Video Display

Video Display

by: Paula Jones

Video displays are most recent technique used in both outdoor and indoor environments.

Video displays are used to display live actions at either sporting event, cultural show, or any industrial event. These are widely used in today’s world’s most busy parts and metropolitan cities to cover maximum audience possible.

These features at art, graphics and video using LED technology, which stands for light emitting diodes and world’s most efficient and advance technology to produce light. As you can see, with the long lasting ability, minimal power usage, and excellent viewing range, LEDกs are a powerful and obvious choice for Video Displays.

Video displays became the first choice for business world, government, and with organizations as well. Not only this, video displays are part of the family of electronic displays with the first and extreme choice in the world of electronics and accepted all over the world to do renewable advertisement that is not limited to a single declaration.

It also offers video displays with stunning sharpness, shorter viewing distances and a smoother picture and is the leading manufacturer in the world of digital electronics. The video distribution system within many companies addresses each individual tile assuring perfect video performance over the entire display, regardless of size, shape and configuration.

In offices, hospitals, factory floors and even places of worship, these electronic signs are allowing people to spread information and messages to the maximum audience or group of people. This displays allows transmission of these messages without delay and widely accepted as outdoor signs.

Moreover, these equipments are easy to install and use. There are lot of customizing options, which include size , and shape with different mounting options with which, they can be hanged on wall or be attached by a floor stand.

About The Author

Paula Jones

Jayex Technology Limited, based in London specialise in advanced information display systems. Established in 1978 we have pioneered the development of the LED display market and now have over 18,000 customers worldwide. We offer, probably the largest range of models from small single line signs to big screen Megavision screens that can display live video and action replay in stadia.

jayex.co.uk

This article was posted on September 28, 2004

by Paula Jones

Become a More Creative Person

Become a More Creative Person

by: Granny’s Mettle

Used to be when we talk about generation gap, it almost always applies to the difference in thinking between the supposedly adult generation and the younger ones. Then, it was easier to understand because our parents used to say that itกs all about difficult teenagers. Period.

However, the principle of generation gap has evolved in a different meaning particularly in the workplace. The trend nowadays is to have a more vibrant and creative staff working for companies. And who best exemplifies creativity and fun? The young, fine arts degree holders, who else.

A person with a fine arts degree used to have trouble in getting himself employed. But now, itกs the companies who are getting as much as they can; recruiting young people with a fine arts background, believing that with creative staff aboard, they become more creative and innovative themselves. Especially that thereกs a growing belief nowadays that to stay ahead, companies should become more inventive, innovative and creative.

Nevertheless, you don’t need to be a fine arts graduate to get inside the best companies. Or you get your own fine arts staff for your own company. You just need to enhance your creativity to get a crack of the business you have chosen. As the author of Vivation said, the idea that a few people are creative and the rest are not is definitely a myth. All we need is to let some of our infinite creative power leak through from the unconscious so we can apply it to our conscious state.

Or, we could always rely on software and programs available in the market to help us produce a creative and innovative environment for our company and business.

There is a barrage of applications from Adobe, Microsoft, and other software developers, to help us create better and vivid media materials that enhance our corporate identity.

At the TypoTechnica 2005 conference, Quark Inc. introduced QuarkXPress 7, an updated version of their page layout program. The program fully supports both Unicode and OpenType. With QuarkXPress7กs support for Unicode, it provides a new feature called Font Fallback that allows users to specify a fall back and alternative fonts when a specified font does not contain a full set of glyphs for nonRoman characters. Furthermore, the program will support a total of around 23 OpenType features, including standard and discretionary ligatures and swashes.

On the other hand, Adobeกs Creative Suite boasts having a complete design environment for print and Web publishing. They add that users will be able to create and publish content for print and the Web faster, more easily, and more affordably. The application has tools for creating artwork, editing images, creating photo compositions, and drawing vector graphics.

Then thereกs Microsoftกs Digital Image Suite 9 and Digital Image Pro 9 that comes with wizards and tutorials that walk you through the process and help you get started right away. The software includes thousands of design templates to help you create projects not only for your business, but also for the home.

There are a lot of ways and means to let our creativity flow. We just have to use our minds to imagine fresh ways or put together already existing ideas and innovate, to make our company click with our target clients. And with new technology to help us, business life is simpler and easier.

About The Author

Grannyกs Mettle is a 30something, professional web content writer. She has created various web content on a diverse range of topics, which includes digital printing topics, medical news, as well as legal issues. Her articles are composed of reviews, suggestions, tips and more for the printing and designing industry.

Her thoughts on writing: กWriting gives me pleasure… pleasure and excitement that you have created something to share with others. And with the wide world of the Internet, it gives me great satisfaction that my articles reach more people in the quickest time you could imagine.ก

On her spare time, she loves to stay at home, reading books on just about any topic she fancies, cooking a great meal, and taking care of her husband and kids.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.ucreative.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on March 07

by Granny’s Mettle

Varnish Your Printing and create New Dimensions

Varnish Your Printing and create New Dimensions

by: Robert Kennedy

Offset Printing Varnishing techniques

Think for a moment. Is there a particular brochure or printed piece that stands out in your memory? Can you recall what feature or features have kept it with you!

Could it be graphic design? Photo placement? Typography or layout? Unusual format or innovative printing affects?

Learn the many techniques for incorporating varnish into your next printed piece. Varnished continues to be a great way of protecting and enhancing printed matter, but many graphic designers miss this in the element of design.

So you have that special promotion you are working on. It really needs to ‘stand out from the crowd’! One of the easiest and effective ways is to do it with varnish! You don’t get a second chance to make of first impression.

What is varnish?

Varnish is a variation of printing ink. It can be clear or tinted, glossy or dull, and it performs on a printing press as normal ink.

>From the production viewpoint, varnish is a sealer that overprints ink and paper helping to protect the finished printed piece from being scratched and scuffed. From a design viewpoint, dull varnish is sometimes used to reduce glare on glossy paper and thus increases readability.

