There are many ways to make money online. Just research it and you will end up finding how to earn money using the Internet.
Are you excited in being involved in the new forms of income from the internet? If you are, you must relax and think straight because you can’t afford to make mistakes especially if you want to make it big on the net. Find a fresh new idea that you can use to create an income opportunity online and make sure that you create your own business plan to ensure your success.
Before starting an online business, you must devise a business plan. This is very important because it can lead to your business’ success or downfall. Whether your business idea is new or just an innovation of an existing one, you will need a business plan. Start the plan with a mission statement or a description of your business. Make a summary and after that, you can already identify your business objectives and aims. After that, it is now time to start making the marketing plan. This is a bit hard but you will need it to address the business specifics.
When you’re already developing the business strategy, you need to consider these things:
• Niche market. Since the business is based online, you will need to generate traffic to your site. Your target market refers to the customers that will be visiting your site. Target markets can be mothers, business executives, teens, older adults, and even kids.
• Consider competition. Competition is one thing that you have to give much attention if you want to succeed in the online business that is why you need to come up with a product or service which is different but useful. If your product/service is similar to others, visit their site and analyze the costs as well as the
necessary marketing strategy. Identify your competitor’s weaknesses and improve your
products/service based on them.
• Know the various ways to effectively advertise your business. You should have knowledge about the different methods to advertise the business. Learn more about the importance of search engines, banner ads, blogs, and articles. You can use these tools to advertise your product/service to the whole world.
• How much are you going to price your product/service? You will have to go back with the competition in the market. Your price should not be too high nor too low; it should be affordable to customers but at the same time, give you enough profit. Put yourself in the shoes of your customers and study the existing market prices of related products/services.
• Shipping method. Since the business is on the net, you can expect customers from different parts of the world. Post the shipping details on your website in a clear manner. If your products are valuable, you should get shipping insurance especially if you need to ship outside your country.
• Mode of payment. Most online businesses accept credit cards and if you choose this option, you will need to decide between merchant accounts or third party processing centers. Some online businesses accept money order or checks; will your business accept them too?
A business plan is vital to all new forms of income from the Internet. It is the only way to ensure success. Start developing your business plan now. Take your time when developing the marketing plan because it is the most important part of the entire business plan. After creating the plan, you can now start with the income opportunity you’ve chosen.
You can also consider making money by researching and making business plans for other business online. This way, you are ensuring yourself a steady income by helping other companies achieving their goals.
3.31.2009
3.28.2009
Data Recovery - What to Do When Your Hard Drive Fails
What are you going to do when you have a hard time fixing your PC or laptop because they crashed down? DO you think you can recover all data that is stored in your hard drive?
How many times have you experienced that sickening feeling when your hard drive suddenly fails? How many times have you experienced that your hard disk just does not boot and all the data may be gone forever? A hard drive failure is one of the most common problems and worst nightmares faced by computer operators all over the world. Precious data is lost either at home or in big corporate environments. What can be done in these situations? Well, there are certain solutions that can be performed by you in order to revive your hard drive. We will talk about the solution later. First, let us discuss why a hard drive fails.
Whether the data on the hard drive can be recovered or not depends on the extent of the problem. A hard drive can be damaged due to firmware corruption, electronic failure, mechanical failure or a logical failure. Many times your hard drive may lose data due to the combination of the above mentioned factors. A hard drive may also develop bad sectors due to which the data on those sectors is lost or becomes unreadable.
Firmware refers to the information used by the computer to interact correctly with the hard drive. If the firmware fails or becomes corrupted, then important data on the hard drive is lost. In case of an electronic failure there maybe occur an electrical surge that can knock out the controller board on the hard drive and make it unusable. However data can be recovered by data recovery experts who use special data recovery software. Swapping the controller board with another one can prove to be dangerous as the information on the controller board is unique to the hard drive on which it is fitted. In comparison to electronic failure a mechanical failure can turn out to be worst as data recovery can almost become impossible. Mechanical failure includes head crash and also read/write head failure. Head crash can occur due to physical shock, power surges and movement of the computer. Next come the logical errors. Logical errors have nothing to do with the hardware part. Logical errors can occur due to corruption of the file system on the hard drive or improper entries in the file allocation table.
In case of hard drive failure it is vital to call the data recovery experts. In most cases, the information on the hard drive is important and you cannot bear to lose it. The experts enhance the possibilities of hard drive recovery in the case of failure of hard drive due to software malfunction, virus attacks and other reasons mentioned above. Data can be recovered on any type of operating system including all versions of Windows as well as Apple Macintosh, Novell, Linux, Unix and also on all types of file systems like FAT, FAT32, NTFS, NTFS5, HFS, HFS+, NWFS, EXT2 and EXT3. The experts may take the hard drive to their workshop in order to recover the lost data and then return it to you in a few days. Most of the data recovery experts have their own laboratories that are involved in testing the hard drives and repairing them.
Loss of data is the last thing that you as the customer would ever want. This is where the data recovery experts come into the picture. They cannot extract only data from hard drives, but recover data also from tape drives, cds, dvds and other important storage media. You as the consumer can take up some preventive measures like backing up all your important data at least once a week. Windows has its own feature rich backup program. There are other backup software programs available in the market that can avert a possible disaster.
Besides the concern of recovering your data, another problem is the time it may take for an expert to help. This can be a slow and tedious process. I recommend having a second complete computer source such as a laptop (for portability) that you can continue your work. This way you are never completely down and you can share important data between the two.
There are always solutions if you know how to get it online. Researching and learning how can make it easier for you to recover all data lost.
How many times have you experienced that sickening feeling when your hard drive suddenly fails? How many times have you experienced that your hard disk just does not boot and all the data may be gone forever? A hard drive failure is one of the most common problems and worst nightmares faced by computer operators all over the world. Precious data is lost either at home or in big corporate environments. What can be done in these situations? Well, there are certain solutions that can be performed by you in order to revive your hard drive. We will talk about the solution later. First, let us discuss why a hard drive fails.
Whether the data on the hard drive can be recovered or not depends on the extent of the problem. A hard drive can be damaged due to firmware corruption, electronic failure, mechanical failure or a logical failure. Many times your hard drive may lose data due to the combination of the above mentioned factors. A hard drive may also develop bad sectors due to which the data on those sectors is lost or becomes unreadable.
Firmware refers to the information used by the computer to interact correctly with the hard drive. If the firmware fails or becomes corrupted, then important data on the hard drive is lost. In case of an electronic failure there maybe occur an electrical surge that can knock out the controller board on the hard drive and make it unusable. However data can be recovered by data recovery experts who use special data recovery software. Swapping the controller board with another one can prove to be dangerous as the information on the controller board is unique to the hard drive on which it is fitted. In comparison to electronic failure a mechanical failure can turn out to be worst as data recovery can almost become impossible. Mechanical failure includes head crash and also read/write head failure. Head crash can occur due to physical shock, power surges and movement of the computer. Next come the logical errors. Logical errors have nothing to do with the hardware part. Logical errors can occur due to corruption of the file system on the hard drive or improper entries in the file allocation table.
In case of hard drive failure it is vital to call the data recovery experts. In most cases, the information on the hard drive is important and you cannot bear to lose it. The experts enhance the possibilities of hard drive recovery in the case of failure of hard drive due to software malfunction, virus attacks and other reasons mentioned above. Data can be recovered on any type of operating system including all versions of Windows as well as Apple Macintosh, Novell, Linux, Unix and also on all types of file systems like FAT, FAT32, NTFS, NTFS5, HFS, HFS+, NWFS, EXT2 and EXT3. The experts may take the hard drive to their workshop in order to recover the lost data and then return it to you in a few days. Most of the data recovery experts have their own laboratories that are involved in testing the hard drives and repairing them.
Loss of data is the last thing that you as the customer would ever want. This is where the data recovery experts come into the picture. They cannot extract only data from hard drives, but recover data also from tape drives, cds, dvds and other important storage media. You as the consumer can take up some preventive measures like backing up all your important data at least once a week. Windows has its own feature rich backup program. There are other backup software programs available in the market that can avert a possible disaster.
Besides the concern of recovering your data, another problem is the time it may take for an expert to help. This can be a slow and tedious process. I recommend having a second complete computer source such as a laptop (for portability) that you can continue your work. This way you are never completely down and you can share important data between the two.
There are always solutions if you know how to get it online. Researching and learning how can make it easier for you to recover all data lost.
3.25.2009
5 Quick and Dirty Tips for Using Microsoft FrontPage to Make Better Looking Websites
Having problems creating a good looking website? Don't worry, with 5 simple to use features of Microsoft FrontPage, you can make your site look more professional in a matter of minutes.
While anyone in the world can learn the basics of html and get an operational site up and running on the internet, making a site that looks attractive can be another story altogether!
The internet abounds with cheap-looking mom and pop sites that look like they were designed by a first year html student.
Do you want your web sites to look like that?
I hope not. Especially when it is so gosh-darn easy to make your sites look more professional using Microsoft FrontPage.
Here are 5 ways FrontPage can instantly make your websites look more professional.
1. High Quality Photos And ClipArt Collection - Few people actually know how great the Microsoft ClipArt collection is. This collection of images is created and maintained by one of the richest corporations in the world. It absolutely crushes any other collection I've seen on the internet in terms of quantity and quality of available pictures.
Best part - It's free for FrontPage owners!
