websites without CSS

In this tutorial you will learn how to create Text Reflections in Photoshop.

1. Create a new Document, or if you already have the text in another document that you want to create a reflection skip this step.

To create a new document go to File, New and set the width and height as you wish. I will choose a 300px width and 100px height document size.

2. Enter your desired text

Select the Type tool from the Tools Palette and start typing your text.

3. Duplicate the Text Layer

Because our reflection will be vertical , first we need to duplicate the text layer. Select the layer containing the text, right click on it choose Duplicate Layer and the click the Ok button in the new dialog box that opens.

4. Rasterize the Duplicated Text Layer

This method is used to make the layer directly editable.

Attention!!!

After you rasterize a layer you cannot make further modification to this so check for spelling errors, colors and so on. To rasterize the duplicated text layer right click on it and choose Rasterize Type.

5. Flip the duplicated layer vertically

Next we have to flip the duplicated layer vertically so we can create the text reflection. With our duplicated layer selected (in our case "Text Reflection Tutorial copy" we will go to the Edit menu, choose Transform and then Flip Vertical.

6. Nudge flipped layer

Next we will have to drag the flipped text below the initial text. To obtain a perfect vertical movement keep the Shift key pressed when dragging downwards.

7. Edit Layer in Quick Mask Mode

Select the duplicated layer which contains our vertically flipped text and then from the Tools Palette click the "Edit in Quick Mask mode" button or press the Q key on your keyboard.

8. Select the Gradient Tool from the Tools Palette

We have to use the Gradient tool in order to create the fade of our reflections. Click the Gradient Tool from the Tools Palette, or press the G key on your keyboard. Make sure you are still on the Quick Mask Mode.

9. Choose the Gradient

From the Options bar we will choose the Foreground to Transparent gradient. Click the arrow next to the gradient bar to open the Gradients palette.

10. Drag the Gradient over the Text

Next with our Foreground to Transparent gradient selected we will drag from the center of our text downwards to the bottom of the text...Do not exceed the text area!! After you release the mouse button you will see a red fade over the text.

11. Edit in Standard Mode

After you have finished with the gradient it's time to exit the Quick Mask Mode. To do that click the same button which is now called "Edit in Standard Mode" or press again the Q key.

12. Delete the Marquee Selection

The result will be a Marquee Selection around our vertically flipped text. Next we will delete the selection by pressing the Delete key. Remember that you must have the flipped layer selected. After you delete the Marquee Selection the fade will appear giving us the Text Reflection. You can press CTRL+D to deselect the selection.



http://www.webdesignvalidation.com
http://www.tanicos-webbdesign.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tanicos_Cosmin

How To Protect Your Hard Disk Drive Against Electrostatic Shock

by Ali Jamalan

If you’ve ever walked across a thick carpet and felt a shock after
touching a grounded object (or shocked a friend on purpose) you know
about the general effects of static electricity. But do you know how it
works, or how damaging it can be to computer components? Although it
may seem a bit silly and unimportant, “static shock” or Electrostatic
Discharge (ESD) can cause significant damage to your hard drive.
Comparable to a lighting bolt damaging a tree, ESD can act like a bomb
exploding in your drive, blowing apart parts of the circuit board. But
don’t worry – if you follow a few simple steps you can ensure you’re
well protected and avoid letting a minor thing like ESD cause major
problems.

WHAT IS ESD?
ESD or "static shock" is a portion of an imbalanced high voltage field
on a non-conductive surface (e.g. your hand, the carpet, a screwdriver)
that has just moved to a conductive surface in a rapid, uncontrolled
fashion. "Static electricity" is the same portion of an imbalanced high
voltage field on a nonconductive surface, but it has not yet reached
the point of releasing it's electrons to equalize the imbalance between
a conductor with a greater positive charge than itself. This imbalanced
high voltage field will not "discharge" until conditions are right,
that is until the number of electrons the charge grabs from around its
location builds to a point in which no more electrons can be sustained.
When a conductive surface of some type gets within 'jumping" distance,
the process of equalising the electrical field is experienced.

