Saturday, January 3, 2009

USB Drives Make Medical Conference More Productive

Lecture materials provided to attendees on flash drives

Thanks to storage solutions from The USB Superstore, medical professionals got something extra at a recent conference in Orlando, Florida.
The seminar featured a roster of leading researchers who spoke on medical advances and cutting edge procedures. Instead of having to take detailed notes during the lectures, attendees were able to listen instead, knowing that all the presentations, notes and support materials were already on hand – preloaded on a flash drive that conference sponsors gave to each attendee.
As most conference, seminar and tradeshow planners know, attendees are often swamped with information that is hard to carry around. Lecture presentations, notes, sales materials and marketing collateral can really weigh a person down during a long day at an event. Not only is this information difficult to cart around, but it also has to be shipped home – and with some airlines charging for a second bag and in some cases the first bag – this can become very expensive.
In the case of this conference, professionals didn’t have to deal with packing around paper. Everything was stored neatly on a branded USB flash drive from The USB Superstore. Convenient and affordable, the drive not only provided attendees with the information they needed, but the drive itself could be used long after the meeting at the office, the lab or at home to transport and store data.
USB promotional items not only save space, but money as well. Compared to the reams of printed materials created for major conferences and tradeshows, a flash drive is inexpensive. Plus, they reduce the amount of paper that needs to be recycled, making them a green promotional giveaway at the same time. It is much more convenient to have all the pertinent information stored on a flash drive, than to carry around a large bag full of brochures and documents.

For conference organizers, flash drives provide a unique opportunity to entice premium sponsors for the conference. Often times, a conference organizer will offer a co-branding opportunity to a premium sponsor whereby the sponsor’s logo is co-branded flash drive with the name of the conference. So, when the attendees leave after the conference, they carry with them all the relevant information from the conference, as well as the premium sponsors logo, all on a functional promotional USB drive that can be used for years to come.

For more information on USB promotional products that can be customized for your next seminar, conference, tradeshow or event, contact The USB Superstore:

USB promotional items not only save space, but money as well. Compared to the reams of printed materials created for major conferences and tradeshows, a flash drive is inexpensive. Plus, they reduce the amount of paper that needs to be recycled, making them a green promotional giveaway at the same time. It is much more convenient to have all the pertinent information stored on a flash drive, than to carry around a large bag full of brochures and documents.

For conference organizers, flash drives provide a unique opportunity to entice premium sponsors for the conference. Often times, a conference organizer will offer a co-branding opportunity to a premium sponsor whereby the sponsor’s logo is co-branded flash drive with the name of the conference. So, when the attendees leave after the conference, they carry with them all the relevant information from the conference, as well as the premium sponsors logo, all on a functional promotional USB drive that can be used for years to come.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info
About the Author:Jesse Krieger
Do away with printed materials for your seminars and use custom USB flash drives . By providing your pre-loaded promotional USB memory sticks , your attendees don’t have to take down notes and can just listen intently to your seminar

Sharing Music and Video a Snap with USB drives

Portable drives store favorite songs or video for easy sharing and transfer


In a world filled with iPods and other MP3 players, the ability to store and share music, photos and video with family and friends has not only become fashionable, but commonplace as well.

But did you know that the venerable iPod uses the same storage technology as The USB Superstore’s line of innovative USB-compatible promotional products? If your clients are using their MP3 player to transfer their favorite tunes or videos with others, USB flash drives offer the same convenience at a fraction of the cost.

Perhaps that’s one of the reasons USB products have become such a popular choice among companies seeking to gain an edge in the marketplace. Not only are they finely engineered and affordable, but they are extremely convenient and easy to use.

Using a USB drive is as simple as plug and play. Insert the drive into the USB port on any PC or Macintosh and it will act as a regular storage drive on your system. Move any files you want to store, transfer or share to the drive. Then take your files with you, including your favorite songs, video files, documents and even movies. When you arrive at your destination, reverse the process and all your files are ready to enjoy and use within minutes. The drive is universally compatible, even with computers at an Internet café in a third world country.

As a promotional item, they are highly prized by recipients as well. Unlike a pen, flashlight or coffee mug, a USB flash drive has year-round use and will last for years, too. Recipients enjoy the ability to easily and quickly transfer files using a USB device so much that they continue to use them long after the tradeshow, conference or event they attended.

For businesses, that means effective use of marketing dollars, particularly in a tight economy. As most marketing professionals know, nothing’s worse than spending limited marketing dollars on a campaign, only to have your promotional items end up in a drawer somewhere, or worse, the trash.

A flash drive product never suffers this fate. It will be used day in and day out, putting your logo and marketing message front and center with your prospect or client as they transfer files between home and office or between coworkers, friends and family.