There are over a million clipart pictures and photos, all searchable by keyword.
And if you have an active internet connection, you can search this online gallery from within FrontPage while you work.
Adding some original looking, nice photographs to each page of your site can instantly take up space, add a professional look. This is better than simply having the affiliate link.
2. The Interactive Button Features - In Microsoft FrontPage 2003, there is a new feature called 'Interactive Buttons'.
Basically, you can choose from over 200 different types of ready-made buttons to use on your website. These buttons look fantastic and can be created and edited with 1 click.
Before you would have to pay a graphic designer or spend hours creating these types of rollover buttons yourself, but FrontPage 2003 does it all for you.
Using these buttons can add a big dose of professional looks to your site in a matter of seconds.
3. Using HTML Tables - It goes without saying that the content of your web pages should usually be placed in some sort of html table. FrontPage makes it easy to create tables and add content, simply by using a button on the toolbar. You can use this to center the content on your page and create neat looking tables once you get the hang of it (it is easy). This way, your content isn't scattered all around the page.
4. Included Content - This feature of FrontPage allows you to make changes to hundreds of web pages, simply by changing the content of one html page. For example, I mentioned above that you should use the interactive buttons feature to create a navigation system. You can also 'include' this navigation system on all of your web pages with a special feature in FrontPage.
This way, if you want to add another category or link to all of the pages on your site, you simply need to open up one web page, the 'navigation.htm' page, and change the contents of that page.
The changes will immediately be reflected on hundreds of pages on your website.
You can see this is 10,000x more easy than going through and manually editing the links bar on each page!
5. Web Forms - Using the web forms feature of FrontPage, you can create a feedback form for your website. Not only do these forms look nice, but they also can help you to alleviate your spam problems.
Many a webmaster has paid extravagant fees to other companies for form processing, when it has been available to FrontPage users free and easy for years.
You can create any kind of feedback form in a matter of minutes, and have the results of the form submission sent to any email address that you choose.
To conclude:
I have just given you 5 very valuable tools for creating professional looking websites fast.
While it may not sound like much, consider this:
Let's say you spend $50 and get a nice looking banner graphic for your new affiliate website.
Then you create a neat html table, past in the banner, and use the interactive buttons feature of FrontPage 2003 to create a navigation system.
You can use the same general template for each new page you create (for articles, and other information about the product you are promoting).
After that, you top each page off with a nice looking photo or two from the Microsoft Clip Art collection.
Using these basic techniques, in only an hour or 2 you can easily put together a professional looking website site.
While anyone in the world can learn the basics of html and get an operational site up and running on the internet, making a site that looks attractive can be another story altogether!
The internet abounds with cheap-looking mom and pop sites that look like they were designed by a first year html student.
Do you want your web sites to look like that?
I hope not. Especially when it is so gosh-darn easy to make your sites look more professional using Microsoft FrontPage.
Here are 5 ways FrontPage can instantly make your websites look more professional.
1. High Quality Photos And ClipArt Collection - Few people actually know how great the Microsoft ClipArt collection is. This collection of images is created and maintained by one of the richest corporations in the world. It absolutely crushes any other collection I've seen on the internet in terms of quantity and quality of available pictures.
Best part - It's free for FrontPage owners!
There are over a million clipart pictures and photos, all searchable by keyword.
And if you have an active internet connection, you can search this online gallery from within FrontPage while you work.
Adding some original looking, nice photographs to each page of your site can instantly take up space, add a professional look. This is better than simply having the affiliate link.
2. The Interactive Button Features - In Microsoft FrontPage 2003, there is a new feature called 'Interactive Buttons'.
Basically, you can choose from over 200 different types of ready-made buttons to use on your website. These buttons look fantastic and can be created and edited with 1 click.
Before you would have to pay a graphic designer or spend hours creating these types of rollover buttons yourself, but FrontPage 2003 does it all for you.
Using these buttons can add a big dose of professional looks to your site in a matter of seconds.
3. Using HTML Tables - It goes without saying that the content of your web pages should usually be placed in some sort of html table. FrontPage makes it easy to create tables and add content, simply by using a button on the toolbar. You can use this to center the content on your page and create neat looking tables once you get the hang of it (it is easy). This way, your content isn't scattered all around the page.
4. Included Content - This feature of FrontPage allows you to make changes to hundreds of web pages, simply by changing the content of one html page. For example, I mentioned above that you should use the interactive buttons feature to create a navigation system. You can also 'include' this navigation system on all of your web pages with a special feature in FrontPage.
This way, if you want to add another category or link to all of the pages on your site, you simply need to open up one web page, the 'navigation.htm' page, and change the contents of that page.
The changes will immediately be reflected on hundreds of pages on your website.
You can see this is 10,000x more easy than going through and manually editing the links bar on each page!
5. Web Forms - Using the web forms feature of FrontPage, you can create a feedback form for your website. Not only do these forms look nice, but they also can help you to alleviate your spam problems.
Many a webmaster has paid extravagant fees to other companies for form processing, when it has been available to FrontPage users free and easy for years.
You can create any kind of feedback form in a matter of minutes, and have the results of the form submission sent to any email address that you choose.
To conclude:
I have just given you 5 very valuable tools for creating professional looking websites fast.
While it may not sound like much, consider this:
Let's say you spend $50 and get a nice looking banner graphic for your new affiliate website.
Then you create a neat html table, past in the banner, and use the interactive buttons feature of FrontPage 2003 to create a navigation system.
You can use the same general template for each new page you create (for articles, and other information about the product you are promoting).
After that, you top each page off with a nice looking photo or two from the Microsoft Clip Art collection.
Using these basic techniques, in only an hour or 2 you can easily put together a professional looking website site.
3.23.2009
Phishing for Your Identity
Who hasn’t received an email directing them to visit a familiar website where they are being asked to update their personal information? The website needs you to verify or update your passwords, credit card numbers, social security number, or even your bank account number. You recognize the business name as one that you’ve conducted business with in the past. So, you click on the convenient “take me there” link and proceed to provide all the information they have requested. Unfortunately, you find out much later that the website is bogus. It was created with the sole intent to steal your personal information. You, my friend, have just been “phished”.
Phishing (pronounced as “fishing”) is defined as the act of sending an email to a recipient falsely claiming to have an established, legitimate business. The intent of the phisher is to scam the recipient into surrendering their private information, and ultimately steal your identity.
It is not at easy as you think to spot an email phishing for information. At first glance, the email may look like it is from a legitimate company. The "From" field of the e-mail may have the .com address of the company mentioned in the e-mail. The clickable link even appears to take you to the company's website, when in fact, it is a fake website built to replicate the legitimate site.
Many of these people are professional criminals. They have spent a lot of time in creating emails that look authentic. Users need to review all emails requesting personal information carefully. When reviewing your email remember that the "From Field" can be easily changed by the sender. While it may look like it is coming from a .com you do business with, looks can be deceiving. Also keep in mind that the phisher will go all out in trying to make their email look as legitimate as possible. They will even copy logos or images from the official site to use in their emails. Finally, they like to include a clickable link that the recipient can follow to conveniently update their information.
A great way to check the legitimacy of the link is to point at the link with your mouse. Then, look in the bottom left hand screen of your computer. The actual website address to which you are being directed will show up for you to view. It is a very quick and easy way to check if you are being directed to a legitimate site.
Finally, follow the golden rule. Never, ever, click the links within the text of the e-mail, and always delete the e-mail immediately. Once you have deleted the e-mail, empty the trash box in your e-mail accounts as well. If you are truly concerned that you are missing an important notice regarding one of your accounts, then type the full URL address of the website into your browser. At least then you can be confident that you are, in fact, being directed to the true and legitimate website.
Phishing (pronounced as “fishing”) is defined as the act of sending an email to a recipient falsely claiming to have an established, legitimate business. The intent of the phisher is to scam the recipient into surrendering their private information, and ultimately steal your identity.
It is not at easy as you think to spot an email phishing for information. At first glance, the email may look like it is from a legitimate company. The "From" field of the e-mail may have the .com address of the company mentioned in the e-mail. The clickable link even appears to take you to the company's website, when in fact, it is a fake website built to replicate the legitimate site.
Many of these people are professional criminals. They have spent a lot of time in creating emails that look authentic. Users need to review all emails requesting personal information carefully. When reviewing your email remember that the "From Field" can be easily changed by the sender. While it may look like it is coming from a .com you do business with, looks can be deceiving. Also keep in mind that the phisher will go all out in trying to make their email look as legitimate as possible. They will even copy logos or images from the official site to use in their emails. Finally, they like to include a clickable link that the recipient can follow to conveniently update their information.
A great way to check the legitimacy of the link is to point at the link with your mouse. Then, look in the bottom left hand screen of your computer. The actual website address to which you are being directed will show up for you to view. It is a very quick and easy way to check if you are being directed to a legitimate site.
Finally, follow the golden rule. Never, ever, click the links within the text of the e-mail, and always delete the e-mail immediately. Once you have deleted the e-mail, empty the trash box in your e-mail accounts as well. If you are truly concerned that you are missing an important notice regarding one of your accounts, then type the full URL address of the website into your browser. At least then you can be confident that you are, in fact, being directed to the true and legitimate website.
3.21.2009
What the Heck are Botnets?
"A botnet is comparable to compulsory military service for windows boxes" - Stromberg (http://project.honeynet.org/papers/bots/).
