Is there a FREE reverse cell phone or unlisted phone lookup service?

Many places online advertise “FREE cell phone lookup services”, but in actuality the only really beneficial no-cost directories to be found are of landline phone numbers. Why is this? Because for a very long time, landline numbers have been openly published. The phone companies consider cell phone numbers to be private and are reluctant to release those numbers. Also, your cell phone bill is usually based on time used. Knowing that their customers don’t want to waste usage time, the cell phone companies refuse to publicly provide cell phone numbers.

So, you won’t get much useful information from these “FREE” services if you’re looking for unlisted or cell phone number information. You can get some very general information from some of them, but not the name and address of the owner of the number.

Recently I desperately needed to put an end to some obscene phone calls from a sicko unknown caller. For about a couple of weeks, I had been receiving calls from a no ID number. When I answered the phone, the caller said nothing but started panting and making sexual grunts and sounds. I found these calls frustrating, annoying and a little scary. The frequency of the irksome calls began to escalate on a daily basis.

Finally, I did call the police who told me that there wasn’t much they could do since no actual crime had been committed. The police did tell me that I could call my phone provider and give them the exact time of the call or calls and that my phone provider would probably give me the originating phone number. This information did help somewhat, but since the calls were coming from a cell phone, I still didn’t know who was making the aggravating calls.

Armed with the cell phone number of the persistent culprit caller, I fired up the old PC and began to search the Net for the elusive “Free Cell Phone Lookup Service”.

Googling for a “Free reverse cell phone lookup service” is a maddening counterproductive activity, that is if you’re looking for real information like the identity and address of an obscene caller. Here a click, there a click, everywhere a click, click… I clicked every “FREE” Cell Phone Lookup Service that I could find only to discover a dead end with each subsequent frenzied click of the mouse. Basically, I got a large dose of the Online Runaround, something almost everyone has probably experienced at one time or the other. Every so-called FREE service that I tried eventually led me to a paid service costing from $4.95 up to $14.95.

Some free cell phone lookup websites do exist, but they offer only limited information about a number. These sites "decode" cell phone numbers to help you determine the issuing location, carrier, and other publicly available information.

In general, you'll be able to find out whether the number belongs to a cell or a land line, what mobile service provides the number, and which city and state the cell phone number comes from without ever paying... but the actual name and address of the registered user of that cell phone number won't be available (unless you get extremely lucky). I wasn’t lucky!

After a couple hours, I finally got the message, the only way I was going to put a stop to the stinking phone calls was to use a premium paid cell phone lookup service. Paid reverse Cell phone directories are created manually by large companies who collect the information from various services. The process of compiling and creating these databases is very expensive and time-consuming which is why there is a charge for the information. I guess they have to pay their bills too!

A word of caution… A large number of sites have popped up on the Internet offering cell phone lookups for a fee. Considering the limitations of these services, the fees can be very steep. Some companies actually have tried to "skip" the process of building cell phone databases. These services just give you a list of services that sell these lookups and disappear when you ask for a refund. That money will just disappear, and you'll be back to your search... so why not go "straight to a proven source" from the beginning?

There are a number of reputable Reverse Cell Phone Lookup Services online that offer a money back guarantee service. The best services give customers free search assistance and are backed by a 100% no-quibble, no-strings attached guarantee. You’re either satisfied or you’re not…and if you’re not, then you don’t pay. Period!

After checking with Phone Reverse Lookup Review and http://ConsumbersGuide.Org, I used Reverse Phone Detective with very satisfactory results. Considered the Grand Daddy in reverse cell phone search, their website has the largest phone directory in the U.S with approximately one billion records. I gave Reverse Phone Detective a whirl and bingo, bingo, bingo; they found the cell phone caller name and address. Additionally, they found his race, age, marital status, civil records, and criminal records.

This was really more information that I was looking for, but now I had the information I needed to confidently put a stop to the annoying phone calls. I called the guy up right from the phone he had been calling me, he evidently recognized my caller ID because I never heard from him again. If he had answered my call, I could have told him that I have completed an investigation and that I now know who he is, to stop calling my number, or I will take immediate legal action. Knowledge is power isn’t it?

While free cell phone lookup services may be appropriate if you're only looking for very general information (like the phone issuing location), you won't find much information that will help you if your object is to identify the psycho who is calling you repeatedly. If you're serious about determining who is calling you, then use a premium paid service.

In conclusion, there are some “Free Cell Phone Lookup Services” on the Net, however these services provide only limited general information. For the most part, their claims are misleading if you want to find the accurate cell phone owner information. There are rare instances where you might actually get the owner’s name and address, but as a usual course of events you will be directed to a paid premium site for that pertinent information.