For design effects, gloss and dull varnishes are used independently or in combinations. They can make a sheet glisten or make it appear smooth and shiny. Try spot varnish to add an enhanced appearance to photography, increase vibrancy of colors, or add interest and clarity to charts and diagrams.

Independent varnishes can run ขin the backgroundข and will attract the reader, in a very subtle manner to their presence.

Varnish does not always need to be combined with conventional printing inks. Varnish is interesting and appealing when used on its own. To create a tinted appearance you can add a small percentage of ink to varnish. This will print with a tinted transparent look that cannot be easily duplicated adding a dimension that is simply not achievable and any other way.

What are your options?

Ink, paper type and type of varnish (Matte or gloss, tinted or nontinted) must all be considered when deciding on the varnish effect you are trying to achieve. Sales, design and production staff should discuss these projects in the estimating/ production planning stage to ensure desired results are printed.

For most printed matter where varnish is being applied coated (glossy) paper is your best choice. Uncoated papers tend to absorb more of the effect and have a rougher surface.

Whether you use gloss varnish, dull varnish, tinted varnish or play one off against the other your viewers will enjoy the uniqueness of the design and print. Your printed piece will be remembered by a higher percentage of you audience and in some cases kept just as a collectors item.

I have been in the printing industry for many years. In 1986 I read many of the varnishing techniques that I employ in catalogue sent by one of our paper suppliers, entitled ‘Varnish Techniques’ by SD Warren Company. I have kept this catalogue and used it as a tool to help illustrate the finished results of various varnishing techniques. Yes, this catalogue is varnished. It is 2005 now, and I have decided to scan the actual pages that demonstrate and explain varnishing techniques used by commercial printers today.

http://www.weprintcolors.com/varnish/index.htm

Enjoy

About The Author

Robert is the marketing director of an online print and design firm http://www.weprintcolor.com. Robert covers all aspects of graphic development, deployment and digital media design services.

This article was posted on January 09

by Robert Kennedy

Self Employment In The Age Of The Computer

Self Employment In The Age Of The Computer

by: Richard Moore

SelfEmployment in the Age of the Computer, or: Using the computer to create your own income.

I believe that there is a huge market that is not widely recognized but, available right now for people to create their own careers. I approached Human Resources, E.I., and Canada Manpower in Canada, and Government Unemployment and Employment agencies about advertising this particular avenue of selfemployment, but they will have nothing to do with it.

It seems odd to me that with the number of people out of work that these government agencies (supposedly geared to helping people find new careers) will only deal with employers that deduct taxes from an employeeกs wage, and will not work with employers that pay by commission or allow their employees the benefits of claiming selfemployment. I feel that someone has to inform people in need of help that there are alternatives out there.

My name is Richard Moore. I own and operate an online business aimed at and designed to teach people how to start, build, run, maintain, advertise, manage, and market an online business. I see a trend towards more and more people getting away from having to go out of their homes to work or have a career. I predict that within 20 years, close to half of the working population will be working from their own homes.

O.K, I am not a psychic but I definitely talk to more and more people every day who have made this transition or are thinking about doing it. I have talked to employers who have realized the benefits of allowing their employees or associates to work from the comfort of their own homes, or are considering doing this. They tell me that in most cases they get better productivity and have people stay with them longer by letting them work from home. There is a very high turn around of employees these days, more than we have ever seen before. There are many factors to consider when dealing with this high turnover problem.

*It costs employers extremely high amounts of money to have an employee work in a building that is owned or leased and have them spend 8 hours a day there doing their job.

*Consider the overhead. Mortgages, utilities, taxes etc. All of which are higher than ever before. Everything costs more, but we bring home less money. Even if you rent or lease an office, store, or building of any type for your business, rents are constantly increasing. Then you have all the other expenses; benefits (if you offer them), advertising, packaging, shipping, and the list goes on and on. For an employer it makes sense to get rid of the high overhead costs and let people who can, such as office staff, sales, personnel, payroll, secretaries, or data entry as a few examples, work at home.

*As far as employees go, I am told there are many factors that contribute to better productivity. The main reasons being that when they are working from home there are fewer distractions and they are more comfortable, therefore they can get more work done in less time.

*Also, they do not have the expense of transporting themselves from home to work and back again. Messing around in traffic these days has got to be the most stressful part of anyoneกs day. Do you really feel you can get the best performance as an employer or give your best as an employee after fighting your way to work through an allout war zone? I don’t care if you drive, ride the bus, take the subway, or fly to work, I do not believe you can give it your best when you start your day off with stress.

*And you can eliminate the need for and cost of babysitters. People have been asking for years how they can earn a good income and not have to give up precious time with their children. (This used to be impossible. Well, not any more)

A trend I have noticed coming on like gangbusters is the selfemployed approach to earning income. More and more people are being laid off, let go, or cannot find work, than ever before. There are massive numbers of people that seem to be stuck in a gray area or a void and can’t seem to get out of it. Everyday I talk to someone who gets laid off due to lack of work or gets replaced by high tech machines, or, more often then not, their employer has to close the doors. They try to collect the little bit of Government dole which they may or may not be entitled to, and, when that runs out, then what do they do?

I do know how tough it can be to find a job, any job, at any age these days, however, try to find a job at forty or fiftysomething. It is all but impossible. One choice you have, is to set yourself up in a business and be selfemployed. A lot of people either do not think of this or cannot see themselves as being their own boss.

Some people that try selfemployment have an extremely hard time doing so. Again, there are all the costs and time and effort involved with setting up and starting a business. So, we talk ourselves out of something that all of us have probably dreamed about at least once in our lives. Being selfemployed. Being our own Boss. Being able to say those immortal words ‘take this job and…ก

Hereกs a fairly new idea that is catching on very quickly, and it is an inexpensive and relatively easy answer to the problem. The Online Business. If you have a computer and are hooked up to the internet you are half way home to being your own business owner/operator. If you do not have a computer you can purchase a good used one for about $800 to $1200. A new one will run you about $1800 and up depending on how much power or how many toys you want, or need, to have. But, this is a lesson for another article.