For more information on USB promotional products that can be customized for your next seminar, conference, tradeshow or event, contact The USB Superstore:

As a promotional item, they are highly prized by recipients as well. Unlike a pen, flashlight or coffee mug, a USB flash drive has year-round use and will last for years, too. Recipients enjoy the ability to easily and quickly transfer files using a USB device so much that they continue to use them long after the tradeshow, conference or event they attended.

For businesses, that means effective use of marketing dollars, particularly in a tight economy. As most marketing professionals know, nothing’s worse than spending limited marketing dollars on a campaign, only to have your promotional items end up in a drawer somewhere, or worse, the trash.

A flash drive product never suffers this fate. It will be used day in and day out, putting your logo and marketing message front and center with your prospect or client as they transfer files between home and office or between coworkers, friends and family.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info
About the Author: Jesse Krieger
USB drives are popularly used for storing, sharing, and transferring files. Now you can use them as promotional USB gifts for your clients or as custom USB with your company logo for your tradeshows.

Toshiba Laptops And All-In-One Printers

Toshiba, a premier electronics manufacturer, has come out with some path breaking technologies in electronics. Its products are well appreciated throughout the globe. Toshiba laptops are also examples of innovative design combined with impeccable practicality.

Laptops are the convenient and user friendly alternatives to the traditional personal computers. The importance of PCs cannot be discounted still. But being portable and lighter in weight, they have become the best friend to everyone, including traveling executives and students alike.

Toshiba laptops have carved a place for themselves in the market. Some are cheaper and affordable but some are niche products meant for a select few. The company produces lightweight laptops, thin laptops and tablet PCs, and the range available in all categories is really vast.

Toshiba lightweights offer sleek and light-weight designs and can be carried easily. They can give you productive hours irrespective of whether you are inside your cabin or in a shop or flying in an aircraft. The Protege A600 series, the R400 series, the R500 series and the U400 are ultra light weight laptops designed for ultimate usefulness. Prices vary according to the specified configuration.

The Tecra R10 series is not only lightweight, but very thin too. They are very useful for a person who is always on the move. The Tecra R10 have all desirable features including webcam, advanced wireless and wide screen LED backlit display, which makes it truly desirable.

Toshiba tablet PCs are one step ahead of others in terms of portability. With all its advanced features like built in Ethernet, Bluetooth, finger print reader and the likes, they are not at all inferior in any count with other models available. For someone who would like to stay connected irrespective of where he is, the satellite pro series is a real gift from god.

No talk of Toshiba laptops can be complete without mentioning the Qosmio series. Often praised as the flagship series of the company, these laptops are veritable beauties but functionality is given an equal importance. They are superb for gaming too. However, they are not cheap by any count. Custom made accessories like battery charger adapter, keyboard protector, carrying case, tablet pen and leather portfolio makes Toshiba laptops easily serviceable and productive.

All-in-one printers are easily compatible with Toshiba laptops. Printing in color as well as black and white, sending faxes, photocopying and even scanning can be done over them. Printers differ in size, color, features and output speed. These factors determine the price. The market is being swamped by an influx of these all-in-one-printers because more and more people are opting to purchase them in order to ensure more productivity, albeit at a considerably lesser cost. Proper care and timely servicing can keep these delicate machines in perfect working conditions for many years.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info
About the Author:Roberta Groche
Super Warehouse is an online source of Toshiba laptops and all in one printers and services for businesses, education and government customers internationally. More information can be found at Superwarehouse.com .

Apple Computers And Cheap Lcd Monitors

The computer revolution has reshaped our industries, our services and even our lives. The role Apple computers played and even play now is not second to that of any other manufacturer. The firm, after an initial struggle, has rose to unbelievable heights in recent years and commands a healthy share in the personal computer market.

When you talk of quality products in the information technology, the first name that may pass through your mind would be the Apple Mac series. They are beauties with equal quantity of brains. They are delicate, but strong in functions. They are exquisitely designed, but made for a purpose. With lesser number of software installed, they can perform your jobs faster than cluttered PCs. Apple prefers that you install only the required software and applications. The operating system is also more manageable and does not require registration.

A curious fact about Apple laptops is that they are designed in unusual soft colors while the entire industry are rooting for serious looking black and white colored ones. This added fun to functionality. They are also much versatile. While Mac computers can be run on windows too, other PCs cannot work on Mac Operating System. The use of dual operating systems aids in running more applications than others.

The laptops churned out by Apple are well known for their beauty. The second hand value of these computers is better than others too. But the most likeable feature of Mac series is that you need not change it every two years as in the case of others, because of its futuristic design and amalgamation of applications. They are designed with forethought and purpose.

Apple desktops match their smaller but smarter laptop counterparts in functionality and style. They are perfect options for offices and workstations. However, it is the lightweight, thin and exquisitely carved laptops that almost always hog the limelight.