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The decision is not clear cut about whether to keep your server room in house or to use a co-location. Some experts suggest that for an increased return on investment, that hosted systems are a better solution. However, if a company is interested in a long term IT growth strategy, it may be better to do a slow build out and internal customization of their own server. Here are 5 questions that need to be asked to help you make up your mind as to what the best solution is for your business:

1. What are your present security requirements?

There are some business types like legal and financial services that must keep their servers in house for security purposes. If your business requires you to constantly monitor your server room, then you don’t have an option and should continue on to the other questions. If your business has flexibility in its server room options, consider the pricing and available options to have an off site co-hosted server room.

2. What are your employees like and what are their needs?

What is the need for integration like in your company? If there are multiple components that need to speak with each other, it is more likely that the best choice is an in house server. If your needs are basic and there is no need for multiple integrations, co-hosting and off site servers could be a viable option for your business to consider.

3. What is your present server room configuration?

The next question to review is how many pieces your current configuration is in and how many different components there are that service other departments. If your business has multiple departments that need to co-exist together on the server, co-hosting loses much of its appeal. If this is the case, in-house management and placement of the server is much more attractive.

4. What are the costs of both strategies?

One of the most important decisions that a business needs to consider is surrounding the cost of the server room. All of the real costs that are associated with placement and management of the server needs to be carefully considered for both in house and out of house server placement and management. Some co-hosting companies add in costs that should be weighed and requested in writing before an arrangement with that company is generated. You don’t want to switch servers and then find out after the fact that there are hidden fees, making the proposition more expensive than your original plan.

5. Do you have to choose one or the other?

With the constantly evolving world of technology, it is possible that you could actually utilize pieces of both strategies if it fits your business needs. When working with an experienced provider, blended solutions can be created to fit an individual company’s needs. Difficult or more complex strategies can be accommodated in-house and more straightforward server needs can be outsourced.

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If you are looking to get your server room organized in 2008, there are a few key steps to keep in mind while you are going through the process. Your server room houses valuable information for your business and the safety and security of your equipment should be of top concern. In addition, the equipment that you choose should be efficient and safe for long term use.

1. Choose the Appropriately Sized Rack

As you are looking to organize your server room, the most logical place to start is by choosing new server racks. Select server racks with sufficient internal space to house all of your current equipment and room to accommodate future expansion. Having extra space is a must in your server room for expansion as well as unplanned additional equipment purchases. Some obvious things to check as well include determining that you have enough space to move the new servers in and that you have the proper floor space to maneuver around the equipment and that there is enough space in between the equipment to allow for safety spacing. When you are installing the equipment, be sure to install it according to the included instructions so that you do not have any future problems.

2. Include your New Server Room in your Security Strategy

Security, especially with vital information, is always important for a business to consider. As you are organizing your server room, be sure that any changes or additions fit into your overall business security plan. You may want to consider purchasing server racks that have locking doors, minimizing personnel access to the room and using monitor devices within the room for added protection. In addition, newer technology allows you to monitor the environment of the server room at all times. Temperature changes, water leaks, electrical circuit issues and other issues can change unknowingly, causing potential damage to your server room. With the addition of this technology, you will be able to act quickly to resolve any issues in order to protect your valuable equipment.

3. Customize your Server Rack Design

Once you have decided on a manufacturer for your server racks, most will allow for customization. Consider the addition or modification of the shelving, top or side panels, mounting rails and the feet to create a server room that matches all of your business needs and the space that you are utilizing as your server room.

4. Evaluate your Power Technology

Power technology is constantly updated, providing you with various options for your power strip. You have several choices to consider including rack mount power strips, remote power products, Three-phase power technology and standard power strips. Consider your space, the number of outlets that you will need, each plug’s requirements and any redundancy requirements when you are choosing the power technology for your server room.

5. Ensure your Safety with a Cooling Strategy

The heat that each unit gives off varies, making the cooling needs within your server room vary as well. Evaluate all of your requirements and the available cooling strategies to ensure the overall safety of the equipment, environment and company when making your selections.

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Many of my friends say that I am obsessed with techniques on how I can speed up my PC.

Whether I’m doing some work with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe InDesign all running at the same time, or whether I’m playing Gears of War while World of Warcraft in windowed mode is minimized, I always want my PC to perform as fast as possible. Yes, I am a speed junkie. I easily get frustrated with the slightest hint of a load time.

Hence, I am always on the lookout for ways to speed up my PC.

Here are 5 such methods that I use to speed up my PC and to ensure that it will always run at optimum performance with very minimal hiccups.

Speed Up My PC, Technique No. 1: Download The Latest Drivers

The physical components of your PC stay the same, unless you remove and replace them. But the software they run? They constantly change. The programs sold today will fall pale in comparison with the programs that will be made available next week. The websites we visit will evolve based on the internet technology that will be introduced.

And how are our systems supposed to cope up?

When I want to speed up my PC, the first thing I do is to download the latest drivers for the physical components of my rig. Graphic card, motherboard, modem… you name it, I download it! I make sure that nothing but the latest driver is installed in my system.