Hereกs my story. I had never used a computer before in my life until about a year ago. I got hurt at work and had been off for about a year when the company let me go. You see, I had only been with the company for about three weeks when I got hurt and apparently they had the legal right to lay me off. There I was getting a small disability claim. Not knowing how long that would last and not being able to do the physical type of work I was used to any more. I had to think of some way to earn a living. I bought a used computer, paid $900 for it. I had never used a computer in my life and it scared me to death. I thought if I did something wrong, I might destroy Japanกs economy with one hit of a key! BOOM!

But, the more time I spent on the internet, the better I got at it; and the easier it became to navigate. Soon I was seeing that having a business on the net (an online business) was making a lot of people very rich. I know that just because you start a business you are not going to get rich, but I did see a chance to make a good living working from home and being my own boss. I learned everything I could, and am still (and will always) be learning, but I learned what I needed to know to get started as quickly as possible.

Ask my wife. I think she got jealous of my computer.

I got hooked and spent more time with the machine than I did with her. (Iกve since made up for that!). Within two months I was on the net and had launched my business. I now earn money from selling on the internet with my own web site. I decided that this could be done by anyone, so I developed a company that teaches people to be in business for themselves, and you use an existing business to do it while you learn the ropes.

I found that there are a few other companies on the net that offer affiliate or associate programs however, one has to be very, very careful about who you sign up with or give your money to. I have started many programs, one of them is a program called the Guardian Online WatchDog. I help to keep an eye on the scams and investigate.

In spite of this, an online business can be a very satisfying and rewarding career move for anyone. Finding the right business to be associated with and getting the best support possible is crucial to learning how to start your own online business. With the proper help and good information you can be up and running in a day. Like anything else though, don’t expect to get rich overnight. Although it can be a fairly simple matter to start your business it takes effort, motivation, and dedication to succeed. I recommend finding a business that you can sign up as an Affiliate, Associate, or Partner to start with. It might cost you a small up front fee, or monthly partnership or membership fee (a whole lot less expensive than a franchise), but this will give you an existing business to learn with and, if you work at it, make some money.

Once you are comfortable with the whole process of marketing and advertising on the web, and you feel you have a good idea for your own business, Go For It!

Great Success to you all!

About The Author

Richard D. Moore is the President and Founder of IncomeNow! Marketing Masters. We were established to provide information, tips and reviews relevant to all things pertaining to online business. We are quickly growing and becoming one of the most popular internet and home business resource sites available. We give you new and innovative, up to date real and honest information and techniques to start and/or grow your online business. Everything from advertising to marketing to search engine optimization. Free ongoing one on one support for all subscribers to IncomeNow! Can We Help You? You Bet We Can! http://www.incomenow.9k.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on August 07, 2005

by Richard Moore

Understanding MLM Compensation Plans

Understanding MLM Compensation Plans

by: Ted Riley

Introduction

Down lines, up lines, overrides and spill over. Understand? Of course not! But it was exactly these types of terms that I was bombarded with when I was at first trying to learn about the world of multi level marketing. It made it a slow process to say the least, so I thought that I would write an article to help the folks out there that are about to undertake the same journey.

The way that a multilevel marketing company pays the person who invests in it and sells the products or services that it provides is through a ขcompensation plan,ข and there are a great many types of them that are employed.

Matrices

The first one we will look at is the one that revolves around the idea of matrices.

กMatricesก is the plural form of the word matrix. In the context of multilevel marketing everyone below you in the matrix you have entered ends up giving you a portion of the income they generate in the company. This turns into a commission paid by the company that you have invested in. Alternatively you are in the matrix of the person who recruited you.

The people you recruit into your matrix are referred to as your down line. The people who they also recruit are also in your down line. The people in your down line are the ones who are responsible for the amount of income that you will receive and if you can recruit good sales people into the down line of your matrix you will have a good residual income.

Alternatively people who are above you in the matrix of the MLM that you have chosen are referred to as being in your up line with money going from you and your down line up to them.

Sideline Compression

Another term that is often used is sideline compression. Sideline compression is what happens when a member does not have enough sales. They are then moved down line and a person with better sales is moved up line to take his place. Making sure this does not happen to you is important to say the least, and a small amount of training can go a long way when you are starting a business for the first time. The MLM you join will provide this for you when you sign up if it has any interest in staying in business.

Spill over

There are many other things that the world of MLM that you should be made aware of and one of those things is called spill over. Spill over is the term used to describe what happens when the first line of your matrix is filled up and you need to put the new recruit into your down line. The new recruit can be placed into the frontline members down lines. This can be a big help to the new members having even newer members placed in their down line from their up line. You may think that you are losing money if they are placed further down in your down line but the faster the levels of your matrix are filled the sooner you will get paid and the person is still in your down line anyway.

Cycles

ขCyclesข is a term used in the context of when a level of the down line is filled and the quota is filled, payment is made by the top level of the up line and a cycle is completed.

Expandable depth commissions

Expandable depth commissions are a way to describe the types of compensation plans that are able to sustain an either infinite or, as the name would suggest, ขexpandableข number of people in the down line. Some are mathematically limited and cannot support high numbers.

Overrides

The term overrides is used simply to describe the amount applied to the sales volume from the sale of the product.

Copyright 2004 Android Technologies, Inc.

About The Author

Ted Riley is an entrepreneur and educator interested in teaching others on the benefits and rewards of having your own home business. He writes frequently for the web site กA Grandmotherกs Businessก, a web site dedicated to the needs and equirements of the mature woman entrepreneur and jobseeker. To see more articles like this visit: http://www.grandmabiz.com/

This article was posted on May 05, 2004

by Ted Riley

The security risks and ways to decrease vulnerabil

The security risks and ways to decrease vulnerabilities in a 802.11b wireless environment

by: Richard Johnson

Introduction

This document explains topics relating to wireless networks. The main topics discussed include, what type of vulnerabilities exist today in 802.11 networks and ways that you can help prevent these vulnerabilities from happening. Wireless networks have not been around for many years. Federal Express has been using a type of wireless networks, common to the 802.11 networks used today, but the general public has recently just started to use wireless networking technology. Because of weak security that exists in wireless networks, companies such as Best Buy have decided to postpone the rollout of wireless technology. The United States Government has done likewise and is suspending the use of wireless until a more universal, secure solution is available.