Botnets are networks of computers that hackers have infected and grouped together under their control to propagate viruses, send illegal spam, and carry out attacks that cause web sites to crash.
What makes botnets exceedingly bad is the difficulty in tracing them back to their creators as well as the ever-increasing use of them in extortion schemes. How are they used in extortion schemes? Imagine someone sending you messages to either pay up or see your web site crash. This scenario is starting to replay itself over and over again.
Botnets can consist of thousands of compromised machines. With such a large network, botnets can use Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) as a method to cause mayhem and chaos. For example a small botnet with only 500 bots can bring corporate web sites to there knees by using the combined bandwidth of all the computers to overwhelm corporate systems and thereby cause the web site to appear offline.
Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service on January 19, 2006, quotes Kevin Hogan, senior manager for Symantec Security Response, in his article "Botnets shrinking in size, harder to trace", Hogan says "extortion schemes have emerged backed by the muscle of botnets, and hackers are also renting the use of armadas of computers for illegal purposes through advertisements on the Web."
One well-known technique to combat botnets is a honeypot. Honeypots help discover how attackers infiltrate systems. A Honeypot is essentially a set of resources that one intends to be compromised in order to study how the hackers break the system. Unpatched Windows 2000 or XP machines make great honeypots given the ease with which one can take over such systems.
A great site to read up on this topic more is The Honeynet Project (http://project.honeynet.org) which describes its own site's objective as "To learn the tools, tactics and motives involved in computer and network attacks, and share the lessons learned."
Botnets are networks of computers that hackers have infected and grouped together under their control to propagate viruses, send illegal spam, and carry out attacks that cause web sites to crash.
What makes botnets exceedingly bad is the difficulty in tracing them back to their creators as well as the ever-increasing use of them in extortion schemes. How are they used in extortion schemes? Imagine someone sending you messages to either pay up or see your web site crash. This scenario is starting to replay itself over and over again.
Botnets can consist of thousands of compromised machines. With such a large network, botnets can use Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) as a method to cause mayhem and chaos. For example a small botnet with only 500 bots can bring corporate web sites to there knees by using the combined bandwidth of all the computers to overwhelm corporate systems and thereby cause the web site to appear offline.
Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service on January 19, 2006, quotes Kevin Hogan, senior manager for Symantec Security Response, in his article "Botnets shrinking in size, harder to trace", Hogan says "extortion schemes have emerged backed by the muscle of botnets, and hackers are also renting the use of armadas of computers for illegal purposes through advertisements on the Web."
One well-known technique to combat botnets is a honeypot. Honeypots help discover how attackers infiltrate systems. A Honeypot is essentially a set of resources that one intends to be compromised in order to study how the hackers break the system. Unpatched Windows 2000 or XP machines make great honeypots given the ease with which one can take over such systems.
A great site to read up on this topic more is The Honeynet Project (http://project.honeynet.org) which describes its own site's objective as "To learn the tools, tactics and motives involved in computer and network attacks, and share the lessons learned."
3.19.2009
Using Free Autoresponders For Your Business
If you’ve looked at the prices of autoresponders that are available online, you may have decided to search for and use a free autoresponder for your marketing needs. Using free autoresponders is acceptable in certain situations, and in the world of Internet marketing, any autoresponder is better than not using an autoresponder at all!
Your first option for a free autoresponder should be the one that comes with your webhosting account – if you have a webhosting account. These autoresponders can easily be set up through the control panel of your website, and they do not contain advertisements from the autoresponder company or webhosting service. If you do not have a hosting account, or your hosting account does not include autoresponders, there are other options that you can pursue.
There are many free autoresponder services to choose from. These services are free, because the company makes their money by placing a small advertisement in each message that your autoresponder sends out. These advertisements may appear at the top of your auto responses, or at the bottom, depending on which company you use.
Many paid autoresponder services offer a free version as well. These free versions may or may not include advertisements in the outgoing messages. These lighter versions of the paid autoresponders typically do not include many of the powerful features of the paid versions. But if you don’t need the more advanced features, this is a great choice.
Most free autoresponders have a limit on the number of subscribers you can have. Many people start out with the limited free versions, and then upgrade to the paid versions once their lists are large enough to exceed those limits. Many marketers don’t feel that the expense of the autoresponder is warranted until the list that they are building is turning a profit. From a business standpoint, this makes sense.
As the owner of a business, you are the only one who can decide whether you need a paid autoresponder service, or if a free one will do the job. If your list is small, a free autoresponder should do everything that you need it to do, but as your list
grows, you should definitely consider upgrading. However, having the small advertisements that the free services place in the outgoing messages may present a problem if the ads compete with what you are trying to sell. They may even pose a problem if they do not directly compete with your product or business. Again, this depends on what you are trying to accomplish with your autoresponder.
Your first option for a free autoresponder should be the one that comes with your webhosting account – if you have a webhosting account. These autoresponders can easily be set up through the control panel of your website, and they do not contain advertisements from the autoresponder company or webhosting service. If you do not have a hosting account, or your hosting account does not include autoresponders, there are other options that you can pursue.
There are many free autoresponder services to choose from. These services are free, because the company makes their money by placing a small advertisement in each message that your autoresponder sends out. These advertisements may appear at the top of your auto responses, or at the bottom, depending on which company you use.
Many paid autoresponder services offer a free version as well. These free versions may or may not include advertisements in the outgoing messages. These lighter versions of the paid autoresponders typically do not include many of the powerful features of the paid versions. But if you don’t need the more advanced features, this is a great choice.
Most free autoresponders have a limit on the number of subscribers you can have. Many people start out with the limited free versions, and then upgrade to the paid versions once their lists are large enough to exceed those limits. Many marketers don’t feel that the expense of the autoresponder is warranted until the list that they are building is turning a profit. From a business standpoint, this makes sense.
As the owner of a business, you are the only one who can decide whether you need a paid autoresponder service, or if a free one will do the job. If your list is small, a free autoresponder should do everything that you need it to do, but as your list
grows, you should definitely consider upgrading. However, having the small advertisements that the free services place in the outgoing messages may present a problem if the ads compete with what you are trying to sell. They may even pose a problem if they do not directly compete with your product or business. Again, this depends on what you are trying to accomplish with your autoresponder.
3.17.2009
Three Ways to Pick Up Autocad Skills
The fact that Autocad software is an industry leader in the design, drafting and modeling fields makes this one of the most popular software packages to learn in the IT sector today. Its applications are many and it is widely used in all kinds of industry sectors from niche design fields through to general business areas.
There are many different ways to learn Autocad, both from a career or a personal perspective. The three most popular ways at the moment are probably:
#1 Teach yourself -- it is possible to teach yourself Autocad if you have access to a copy of the software and a computer. Many people will learn this way with the aid of books and/or from a variety of online resources. This is often the preferred route to learning how to use this kind of software for those of us who want to learn how the program works from an amateur point of view or for our own personal use. There are many different web options here which could be useful as the Internet is full of advice and informal courses that can help you pick up the basics here.
#2 Learn on the job -- some employers will train up their own personnel in the use of Autocad as it pertains to their particular business. This may involve simply learning as you go along with the help of your co-workers who already understand how the package works and how it is applied within the company itself. Or, in some cases employers will send their employees off on Autocad courses to learn how to use the package more formally. This can be useful, especially if your course leads to an accredited Autocad qualification which could be beneficial to your career development on a general basis in the future.
#3 Formal learning -- many people start to learn Autocad as part of a wider technology or computer course at college. There are also many different types of formal Autocad training that you could sign up to if you are interested here. So, for example, you could take an online Autocad course to teach you the basics or you could attend an offline course over a period of time that will give you an Autocad qualification.
The actual way that you learn Autocad will most often depend on why you want to learn how to use the program in the first place. If you, for example, want to use Autocad in your career then you may well aim for an accredited course that gives you an industry recognized qualification as this can be useful to you as your career develops.
If, however, you simply want to learn how to use Autocad for fun or for personal usage reasons then you may not need your training to be so formal. In this instance, for example, you might pick up most of your skills by working through books or by looking up advice sites and tips and tricks online.
There are many different ways to learn Autocad, both from a career or a personal perspective. The three most popular ways at the moment are probably:
#1 Teach yourself -- it is possible to teach yourself Autocad if you have access to a copy of the software and a computer. Many people will learn this way with the aid of books and/or from a variety of online resources. This is often the preferred route to learning how to use this kind of software for those of us who want to learn how the program works from an amateur point of view or for our own personal use. There are many different web options here which could be useful as the Internet is full of advice and informal courses that can help you pick up the basics here.
#2 Learn on the job -- some employers will train up their own personnel in the use of Autocad as it pertains to their particular business. This may involve simply learning as you go along with the help of your co-workers who already understand how the package works and how it is applied within the company itself. Or, in some cases employers will send their employees off on Autocad courses to learn how to use the package more formally. This can be useful, especially if your course leads to an accredited Autocad qualification which could be beneficial to your career development on a general basis in the future.
#3 Formal learning -- many people start to learn Autocad as part of a wider technology or computer course at college. There are also many different types of formal Autocad training that you could sign up to if you are interested here. So, for example, you could take an online Autocad course to teach you the basics or you could attend an offline course over a period of time that will give you an Autocad qualification.