LCD monitors are the toast of the masses these days. The days of the reliable, hardy, but bulky and harmful CRT screens are gone and the sleek, light weight and less space consuming LCD screens have taken their place. Performance and display quality is also far more superior to CRT monitors. In the course of time, LCD monitors have become impressively cheaper too.

Prices of LCD monitors vary according to the size, resolution, brand name and after sales service. Going for the cheapest with the least features and customer friendliness is not advisable. You have to scout around a little through internet stores and company websites in order to gain a clear real picture and then place your order. Intex, Acer and ViewSonic are renowned manufacturers of reliable and less expensive LCD monitors. You have to be sure about your requirements too. Otherwise you may end up buying a LCD monitor too large or too small to suit your need and available workspace.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info
About the Author: Roberta Groche
Super Warehouse is an online source of Apple computers and cheap lcd monitors and technology products for businesses, education and government customers internationally. More information can be found at Superwarehouse.com .

How to Decide Whether to Rent Lease or Buy a Computer

When most people hear talk about “buying” versus “leasing” they usually think of a car purchase or some sort of real estate agreement. However, small business owners have to think about, and decide between, these terms all the time, and relating to almost everything the work with – buildings, vehicles, equipment for the factory floors and computers for the office.

Considering the amazingly low prices for today’s powerful personal computers, one’s first instinct may be to buy a computer without even thinking about it. Of course, you know you are going to use the machine for several years (computers stay reasonable current for the first year, then start aging rapidly) and the fact that you own it can be somewhat reassuring. There are several factors, however, that should prompt you to consider leasing a computer or perhaps even renting one, as opposed to making that impulse buy.

One is never enough

Leasing computers can help a company avoid plunking down so much capital up front. Leasing makes sense when there is a need for an especially powerful, customized, expensive unit, or a number of computers for different departments. This decision can turn the computers into an operating expense, an especially helpful thing if the company is just getting started. Another advantage is that, when directly leasing from a vendor or a manufacturer, businesses do not need to obtain loans from banks – and deal with all the red tape and paperwork that comes with it.

From a financial planning standpoint, leasing makes sense for many businesses, and if the conditions are right, so does renting. Renting computer equipment can be just as good as leasing in the sense that you can always upgrade, fairly painlessly, to the highest quality, greatest power and newest software available. The company renting you the equipment makes their money also assumes the responsibility for repairs and maintenance. Although some leases may differ on service contracts and onsite repairs, if you rent the equipment the owner is still responsible for the technical difficulties occurring throughout the duration of your contract. That is what paying rent is all about. You pay to have predictable functionality and a working asset at all times.

Other factors

If you really want to know what the best course of action is for you business or your personal needs, then do the usual research. There are always plenty of websites that can provide all the facts, crunch all the various numbers and make it worth your while to investigate. Steer clear of the “rent-to-own” dealers, of course, as the offer of “no money down and no credit check” is insufficient to overcome the price you pay down the road. With rent-to-own, it is always bigger than you expect.

If you have special enhancements on your one of your present computers – special internal plug-in cards (PCI), upgraded graphics (AGP) – and have “maxed out” your RAM, you may wish to reconsider replacing that particular unit. It may be difficult to find a lease deal that will allow you to upgrade and replace computer components, and your rental dealer will probably not like that idea much. If you do need customizing, it is best to own your own equipment.

Ask the accountant

If you run a medium-sized or larger firm, and have various departments with various needs, you will have to do a study to determine the actual, real-world, real-time needs of the various personnel. Ask your department managers to research the matter, and then be specific about what they need in the PCs for their respective departments. You can then have your accountant look at the various options – buy, lease, rent – and calculate what mix of these will work for the company as a whole.

It may be that you need to lease new Macintosh computers for your art department, and on an annual basis to stay up with the “state of the art.” Secretaries, word processors and accounting personnel can easily run new, powerful Windows software on lower-cost PCs, and not need upgrading for several years at a time. Purchasing low-end computers would seem a workable solution. If you have engineers and others needing some real computational horsepower, of course, you may even need to leave the realm of PCs and step up to a mini-computer from IBM or Hewlett-Packard. (PCs are actually defined as “microcomputers.”)

The bottom line is different for different companies and their different needs. Often a mix of these methods – buying, leasing and renting – is the ultimate result of a careful study. If you have a small company with just a few employees, of course, your decision should be a bit easier to make. The fact is, with prices so low for power so great, computers are one of the less expensive expenses for companies today, and contribute to the business out of all proportion to their small cost. Whatever strategy you come up with, it should be an affordable one.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info
About the Author:Wanda Pan
If you are looking for technology and computer rentals in the San Francisco or Las Vegas regions, SWA Computers should be your first call. Our extensive inventory will make your computer rental san Francisco a successful and painless experience.

