Designing Web Success

Most people understand preventive maintenance like changing the oil in your car will help your car run better and last longer. The same principle holds true for your PC. Based on the computer repair services we do on computers in Cincinnati, we believe 80% of computer slowdowns and problems can be prevented!

The purpose of this article is to help you understand how you can prevent computer slowdowns and other issues.

The top 10 ways you can prevent computer slowdown are…

1. Ensure antivirus software is installed, automatically checking for updates, and automatically scanning all incoming files. If there is a virus associated with a new file it will automatically be repaired or quarantined. New viruses come out daily. Because of this, the anti-virus software needs to be configured to automatically updates it’s self. McAfee and Norton’s are the most popular anti-virus software and what we recommend.

2. Run antispyware/antiadware software. Spyware and adware are hands down the most common cause of PC slowdowns. This software is critical if you are surfing the Internet. Spybot Search & Destroy or Ad-aware are the two most common free anti-spyware/adware packages. We recommend a more proactive packages like Spy Sweeper which proactively scans your system and cost less than $30. A combination of Spy Sweeper and Ad-aware provides very good coverage today.

3. Install a hardware firewall to keep hackers out. Hackers have automated tools that are looking for any PC connected to the Internet without a firewall. To give you an idea, at the time of this writing, my home PC was scanned 158 times in the last 24 hours. This means it was scanned an average of every 9 minutes. If you’re connected to the Internet but don’t have a firewall, hackers (criminals) will be in your PC. Beyond stealing your information they can install programs that can damage or slow your PC down. A hardware firewall to protect all the PCs on the local area network provides the best protection. Recommended hardware firewalls are Linksys, Netgear, and D-link. Hardware firewalls are easier to set up and maintain than software firewalls.

Software firewalls work but we don’t recommend them because they are complicated to maintain and often cause other confusion and issues.

4. Microsoft Windows is constantly releasing updates for their operating system. Most of these updates are repairing security holes in their software. You want to configure your machine to automatically check for and download critical updates as they become available.

5. Delete your Internet temp files monthly. This will keep your system cleaner and allow it to run faster.

6. Defrag your hard drive quarterly. This is not the issue it was but there are still benefits to defraging your hard drive on a regular basis.

7. Read the terms and conditions before signing up for or downloading anything for free on the Internet. Free downloads like Kazaa (music), games, toolbars, and coupons often come with adware or spyware. The terms and conditions of downloads explain adware will be installed on the persons machine in exchange for the free software, music, pizza or whatever. Of course, few people read these terms and conditions.

8. Don’t open e-mails from strangers. Don’t open attachments from people you know if your not expecting it. Call the person and ensure they sent it. If they did not, don’t open it. E-mail from strangers and unexpected attachments may contain adware or spyware waiting to install on your computer. It probably won’t install if you don’t open the e-mail or attachment. (Note: If you’re using e-mail software with a mail “Preview Pane” like Microsoft Outlook, previewing the mail is the same as opening it. You should turn this feature off. Unselect “Preview Pane” under the “View” drop down list in Outlook.)

9. Use the Firefox web browser from www.mozilla.org. It is more secure and less vulnerable to popup ads, viruses, computer slowdowns, etc. It also has some additional tab and other options not available with other browsers.

10. We’ve talked about preventive maintenance but issues still happen. Hard drives fail. Computers are stolen, etc. Because of these risk, it’s important to backup your data on a regular basis. The best backups are stored off site. This can be done with an Internet service or store the data to a CD and take it to another location on a regular basis.

In summary, we guarantee regular preventive maintenance will keep your computer running better. We suggest doing these things yourself or schedule a computer professional to proactively perform and ensure these preventive maintenance steps are in place and working on a monthly basis. This will prevent computer slowdowns and issues!

John Daniell and the Swordfish Computer Solutions team help people prevent computer slowdowns and resolve computer issues. They do this by providing IT outsourcing
computer services including computer networking, repair, training, website development, and graphic design in Cincinnati, Ohio. John can be reached at http://www.SwordfishCS.com.