The actual way that you learn Autocad will most often depend on why you want to learn how to use the program in the first place. If you, for example, want to use Autocad in your career then you may well aim for an accredited course that gives you an industry recognized qualification as this can be useful to you as your career develops.
If, however, you simply want to learn how to use Autocad for fun or for personal usage reasons then you may not need your training to be so formal. In this instance, for example, you might pick up most of your skills by working through books or by looking up advice sites and tips and tricks online.
About the Author:
Richard Arnesdale helps people learn about autocad training at his website on autocad training.
3.16.2009
Excel 2007 Selection Techniques
In this article, we will examine some of the more useful Excel selection techniques; namely those which involve using the mouse in conjunction with the keyboard. One of the most useful is click then Shift-click. This is particularly handy for selecting a large range of data since it allows you to simply click on two opposite corners of the rectangular range of cells which you want to highlight. To perform this technique, begin by clicking in the top left cell of the range you want to highlight. Next, scroll to reveal the bottom right cell of the range to be highlighted. Finally, holding down the Shift key, click on the bottom right cell. All the cells between the two cells that you have just clicked on will now be highlighted.
The other modifier key which can be used in conjunction with the mouse to make selections is Control. Whereas the mouse and Shift key combination only allows you to make rectangular selections, using the mouse in conjunction with the Control key, you can make non-contiguous selections; in other words, you can select cells which aren't adjacent to each other. Once you have made a selection, the next operation you perform will only apply to the highlighted cells. For example, you could copy the cells and paste them into a new worksheet.
A less commonly-used technique is to double-click one of the edges of the bold rectangle which surrounds the currently selected area while holding down the Shift key. You may have notice that Excel always displays a bold border around the highlighted cells. By holding down the Shift key and double-clicking on the right-hand edge of this border, you can select all the cells up to the right-hand edge of the current range. The first column that contains blank cells will act as a boundary and Excel will only select up to that boundary. Naturally, you can also extend your selection by holding down the Shift key and double-clicking on any of the other borders as well.
It is also possible to make selections using just the keyboard and no mouse. Only contiguous ranges of cells can be selected in this way. All you need to do is hold down the Shift key while pressing one of the cursor keys. For example, if you press the right cursor key, you will select to the right; pressing the down cursor key will select adjacent rows; and so on. You can also move back in the opposite direction to remove cells from the selection.
To select all the cells up to the edge of a range of data, hold down the Control and Shift keys while pressing one of the cursor keys. For example, the right cursor key will select all the cells up to the right edge of the current range; the down arrow will select all the cells to the bottom; and so forth.
As well as the cursor keys, you can use the End (and Home) key(s). Holding down the Control and Shift keys while pressing the End key will select all the cells to the bottom right of the current range.
The other modifier key which can be used in conjunction with the mouse to make selections is Control. Whereas the mouse and Shift key combination only allows you to make rectangular selections, using the mouse in conjunction with the Control key, you can make non-contiguous selections; in other words, you can select cells which aren't adjacent to each other. Once you have made a selection, the next operation you perform will only apply to the highlighted cells. For example, you could copy the cells and paste them into a new worksheet.
A less commonly-used technique is to double-click one of the edges of the bold rectangle which surrounds the currently selected area while holding down the Shift key. You may have notice that Excel always displays a bold border around the highlighted cells. By holding down the Shift key and double-clicking on the right-hand edge of this border, you can select all the cells up to the right-hand edge of the current range. The first column that contains blank cells will act as a boundary and Excel will only select up to that boundary. Naturally, you can also extend your selection by holding down the Shift key and double-clicking on any of the other borders as well.
It is also possible to make selections using just the keyboard and no mouse. Only contiguous ranges of cells can be selected in this way. All you need to do is hold down the Shift key while pressing one of the cursor keys. For example, if you press the right cursor key, you will select to the right; pressing the down cursor key will select adjacent rows; and so on. You can also move back in the opposite direction to remove cells from the selection.
To select all the cells up to the edge of a range of data, hold down the Control and Shift keys while pressing one of the cursor keys. For example, the right cursor key will select all the cells up to the right edge of the current range; the down arrow will select all the cells to the bottom; and so forth.
As well as the cursor keys, you can use the End (and Home) key(s). Holding down the Control and Shift keys while pressing the End key will select all the cells to the bottom right of the current range.
About the Author:
Author is a developer and trainer with Macresource Computer Solutions, a UK IT training company offering Microsoft Excel 2007 training courses in London and throughout the UK.
3.15.2009
Shopping Cart Security A Major Issue
Like what the title says: the security of shopping carts is always a major issue, it was before, it is now, and it will always be. If you’re a small business trying to break into a fairly large and competitive market, shopping cart applications integrated to your website would be a great investment. But several issues need to be addressed and probably one of the more significant one is the issue of security.
Let’s begin with the concept of shopping carts. Shopping carts are online applications where you can make purchases by means of using your credit card or any electronic payment services to pay for your orders. If you have an online store, you will need a reliable host where to place your files and where your clients and potential customers will access them from. You also need a shopping cart whose interface is easy and functional.
A shopping cart typically functions with having a check out, generates the total purchase, compute for the shipping costs, and records the needed personal information. The security aspect of the shopping cart lies on the Secured Socket Layer certificate or the SSL which basically handles the security of the personal information entered by customers up until the time the information reaches the payment gateway. The SSSL is the responsible of making “https”. If you see this on the URL bar, it means the transaction is a secure environment. Meanwhile, the payment gateway or credit cart gateway is the one that validates and charges the purchase on the credit card.
There are options now where the shopping cart providers no longer needs SSL but instead directly sends the information to a payment gateway. The personal information entered by the customers will then be the responsibility of the gateway. This eliminates the need for you to maintain any SSL.
It is important that you let your customers know first and foremost the possible security risks of online transactions. But also make sure that you clients know that despite the risks, you have done your part to make the website secure and hack-free. Do no underestimate your customers. Often, if they fee that something’s not right with a website’s shopping cart, they will most likely bail out of their transations.
Also be precise and clear about your shopping cart’s policy guidelines. I know it might be tempting to use various legal and marketing jargons. But, you need to remember that your users are not experts and presenting them with a policy guideline that is high complicated and difficult to understand will reflect on your business’ reputation.
We can only stress the importance of security in these kinds of web applications. I have heard stories of identity thefts before and your customers will surely go with a shopping cart that can protect them from possible theft of credit card and personal information.
One of the simplest way to have a secure network is to avail of the services of well respected and secure service provider. That, of course is a sure way to have a secure network for your shopping cart. Relying on the credible services of third party suppliers is not a bad course of action to take. You just need some time checking on theses shopping cart suppliers to get to know them.
The bottom line is to purchase and maintain a secure shopping cart for your clients. You have several options at your disposal and not having a secure one is totally inexcusable.
Let’s begin with the concept of shopping carts. Shopping carts are online applications where you can make purchases by means of using your credit card or any electronic payment services to pay for your orders. If you have an online store, you will need a reliable host where to place your files and where your clients and potential customers will access them from. You also need a shopping cart whose interface is easy and functional.
A shopping cart typically functions with having a check out, generates the total purchase, compute for the shipping costs, and records the needed personal information. The security aspect of the shopping cart lies on the Secured Socket Layer certificate or the SSL which basically handles the security of the personal information entered by customers up until the time the information reaches the payment gateway. The SSSL is the responsible of making “https”. If you see this on the URL bar, it means the transaction is a secure environment. Meanwhile, the payment gateway or credit cart gateway is the one that validates and charges the purchase on the credit card.
There are options now where the shopping cart providers no longer needs SSL but instead directly sends the information to a payment gateway. The personal information entered by the customers will then be the responsibility of the gateway. This eliminates the need for you to maintain any SSL.
It is important that you let your customers know first and foremost the possible security risks of online transactions. But also make sure that you clients know that despite the risks, you have done your part to make the website secure and hack-free. Do no underestimate your customers. Often, if they fee that something’s not right with a website’s shopping cart, they will most likely bail out of their transations.
Also be precise and clear about your shopping cart’s policy guidelines. I know it might be tempting to use various legal and marketing jargons. But, you need to remember that your users are not experts and presenting them with a policy guideline that is high complicated and difficult to understand will reflect on your business’ reputation.
We can only stress the importance of security in these kinds of web applications. I have heard stories of identity thefts before and your customers will surely go with a shopping cart that can protect them from possible theft of credit card and personal information.
One of the simplest way to have a secure network is to avail of the services of well respected and secure service provider. That, of course is a sure way to have a secure network for your shopping cart. Relying on the credible services of third party suppliers is not a bad course of action to take. You just need some time checking on theses shopping cart suppliers to get to know them.
The bottom line is to purchase and maintain a secure shopping cart for your clients. You have several options at your disposal and not having a secure one is totally inexcusable.
3.14.2009
Besides Reg Defense - Fixing Common Computer Problems
Whenever you start your computer, do you witness some sort of freezing or blue screens of death? How about strange noises, do you hear any? And how about spontaneous reboots, do you also experience some time after you turn on your computer? If you are actually witnessing some sort of freezing or blue screens of death, hearing some strange noises, and experiencing spontaneous reboots some time after turning on your computer, then you better be careful. All of these things are actually just some of the common computer problems. These problems if not fixed will eventually cause your computer to be permanently useless.
Freezes and Blue Screens of Death
If you always witness some freezes and blue screens of death every time your computer is turned on, then most probably you have a problem in your computer registry.