Background

What is Wireless?

Wireless LANs or WiFi is a technology used to connect computers and devices together. Wireless LANs give persons more mobility and flexibility by allowing workers to stay connected to the Internet and to the network as they roam from one coverage area to another. This increases efficiency by allowing data to be entered and accessed on site.

Besides being very simple to install, WLANs are easy to understand and use. With few exceptions, everything to do with wired LANs applies to wireless LANs. They function like, and are commonly connected to, wired Ethernet networks.

The Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance [WECA] is the industry organization that certifies 802.11 products that are deemed to meet a base standard of interoperability. The first family of products to be certified by WECA is that based on the 802.11b standard. This set of products is what we will be studying. Also more standards exist such as 802.11a and 802.11g.

The original 802.11 standard was published in 1999 and provides for data rates at up to 2 Mbps at 2.4 GHz, using either FHSS or DSSS. Since that time many task groups have been formed to create supplements and enhancements to the original 802.11 standard.

The 802.11b TG created a supplement to the original 802.11 standard, called 802.11b, which has become the industry standard for WLANs. It uses DSSS and provides data rates up to 11 Mbps at 2.4 Ghz. 802.11b will eventually be replaced by standards which have better QoS features, and better security.

Network Topology

There are two main topologies in wireless networks which can be configured:

Peertopeer (ad hoc mode) – This configuration is identical to its wired counterpart, except without the wires. Two or more devices can talk to each other without an AP.

Client/Server (infrastructure networking) – This configuration is identical to its wired counterpart, except without the wires. This is the most common wireless network used today, and what most of the concepts in this paper apply to.

Benefits of Wireless LANs

WLANs can be used to replace wired LANs, or as an extension of a wired infrastructure. It costs far less to deploy a wireless LAN than to deploy a wired one. A major cost of installing and modifying a wired network is the expense to run network and power cables, all in accordance with local building codes. Example of additional applications where the decision to deploy WLANs include:

Additions or moves of computers.

Installation of temporary networks

Installation of hardtowire locations

Wireless LANs give you more mobility and flexibility by allowing you to stay connected to the Internet and to the network as you roam.

Cons of Wireless LANs

Wireless LANs are a relatively new technology which has only been around since 1999. With any new technology, standards are always improving, but in the beginning are unreliable and insecure. Wired networks send traffic over a dedicated line that is physically private; WLANs send their traffic over shared space, airwaves. This introduces interference from other traffic and the need for additional security. Besides interference from other wireless LAN devices, the 2.4 GHz is also used by cordless phones and microwaves.

Security Issues of WLANs

Wardriving

Wardriving is a process in which an individual uses a wireless device such as a laptop or PDA to drive around looking for wireless networks. Some people do this as a hobby and map out different wireless networks which they find. Other people, who can be considered hackers, will look for wireless networks and then break into the networks. If a wireless is not secure, it can be fairly easy to break into the network and obtain confidential information. Even with security, hackers can break the security and hack. One of the most prevalent tools used on PDAs and Microsoft windows devices is, Network Stumbler, which can be downloaded at http://www.netstumbler.com. Equipped with the software and device, a person can map out wireless access points if a GPS unit is attached. Adding an antenna to the wireless card increases the capabilities of WiFi. More information can be found at: http://www.wardriving.info and http://www.wardriving.com to name a few.

Warchalking

Warchalking is a method of marking wireless networks by using chalk most commonly. Wardriving is usually the method used to search for networks, and then the person will mark the network with chalk that gives information about the network. Some of the information would include, what the network name is, whether the network has security, and possibly the contact information of who owns the network. If your wireless network is Warchalked and you don’t realize it, your network can be used and/or broken into faster, because of information shown about your network.

Eavesdropping & Espionage

Because wireless communication is broadcast over radio waves, eavesdroppers who just listen over the airwaves can easily pick up unencrypted messages. These intruders put businesses at risk of exposing sensitive information to corporate espionage. Wireless LAN Security – What Hackers Know That You Don’t www.airdefense.net Copyright 2002

Internal Vulnerabilities

Within an organization network security can be compromised by ways such as, Rouge WLANs (or Rouge Aps), Insecure Network Configuration, and Accidental Associations to name a few.

Rouge Access Points – An employee of an organization might hook up an access point without the permission or even knowledge of IT. This is simple to do, all a person has to do is plug an Access point or wireless router into an existing live LAN jack and they are on the network. One statistic in 2001 by Gartner said that, ขat least 20 percent of enterprises already have rouge access points.ข Another type of attack would be if, someone from outside the organization, enters into the workplace and adds an Access Point by means of Social Engineering.

Insecure Network Configurations Many companies think that if they are using a firewall or a technology such as VPN, they are automatically secure. This is not necessarily true because all security holes, big and small, can be exploited. Also if devices and technologies, such as VPNs, firewalls or routers, are misconfigured, the network can be compromised.