Imbalanced high voltage fields are everywhere, constantly flowing over
and around us, and people feel them because we are good conductors. The
shock you sometimes get when touching a door knob after shuffling
across the carpet is made in the same way a thunderstorm makes a
lightning bolt.

Some Examples of Voltage:

• 3,000 volts - the average human can't feel voltage below this
threshold.
• 8,000 volts - yawning and stretching with clothes on.
• 15-20,000 volts - shoving a plastic-coated box across the carpet with
foot.
• 18,000 volts - getting up from a foam cushion on a nylon-covered
couch.
• 35,000 volts - walking across a typical carpet.5

WHAT CAN ESD DO?
While ESD won’t kill you, it can definitely kill your computer
components. While it takes an electrostatic discharge of 3,000 volts
for you to feel a shock, much smaller charges, well below the threshold
of human sensation, can and often do damage semiconductor devices. Many
of the more sophisticated electronic components can be damaged by
charges as low as 10 volts.

ESD damage occurs when a charge on a hand or tool finds a path of
lesser resistance from itself to a drive. If the energy of that charge
is larger than the amount of energy the drive can safely dissipate,
damage may occur.

Especially sensitive to ESD are integrated circuits: processors,
memory, cache chips and expansion cards. This damage can be immediate,
resulting in melting, junction breakdown or oxidation. Even scarier,
you could electrocute your drive and never even know it – the effects
of ESD are difficult to trace and often do not affect the drive until
several days to several months after the ESD occurrence.

PREVENTION TIPS
Luckily, a few simple steps can help you avoid ESD damage and promote
long life for your disk drive.

• Keep your drive in an ESD bag until you handle it – an ESD bag is
specially designed to prevent ESD.

• Always wear an ESD wrist strap grounded to an unpainted surface on
the chassis of your computer.

• If a wrist strap is unavailable, touch an unpainted surface on the
chassis of your computer before handling your drive.

• Only touch the connector pins on your drive with the proper cabling
ends or jumpers. Never use a bare finger or non-insulated tool.

• Protect your drive from sources of high voltage power such as fans or
vacuum cleaners.

• Never try to plug a power or data cable into a drive unless power to
the box is completely off.

Finally, by controlling the temperature, you can also help limit ESD.
By increasing the relative humidity of the room where the computer is
located, you can greatly reduce build-up of ESD. Static builds up more
readily in dry environments than in moist ones; this is why you get
zapped much more often in the winter time in northern climates than in
summer.

So what happens if by some freak accident your hard drive experiences
ESD and your data is lost? Don’t panic, because your best solution is
only a phone call away. Many ‘Data Recovery’ companies have experience
dealing with hard drives damaged by ESD and will apply the most
advanced technology in the industry to perform data recovery.
Contacting these immediately upon discovering ESD damage is the best
option to keep you and your clients working and productive.

Knowing that ESD exists is the first step in prevention. By following
ESD handling procedures and understanding the dynamics behind “static
electricity,” you can ensure that working with a hard drive is never a
shocking experience.

Data Recovery Console - UK's Cheapest Data Recovery Service for all
hard disk drives (IDE/SATA, diskettes, memory sticks and flash cards.
(http://www.recovery-console.co.uk)

Laptop Batteries - How To Choose

by Dave Klein

One of the most important components of a laptop is its
battery. Proper care must be spent in choosing the suitable
battery for your laptop, else there may arise a situation where
your laptop decides to say goodbye in mid-program!

When you spend all your hard-earned money on a piece of
technology, you deserve your money’s worth and it is up to you
to make sure of that. Since batteries are bought along with the
laptop, it is wise to pay attention to the brand and cost of the
battery when buying it. No doubt the new laptop appears far more
interesting than the humble battery, but if trapped in a
situation where you need to replace batteries, being familiar
with the different brands will help you make an informed
choice.