It is easy to go onto ebay or some other auction site and see a laptop and purchase it because of the great price listed. Sometimes you find a great deal, other times you get burned. If you have a lot of extra money and plenty of time to vent your frustration… hop online and buy the first thing you see. If you have a little time to prevent yourself from spending a bunch of extra money, you might want to consider some of the ways people who think they are saving a lot of money actually end up spending more than than someone who planned ahead.

The first and most common mistake people make is simply this; they buy the wrong laptop. They see a laptop for $250 and think it is a great deal, but didn’t really think out what they needed. They find this great deal they have didn’t come with a CD burner which they need for their line of work (like graphic design) or it didn’t have basic Word Processing programs they need. This error can occur in a variety of forms. Make sure you know what you need before you go out and buy.

The next most common mistake is buying a used laptop with “issues.” Yes, this happens a lot. It may have a dead battery which costs $80 to replace or a CD Rom which is going out. There can be a lot of issues to make the used laptop a little cheaper. Sometimes, this can save money if it isn’t an issue that matters to you and other times it will cost you more because you will want to replace/repair the problem.

Another way to get to spend more money than you bargained for is to buy a laptop without an Operating System. You might wonder who’d do this sort of thing. If you look at laptops from various retailers that are used, you will find close to half of them do not have an Operating System. If you have a copy of Windows XP or ME or 98 from your last system that died… (meaning it is not currently being used on another hard drive) this can be a great way for you to save money. However, if you do not, be prepared to spend an extra $100.

Really, the best way to get the best deal on a used laptop is to know what you need to do and make sure the laptop you are buying can do those things. If you buy a laptop which only meets half your needs you will be forced to spend a lot of time and effort making the laptop work properly in the long run. Why not just start out that way. Know what you are planning to do and find a retailer who you can trust to help you find a used laptop that can do all of it for you. Buying a used laptop is a great way to save money IF you purchase thoughtfully.

Jesse Harwell owns several websites including http://www.usedcollegelaptops.com aimed to help the consumer spend their money as wisely as possible on computer purchases.

What is a DVD Recorder; it is no more than a disc recorder that permits you to record your favourite free-view language programmes or videos onto re-writable Digital Discs. They can be offered as either installable backup drives for notebooks or as separate components for use in studios or residential theatre systems. When Digital Versatile Disc Systems were originally put up for sale you could without doubt be expected to pay anything up to three thousand pounds for a rudimentary system, this is recently no longer the case.

DVD System’s have to date exceedingly trendy and have totally taken over the VHS recorder, which is now nearly history. Like everything that contain a technology base behind it there are a large number of different systems to decide from. The most smart ones to go for are DVD recorders with built in Hard Drives. This is a recording device but it does not enable viewers to pause and rewind unlike what you would be capable to-do on live television. The grounds for the Hard Drive in the DVD recorder is so that you are able to store many TV programmes to the Hard Drive of which they can also be burned onto a Digital Versatile Disc. On top of this you can burn instantly onto Digital Versatile Discs. Visit the Digital Direct website and grab yourself Cheap DVD Recorders today!

Loads of DVD recorders with recording capabilities on the whole contain an EPG for programming recordings. There are these days loads of DVD Systems with Hard backup drives on sale from highly regarded brand names like that of Sony, Pioneer, Sharp & others.

The best thing nowadays is that DVD systems have under no circumstances been so reasonably priced, with this in mind it is likely for you to purchase a top of the range systems for a very excellent price. The consumer market is driven by the latest machinery, new innovations and product features, of which these are altering practically every month.

Following a flood of complaints by the consumers regarding misleading advertisements, rules are being imposed on ringtone ads.

Ring tones and wallpapers ads are going to be regulated in order to protect consumers from signing up for the high rate subscription services.

Many people have run up huge bills out of their mobile phones because of misleading advertisements, which don’t disclose all the costs.
With the help of the new rules, the UK mobile phone operators will be able to find out how high rate subscription services are marketed by the content providers. The rules however only talk about font sizes of the ads and about how prices should be presented in TV adverts.

The deadline to abide by the rules is 30th August.
The first ringtone to reach the top of pop charts is the extremely popular Crazy Frog.