Accidental Associations – This can happen if a wireless network is setup using the same SSID as your network and within range of your wireless device. You may accidentally associate with their network without your knowledge. Connecting to another wireless LAN can divulge passwords or sensitive document to anyone on the neighboring network. Wireless LAN Security – What Hackers Know That You Don’t www.airdefense.net Copyright 2002

Social Engineering – Social Engineering is one of the most effective and scariest types of attacks that can be done. This type of attack really scares me and can be done for many other purposes besides compromising security in wireless networks. A scenario: Someone dressed up as a support person from Cisco enters the workplace. The secretary sees his fake credentials and lets him get pass the front desk. The impersonator walks from cubicle to cubicle, collecting user names and passwords as he/she goes. After finding a hidden corner, which seems to be lightly traveled, he plugs an insecure Access Point into the network. At the same time he configures the Access Point to not broadcast its SSID and modifies a few other settings to make it hard for the IT department to find this Rouge Access Point. He then leaves without ever being questioned by anyone because it looks like he just fits in. Now, all he has to do is be within 300 feet from the access point, (more if he added an antenna), and now has access to all kinds of secure documents and data. This can be a devastating blow to any corporation and could eventually lead to bankruptcy if the secrets of the company were revealed to competitors.

Bruce Schneier came to my classroom and said the following about Social Engineering, ขSomeone is just trying to do their job, and be nice. Someone takes advantage of that by targeting this human nature. Social Engineering is unsolvable.ข

Securing Wireless Networks

According to Bruce Schneier and others such as Kevin Mitnick, you can never have a totally secure computing environment. What is often suggested is to try and control the damage which can be done if security is breached. One can try many different tools on the market which can help prevent security breaches.

WEP – WEP supports both 64 and 128bit keys. Both are vulnerable, however, because the initialization vector is only 24bits long in each case. Its RC4 algorithm, which is used securely in other implementations, such as SSL, is quite vulnerable in WEP. Http://www.infosecuritymag.com/2002/jan/cover.shtml Wireless Insecurities By Dale Gardner. Different tools exist to break WEP keys, including AirSnort, which can be found at www.airsnort.net. Although this method is not a secure solution, it can be used to help slowdown an attacker if other means are not possible financially or otherwise.

VPN and IPSec IPSec VPNs let companies connect remote offices or wireless connections using the public Internet rather than expensive leased lines or a managed data service. Encryption and authentication systems protect the data as it crosses the public network, so companies don’t have to sacrifice data privacy and integrity for lower costs. A lot of VPNกs exist on the market today. An important note about VPNs is, interoperability does not really exist, and whatever you use for your server has to be the same brand as your clients most of the time. Some VPNs include:

Borderware

BroadConnex Networks

CheckPoint

Cisco

Computer Associates

DMZ – Adding this to your network enables you to put your wireless network on an untrusted segment of your network.

Firewalls – Firewalls are all over the place. Firewalls range from hardware to software versions. By adding a firewall between the wireless network and wired network helps prevent hackers from accessing your wired network. This paper doesn’t go into specifics about different firewalls and how to set them up, but there are many. Some of the firewalls include:

ZoneAlarm (an inexpensive based software firewall) Zonelabs.com

Symantec has many different firewalls depending what you require.

PKI Publickey infrastructure (PKI) is the combination of software, encryption technologies, and services that enables enterprises to protect the security of their communications and business transactions on the Internet. What is PKI? http://verisign.netscape.com/security/pki/understanding.html

Site Surveys – Site Surveys involve using a software package and a wireless device to probe your network for Access Points and security risks.

Proactive Approaches

Since wireless technology is insecure, companies or anyone can take a proactive approach to try and identify hackers trying to gain access via wireless networks.

Honeypots – are fake networks setup to try and lure in hackers. This enables administrators to find out more about what type of techniques hackers are using to gain access. One product is Mantrap created by Symantec.

ขManTrap has the unique ability to detect both host and networkbased attacks, providing hybrid detection in a single solution. No matter how an internal or external attacker tries to compromise the system, Symantec ManTrapกs decoy sensors will deliver holistic detection and response and provide detailed information through its system of data collection modules.ข

http://enterprisesecurity.symantec.com/products/products.cfm?ProductID=157

Intrusion Detection – Intrusion Detection is software that monitors traffic on the network. It sounds out a warning if a hacker it trying to access the network. One such free product is Snort.

ขBefore we proceed, there are a few basic concepts you should understand about Snort. There are three main modes in which Snort can be configured: sniffer, packet logger, and network intrusion detection system. Sniffer mode simply reads the packets off of the network and displays them for you in a continuous stream on the console. Packet logger mode logs the packets to the disk. Network intrusion detection mode is the most complex and configurable configuration, allowing Snort to analyze network traffic for matches against a user defined rule set and perform several actions based upon what it sees.ข http://www.snort.org/docs/writing_rules/chap1.html#tth_chAp1

Network Monitoring Network Monitoring would be products such as snort that monitor the flow of traffic over the network.

Quick tips and tricks

When setting up wireless networks and access points there are a few quick steps that can be taken to immediately secure the network, even though it does not make it secure. Some of these ways include:

Change your default SSID: each router or access point comes with a default SSID. By changing this it can take longer for an attacker to know what type of device he is trying to hack.

Change the default password – generic default passwords are assigned to access points and routers. Sometimes the password is admin. By changing this password, the attacker cannot modify settings on your router as easily.

Disable broadcasting SSID: By default APกs broadcast their SSIDs, if you shutoff this setting it is harder for outsiders to find your AP.

Enable MAC filtering: WARNING: this can only work in smaller environments where a centralized access list does not need to be maintained. You can enable only specific wireless cards to access the AP by only enabling those MAC addresses.

Turn off shares: If security is important, scanning for shares and turning off the shares on the network can help. Also encrypting sensitive data can prevent hackers from accessing the data.

Put your wireless access points in a hard to find and reach spot.

Keep your drivers on all wireless equipment updated. This helps patch existing security vulnerabilities.

Read current press releases about emerging wireless news.

About The Author

Richard J Johnson

Network+ Certified

RJ Computer Consulting

http://rjcomputerconsulting.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on February 24, 2003

by Richard Johnson

If You Don’t Know This, You Might Loose Your Commi

If You Don’t Know This, You Might Loose Your Commissions!

by: Frank Bauer

Are you aware that using certain tools to protect your affiliate commissions might in fact cause you to loose them?

Let me explain you how than can be and what you can do to protect yourself from commission loss…

The other day a good marketing friend of mine, letกs call her Eva, send me an email, telling me about a service that she believed me to be interested in… and in fact, I was.