When buying batteries you should note the run-time and cost of
the battery as compared to other brands. Another important
point to observe is the manner with which the battery is to be
attached, and the amount of time necessary to recharge it. You
don’t want to be stranded in a strange hotel room when on a
business trip, with batteries you can’t make sense of!

To ensure your batteries are long lasting and durable, avoid
storing them in places of extreme temperatures. Too much heat
and moisture can damage the battery. You can conserve battery
time by removing extra cards such as the modem card when it is
not needed. Such cards draw on power even when not used. In
addition, a rapid charger/conditioner can help better a laptop
battery’s performance.

Some batteries can be classed into ‘smart’ and ‘dumb’
batteries. Smart batteries have internal microprocessor
circuits, which enable it to perform several tasks such as to
control battery energy, indicate the charge levels, and even
track battery usage. Dumb batteries, on the other hand, may
have the same energy as the smart batteries, but lack the
extra, smart battery features.

The current most popular laptop battery is the Lithium Ion
(LiOn) battery, with its enhanced memory effect. Being the
latest product in the battery market, this kind is naturally
slightly more expensive than other brands.

Every laptop brand has its own range of suitable batteries. For
example, Acer, Apple, Dell, IBM, and Compaq, to name a few, have
their individual range of batteries to suit every consumer’s
unique needs, so that satisfaction is guaranteed!

About The Author: At http://www.bizlaptops.com we'll find you
the best deals on cheap laptops as well discount laptops. Visit
http://www.bizlaptops.com and sign up for our free "Amazing
Laptop Deals" service.

Building Your Own Computer

by D. David Dugan

The world of computers is constantly changing. It is one of the
only industries that is different from month to month. If you’re
in the market for a new PC, there are continually new options
available. To get the best bang for your buck in computer
technology, you may want to consider building your own PC.

Those with a little know how in the computer industry can save
themselves tons of money by building their own computers.
Companies such as Tiger Direct and mwave.com offer components
that can create a top of the line system for a fraction of the
cost. These stores offer all of the necessary components that
reside in the “case” or main unit of the computer.

These include the motherboard, processor, cooling fans, hard
drive, memory, keyboard, mouse, video and sound cards. There
are motherboards available with integrated video and sound but
not all do.

When you are buying a motherboard, make sure to check whether
you will need to buy a separate video and sound card. Also make
sure that the motherboard you are buying has extra slots so you
can expand your system.

Another key to remember when building your own computer is to
make sure all of your components will work together.
Manufacturers make specific models to work together, so you may
want to buy your parts from just one brand.

If you are going to use your computer to surf the Internet and
play computer games you are going to need extra pieces. At
minimum you will need an Ethernet card, CD/DVD drives and a
graphics card. You can also benefit from gaming ports for
joysticks or other game controllers.

The hardest part about building your own PC is installing the
motherboard and the Operating System. This is the first step
toward creating the unit. You must physically put the
components into the case using screws. Begin with the
motherboard and then connect your processor. Add the memory
into the memory slots and install any necessary drives.

Once you’ve installed the drives, you can put in the install
CDs for your operating system. Most PCs will guide you through
the set up process to install the operating system. After
making sure the operating system is up and running, put in your
other devices one at a time.

Although it may be quicker to install all of your additional
hardware at once, you want to test each piece as you go to make
sure that piece is in good working order.

Even though building your own PC can give you a better computer
for less money, the process is not for everyone. As a
compromise, computer companies like Dell and Gateway allow
their customers to custom build PCs on their website.

A customer can choose from different options regarding speed,
memory and special portals. The additional benefit of buying
from a company is that the PC is normally under a guarantee.
You can also take advantage of technical support. This may be
the best option for someone who has extra money to spend to get
the custom components that they want.

About The Author: D. David Dugan personally helps to maintain a
computer shopping site at http://www.greatpcdeals.com as well as
a Spyware Information site at http://spyware.dugancom.com

Hard drive recovery not always possible

By Andrew Watson

In this era where computer rules, data plays the most important role in our life. So the fear of data loss and the damage we might occur is most devastating. To over from such losses data recovery software has evolved which salvage our lost data. Either the data lost occur due to software malfunction, viruses, file/directory deletion or even sabotage. But these data recovery software are only helpful from logical crash recovery.