More than 100 complaints were received regarding the Crazy Frog ringtone.
When buying the Crazy Frog ring tone, the consumers are actually signing up for a subscription plan. This plan enables them to receive a new text message every week for which they are charged £3, allowing them to download another ring tone.

Recently people who were misguided by the advertisements ended up paying huge bills. They unintentionally subscribed to ring tone and text services when they thought they were just buying one tune. Many people downloaded the Crazy Frog ringtone, unaware of the fact that it is only a part of a bundle of tunes and they will be billed for it on regular basis.
It was said that there would be a big problem preventing ringtone sellers from giving such advertisements.

Mostly, it is teenagers who do not care to understand the conditions applied to such services and are susceptible to them.

The new rules will enforce the content sellers to clear the ongoing costs so that people will know what they are getting. The price specifications and how often people would be billed would be prominent in the advertisements. Small fonts and scrolling price banners would also be banned. The prices and conditions would be in the main body of an advertisement rather than the small print. As soon as someone signs up for a service, he would be getting a message giving the details of what he is getting. Customers would also be told how to unsubscribe or they would be charged £20 every month.

If all the firms abide these rules, consumers would definitely be more contended.

At the end of June, the Department of Trade and Industry announced a big increase in fines for firms that break rules on the selling of premium rate phone services.

Alen
xpert4u.co.uk
UK mobile phone directory

When you hear that some of your business phones don’t work, you may need to replace them. Maybe it is a bad phone. However, if the employee says they can’t hear or be heard well enough, you should check a couple of simple things before you replace the whole phone.

Ask if the problem occurs on speakerphone calls or just when using the handset. If its only the latter, try taking a handset that is known to work. Put it on the phone with trouble. If it eliminates the problem, you need a replacement handset.

I believe that tens of thousands of phones are discarded by businesses each year that only needed a new handset.

By the way, you might try replacing the handset cord as well. This is less often a source of trouble, but it does happen and is easy to check. Yes, we carry handset cords as well.

If you want to replace a handset, you’ll need to know the color, the phone model and the phone system. Believe it or not, different handsets are required for phone systems from the same manufacturer. The Avaya Partner telephone systems has two completely different handset styles.

Handset replacement is to do by yourself. It will also save you time and money.

Bob Mrozinski

Owner of Applied Voice and Data, a broker of refurbished and new business phone system equipment from many manufacturers. Bob’s eighteen years in the phone industry are mostly on the sales side. By visiting with customers in person and on the phone for so long, he has acquired a knack for honing in on what a customer really needs to make real world applications work.

http://www.avdphonesystems.com/

Are you fed up with the same ring tone that plays on your mobile phone? Why not try using a ring tone converter. Ring tone converter is basically computer software which helps you to add new ring tones to your mobile phones. Mobile ring tone converter can be used for both Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac Systems. The system allows adding new ring tones in the mobile phones without the use of expensive cable network or premium rates SMS services.
The software is designed in such a way that you do not need to have any musical or technical knowledge. The software on its own takes care of all the details. The following points will help you understand as to how you can add new ring tones on your mobile phones:

1) Firstly you need to download the ring tone converter for generating different ring tones on your computer.
2) Once the software is installed check whether the software starts and displays the screen.
3) The next step is to select the model number of your mobile phone or similar model number from the first drop menu box. Once you select the model number the picture of your handset will be viewed.
4) From the second drop menu box select the ring tone you want to add in your cell phone.
5) Once you have finished selecting the ring tone you need to click the convert button. Once you hit the convert button the software will automatically convert the tone into a key press sequence, which you can type in your mobile phone.
6) In order to type the key press sequence you need to locate the ring tone composer in your mobile phone. It is mostly found near the menu area of the phone. It is normally called a Ring tone composer or a ring tone editor.
7) After locating the ring tone composer type the key press sequence provided by your ring tone converter software. As long as you press the keys in the sequence shown by the software, the tone should go into your phone and play for you.

Isabella Rodrigues writes for 4freecellphone.info,
offering the latest information on cell phones, visit them today and get the
latest information on different types of free cell phones.

Visit today: www.4freecellphone.info

There it sits: the shiny new high-definition monitor that you just picked up for a killer price. You pull out your laptop with dreams of sharp, hi-res graphics dancing through your head, only to realize that your laptop only has a VGA out port. You could always get a VGA to DVI adapter, but with only an analog signal, what do you do about the picture quality? The resolution? The definition? Without the digital, what’s the point?