She wrote: กIf you want to take a look, the link is: http://www.more4you.ws/monก

When I followed her URL, I noticed on that page, that her affiliate ID was missing on the main page, as well as on the order form page.

Since I wanted her to get credit for this, I emailed Eva:

กYour link will not earn you commissions as your affiliate ID doesn’t show at http://www.monopolizer.com/.

I recommend to use a forwarding link instead of placing the site into a frame.ก

She answered me that it worked fine when she followed the link herself. How was that possible you ask? Very simple.

When she originally got the affiliate link, she must have used the link one time directly and this way saved the cookie on her computer.

So I replied to Eva:

กI checked it again… if I visit their site through http://www.more4you.ws/mon, your ID is not shown anywhere.

But if I visit it through http://www.monopolizer.com/index.php?affiliateID=249040817 I can see your ID everywhere.

In general… cookie based systems often have a problem if you place the site into a HTML frame on another domain.ก

This time Eva replied to me:

กWell thatกs got me stumped… I used Covert Affiliate to generate that URL and I just cleared my cookies and tried it and I do not see my affiliate codes on the main page…ก

I actually noticed that problem of promoting through a frame already quiet a while ago. Also e.g. when I use Mikeกs MyViralWebsite system or any other system that displays your affiliate URL inside a HTML frame… itกs the same problem.

The tricky part about it… some programs work if called through a frame (meaning: your affiliate ID will be used) and others don’t.

My rule of thumb is: If I don’t see my affiliate ID on the other page, I will not use a HTML frame.

But for the reason I described before, make sure that you delete you cookies before you give it a try!

This is also the reason why I always use my own Add2it GoTo Pro tracking links whenever I promote another program.

The Add2it GoTo Pro links look e.g. like this:

http://www.add2it.com/go/to.pl?l=ListDotCom

To make that shorter and easier, I created and uploaded another tiny script called see.pl. Now I can use an even shorter link:

http://add2it.com/see.pl?ListDotCom

The last part, the กListDotComก, is what changes depending on what program I want to promote.

The advantage… not only do you get stats on how many people click that link every month, it also simply forwards to the URL you want to promote, prevents this way the กframeก problem while still hiding the ugly long affiliate link and this way it REALLY protects your commission.

Reprint rights to this article are granted, as long as it is not modified and the resources plus signature remain unchanged.

About The Author

Frank Bauer is the owner of Add2it.com Scripts & Services for your Web Business at http://www.add2it.com and the publisher of the More4you Newsletter at: http://www.more4you.ws. To see how he can help you, visit: http://www.frankbauer.name

[email protected]

This article was posted on October 04, 2004

by Frank Bauer

The Skinny on RFID

The Skinny on RFID

by: John Hanson

RFID is the abbreviation for Radio Frequency Identification. RFID is a method used to store and retrieve data using RFID transponders or tags. RFID tags have antennas that allow them to accept and respond to queries from the RFID transceiver. There are passive and active RFID tags. The difference between the two is that passive tags do not need an internal power source, but active tags do. RFID technology is already used in many technologies today. The future of RFID technology seems limitless as new ways to utilize its effectiveness are discovered frequently.

Passive and Active Tags

As stated before, passive RFID tags do not have an internal power supply. There is a minute electrical current induced in the antenna by the radio signal it receives. This small current is enough to power the tag to respond to the signal. Passive RFID tags have a very brief response because of their limited power. They are very small, and may be used in the future for medical purposes or, as some fear, tracking devices. Passive RFID tags can be embedded within the skin because of their small size. The smallest RFID tag in existence in 2005 was 0.4 mm by 0.4 mm. Passive tags have a read distance that ranges from 10mm to almost 6 meters. Passive tags are cheaper than active RFID tags and as a result are more commercially available. Active RFID tags have a longer range and larger memory capacity than passive RFID tags and may therefore be able to store a significantly higher amount of information. Active RFID tags may have a battery life of up to 10 years.

How it Works

In order to understand the uses, and potential uses, of RFID technology, one must understand the RFID system. RFID systems consist of tag readers, tags, edge servers, middleware, and application software. Having an RFID system will allow data to be transmitted by a tag, which is then read by the RFID reader and processed in accordance with the application’s specifications. Data transmitted can have information about the location of the tag, or specifics concerning the product tagged. Typical RFID systems have a small and inexpensive tag on a product. There is then an ขinterrogatorข which has a certain range in which to detect the RFID tag, activate it, and receive the response.

Current and Potential Uses

RFID technology is used in every day life. RFID tags are found in CD stores and in library books. When an alarm goes off because an item was not purchased or checked out, that is the RFID tag responding. WalMart has even used RFID tags on shipments to improve supply chain management. Other RFID tags are used to track trucks in shipping yards. More recently, RFID tags have been used in automated tool booth systems like the EZPass system on the east coast. Mobile gas also implemented RFID technology to allow customers to simply pull up to the pump, pump gas, and then leave without having to scan a credit card or pay a cashier.

RFID technology has great potential and is constantly being improved. RFID workers are constantly trying to improve the current usage in systems like EZPass. It was recently announced that the eastern states will be improving EZPass so that cars can move faster through the toolbooth (35mph rather than 5mph). RFID technology may also be used to monitor inmates, and potentially parolees. Some consumers worry as to citizen privacy invasions by the government. RFID technology is always growing, and the government may be able to use RFID to inspect citizens, or keep track of them. Currently, however, RFID technology seems to be limited to the innovation sphere. RFID technology has been utilized to make the lives of consumers easier and more efficient. Despite the qualms of some citizens, RFID has a very bright future.

About The Author

John Hanson enjoys writing about new technologies, especially RFID technology.