Normally, freezes and blue screens of death are caused by spyware. To fix the problem, make sure to get an anti-spyware program or if you already have one, be sure to always update it. Also, having hardware drivers that are not always updated can cause some freezes and blue screens of death. Thus, be sure to always update your hardware drivers. You might not be aware but your computer can't communicate with different hardware components without an up to date drivers. Typically, when your computer can't find needed drivers, the CPU would lock up that will then cause hang ups. Try also to increase your virtual memory, this can help.
Strange Noises
Most probably, there's a problem in one of your computer hardware if you're hearing noises when your computer is turned on. Hence, it is important that you make a through check up on your computer as soon as possible. Never miss checking the wires and the fan as they are often the origin of the problem. If you know you cant handle checking your computer yourself, you can ask help from an experienced computer technician.
Spontaneous Reboots
If your computer spontaneously reboots some time after you turn on your computer, you most likely also have a problem in one of your hardware just like your cooling fan or cables. It is possible that your cooling fan is dirty or has defects or your cables are not attached tightly. Do a thorough check up.
Freezes and Blue Screens of Death
If you always witness some freezes and blue screens of death every time your computer is turned on, then most probably you have a problem in your computer registry.
Normally, freezes and blue screens of death are caused by spyware. To fix the problem, make sure to get an anti-spyware program or if you already have one, be sure to always update it. Also, having hardware drivers that are not always updated can cause some freezes and blue screens of death. Thus, be sure to always update your hardware drivers. You might not be aware but your computer can't communicate with different hardware components without an up to date drivers. Typically, when your computer can't find needed drivers, the CPU would lock up that will then cause hang ups. Try also to increase your virtual memory, this can help.
Strange Noises
Most probably, there's a problem in one of your computer hardware if you're hearing noises when your computer is turned on. Hence, it is important that you make a through check up on your computer as soon as possible. Never miss checking the wires and the fan as they are often the origin of the problem. If you know you cant handle checking your computer yourself, you can ask help from an experienced computer technician.
Spontaneous Reboots
If your computer spontaneously reboots some time after you turn on your computer, you most likely also have a problem in one of your hardware just like your cooling fan or cables. It is possible that your cooling fan is dirty or has defects or your cables are not attached tightly. Do a thorough check up.
About the Author:
This author believes that if you find this information useful, you may also want to check out Reg Defense and RegDefense Reviews.
3.12.2009
Using The QAT and Office Button In Microsoft Excel 2007
Microsoft Office Excel 2007 contains no menus or toolbars. However, it does include a feature called the Office Button which bears a remarkable similarity to a menu as well as a Quick Access Toolbar which functions a lot like the tool bars found in previous releases of Microsoft Office. In this article, we'll take a look at these two features and see how they work.
Excel's Office Button
The Office Button is found in the top left of the Excel screen. When you click it, a menu appears which resembles menus found in most software programs and also in previous versions of Excel. The Office Button menu allows you to create, open, save and print documents. It also contains options for preparing documents for distribution, closing the currently active document and exiting Excel altogether.
The Office Button also contains a list of the recently opened files. Next to the name of each file is a pin icon. This icon is used to pin the associated document. Pinning a document means that it won't disappear from the list of recently opened files. By contrast, unpinned documents will eventually disappear from the list as files are created and opened.
It is also here that you will find "Excel Options". (This is equivalent to Tools-Options found in previous versions of Excel.) Excel Options are displayed as a column of categorized tabs on the left of the dialog. Just click on a tab to reveal options in that category. The Excel Options customize the way in which Excel works. Let's look at a few examples...
Excel's Developer Tab (which contains commands for working with macros) is not visible when Excel is first installed. To make Excel display it, choose "Excel Options" from the Office Button and, in the "Popular" category, switch on the option "Show Developer Tab in the Ribbon". A second example... By default, each new document you create has three sheets. If you find this too many or too few, you can change the number of sheets which each new work will contain. Choose "Excel Options" from the Office Button and, in the "Popular" category, under the section headed "When Creating New Workbooks Include this Many Sheets", simply enter your preferred number of sheets for each new workbook you create.
The Excel Quick Access Toolbar
The Excel Quick Access Toolbar is usually displayed in the top left of the screen, next to the Office Button. It functions in a similar way to the tool bars found in old versions of Microsoft Excel.
By default, the Quick Access Toolbar contains only three commands: saving the current workbook, undoing commands and redoing commands.
To the right of the three default commands is a menu which enables you to personalize the Quick Access Toolbar and determine which buttons are displayed and which commands remain hidden.
Each of the commands in the Quick Access Toolbar menu is a switch: if a command is active, when you select it, it will be removed: if a command is hidden, choosing it will make it visible.
Another method of customizing the Quick Access Toolbar is to add your favorite options from the Excel Ribbon. Just right click on an option in any of the Tabs of the Ribbon. In the context menu which pops up, simply choose "Add To Quick Access Toolbar".
If you find that you are using the Quick Access Toolbar a lot, you may find it convenient to move it below the Ribbon. Simply choose "Show Below The Ribbon" from the Quick Access Toolbar drop-down menu. You can also make the Quick Access Toolbar more accessible by minimising the ribbon. To do this, double-click on the name of any ribbon Tab or choose "Minimize the Ribbon" from the Quick Access Toolbar menu.
Excel's Office Button
The Office Button is found in the top left of the Excel screen. When you click it, a menu appears which resembles menus found in most software programs and also in previous versions of Excel. The Office Button menu allows you to create, open, save and print documents. It also contains options for preparing documents for distribution, closing the currently active document and exiting Excel altogether.
The Office Button also contains a list of the recently opened files. Next to the name of each file is a pin icon. This icon is used to pin the associated document. Pinning a document means that it won't disappear from the list of recently opened files. By contrast, unpinned documents will eventually disappear from the list as files are created and opened.
It is also here that you will find "Excel Options". (This is equivalent to Tools-Options found in previous versions of Excel.) Excel Options are displayed as a column of categorized tabs on the left of the dialog. Just click on a tab to reveal options in that category. The Excel Options customize the way in which Excel works. Let's look at a few examples...
Excel's Developer Tab (which contains commands for working with macros) is not visible when Excel is first installed. To make Excel display it, choose "Excel Options" from the Office Button and, in the "Popular" category, switch on the option "Show Developer Tab in the Ribbon". A second example... By default, each new document you create has three sheets. If you find this too many or too few, you can change the number of sheets which each new work will contain. Choose "Excel Options" from the Office Button and, in the "Popular" category, under the section headed "When Creating New Workbooks Include this Many Sheets", simply enter your preferred number of sheets for each new workbook you create.
The Excel Quick Access Toolbar
The Excel Quick Access Toolbar is usually displayed in the top left of the screen, next to the Office Button. It functions in a similar way to the tool bars found in old versions of Microsoft Excel.
By default, the Quick Access Toolbar contains only three commands: saving the current workbook, undoing commands and redoing commands.
To the right of the three default commands is a menu which enables you to personalize the Quick Access Toolbar and determine which buttons are displayed and which commands remain hidden.
Each of the commands in the Quick Access Toolbar menu is a switch: if a command is active, when you select it, it will be removed: if a command is hidden, choosing it will make it visible.
Another method of customizing the Quick Access Toolbar is to add your favorite options from the Excel Ribbon. Just right click on an option in any of the Tabs of the Ribbon. In the context menu which pops up, simply choose "Add To Quick Access Toolbar".
If you find that you are using the Quick Access Toolbar a lot, you may find it convenient to move it below the Ribbon. Simply choose "Show Below The Ribbon" from the Quick Access Toolbar drop-down menu. You can also make the Quick Access Toolbar more accessible by minimising the ribbon. To do this, double-click on the name of any ribbon Tab or choose "Minimize the Ribbon" from the Quick Access Toolbar menu.
About the Author:
The The writer of this article is a training consultant with Macresource Computer Solutions, an independent computer training company offering Microsoft Excel 2007 Classes in London and throughout the UK.
3.10.2009
Life Changing Shortcuts on Your Blackberry Pearl
If you've ever watched someone who's an expert at using a piece of software, you'll quickly notice they don't use their mouse as much as most people. They'll use something called "keyboard shortcuts" to move about the program quickly and smoothly. As easy as it is to use a mouse, it's not always the fastest route from point A to point B.
Most people who use a Blackberry Pearl will scroll to an item, press the pearl or Blackberry button, scroll down to the selection they want and press it again. That's a long process if you're in a hurry. It's not going to make or break your hectic schedule, but it does involve some unnecessary action you can soon depart with. You're about to learn a few of the keyboard shortcuts the pros use.
The Shortcuts
If you've ever heard a business give a phone number and use letter instead of numbers, you've most likely looked at your Blackberry Pearl and said "I can't...". It's frustrating because the letters on your Pearl are laid different than they are on a traditional phone.
After you learn this little trick, you'll be able to finally call those phone numbers made up of words instead of numbers. Start to dial the number (it usually starts with 1-800 or 1-888). Then, instead of just typing the letters, press and hold the ALT key and use something we call "multi-tap" to spell the word.
What is multi-tap? If you've ever had to type in a password on a website with your Blackberry Pearl, you've most likely used multi-tap. For example, if you want to type the letter "K" using multi-tap, you'd press the number 6 twice since "K" is the second letter on that key ("J" is the first).