The cause of data getting corrupt are varied, this may be of the following reasons

• Improper shut down of computer system.
• Due to power surge computer resets of it own, this freezes the computer making the shutdown impossible leading to data loss

This type of failure can be recovered by using data recovery software.

• Due to catastrophic hard drive failure where operating system is unable to recognize the hard drive
• Head getting crash
• Due to air pollution inside the drive (This generally occur while not keeping the system in the clean environment)

Failure from such physical crash can recover by using data recovery service. This requires Clean Room Facility where data recovery experts know how to recover data from it.

• Hard drive failure due to bad sector also. When certain sector of the hard drives becomes unreadable its content are copied to spare sector before it becomes completely damaged. Once the sector is not readable at all so data recovery from such bad sector is not possible

Although data recovery services are able to recover from the most critical situation but sometimes it also fails. So there is no scope left to recover the lost and damaged data from such failures. Sometimes data recovery service is as simple as downloading a free data recovery software, other times its more complex where disk imaging technique is required

So the best way to avoid such situation where even data recovery service is not possible is to keep regular back up. To stop the drive getting corrupt runs disk defragmenter every three month to keep it in good condition. While moving from the system from one place to another always pack the hard drive in original packing material so that drive doesn’t get damage.

About the author:
Andrew Watson a student of Mass Communication doing research on data recovery software. He is also a freelancer for http://www.stellarinfo.com

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

Virtual Private Networks – The Basics

By Sarah Manners

The way we communicate has evolved so rapidly that organizations are struggling to keep up. Unfortunately the cost of communication is one of the biggest stumbling blocks that most companies face. But, high cost is no longer that big of an issue. With the emergence of Virtual Private Networks (VPN’s) not only have communications costs decreased but a platform for converging voice, video and data services has been provided as well.

Communications today converge on IP. Fixed to Wireless convergence, data, voice and video convergence - all of this happens on the IP Protocol and this is why Virtual Private Networks (VPN's) and VPN services and routers are becoming essential to businesses.

VPN’s – The Basics

A private network is essentially a network for certain users that has a firewall enabled to prevent intrusion from the Internet. While this sounds good; private networks can be problematic for users as it can become quite difficult to get past the firewall if one of the users on the network wants to access their own personal files or email. In order to circumvent this, a very specific piece of software or hardware is used and this is known as a Virtual Private Network which will help users access their personal information with no difficulty.

Who Uses VPN’S?
These private communications networks are used by various companies and organizations in various industries throughout the world. A great example of a type of company that would benefit from a VPN is a clothing company with various branches. A sales person would be able to check stock at any of their other stores should they not have the specific garment you are lusting after. Libraries are another great example of an industry that would really benefit from a Virtual Private Network, gone are the days of hunting for those books you need.

In very basic terms VPN’s are used to support remote access to an intranet, as well as to support connections between multiple intranets within one organization. VPN’s are also used to join the networks between two organizations ultimately forming an extranet.

The Benefits of VPN’s
Now that you know the basics of Virtual Private Networks, I am sure you are interested in the benefits of which these are but a few:
•It can be connected to by multiple access technologies including wireless and mobile
•VPN routers eliminate the congestion and routing headaches of managing networks
•VPN solutions easily facilitate the secure connection of remote users & road warriors
•It remains as secure as your existing solutions
•Extends geographic connectivity
•Reduces operational costs
•Facilitates global networking opportunities
•Provides broadband networking compatibility
•Allows you to achieve faster ROI (return on investment) than traditional WAN

VPN’s are becoming essential to companies and organisations looking to simplify communication as well as cut costs. By consolidating inter-branch traffic, data and voice all over a single network infrastructure, it’s easy to see why Virtual Private Networks are such a favourable choice when it comes to communication needs.

About the author:
Storm Telecommunications has firmly established themselves as market leaders in the increasingly converged worlds of voice and data in South Africa. Virtual Private Networks are but one of their areas of specialty when it comes to communication.