[email protected]

This article was posted on August 19

by John Hanson

The Unavoidable Spyware Threats

The Unavoidable Spyware Threats

by: Mitch Johnson

Spyware and adware are used for advertising purposes for companies to collect data about users and send out annoying advertisements. Adware is used on banner ads in exchange for part of the revenue from sales but often time, along with adware, spyware is also installed. The downloads that allow spyware to be installed do so by notifying users in the long user agreement that most everyone ignores.

Once on your computer it is nearly impossible for users to control what information spyware sends out. Usually much more information than internet users would like is sent to intruders and used for various purposes. To eliminate spyware and adware download and install an effective spyware and adware scan and removal tool. These tools work by deeply scanning your system, identifying spyware and adware, then removes the malicious applications.

Alertspy is spyware tool that performs a scan for free then will remove the detected applications for a minimal cost. With this tool you can also update your system and protect your privacy from future spyware threats.

About The Author

Mitch Johnson is a successful freelance author that writes regularly for http://www.1stinremovespyware.com/, a site that focuses primarily on spyware detection software, as well as tips on how to avoid spyware from popping up on your computer. His articles have also been featured on related spyware sites such as, http://www.bestinspywaredetection.com/ as well as http://www.bestsypwareremovalreviews.com/.

[email protected]

This article was posted on August 30

by Mitch Johnson

Toner Cartridges How They Work

Toner Cartridges How They Work

by: Martin Smith

In the past computers and their accompanying printers were huge. Toner reservoirs and toner cartridges were used instead of ink cartridges like the ones in use today. Toner cartridges were difficult and messy to fill. The toner cartridges were an advancement. Some printers ran on print wheels and some used ribbons.

Computers are compact and printers now do more than just print on some cases. Cartridges with selfcontained reservoirs are used in printers. Refilling some cartridges is possible and it isn’t as messy as adding toner was. Two types of printers cartridges now exist. HewlettPackard and Epson printers primarily, used the first type the Peizo Electric.

An electric current is applied to a small crystal causing it to expand about every five microseconds (20,000 per second). The ink, because of the expansion, squirts through the print heads rapidly and precisely. Piezo Electric can do more precise action and tend to last longer because it has fewer print heads than do bubble jet/ thermal printers.

Bubble jet printer cartridges heat the ink into a bubble and is squirted through the ink nozzles thousands of times a second. The printer that is quieter than Piezo based printers is the bubble jet. It prints with exceptionally high resolution color printing. Ink is squirted through the nozzles as they move over media in the inkjet method not the mega pixel method.

Liquid ink, is squirted, in various colors on the paper to create an image. A motor assembly is used to enable the print heads to scan the page horizontally while the page is rolled vertically. A narrow band of an image is printed and the paper moves on ready for the next step. For speed it prints a strip across the page while it also prints vertical rows of pixels in each pass.

There are several types of inkjet technology. DODdrop on demand squirts small drops of ink on to the paper through tiny nozzles. It is akin to a hose being turned on and off 5,000 times per second. The amount of ink dropped on the paper and which nozzle fires and when is controlled by the driver software. The ink tends to smear right after printing in inkjet technology.

This is getting better as new ink compositions are developed. The Thermal Technology of printing allows the ink to shot onto the paper. This is a three stage process. The squirt begins in stage one when the ink gets heated to create a bubble. The initial pressure breaks the bubble and hits the paper. The vacuum that results pulls the ink from the reservoir to replace what was ejected.

In the past printers were highly priced because the print head that would imprint the image on paper was contained within the printer. Printers are fairly low in price, but the expense comes when you have to buy cartridges for it. It would almost be worth it to buy a new printer rather than the cartridges because the cost of cartridges is often more than the most basic inkjet printer.

Although cartridges are expensive they have some complex technology in them that would make them cheaper overall than it would be to keep replacing printer heads. Cartridges now have print heads contained within in themselves. If you use the correct cartridges in your printer, you could have the printer for a long time. Black cartridges work by squirting the ink through tiny nozzles onto the paper as they move back and for the page as do color cartridges.

Color cartridges have three reservoirs; one is filled with magenta, one with cyan, and one with yellow ink. A lot of things can have a bearing on the image quality. The quality of the paper you choose could determine the image you get. The two main influences on image quality are brightness and the absorption of ink. The vividness of an image describes its brightness while how effectively ink is put to the paper is absorption.

It is best to use paper specifically designed to be used with an ink jet printer. Using the proper type of paper will result in the best possible image. The settings of your display properties and/or printer settings can affect your printing project. The type of paper you use and the printer may suggest leaving your documents to dry for awhile. Check your printer for settings that may save ink by putting out less ink allowing documents to dry faster and provide you with a near perfect print image.

Knowing your printer and how it works is important.

About The Author

Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of Discount ink cartridges which includes Cheap ink cartridge, if you have time drop by his site for some tips and information. http://www.bestpriceprintercartridges.com.

This article was posted on August 22

by Martin Smith

Why You Need To Buy and Sell Gold Coins (Part 5)

Why You Need To Buy and Sell Gold Coins (Part 5)

by: Steve Renner

Grading coins

The condition of a coin is commonly summarized by a grade. Because the value of collectible coins often varies dramatically with grade and overly generous grading is not uncommon, reasonable grading proficiency is an important skill for collectors. The material presented here is intended only as an introduction to the subject. Grading is a skill that can only be developed over time through referrals to grading guides, consultation with experienced collectors and dealers, and lots of practice.

Published standards set objective criteria for grading, yet some amount of subjectivity is inevitable even expert graders will often assign slightly different grades to the same coin. While you can often ask an experienced grader for an opinion, being able to make your own reasonable assessment of grade is your best protection.

An overview of American Numismatic Association standards follows. ANA standards are widely used in the U.S. but are not the only system used. Much of the rest of the world uses the grades Fair, Fine, Very Fine, Extremely Fine, Uncirculated and Fleurdecoin.

Numerals used in coin grades have been taken from the Sheldon scale (see Glossary).

Uncirculated Coins

Coins with no wear at all are referred to as uncirculated or in mint state (MS). Grades from MS60 to MS70 in one point increments are used for mint state coins. Criteria include luster; the number, size and location of contact marks; the number, size and location of any hairlines, and the quality of the strike and overall eye appeal..