This also works if you're phone company gives you short cuts to find out your Balance (#BAL) or make a payment (#PMT). Just hold down the ALT key and use the "multi-tap" technique to spell whatever you would normally spell on a traditional keypad. That tip right there will save you MANY headaches.
Managing Your Messages With Shortcuts
There have been several occasions where I read an email and didn't reply to it right away. It happens all the time. Later, I'll look through my list of message and reply. The keyboard shortcut is to reply is to highlight the message you want (or have it open already) and press the "!" key. That's it.
That is a lot less effort than you'd have to go through using the scroll ball and the "Blackberry button." Give it a try and you'll soon have this shortcut at the top of your list as well.
This isn't really a keyboard shortcut as much as it is a software feature on the Blackberry. When you're typing a message and get to the end of a sentence, instead of manually placing a "." at the end, just press the space button twice and your Blackberry will add it for you. It will do a similar thing if you're putting an email address in your phone and you press space where the @ symbol is supposed to go. Also try it on your browser where the "." goes before "com".
The inbox on your Blackberry Pearl is where all of your messages end up. Some of them are SMS or "text" messages, some are missed phone calls and some of actual emails. Now, you can quickly sort through these and find just the message you're interested in. Here's how. With your messages in front of you, press and hold ALT while pressing V. This will only show you any voice mail messages. Hold down ALT and press P and you'll see only your recent dialed and received phone calls. ALT and S will show only text or SMS messages. ALT and I will remove all outgoing calls or messages and show only those incoming.
Spend a good week or two learning to use these shortcuts as much as possible. Maybe you need to write them down on the back of a business card for now. Whatever you have to do, get them memorized. These are so powerful and effective, they'll save you a ton of time. They're used so often, they can save you a lot of time in the long run.
Most people who use a Blackberry Pearl will scroll to an item, press the pearl or Blackberry button, scroll down to the selection they want and press it again. That's a long process if you're in a hurry. It's not going to make or break your hectic schedule, but it does involve some unnecessary action you can soon depart with. You're about to learn a few of the keyboard shortcuts the pros use.
The Shortcuts
If you've ever heard a business give a phone number and use letter instead of numbers, you've most likely looked at your Blackberry Pearl and said "I can't...". It's frustrating because the letters on your Pearl are laid different than they are on a traditional phone.
After you learn this little trick, you'll be able to finally call those phone numbers made up of words instead of numbers. Start to dial the number (it usually starts with 1-800 or 1-888). Then, instead of just typing the letters, press and hold the ALT key and use something we call "multi-tap" to spell the word.
What is multi-tap? If you've ever had to type in a password on a website with your Blackberry Pearl, you've most likely used multi-tap. For example, if you want to type the letter "K" using multi-tap, you'd press the number 6 twice since "K" is the second letter on that key ("J" is the first).
This also works if you're phone company gives you short cuts to find out your Balance (#BAL) or make a payment (#PMT). Just hold down the ALT key and use the "multi-tap" technique to spell whatever you would normally spell on a traditional keypad. That tip right there will save you MANY headaches.
Managing Your Messages With Shortcuts
There have been several occasions where I read an email and didn't reply to it right away. It happens all the time. Later, I'll look through my list of message and reply. The keyboard shortcut is to reply is to highlight the message you want (or have it open already) and press the "!" key. That's it.
That is a lot less effort than you'd have to go through using the scroll ball and the "Blackberry button." Give it a try and you'll soon have this shortcut at the top of your list as well.
This isn't really a keyboard shortcut as much as it is a software feature on the Blackberry. When you're typing a message and get to the end of a sentence, instead of manually placing a "." at the end, just press the space button twice and your Blackberry will add it for you. It will do a similar thing if you're putting an email address in your phone and you press space where the @ symbol is supposed to go. Also try it on your browser where the "." goes before "com".
The inbox on your Blackberry Pearl is where all of your messages end up. Some of them are SMS or "text" messages, some are missed phone calls and some of actual emails. Now, you can quickly sort through these and find just the message you're interested in. Here's how. With your messages in front of you, press and hold ALT while pressing V. This will only show you any voice mail messages. Hold down ALT and press P and you'll see only your recent dialed and received phone calls. ALT and S will show only text or SMS messages. ALT and I will remove all outgoing calls or messages and show only those incoming.
Spend a good week or two learning to use these shortcuts as much as possible. Maybe you need to write them down on the back of a business card for now. Whatever you have to do, get them memorized. These are so powerful and effective, they'll save you a ton of time. They're used so often, they can save you a lot of time in the long run.
About the Author:
Paul Herrington is sometimes referred to as a Blackberry Pearl power user. He's completely self taught and often teaches on the secret keyboard shortcuts that can save you a ton of time.
3.08.2009
COUNTIF AND COUNTIFS functions In Microsoft Excel 2007
The COUNTIF function enables us to count the number of cells in a given range which satisfy a condition. COUNTIFS does exactly the same. However, with COUNTIFS, we can specify multiple criteria. For instance, let's say we have a worksheet containing four columns: the date, the number of phone calls received, the number of complaints and the percentage of calls which were actually complaints.
We now want to create a summary worksheet to calculate the number of days where the percentage of calls that were complaints is, firstly, under 5%; secondly, between five and 10% and, thirdly, over 10%.
To find those days where we have fewer than 5% or more than 10%, we can use COUNTIF function because we are dealing with a simple condition: less than 5% or greater than 10%. However, to find those days where we had between 5% and 10%, we will need multiple criteria; firstly, greater than or equal to five and, secondly, less than or equal to 10. Because of this, we will need the COUNTIFS function.
When creating formulas in Excel 2007, it is always useful to name the cells are you are referencing. To get Excel to create the names for you automatically, select all of your data, including the column headings then, in the Formulas Tab of the Excel Ribbon, click on Create from Selection. Next, activate the option "Create names from values in the Top Row" and click OK. Let's assume that the heading at the top of the fourth column (the one containing the percentage of calls which were actually complaints) is "Percentage", this will be the name that we will use in our COUNTIF formulas.
Next, we can switch to the Summary worksheet and click in the cell where we want to calculate the total number of days where less than 5% of our calls were complaints. Here we would enter the formula =COUNTIF(Percentage,"<5"). Notice that, when using COUNTIF and COUNTIFS, all criteria must be surrounded by quotation marks.
In exactly the same way, to calculate the total number of days where more than 10% of our calls were complaints, we would use the formula =COUNTIF(Percentage,">10").
Finally, to return the total number of days where between 5 and 10% of our calls were complaints, we would use the formula =COUNTIFS(Percentage,">=5",Percentage,"<=10"). The COUNTIFS function enables you to repeat the two arguments used with the COUNTIF function (criteria range and criteria) up to 127 times. Thus, in our example, criteria_range1 is Percentage; criteria1 is ">=5"; criteria_range2 is also Percentage; and criteria2 is "<=10".
We now want to create a summary worksheet to calculate the number of days where the percentage of calls that were complaints is, firstly, under 5%; secondly, between five and 10% and, thirdly, over 10%.
To find those days where we have fewer than 5% or more than 10%, we can use COUNTIF function because we are dealing with a simple condition: less than 5% or greater than 10%. However, to find those days where we had between 5% and 10%, we will need multiple criteria; firstly, greater than or equal to five and, secondly, less than or equal to 10. Because of this, we will need the COUNTIFS function.
When creating formulas in Excel 2007, it is always useful to name the cells are you are referencing. To get Excel to create the names for you automatically, select all of your data, including the column headings then, in the Formulas Tab of the Excel Ribbon, click on Create from Selection. Next, activate the option "Create names from values in the Top Row" and click OK. Let's assume that the heading at the top of the fourth column (the one containing the percentage of calls which were actually complaints) is "Percentage", this will be the name that we will use in our COUNTIF formulas.
Next, we can switch to the Summary worksheet and click in the cell where we want to calculate the total number of days where less than 5% of our calls were complaints. Here we would enter the formula =COUNTIF(Percentage,"<5"). Notice that, when using COUNTIF and COUNTIFS, all criteria must be surrounded by quotation marks.
In exactly the same way, to calculate the total number of days where more than 10% of our calls were complaints, we would use the formula =COUNTIF(Percentage,">10").
Finally, to return the total number of days where between 5 and 10% of our calls were complaints, we would use the formula =COUNTIFS(Percentage,">=5",Percentage,"<=10"). The COUNTIFS function enables you to repeat the two arguments used with the COUNTIF function (criteria range and criteria) up to 127 times. Thus, in our example, criteria_range1 is Percentage; criteria1 is ">=5"; criteria_range2 is also Percentage; and criteria2 is "<=10".
About the Author:
Author is a developer and trainer with Macresource Computer Solutions, a UK IT training company offering Microsoft Excel 2007 Classes in London and throughout the UK.
3.07.2009
Tips on How to Maintain Your RegDefense Computer's Performance
A computer that is 5 years old or more can still perform like brand new if you only know how to take care of it. Well, taking care of a computer is just simple. Just the basic things, use the computer properly, get some software for computer maintenance, and run various programs that are needed to be run to ensure computer's smooth performance.
Specifically, remember to:
* Follow the rule in shutting down computers. Until Windows has shut down, never turn your computer off with the power switch. Doing so will prevent temporary and/or permanent hard drive defects as well as prevent Windows problems.