You’re not alone. With the proliferation of high definition TVs, monitors, and projectors, laptop users looking to get a bigger viewing surface than the sometimes miniscule laptop screen now have the chance to see their desktop in sharp, clear, digital high-definition.

Until recently, most laptops have only had a VGA out jack. Even the nicest multimedia platforms have only had S-Video and RCA video out in addition to the ubiquitous VGA out. Unfortunately, all of these video options are analog, resulting in a loss of clarity and resolution. The loss isn’t devastating, but those wishing to experience high-def in all its glory will want to go digital.

Happily, you can now add a DVI port to your analog laptop, letting you take full advantage of the luscious visual goodness that DVI offers. The VTBook DVI/VGA Dual Display Video PCMCIA Card (the best, and as far as I can tell, only option as far as a DVI expansion card is concerned) plugs neatly into a PCMCIA slot on the side of your laptop, giving you a DVI digital high-def signal your parents would be proud of.

So go ahead and buy that hi-def monitor you’ve been looking at, but don’t forget the VTBook. You won’t regret it.

Nathan Kartchner works as a marketer for Sewell Direct, an online retailer of hard-to find connectivity products like the VTBook DVI PCMCIA card, or the USB to Serial adapter.

Looking to get the free polyphonic ringtone you’ve always wanted - for free?

By just following a few simple steps, you can download free ringtones off of the Internet. Many websites offer entire libraries of tones, and all can be easily downloaded into your mobile phone. Amazing, isn’t it?

One such site, Polyphonicfree.co.uk, has teamed up with other sites to offer not just free ringtones but free graphics, Java applications, pictures, games, wallpapers and more. Another, At FreeMobileFun.com, you can download free phone tones plus screensavers, operator logos and other phone accessories. Some sites even give away freebies like phones as part of special promotions. Visiting sites like these will help you get the most from your cell phone.

If you’re having a hard time finding that one special tone you want, you can use more specific search terms. Let’s say you’re looking for a song in polyphonic format. Simply type the the title of the song into a search engine plus the file type - for example, “.mid” for midi. Make sure you also include the word “free” in your search.

It’s a simple process to play these tones on your mobile phone. First make sure that your phone is WAP enabled and that the phone you’re using is compatible with the type of tone you want. If it’s polyphonic, then your cell phone should support and play midi tones.

Your web search will yield thousands of ringtones - make sure, though, that the ones you’re choosing to download are actually free. Including the words “free ringtone” in your web search will help you isolate those that won’t cost anything, but you should still double-check before downloading from a website that there is no charge.

Also, make sure and take note of the unit and model of phones any of these free ringtones, Java applications and screensavers require. Some tones only support a certain brand of mobile phone. The data cable you purchase to transfer the tones to your cell phone will also need to be compatible with your particular make and model of cellphone.

So what are you waiting for? Go get that free polyphonic ringtone now.

Simon Oliver has an interest in Recreation and Hobbies related topics. To access more information on free ringtone or on download free ringtone, please click on the links.

What is Mobile SMS/ Test Messaging?

Mobile text Messaging, or Short Message Service (SMS), as we all know it, is the ability to send and receive text messages to and from mobile telephones. The text can comprise words or numbers or an alphanumeric combination. SMS was created as part of the GSM Phase 1 standard. The first short message is believed to have been sent in December 1992 from a Personal Computer (PC) to a mobile phone on the Vodafone GSM network in the UK. Each short message can be up to 160 characters is length when Latin alphabets are used.

Customer Usage and Market Growth

There is no doubting the success of the Short Message Service - the market in India alone has reached over one billion messages despite little proactive marketing by network operators and phone manufacturers. Key market drivers over the next two years such as the access of cheaper mobile technology to the masses will continue this growth path.

Mobile Messaging: How can your business benefit?

Enterprise Messaging

Enterprise uptake of mobile applications is set for phenomenal growth. By 2005, Gartner anticipates that 65 percent of enterprises will be harnessing the power of wireless applications to efficiently automate the existing business processes and use wireless connectivity for one or more user groups.