A PC in the modern home

Computers have become an essential part of our day-to-day life. No longer are they just a tool we use when at work. Virtually every household in the UK now owns at least one PC or laptop and many homes now have more than one. With the introduction of wireless routers and broadband a few years ago ‘PC Recovery’ have found that many people would now rather be without their television than their computer. A spokesperson for ‘PC Recovery’ said “Typical PC users these days will use their computer for a wide variety of tasks. From emailing their friends and family to booking cheap flights online. We have found many people will store all their photographs and music on their computer as well as any important documents such as a CV or letter to their bank”

With the increase in home PC usage it stands to reason that more and more problems are going to arise. “It’s no longer a case of just removing a virus or upgrading someone’s RAM” said the spokesperson. “Many families now have home networks with several computers and laptops involved. As well as wireless printers and network storage devices and they want to make the most of their hardware whether it is a laptop or a desktop PC.”

As computers are able to take care of more and more tasks for us computer engineers are finding themselves doing a wider variety of tasks than in the past. Apart from the obvious things such as fixing a broadband problem or removing a virus from a computer, they now find themselves doing things such as setting up home games consoles on the internet i.e Xbox 360 or PS3, or installing a customer’s mobile phone or MP3 player. “Times are changing” said the spokesperson. “And with it our engineers are finding they have to adapt and keep abreast of new technology and new advancements.”

Without doubt the most popular advancement in recent years would be the wireless network. Throughout the United Kingdom and in particular southeast England there are hundreds upon thousands of wireless hotspots, many of which are free. “If you drive into any town center in Essex or Kent you are now able to access the internet from many available hotspots” revealed the spokesperson “Libraries, fast food restaurants, cafes and even hotels are now only too happy to offer this service free of charge in order to encourage potential customers to use their facilities” The problems arise when people access private wireless networks that have not been secured. “This can cause a great deal of problems and security issues for the owner of the private network. This can potentially be very damaging as in the wrong hands this access could lead to bank details and personal files be extorted from the owner’s computers.

So while the new age of wireless is incredibly useful and makes it much easier for us to keep in touch with each other and indeed our online pursuits we should all take care and if necessary have our home networks checked by someone professional before it is too late. “We have seen too many people fall foul of stolen identity just by leaving their home network unsecured” said the spokesperson “So it does pay to have your system and network checked by someone professional and reputable every so often, even just for your own peace of mind.”

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info
About the Author:
Paul Orams
www.pcrec.co.uk PC Recovery is a home visiting pc repair business in the southeast of England who have been specialising in computers and networks for many years.

How to 'Download' Your Old Computer to the Highest Bidder

When you think trash, you surely don't think about your old, trusty personal computer. But that's exactly what will become of it when you make the inevitable move toward your next laptop or desktop. And, yes, buying a new computer is inevitable, considering the pace at which computer technology zips along. Just think-about a handful of years ago, a fast microprocessor for a laptop was at 233 MHz. Now you're looking at about at least 2 GHz! That's Giga, with a G.

So eventually, you will want a computer that can handle the latest software, the latest games, and the latest interactive Web sites, and then you'll have to throw away your old computer, right? Wrong. Try selling your used computer instead. Throwing out your computer is one of the worst things you can do. For one, your computer may be useful for someone out there, even if just for scraps.

Trashed computers and other digital equipment also make up one of the fastest growing, and most dangerous, new trash "categories" out there in your neighborhood landfill. On one hand, computers are generally bulky and made of plastic and other materials that won't be breaking down in a landfill for the next few million years. What's more, other materials in your old computer are highly toxic to the environment, like mercury, lead and cadmium. They're so toxic that their actually name in the waste-management field is "toxics."

You don't have to be a techie or a scientist to understand the danger in that-nor the benefits of selling your computer. On the Internet, there are a vast number of auction and classifieds sites, some better than others, where you can "download" you computer to a worthy buyer.

Before you boot up your replacement laptop or high-performance PC, however, be sure you read and compute the following tips. These tips will help you avoid the crashes and shutdowns that befall the computer seller who doesn't do his homework first.

Hold onto all of the operating system and software manuals that came with your old computer. This will add value to your sale, not to mention it will make you a trusted seller for offering up these helpful books to the buyer.

Erase all personal information from the hard drive. And we're not just talking about simply putting stuff in the "trash bin." It's extremely important to purge all data from your computer's memory repository, even from invisible backup files on the hard drive. If you're not sure how to do this, ask your IT expert at work or a techie friend for advice. You don't want the next user to have access to your bank accounts, old e-mails, and other private info, do you?

Uninstall any application from the hard drive that you'd like to use on your next computer, keeping the installation disk and the software serial number for yourself. When it comes to software, the manufacturers made sure that you never really own software, you license it. So you don't get free reign to keep software on multiple computers. You only get one license, so you need to bring your licensed version with you to your new computer.