* Maintain free space of 300 MB in your drive C. If you use Vista or Windows XP then make it 400-600 MB. Be aware that not maintaining enough free space for your drive C will cause the dumping of data to your hard drive that will eventually lead to slow performance.
* Secure Norton Utilities to get access of Cleansweep so you can clean up your drive for good computer performance. There are some other hard drive cleaners out there, so if you don't like using Cleansweep you are free to go for other options.
* Make use of the Add/Delete tool in the Windows Control Panel to get rid of the programs that are not anymore needed from your drive. This will help boost maximum performance of your computer.
* Get a firewall program in case you have a high speed Internet connection. Doing so will keep your computer away from hijackers. You shouldn't want somebody else run your computer.
* Have a virus checker in your computer and run it frequently. Viruses can seriously slow down your computer's performance or worst destroy your hard drive permanently. You can try Norton Antivirus or those free online virus checkers like Housecall by Trend Micro.
* Run the Defragment and Scandisk tools even just once a month. Doing so will keep your hard drive healthy. Be aware that if your hard drive is healthy, your computer will also perform at its best.
* In times like your computer starts to show symptoms for a serious registry trouble like for an instance freezes, hardware malfunctions, slow windows start ups, computer error messages, system32 error messages, and the like, secure a registry cleaner right away. There might be some errors and corrupt files in your registry. These errors and possible corrupt files will seriously compromise your computer's performance.
Specifically, remember to:
* Follow the rule in shutting down computers. Until Windows has shut down, never turn your computer off with the power switch. Doing so will prevent temporary and/or permanent hard drive defects as well as prevent Windows problems.
* Maintain free space of 300 MB in your drive C. If you use Vista or Windows XP then make it 400-600 MB. Be aware that not maintaining enough free space for your drive C will cause the dumping of data to your hard drive that will eventually lead to slow performance.
* Secure Norton Utilities to get access of Cleansweep so you can clean up your drive for good computer performance. There are some other hard drive cleaners out there, so if you don't like using Cleansweep you are free to go for other options.
* Make use of the Add/Delete tool in the Windows Control Panel to get rid of the programs that are not anymore needed from your drive. This will help boost maximum performance of your computer.
* Get a firewall program in case you have a high speed Internet connection. Doing so will keep your computer away from hijackers. You shouldn't want somebody else run your computer.
* Have a virus checker in your computer and run it frequently. Viruses can seriously slow down your computer's performance or worst destroy your hard drive permanently. You can try Norton Antivirus or those free online virus checkers like Housecall by Trend Micro.
* Run the Defragment and Scandisk tools even just once a month. Doing so will keep your hard drive healthy. Be aware that if your hard drive is healthy, your computer will also perform at its best.
* In times like your computer starts to show symptoms for a serious registry trouble like for an instance freezes, hardware malfunctions, slow windows start ups, computer error messages, system32 error messages, and the like, secure a registry cleaner right away. There might be some errors and corrupt files in your registry. These errors and possible corrupt files will seriously compromise your computer's performance.
About the Author:
This author specializes in writing articles on Reg Defense and Reg Defense Review among other similar subjects.
How To Keep You Computer Running Fast And Error Free
No one is happy when a computer fails to work properly in any way. The problem that annoys my customers more than any other is when their computers slow down. No failure is good, but a computer slow down it seems, is the worst!
There are a few things that can happen to a computer to slow it down and I will talk about these things in this article. However, there is one problem that often goes overlooked when discussing things that need to be done to get a computer's speed back. We will not overlook this problem.
Malware And Registry Corruption
It is well documented what spyware and viruses can do to a computer's operation. It can slow it down and in extreme cases it can cause the computer to be unable to start up. Even worse, spyware can steal a person's identity! For these reason, most people have spyware/virus cleaners installed on their computers.
In the last couple of years, registry corruption has become a very big problem for PC owners. Windows XP and Vista registries become corrupted very easily. Because of this, many people have decided to install a good registry cleaner on their computers. This is a great choice because registry corruption will cause a computer to be slow and error prone.
There are times, with no malware or registry corruption present, the computer will still be slow and sometimes error prone. In a case like this, a technician has to go to work locating the problem with the computer.
Device Drivers And Computer Slowdowns
Many times, after employing a long-handed method, the technician will find a problem with an improper or outdated device driver. When this happens, a viable upgraded version of the driver will have to be found and installed. Needless to say, this is a difficult and time-consuming task.
Enter The Driver Scanner
However, we don't have to perform this tedious job anymore. Now we can use a driver scanner that will do the whole job of checking for and finding drivers that need an upgrade and then actually finding and installing the upgrade for us. It does all of this automatically!
So, installing a driver scanner on your computer is another weapon you now have to will keep your computer running at top speed for many years to come. This will eliminate the need to pay guys like me to deal with any problems you may run into caused by poorly functioning device drivers.
There are a few things that can happen to a computer to slow it down and I will talk about these things in this article. However, there is one problem that often goes overlooked when discussing things that need to be done to get a computer's speed back. We will not overlook this problem.
Malware And Registry Corruption
It is well documented what spyware and viruses can do to a computer's operation. It can slow it down and in extreme cases it can cause the computer to be unable to start up. Even worse, spyware can steal a person's identity! For these reason, most people have spyware/virus cleaners installed on their computers.
In the last couple of years, registry corruption has become a very big problem for PC owners. Windows XP and Vista registries become corrupted very easily. Because of this, many people have decided to install a good registry cleaner on their computers. This is a great choice because registry corruption will cause a computer to be slow and error prone.
There are times, with no malware or registry corruption present, the computer will still be slow and sometimes error prone. In a case like this, a technician has to go to work locating the problem with the computer.
Device Drivers And Computer Slowdowns
Many times, after employing a long-handed method, the technician will find a problem with an improper or outdated device driver. When this happens, a viable upgraded version of the driver will have to be found and installed. Needless to say, this is a difficult and time-consuming task.
Enter The Driver Scanner
However, we don't have to perform this tedious job anymore. Now we can use a driver scanner that will do the whole job of checking for and finding drivers that need an upgrade and then actually finding and installing the upgrade for us. It does all of this automatically!
So, installing a driver scanner on your computer is another weapon you now have to will keep your computer running at top speed for many years to come. This will eliminate the need to pay guys like me to deal with any problems you may run into caused by poorly functioning device drivers.
About the Author:
You've learned a lot about getting your computers speed back and a new tool called a driver scanner. Now find out how to get a free driver scan to see if your computer has any of these formerly difficult to track down problems! Then see the latest comparison chart of the top registry cleaners at: Registry Cleaner Review.
3.06.2009
Backup Software: The Engine that Drives Security
You need to look out for business when business works online. There are generally a different set of rules on the web and, for the most part, the stakes are a lot higher in the www. world of business.
Once you understand that reality, you'll see that you need someone in your corner on the web, that going it alone is really a shaky proposition that can cause you more trouble than its worth. You need data security experts that know what they're doing. You need data protection experts that have a good reputation and the kind of customer loyalty that tell you right away that they know all about what they're doing .
There's a checklist. And here are some of the bigger points on it.
Reputation. If the place that you're looking at his a great affiliate program, chances are they've been able to impress and are doing at least some things right. Take a look at their site and ask around. The word on good reputations travels too.
Online Backup Software. This is absolutely critical. Remember that you would never even think about buying a car without checking under the hood. Well, that's the same for any online backup services that you might want to use. You need to look for several features that make the software great, and one of these is the right Remote File Access.
The software is extremely important and that's just why you need to understand what you're looking at. The better the software the better you chances of being able to get all of your information back after some kind of serious breech.
And the best in Remote File Access is an important part of that. This is the feature that allows you to get the information that you've lost back as long as you try from a computer with Internet access. Of course there are other options that you'll want to have like fast efficient backups and an easy system restore feature. Remember that the online backup software is a lot like the engine that drives your data security. Without the right kind, you can lose all of your mission critical data for good.
Once you understand that reality, you'll see that you need someone in your corner on the web, that going it alone is really a shaky proposition that can cause you more trouble than its worth. You need data security experts that know what they're doing. You need data protection experts that have a good reputation and the kind of customer loyalty that tell you right away that they know all about what they're doing .
There's a checklist. And here are some of the bigger points on it.
Reputation. If the place that you're looking at his a great affiliate program, chances are they've been able to impress and are doing at least some things right. Take a look at their site and ask around. The word on good reputations travels too.
Online Backup Software. This is absolutely critical. Remember that you would never even think about buying a car without checking under the hood. Well, that's the same for any online backup services that you might want to use. You need to look for several features that make the software great, and one of these is the right Remote File Access.
The software is extremely important and that's just why you need to understand what you're looking at. The better the software the better you chances of being able to get all of your information back after some kind of serious breech.
And the best in Remote File Access is an important part of that. This is the feature that allows you to get the information that you've lost back as long as you try from a computer with Internet access. Of course there are other options that you'll want to have like fast efficient backups and an easy system restore feature. Remember that the online backup software is a lot like the engine that drives your data security. Without the right kind, you can lose all of your mission critical data for good.
About the Author:
Remote Data Backups, CEO and Founder Daniel M. Dugal knows all about online backup software. He runs the company that specializes in online backup systems.