Statistics are already showing a considerable growth in the enterprise messaging, within the last seven quarters.

Where does enterprise messaging fit into your business

No matter what the nature or model of your business is, you can effectively exploit the potential of Mobile Messaging. Following are some examples of the application areas where Mobile Messaging is excelling:

1. B2B Messaging

Mobile terminated and mobile originated SMS and MMS via UCP, XML and PHP interface

Benefits: Using industry standard protocols provide easy integration with existing systems as well as a robust and scalable model for future technologies.

2. B2B Campaigns and list processing

Permission-based mobile marketing campaign of consumer goods, advertisement campaign, promotions etc.

Benefits: Mobile marketing provides unparallel advantage of effectively targeting specific audience level.

3. B2B Applications

Customized mobile applications conforming to a business rule and addressing a specific target audience. Example: MIS reports to mobile sales force, critical data to mobile technical work force. The possibilities are unlimited and the flexibility is enormous!

How to choose a high quality and reliable service provider for SMS/Text Messaging for your enterprise messaging needs?

The first option that comes to one’s mind is mobile operators. However, though they have complete control over network infrastructure, they are generally not too keen to service customer for meeting their messaging needs. The prime reasons for this are:

• Enterprise messaging involves complex integration with backend database/applications
• The volume of messages is typically not high (except in large B2C companies)
• The criticality of message delivery is extremely high
• Operators largely cross subsidise ‘voice’ with ‘data’ services.
• It a specific network is down, then the service suffers.
• The service need extra attention in terms of providing high service levels

There are many independent providers of mobile data services focussed in the domain of enterprise messaging that provide end-to-end SMS/text messaging service. For example, ValueFirst (http://www.vfirst.com) provides SMS/Text messaging services to enterprises.

There are several advantages of working with an operator neutral service provider:

• Easy and quick integration with back-end application/databases
• Connections with multiple operators ensure better service quality (i.e. service is continued even if the network of a specific operator fails)
• Single entry point into the mobile networks.
• Uniform application access – no duplicate efforts required
• Reliability and timeliness - Acknowledged mobile messaging with guaranteed message delivery information available
• Integrated payment – one stop shop for all billing aspects and
• Seamless and secure messaging environment.

About The Author

This article has been contributed by (Mr.) Vijay Shukla, Country Head, ValueFirst Messaging India (http://www.vfirst.com). Vijay has over 8 years of industry experience management consulting and mobile data services. He can be contacted at vijayshukla@yahoo.com.

There are some phone taps that are not true taps at all. They are more like bugs that only allow you to listen to one end of the conversation. While one end can be very useful, the fact is that it can also be very incomplete, leaving a lot of things to conjecture. The most effective phone taps allow you to listen to both ends of the conversation so that you can get as much context from the conversation as possible.

Usually hard taps, soft taps, and advanced cell phone bugs are the phone taps that can allow you to listen to both sides of the conversation. These are taps that get you “into the system,” so to speak, so that you are in the middle of the communication. The best and most advanced taps are not noticeable by the parties being listened to, and so the eavesdropper can hear whatever needs to be heard without letting the others know she or he is there.

Hard phone taps are those that make use of an actual physical line. They consist of a secondary line hooked into the primary line and then bridged to another location. The person listening can be at the location of the tap, or they can use a “slave” to send a transmission. This type of phone tap is extremely difficult to detect, as it is hardwired and usually at a location away from the phone, so sweeping the room for bugs will not be effective.

Soft phone taps are those that take place inside the software of the phone company. The listener gains access to the digital network by hacking in or receiving permission. Most phone companies today now incorporate digital lines into their service, even if the person has a land line. This means that the listener only needs to know which line is associated with the conversation he or she would like to listen to. These are relatively easy to find if someone knows how to look in the software, but virtually undetectable to the parties having the conversations.

Cell phone taps are another matter altogether. They make use of a special cell phone that allows you to dial a secret number to activate the phone for listening. The user is usually unsuspecting and has no idea you are listening to the conversation when you use cell phone taps.

(c) 2005 Copyright www.spyassociates.com. This article is about: Phone Taps.