Do your homework on your computer's worth. Just like you would for a car, check around at other classifieds and auction sites to see what other people are selling your make and model for.

Be sure you want to truly get rid of old faithful. You may be able to repair your old laptop rather than buy a new $2,000 Centrino model. Or you may be able to add RAM memory and a new hard drive to your four-year-old desktop rather than invest in a new $3,000 multimedia masterpiece. In other words, do a thorough cost-analysis of what it would take to rebuild your old computer, versus what it would cost to sell it and buy a new one. And check your heart too. You might be surprised just how attached you are to your old faithful.

Once you go through these steps, you are prepared to make your move and sell, sell, sell. And then, of course, you'll be ready to start on a whole new list of steps-for buying a new computer. But that's a topic for another article!

Author By: Donald Lee
Donald Lee is the public relations manager for Buysellcommunity.com. Buysellcommunity provides free classified listing services. Buy, Sell and trade: auto, computers, household items, real estate, pets and much more. For global and localized classifieds, please visit http://www.buysellcommunity.com - Free Buy & Sell Classifieds
Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com

Cheap Computers

Building Cheap Computers in 3 Easy Steps

Just a decade ago, the only people who put computers together were those individuals who possessed an extensive technical background. Advancements in technology have eliminated some of the complexities in how computers work. This change has resulted in average people who have a basic understanding of computers being able to build a system themselves. Whether you are interested in building computers to establish a new hobby or to start a business, you can so in only a few easy steps and on a shoestring budget.

The first step in building cheap computers is to determine the route you want to use to build systems. You basically have three choices when considering building cheap computers: build a system from scratch, expand on a bare bones computer, or upgrade an existing system. Building a system from scratch can be a rewarding experience. However, it is not for everyone. If you are impatient or are intimidated by mechanical tools, you are better to choose one of the other two options.

Regardless of the method you choose, you will follow three basic steps:

1. Plan
2. Assemble
3. Test

The planning phase of your project involves determining the specifications for the computer you want to build. Once you know this information you can start shopping for parts that meet those specifications. Your main considerations should be
hard-disk, memory, and CPU (central processing unit). The harddrive is important because it determines how much information you are able to store on the computer. While you could build a computer with a harddrive smaller than 2 GB (gigabytes), it is not recommended.

The harddrive and memory work together. The amount of memory you place in your computer will directly affect how the system is able to complete the different processes that you request when using the system. If you have no idea what size hard-drive and the amount of memory you need, you should consider the type of operating system you intend to load on the system. You can consult the manufacturer of your hard-drive or review the information on Cheap-Computer-Guy.com, which features a list of minimum harddrive and memory requirements for various operating systems, and use this information as a guide.

The equipment presented in this article includes the basics of a computer system. Of course, nowadays people want far more than the basics and you undoubtedly feel the same way. There are optional components available that you may want to add to your systems, which include CD or DVD drives, a modem or other communication component for Internet connectivity, or a video graphics card.

Once you have decided on the specifications of the computer you want to build, you are ready to assemble the system. In addition to detailed information about the parts you will need to build your computer, cheap-computer-guy.com includes step-by-step instructions for assembling a cheap do-it-yourself computer.

When you have finished assembling the computer, you will then need to test to make sure that the system boots and that all components are functioning properly. Once you have completed all these tests you will have built your own cheap computer.
You can find detailed information about planning, assembling and testing computers at the Cheap-Computer-Guy.com website.

Spyware And/Or Adware

9 Warning Signs You Might Be Infected With Spyware And/Or Adware

FACT: Chances are your machine is hosting spyware. There are currently over 78,000 Spyware and Adware programs on the Internet that can affect your PC.

Here are 9 warning signs you should be aware of, if any of them pertain to you then your PC is most likely infected:

If you start you Internet browser and the homepage that pops up is not the one that has been set by you. You then change it back to what you want and then it goes back to something you didn't set again. This is one of the more common features and ways to tell that you have been taken over by some sort of spyware and that you should rid your system of it immediately.

If you get pop-ups that have been personalized with your name on them or you begin to receive pop up ads while you are not even connected to the Internet or don't have a browser open. This is one of the more annoying ways that your system will let you know that you have something other than normal operating in your system.

You start receiving very expensive phone bills that have you placing many calls to 900 numbers that you never heard and ones that have hefty per-minute rates. Spyware takes over your phone line due to the connection that you have in conjunction with that phone service, whether dial-up or broadband.

You enter a searchable item into your required Internet toolbar or address bar and then all of sudden an unapproved searching system handles your search. More infamous items are infected with stuff such as Mysearch Bar and other spyware type search engines that only take you to their approved sites.