3.04.2009
Computer Tips - The Top Video Cards On The Market
The top video cards that can be used in today's computers can be easily found in many stores. Many of these cards will have different interfaces that are used and some will have high definition television compatibility. However, not all of the top video cards are going to be the same. The best of the top video cards on the market these days is the GeForce 8800 GTX. Made by NVIDIA, this features a GDDR3 memory technology chip and is PCI compatible. This is what is also used in Sony's PlayStation 3 gaming system. This second best video memory chip is acquirable and has a memory clock rate that well expands over one gigahertz in speed.
More of the benefits of the GeForce 8800 GTX is that it is the first video card that features DirectX 10 GPU. This is the latest edition in the Microsoft series of multimedia programming and is used exclusively with the new Windows Vista operating system. PNY's GeForce 8800 GTX Overclocked is a variation of this video card and is also one of the top video cards that are acquirable today. In addition, a PCI card, this feature has the ability to create image resolutions as high as 2560?1600 in quality. It also supports DirectX 10, OpenGL 2.0 and high definition television systems. The memory bandwidth of this card is especially high, as it has a bandwidth of 96 GB per second.
BFG's GeForce 8600 GTS OC2 is one of the top video cards in the PCI Express line. The PCI Express is a unique and easy to use interface for the video card. This specific card will handle more than thirty gigabytes of bandwidth per second and has 256 MB of video memory. OpenGL 2.0 and DirectX 10 are also used here.
Diamond Multimedia's S120 Radeon 9550 is one of the top video cards in this category, and it is great for those who are not willing to spend a great amount of money on a video card. This costs around fifty dollars in a typical retail store. This contains a VGA analog output. This Video Graphics Array output is easy to connect. It also features 256 MB of video memory and a maximum resolution of 2560x1600, and it is AGP compatible. This is a great video card for those who are looking for a card that is affordable.
Another good AGP video card is the XFX GeForce 6200. These features VGA connectors and a dual 400 MHz RAM. It contains 256 MB of video memory, which refers to the coordination of depth in three-dimensional images. The CineFX 3.0 engine is one of the most notable parts of this card. It makes it one of the top video cards because it uses unique shader architecture so that images will be displayed at a smoother rate.
Some of the top video cards are SLI ready cards. This refers to Scalable Link Interface, which helps to link multiple video cards to create one output. NVIDIA's GeForce 7300 GT is one of the top video cards in this range. It features DDR2 memory and is compliant with PCI Express cards. Its unique transmission encoder will help to wage HDTV and composite output signals.
This has 256 MB of video memory and a top resolution of 2048x1536. It is also HDTV ready. Those are some of the top video cards to look for when shopping. These video cards all have different interfaces for PCI, AGP and SLI formats. They all have different resolution qualities and video memory ranges, but some of them will even handle HDTV signals. These cards will not only be great for a computer but they will work well for individual computer users.
More of the benefits of the GeForce 8800 GTX is that it is the first video card that features DirectX 10 GPU. This is the latest edition in the Microsoft series of multimedia programming and is used exclusively with the new Windows Vista operating system. PNY's GeForce 8800 GTX Overclocked is a variation of this video card and is also one of the top video cards that are acquirable today. In addition, a PCI card, this feature has the ability to create image resolutions as high as 2560?1600 in quality. It also supports DirectX 10, OpenGL 2.0 and high definition television systems. The memory bandwidth of this card is especially high, as it has a bandwidth of 96 GB per second.
BFG's GeForce 8600 GTS OC2 is one of the top video cards in the PCI Express line. The PCI Express is a unique and easy to use interface for the video card. This specific card will handle more than thirty gigabytes of bandwidth per second and has 256 MB of video memory. OpenGL 2.0 and DirectX 10 are also used here.
Diamond Multimedia's S120 Radeon 9550 is one of the top video cards in this category, and it is great for those who are not willing to spend a great amount of money on a video card. This costs around fifty dollars in a typical retail store. This contains a VGA analog output. This Video Graphics Array output is easy to connect. It also features 256 MB of video memory and a maximum resolution of 2560x1600, and it is AGP compatible. This is a great video card for those who are looking for a card that is affordable.
Another good AGP video card is the XFX GeForce 6200. These features VGA connectors and a dual 400 MHz RAM. It contains 256 MB of video memory, which refers to the coordination of depth in three-dimensional images. The CineFX 3.0 engine is one of the most notable parts of this card. It makes it one of the top video cards because it uses unique shader architecture so that images will be displayed at a smoother rate.
Some of the top video cards are SLI ready cards. This refers to Scalable Link Interface, which helps to link multiple video cards to create one output. NVIDIA's GeForce 7300 GT is one of the top video cards in this range. It features DDR2 memory and is compliant with PCI Express cards. Its unique transmission encoder will help to wage HDTV and composite output signals.
This has 256 MB of video memory and a top resolution of 2048x1536. It is also HDTV ready. Those are some of the top video cards to look for when shopping. These video cards all have different interfaces for PCI, AGP and SLI formats. They all have different resolution qualities and video memory ranges, but some of them will even handle HDTV signals. These cards will not only be great for a computer but they will work well for individual computer users.
About the Author:
Interested in getting information on Computer and Security? More Computer and Security Tips: Computertips-xxl
3.02.2009
Broadcom Wireless Network Locator Software Review
Networking between computers is a kind of connection that is shared between two systems that enables each system to gain better access the other's resources. This kind of connection can also be attained in a home network or a working environment network or even internationally through internet.
With this networking system put in place, each system will be able to share with the other system's printing or other programs and tools. The benefits allocated to this type of connectivity are, of course, very considerable.
With all of these connections, it is also extremely important to locate the right Wireless Network Locator Software for your system. This kind of software will ensure that your system will be able to locate and establish proper connection to the new network.
An leader in Wireless Network Locator Software technology is the Broadcom Corporation. This corporation is dedicated towards engineering wireless network cards, wireless network drivers and wireless network chips that go into both computers and mobile telephones.
Through the various different products that Broadcom might have to offer to your computer system, it will be more easily possible to increase overall system performance along with good connection to the given wireless network. Also, the Wireless Network Locator Software can very much increase signal strength within the network, thus allowing further systems to be able to connect towards one network and share resources which will effectively and very positively increase the business workflow and working time available.
Although there might be a great many number of reasons that wireless technology might be important to the business world, the main one is that it can enable someone to leave a wired desktop situation and connect to the internet once they are able to gain access to what is referred to as a wireless "hot spot". In order to constantly access the many wireless hot spots which are available, it will be imperative to obtain the right Wireless Network Locator Software together with the satisfactory drivers in order to help the wireless network scanner to locate a suitable network in order to establish a proper connection.
As soon as a suitable network signal has been established, wireless internet activity will be able to take place. This will be particularly good for corporate situations that might have to send their employees out in the field or overseas for business. This kind of wireless structure will therefore make it possible for employees to be able to work from abroad.
You will also find that several businesses also take sufficient time and spend the right amount of money on finding and implementing the best wireless networking systems and programs which are available to them. It is indeed considered as a very smart business because having a reliable system put in place will imply fewer telecommunication complexities where further focus can be given towards getting work completed.
These companies will put into practice the best Wireless Network Locator Software on their employees system in order to make sure that the wireless network can be revealed. So whether you might be in the office at home or far away, securing the right system software will always be an essential towards obtaining an efficient and more positive work flow within the company.
With this networking system put in place, each system will be able to share with the other system's printing or other programs and tools. The benefits allocated to this type of connectivity are, of course, very considerable.
With all of these connections, it is also extremely important to locate the right Wireless Network Locator Software for your system. This kind of software will ensure that your system will be able to locate and establish proper connection to the new network.
An leader in Wireless Network Locator Software technology is the Broadcom Corporation. This corporation is dedicated towards engineering wireless network cards, wireless network drivers and wireless network chips that go into both computers and mobile telephones.
Through the various different products that Broadcom might have to offer to your computer system, it will be more easily possible to increase overall system performance along with good connection to the given wireless network. Also, the Wireless Network Locator Software can very much increase signal strength within the network, thus allowing further systems to be able to connect towards one network and share resources which will effectively and very positively increase the business workflow and working time available.
Although there might be a great many number of reasons that wireless technology might be important to the business world, the main one is that it can enable someone to leave a wired desktop situation and connect to the internet once they are able to gain access to what is referred to as a wireless "hot spot". In order to constantly access the many wireless hot spots which are available, it will be imperative to obtain the right Wireless Network Locator Software together with the satisfactory drivers in order to help the wireless network scanner to locate a suitable network in order to establish a proper connection.
As soon as a suitable network signal has been established, wireless internet activity will be able to take place. This will be particularly good for corporate situations that might have to send their employees out in the field or overseas for business. This kind of wireless structure will therefore make it possible for employees to be able to work from abroad.
You will also find that several businesses also take sufficient time and spend the right amount of money on finding and implementing the best wireless networking systems and programs which are available to them. It is indeed considered as a very smart business because having a reliable system put in place will imply fewer telecommunication complexities where further focus can be given towards getting work completed.
These companies will put into practice the best Wireless Network Locator Software on their employees system in order to make sure that the wireless network can be revealed. So whether you might be in the office at home or far away, securing the right system software will always be an essential towards obtaining an efficient and more positive work flow within the company.
About the Author:
Before purchasing any wireless network software, make sure to read Shaun Peterson's excellent tips, information & reviews about wireless network detection, Broadcom, Proset and other wireless network software.
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