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

Data recovery on failed hard disk

By Andrew Watson

Hard disk is a permanent storage device for storing electronic data on a magnetic surface. Hard disk was invented by Reynold Johnson which was capable of storing five million characters. Now-a-days hard disk capacity has increased tremendously with storage capacity of 1 Terabytes. As storage capacity has increased so chances of losing such a huge amount of data form the hard disk.

Hard disk failure can when there is a break down of the hard drive (termed as physical failure of the hard disk) and data stored on the disk cannot be accessed. There are various kind of failure which our hard disk suffer the most common is “Head Crash”. Head of the drive is an important component which is used to read and write the information from the hard disk. Head just moves over platter only at a distance of micrometer. Any sort of collision results in severe data loss. If we try to do the recovery by our own can result in further damage of the data.

There are numerous factors which causes hard disk failure. The most common are power
surges, voltage fluctuations, electronic malfunction, physical shock, wear and tear, corrosion, exposure to high magnetic waves, sharp impact, high temperature
exposure etc. Hard disk failure is increasing higher, as to increase the speed or read/write operation we are rotating the hard drive with great speed. If any thing goes wrong with the normal operation of hard disk causes severe damage.

There are several techniques used by data recovery experts to recover the data from the failed hard disk. It is done by moving the hard disk to working system. Hard disk is open to replace the parts like head of the drive, arm and chips and sometimes change of platter is also done to make it working such that data recovery can be done on failed hard disk.
Hard disk recovery requires clean and dust free environment such as Class 100 Clean Room

Apart from the physical failure of the drive, if our hard disk has suffered a logical crash then in this case data recovery software is helpful. Logical crash can be termed as inability to access the data from hard drive or data lost due to accidental format, viruses or software malfunction or even sabotage.

In case of recovery of data from severely damaged hard disk you should consult data Recovery Company for saving your important data which is trapped inside the failed hard disk.

About the author:
Andrew Watson a student of Mass Communication doing research on data recovery software. He is also a freelancer for http://www.stellarinfo.com

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

All About iPod Battery

By Steve Buchanan


Your iPod uses a lithium ion battery. That is not the round kind found in a flashlight. Rather, it is a light, thin battery that is more powerful than conventional batteries. Using your device causes the battery to drain – simple enough. However, every time you charge your iPod battery, it loses some of its total charge. Over time, it will simply run out of power and you will have to replace the iPod battery with an iPod battery replacement kit.

You are walking along, listening to your favorite tunes when your iPod shuts down. You go home to charge it up, and after a few hours, you are ready to go. You pop in your headphones, turn it on and nothing. Your iPod battery has died.

Now before you shake your fist in anger or frustration, it is good to understand why your iPod mini battery has kicked the bucket. It might not be of much consolation now, but knowing how iPod batteries work is always useful information to have.

Let us say that an iPod mini battery holds enough power to play for one hour. After an hour, it dies out, so you charge it again. It is now full, but instead of an hour, it only plays 59 minutes. Over time and repeated charges, the battery simply cannot hold a charge any more. Once that happens, it is time to change the iPod battery.

Now, you may be asking yourself why your iPod does not use conventional batteries. Here is the answer: find any size battery in your home and try to place it in your iPod. You will soon figure out why lithium ion is the weapon of choice for iPod mini batteries. They are smaller, longer lasting, and have the juice to power today’s high-performance devices.

When an iPod battery dies, you can easily purchase an iPod mini battery replacement kit, instead of purchasing an entirely new unit. According to Apple, iPods are designed to last for years to come.

Therefore, the key to long iPod battery life is to only charge it when you have to. And remember, dead iPod batteries are those that won’t hold any charge at all. An iPod battery with some charge left can hold some charge can still be useful, but you will still want to consider purchasing an iPod replacement kit.

Also keep in mind that when your iPod mini battery does die, it requires a proper funeral inside a proper container. No, you don’t need to buy a casket and a plot, but you do need to adhere to local laws when it comes to battery disposal.