Another sure fire way to know that you have spyware operating on your system is that you have view your favorites list and you have favorite sites in their that you did not put in yourself and have found that other sites you put there are no longer found. You delete these items but they always show up again in your favorites.

Your system begins to run slower than normal. If you are a updated Windows OS user you pull up your task manager system information screen and see that your system is running at 100%, then you are infected with spyware because your system always needs a little free space in order to process information, which is why your system slows down when you have spyware on it.

At a time when you are not doing anything online, the send or receive lights on your dial-up or broadband modem blink just as wildly and lively as when you are online downloading a file or surfing the Internet. Also, your network icon on your screen will be flashing rapidly showing you that you are working on receiving and sending information from your system at a very rapid rate. This is the job of spyware here to send and receive information to your system without telling you.

A search toolbar or other browser toolbar appears even though you didn't request it or install it. Your attempts to remove it fail, or it comes back after removal. Parts of spyware registry files hide themselves in your system under aliases and unless you find all of them and remove them, then they will never leave your system, causing them to show up over and over again.

And the final sign is: Everything appears to be running normal but the most deceptive and devious spyware leaves no tracking information for you to find it anyway. This is the sure way to get you to check your system on a routine and regular basis so that you are sure you have no signs of an infection.

When not on his soapbox, Andrew Wroblewski is doing battle with the thousands of spyware programs that can affect you via his anti-spyware and spyware removalwebsite: http://spyware.pcwash.com where you can get a FREE spyware scan of your computer system.

Keylogger Software

Keylogger Software - Parents Benefit

When online, children are completely out of the parental control and parents can't actually find out what their children do when online.

Banning children from computers or allowing using it only when parents are supervising the process is not a good solution. Besides producing a negative impact on relations with you child, this also makes it harder for your offspring to compete with other children, as the Internet these days gives certain social and academic advantages. However, the Internet should be filtered, there's absolutely no doubt. So what is the solution?

More and more parents realize they shouldn't impose any direct control over their child's online activity thus trying to find out what their children are doing online. This task finds an easy solution in special keylogger software. Such software monitors computer activity and saves the report in special files so that the parents can later check it out and make conclusions. Keyloggers usually show what applications were used on the controlled computer, what sites a child visited and what he actually wrote to his online pals. There are enhanced search and sorting options, so any suspicious activity can be easily traced.

There are quite a lot of keyloggers currently available on the market. Quality depends and so does the price. Keyloggers are usually very simple to install, setup and use and require no special skills from the user. Most of them cost around $30, though there are more sophisticated species that may cost a little bit more. Keylogger software usually operates in the invisible mode and children don't know their parents have an eye on them.

However, this last feature often comes as an obstacle for the parents. They think that keylogging their children' online activity equals to spying and that such harsh supervision in not required for their beloved ones. Well, even if your child is very smart and kind, he or she is still a child so there is still a threat that they can make a wrong choice. And the consequences may be horrible. There are online predators that try to gather information about children in various chat rooms to take hostile actions against them in the real life. Even though children who realize they should keep their private information really private, can reveal some bits of information to a predator, who will then stick the facts together and find out what he needs.

Keylogger software often comes as the only solution for the parents with children who have the opportunity to access the Internet on a regular basis. Parents should know what happens with their children and try to prevent the possible danger. And the Internet, regrettably, carries a lot of danger with it, so keylogging software may really help to notice the problem long before it actually comes to life.

Kevin Dark is marketing various products online. Parents should benefit from the fabulous Keylogger.

Computer Cool

Keep Your Computer Cool

If the computer after several hours' use suddenly rebooted and does not show any sign of system failure, there could only be one thing. The computer is overheating.

Unknown to many, (especially those who are not into technological stuff) the computer could generate a large amount of heat when it is in use. Adding video or sound cards could also add more heat generation from your computer.

The temperature inside the computer or laptop that has high-powered processors that runs with multiple applications reaches one hundred forty (140) degrees.

The more drives, memory and even colored lights stuffed in today's CPUs and laptops, the less space there is for internal air circulation. Combine that with poor exhaust or surrounding ventilation, and systems slow, applications run poorly, or the computer could reboot to cool itself down, or crash altogether.

The popularity of cheap computers is fast increasing. People are drawn to buying the cheap computers but they are not aware of the reductions made just so to meet the demand.

One of these reductions is the size as well as the effectiveness of cooling fans on the computer. As the computer gets warmer, the computer speed also gets slower.

With the proper cooling device in the computer, rest assured that the performance of the computer would be better. It could also extend the life of the computer, motherboard and the processor.

Cooling products help drop the temperature of the CPU and its components by circulating, dissipating, cooling and pulling air from a desktop or laptop computer.