An MS60 coin may have dull luster and numerous contact marks in prime focal areas, as long as there is no wear. To merit MS65, a coin should have brilliant cartwheel luster (attractive toning is permissible), at most a few inconspicuous contact marks, no hairlines, and nearly complete striking details. Grades from MS61 to MS64 cover intermediate parts of this range. Truly exceptional coins may be graded MS66, MS67 or, if absolutely flawless, as high as the theoretical maximum of MS70. Many numismatists consider MS70 to be an unobtainable ideal.

Terms such as brilliant uncirculated (BU), choice BU, gem BU, select BU and premium BU are still used in lieu of numerical grades by some dealers, auctioneers and others. Correlations between these terms and the numeric MS grades are difficult at best, because of inconsistent usage and in some cases overgrading.

Market values for many uncirculated coins vary dramatically from one grade to the next. Remember that whether a coin is described with a numerical or an adjectival grade, itกs only someoneกs opinion. Until you are comfortable with your ability to grade uncirculated coins, make liberal use of other opinions, such as those available with slabbed coins or from experienced collectors and dealers you trust, or concentrate on circulated coins.

Circulated Coins

For circulated coins the grade is primarily an indication of how much wear has occurred and generally does not take into account the presence or absence of dings, scratches, toning, dirt and other foreign substances (though such information may also be noted).

ANA grading standards recognize 11 grades for circulated coins (listed here with brief, generic descriptions):

AU58, very choice about uncirculated: just traces of wear on a coin with nearly full luster and no major detracting contact marks

AU55, choice about uncirculated: small traces of wear visible on the highest points

AU50, about uncirculated: very light wear on the highest points; still has at least half of the original mint luster

EF45 or XF45, choice extremely fine: all design details are sharp; some mint luster remains, though perhaps only in กprotected areasก

EF40 or XF40, extremely fine: slightly more wear than a ก45ก; traces of mint luster may show

VF30, choice very fine: light even wear on high points, all lettering and design details are sharp

VF20, very fine: most details are still well defined; high points are smooth

F12, fine: major elements are still clear but details are worn away

VG8, very good: major design elements, letters and numerals are worn but clear

G4, good: major design elements are outlined but details are gone; for some series the date may not be sharp and the rim may not be complete.

AG3, about good: heavily worn; date may be barely discernable While coins more worn than AG are rarely collected, two additional grades are nevertheless used to characterize them:

F2, fair very heavily worn; major portions may be completely smooth

P1, poor, filler or cull barely recognizable While not included in the ANA standards, intermediate grades like AU53, VF35, F15 and G6 are used by some dealers and grading services. When a grader believes a coin is better than the minimum requirements but not nice enough for the next higher grade ก+ก or กPQก may be included (e.g. MS64PQ or VG+) or a range may be given (e.g. FVF).

Split Grades

When there are significant differences between the obverse and reverse sides, a split grade may be assigned. Split grades are denoted with a ก/ก. For example, กF/VFก means that the obverse is F and the reverse is VF.

The overall grade is often determined by the obverse. An intermediate value may be appropriate when the difference is significant, especially if the reverse is lower. A coin graded MS60/61 would be considered to have an overall grade of MS60, and another at MS65/63 could be considered to have an overall grade of MS64.

About The Author

Steve is the ceo of cashgcardsgoldlynks rare/gold coin club he was the best isp in 1997 check out his about us page at http://goldlynks.tripod.com this article is free for distribution

[email protected]

This article was posted on April 21

by Steve Renner

Alexa: Why You Should Be Using The Toolbar

Alexa: Why You Should Be Using The Toolbar

by: Mark Thompson

Why on earth would anyone want to install a piece of spyware onto their Web browser? No sensible right minded person would …unless you are a webmaster and you want to improve your SERPS ranking that is.

The Alexa toolbar is not ขtechnicallyข spyware as it doesn’t retrieve any private or personal information. It does however log all the sites you visit and as webmasters we can use this to our advantage. It uses this information to compile traffic ranking statistics and a relational list. The relational list is very useful as it shows what other sites people who have looked the current website have also visited. Alexa is owned by Amazon and it is possible to make your own Alexa toolbar with your Amazon affiliate code included. You can then place this on your site and get credited when anyone buys through Amazon using the Amazon button on the toolbar you’ve distributed, it is also possible to include a link to your site in the toolbar.

Alexa ranks sites from 1 to 5,000,000 and sometimes higher. Ranking 1 has the most traffic and so on, anything below 250,000 and you should be getting some decent traffic levels. This information can be used to determine how well your advertising campaigns are going and how traffic levels are growing over a period of time. This information can also be used to determine how you rivals are doing and keep you one step ahead of them. The Alexa information is also picked up by other search engines so you benefit from an increase in you SERPS as your site progresses up the rankings .

One drawback of the Alexa toolbar is that it only works on Internet Explorer and not the tool of choice for most webmasters Firefox. However I personally feel this is a small price to pay for the benefits I get when using the tool bar for research and to check my sites daily. Checking the stats of your own site has a positive impact on your Alexa ranking as the toolbar is not generally used by the general public so every extra hit from a browser with the tool bar installed is valuable. I have 1 site that is almost exclusively used by webmasters , As webmasters are the people who use Alexa more than any other group 500 page views a day are enough to get this site into the top 500,000 Another site that has 3 times the traffic but the visitors are mostly the general public so this site is languishing in the 2,000,000 ‘s.

Why not try an experiment for a month, Download the toolbar and monitor one of your sites, once you see the data you get and the way it can be used you won’t know how you survived without it.

About The Author

Mark Thompson has spent a number of years traveling the World and Racing Motorbikes, when funds got low he worked as an IT consultant In London. He now lives in Spain and runs a number of Websites Including http://www.WorldoftheWeird.com and http://www.LinksFactory.com.

This article was posted on September 13

by Mark Thompson