About the author:
Steve Buchanan writes article on many topics including Website Submission Services, Coffee Makers, and Honda Generators.

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

Track calls and SMS on your Windows Mobile phone

By Andrew Fadeev

Spb Phone Suite Review

Spb Phone Suite is designed to enhance your PDA with new features, missing in the phone side of standard Microsoft Windows Mobile 5. Once installed, it'll add phone profiles, missed call notifications, unread SMS notifications, call filtering, reject and reply with SMS, photo-dialing, photos in call log, automatic profile and these are just a few things to name!

To start with, you will discover a powerful Today plug-in where you can see the most frequently used options, such as photo-dialing (called "photo speed dials"), counters for missed calls and SMS messages, profile manager, call filtering mode switcher, and other phone related controls and indicators. You will see all important phone related data at one glance and access any option with just one tap. Fine, isn't it? But let's cut to the chase.

One of the best in Spb Phone Suite and "most wanted" in Windows Mobile functions is profiles. Phone profiles allow customization of ring, alarm tones and volumes (Normal, Silent, Loud), as well as the settings for Bluetooth, WiFi and backlight. As it is with any other option in Spb Phone Suite, profiles can be customized with just a tap or two. There are also automatic profiles that get triggered on some events automatically; this includes such profiles as Headset, Car, Meeting, and Cradle. Now you don't have to worry about triggering the silent mode for scheduled meetings. You can also set a profile to activate for a certain time interval. If you'd like to make your own custom profile in addition to the default ones, the program provide you with this opportunity. Any profile can be changed in a couple of taps from the Today screen.

The photo-dialing option allows you to add a photo avatar to a contact in order to dial a contact with just one tap. To add an avatar, you need to go to the settings dialog or simply tap and hold on the dialer area. Spb Phone Suite lets you use 14 photo-dialing avatars on the Today plug-in. If there are no photos for a contact, you can choose a default avatar from the inbuilt collection.

Other interesting features include "Reject and Send SMS" option, which is useful when you are not able to answer an incoming call. You can drop it in three taps with an SMS message containing a predefined text. Besides, there is "Call Filtering" that will help you create whitelists ("pre-approved" contacts list) and blacklists. With this option in place, your PDA can accept all calls, accept all calls except those from the blacklist, accept only whitelist contacts, or ignore all. Isn't it cool or what? What's more, you can set up wildcards (masks) for numbers from blacklists and whitelists and an ability to change the filter from the Today screen.

If you think the above mentioned features are something your PDA is missing and wish you had them, then you are invited to download an evaluation copy of Spb Phone Suite. You can test it free of charge to see its possibilities and benefits. Download now!

Compatible devices list
Windows Mobile 6.0, Windows Mobile 5.0, Pocket PC 2003, Pocket PC 2002
ACER: n300 Series, n30, n50, n20 and others
ASUS: A626, A636, A639, P505, P525, P535 and others
Cingular: 8125, 8525
Dell: Axim X3, X5, X50, X50v, X51v and others
Dopod: Dopod 838 Pro, Dopod 686, Dopod 699, Dopod 828, Dopod 900, Dopod P100, Dopod N800, etc.
Eten: E-Ten G500+, E-Ten M600+, E-TEN Glofiish, Eten M700, etc.
HP: hw68xx series, hw69xx series, hx21xx series, hx24xx series, hx29xx series and others
HTC: TyTN, Wizard, Prophet, Hermes, Artemis, Universal, Herald, P3300, P3600, P4350, P3350, X7500, Athena
IMATE: i-mate JASJAM, i-mate JAMin, i-mate PDA-N, i-mate K-JAM, i-mate JASJAR and others
O2: XDA series
T-Mobile: MDA series
QTek: 9000, 9100, 9600, S100, S110, S200, G100, 2020, 9090
Other Windows Mobile Powered Devices.

About the author:
Andrew Fadeev is IT specialist, heavily using Windows Mobile devices every day for five years

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com