Some fans mount in the front drive bays of computers, while others slip into PCI slots to suck air out the back. Copper or aluminum "heat sinks" mount atop the processor to cool that device itself.

When buying a new computer, visit a retailer and touch the computer case to see how hot it gets. Consider adding additional fans to the PCI slots or atop the processor.

Other cooling tips include cleaning dust away from the CPU's fan, or opening the unit and using a can of compressed air to blow dust off the components.

Keep the CPU off the floor, and install filters atop the fans, to reduce dust, pet fur or other debris from getting into the unit. A small electrical fan aimed to blow across the CPU also can help disperse heat and cool the unit.

Keep the computer in a location where air can circulate freely. Keeping the tower in a desk cabinet, leaving the doors open or removed to aid circulation also helps air to circulate inside the computer.

For general office cooling, a flat-panel monitor, or LCD, can reduce the amount of heat generated, as compared to a traditional CRT monitor.

Laptop heat is especially common. Many road warriors, teleworkers and home office workers place the laptop literally upon their laps to work.

This not only can block exhaust fans, but can trap and build heat. Laptop pads dissipate heat by either elevating the unit from the surface, or by using fans to help draw heat away from the device.

Many slot coolers are being marketed today. There are two things that you have to consider before buying one. The intake of fresh cool air is very important. Case temperature drops with the intake fan in the case. T

he position of the fan is the other. It has to be positioned one slot away from the AGP card. The extra space would help the airflow inside the computer. This way the computer heat would be lessened.

James Monahan is the owner and Senior Editor of
CoolingBase.com and writes expert
articles about cooling.

Computer Virus Scan

Computer Virus Scan, Your 24/7 Dutiful Guard

Computers nowadays will not last without the installations of a good anti virus software. It is recommended that a frequent computer virus scan be done to ensure that your computer has not been infected with a virus. Most of us have probably experienced computer defaults caused by a virus attack and feel that you are not safe enough from hackers. So, keep your computer safe from these dangerous virus threats.

Install Computer Virus Scan software and protect your personal data from hackers, detect and remove spywares, adwares and web dialers. Virus scan softwares also restore your computer if it is already infected. They will detect the infections and have them removed, deleted or quarantined.

Imagine having a malicious program destroying your files and computer in seconds? These could be files that you have worked so hard for. So why not secure your computer? Nobody wants his hard disk destroyed, personal information stolen and files erased.

With the growing number of viruses - worms, trojans and other hazards that can easily infect your computer, protecting your PC has never been more important. Especially now that computers has been given a more important role in our daily lives.

The availability of virus scan softwares and the development of new programs in the light of this problem put an ease to many of the computer owners. Virus scan destroys all viruses which could have penetrated into the system mostly, cleaning up takes only but a few seconds.

While at first install it would do a thorough computer virus scan to ensure that there is no virus hiding anywhere in your pc. After that it would do occasional computer virus scans to maintain the cleanliness of your computer.

Computer virus scan programs also detect potentially unwanted applications like spyware, adware, web dialers and more.

Advanced antivirus technology detects and removes all latest versions of worm, email, download and other computer viruses, including Sobig, Lovsan (MSBlaster), Bugbear, Palyh, Fizzer, Klez, Sircam, Nimda, CIH, "I love you" virus, "Anna Kournikova" virus, Hahaha, Badtrans, Vbs funlove letter, Melissa and many other worm, back door and Trojan Horse viruses.

With a computer virus scanner on duty, you will almost never contract a virus. You can surf the Internet safely, read your emails and download files without being worried about viruses.


After installing a computer virus scanner, it will act as a 24/7 guard to your computer. Tirelessly it will guard your computer against attacks from viruses and preventing harm from other malicious software.

The background scanner will operate continuously, watching for viruses as you are using your computer for everyday tasks. You do not have to do anything. In the software, a computer virus scanner will perform this function and do the entire job automatically, in the background, ensuring the safety of your computer. Or, if you wish, you can configure it to schedule, run and manage your own scan operations.

The scanner starts when you start your computer, and stays in memory until you shut it or your system down. The scanner also includes optional features that keep your computer from connecting to dangerous Internet sites.

If you plug-in permanently or just connect periodically to the Internet, computer virus scan softwares automatically checks for the latest virus definitions, patches and fixes -- then updates itself automatically. This is your first line of defense against computer viruses. In some anti virus software they can also be your second, third and fourth.

S. Stammberger is the owner of Computer
Virus Helpers. Her website offers articles and tools to help protect your computer against viruses.

Bookmark Managers: Programs vs. Web Services

The rapid development of the World Wide Web in recent years has led to an explosive growth of information on the Internet. Our contemporary lifestyle would be unimaginable without access to such a super-abundant cornucopia of valuable information and web surfing has now become an everyday occupation for even the most diverse sections of society.

This rapid expansion of web resources raises some new issues for all of us. How could you possibly remember; after a long search, the address of that crucial web page? How will you be able to return to the page without repeating a tedious web search through hundreds and thousands of pages?
The answer is obvious, you need a program that will allow you to easily create and manage a database of web resources. Of course, this database must be quick, intuitive and convenient to use.

One way to resolve this problem is to use your web browser's bookmarks feature. Bookmarks are a popular term for the lists of web page links stored in web browsers, although they are called 'Favorites' in Internet Explorer. These web browser bookmark systems have some severe limitations. For example, each bookmark list will only be compatible with a specific web browser. If you use several different web browsers you will have to manage the bookmark system in each one. Web browser bookmark lists may become cumbersome to use when your bookmark list grows beyond a few items. Important features missing from web browser bookmark systems include:
• Powerful search functions
• Synchronization of bookmarks between different computers
• Detection and automatic deletion of duplicate bookmarks
• Checks for availability of bookmarked web pages.
Specialist programs and web services that store and organize bookmarks are now available and they offer a comprehensive solution to these problems. They are called bookmark managers or bookmark organizers (in this article both terms have the same meaning). The difference between online (web-based) bookmark managers and standalone bookmark managers is in the location of the stored bookmark database and in the way that the database is accessed. Web services called 'online bookmark managers' store the user's bookmarks on their remote servers and their bookmarks may be accessed from any browser. A standalone bookmark organizer is simply a program which runs on your local computer. It stores the bookmark database on a hard disk and allows access through its own built-in interface.

Here are some examples of web-based bookmark managers:

iKeepBookmarks.com - www.ikeepbookmarks.com

LinkaGoGo - www.linkagogo.com

Murl - murl.com

You can find more links to online bookmark managers here:
http://dmoz.org/Computers/Internet/On_the_Web/Web_Applications/Bookmark_Managers/

Bookmark management software can be found here:

Link Commander - www.resortlabs.com/bookmark-manager/linkcommander.php

Linkman - www.outertech.com/index.php?_charisma_page=product&id=5

Powermarks - www.kaylon.com/power.html

Any software catalog will contain plenty of links to bookmark managers. For example: www.snapfiles.com/shareware/misctools/swurlorg.html

Offline and online bookmark managers each have relative advantages and disadvantages due to their differing methods of database storage and access.

An online bookmark manager does not depend on any particular computer. If you have an Internet connection you can access your bookmarks from any computer in the world. You don't need to synchronize the bookmarks on your home/work PC or notebook because they will all access the same bookmarks database. With an online bookmark manager you can access your bookmarks even when you are in an Internet cafe! Another advantage is that most of them are free. They will cost you time, though, because you access your bookmarks via an Internet connection. More importantly, most of the web interfaces are not as convenient as software based bookmark managers and don't have so many useful features. For example, they can't search for and delete duplicate database items. Here are some of the other potential disadvantages of using online bookmark managers:

1) You risk losing all your bookmarks if, for some reason, the web service closes down.

2) There is a danger of unauthorized access to your private bookmarks because your bookmark manager server may not be secure against hackers.

The advantages and disadvantages of offline bookmark managers are almost exactly opposite to those of online bookmark managers and will be discussed next.

Any offline bookmark manager is tied to the computer on which it is installed. It stores your bookmarks in a database (which usually has its own proprietary format) that is located on one of the hard drives. To use your bookmarks on several computers you will need to install the program on each computer and find a way to synchronize the bookmark databases. Most of the currently available bookmark organizers do have a database synchronization feature. Also, there are now devices with high data transfer speeds (e.g. flash drives) that can store an independent bookmark database and allow it to be shared between several computers.

Another disadvantage of bookmark manager software is the price. There are some free programs out there, but they don't have a great number of features and technical support is often weak or unavailable. The programs that require payment are inexpensive, though, usually costing from $20 to $40. The user licenses of such programs will normally allow you to install the programs on all of your computers.

In my opinion, the disadvantages of standalone bookmark managers are minimal compared to their advantages. The location of both the program and database on the same computer guarantees you fast access to your bookmarks and high security from hacker attacks. The convenience of the program interface and the number of useful features are limited only by the power of the computer and the skills of developers.

So, how should you organize your bookmarks? Should you use an online or offline bookmark manager? I don't think there is a definite answer. It all depends on your preferences and working habits. If mobility is your priority, if you travel often and wish to access your bookmarks no matter where you are and from any computer, then you should consider an online bookmark manager. If speed, ease of use, security and functionality is most important to you then an offline bookmark manager might be a better choice.

Author By: Andrew Nemets
About the author: Andrew Nemets is co-founder and CEO of Resort Labs - www.resortlabs.com, the software development company specializing in developing human to computer interaction systems, user interface improvements and routine tasks automation software.
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