Speed Up My PC, Technique No. 2: Keep Your Registry Squeaky Clean

Does it take forever to boot up your system? Chances are, your registry is bogged down by useless leftover files from the programs you have installed, even if you have already uninstalled them.

Whenever I want to speed up my PC, I open my favorite registry cleaner to scan my system for some redundant, and sometimes harmful, leftover files. Then I let it do its thing, deleting the non-essential files whenever it could.

Reg cleaners really help speed up my PC, and there is no reason why they can’t help you speed up yours.

Speed Up My PC, Technique No. 3: Your System May Have Been Infected By Spyware And/Or Adware

Sometimes, slow boot up time and slow processing speed are caused by the infestation of spyware and/or adware in your system. Spyware and adware are forms of malware that surreptitiously find their way into your PC, often through the websites you visit or the email attachments you open.

If I am infected by spyware and/or adware and I want to speed up my PC, I simply open my most trusted spyware remover – Search & Destroy – a free utility that is powerful enough to wipe out all the known spyware and adware variations today.

Speed Up My PC, Technique No. 4: Scan For Viruses And Kill Them

Slow PCs may also be caused by viruses, the most popular of which are Trojans – wicked programs that keep hammering our systems their evil deeds.

There is only one way to determine the existence of a virus in your system, that is, by running a complete diagnostic scan using an anti-virus software. The best anti-virus software I can recommend is AVG, a free, open source program that is regularly updated with the latest virus descriptions which allows the program to run a really comprehensive examination of your system.

Thereafter, the anti-virus program will eliminate the threat and I’d be able to speed up my PC with no hassle at all.

Speed Up My PC, Technique No. 5: Defragment Regularly

One of the really under-appreciated features of a Windows-based PC is the Disk Defragmenter. Basically, the Disk Defragmenter will eliminate useless and redundant files in your entire system, not just your registry.

I swear to God, defragmenting your disk is THE best way to speed up my PC. Defragmenting may take a couple of hours or more, but the end result is very much worth it.

To access the Disk Defragmenter, go to START, then ALL PROGRAMS, then ACCESSORIES, then SYSTEM TOOLS, and voila! You’d be able to speed up your PC as efficiently as I can speed up my PC!

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Here’s a fact: 92% of computers run on Windows, and every 32-bit edition of Windows has a storage sector where options and settings are saved. This sector is called the registry, and it is one of the busiest databases in a computer. As such, it is one of the databases that are most susceptible to corruption and breakage. This is why the demand for an efficient registry fix is consistently high.

But there are many options on the internet when it comes to a quick registry fix.

Which is the best one? Which registry fix is worth the download? Which registry fix will provide the best results?

In this article, we will review five of the most popular registry cleaners available on the World Wide Web today. It is hoped that you, the reader, will be guided properly on how to choose the best registry fix for your needs.

Registry Fix No. 1: Stompsoft Registry Repair

Stomp is known as the most thorough and most aggressive registry fix in the market today. Where other registry fixers can only diagnose 50 to 70 registry-related errors, Stomp can pinpoint more than 700.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Some say that Stomp merely counts errors in the registry that Windows will auto-correct eventually. Some say that Stomp merely looks for errors in places where files don’t really have a bearing on the processes conducted by the system.

Regardless, Stomp’s aggressiveness wouldn’t hurt, and at the end of the day, it’s still about how well the registry is fixed, and on this, Stomp has a pretty good record.

Registry Fix No. 2: CCleaner

Being a free registry cleaner, CCleaner has built a huge and solid following, with most of its patrons claiming that they have been using this registry fix as soon as it was released almost 5 years ago, and they have never looked for any other reg cleaner since then.

For a free registry fix, CCleaner’s features are simply amazing. CCleaner does things right. It erases the useless and redundant files in the registry, and it never meddles with files that may affect the performance of Windows.

And it is constantly updated! This is something that free registry fixes can seldom afford.

Registry Fix No. 3: Registry Mechanic

Registry Mechanic is likewise a stable registry fix. With the newest update, Version 6.0, Registry Mechanic is now capable of recognizing previously unrecognizable errors, and correcting the same, resulting in a cleaner, better performance for your Windows-based PC.

Many online authorities attest to the integrity of Registry Mechanic, mainly because of the aforementioned stability and consistency of this registry fix. This has created a wave of acclaim for the program, which has been translated to many downloads for the same.

Registry Fix No. 4: Registry First Aid

Speaking of acclaims, if the number of awards is to be used as gauge, then Registry First Aid should top this list.

Registry First Aid is a registry fix that boasts of a seamless cleaning process for your Windows operating system. It promises a stable program that will provide the registry fix you need fast and easy.

Registry Fix No. 5: Registry Medic

Registry Medic’s claim to fame, on the other hand, lies in three things: its amazing user-friendly interface, its powerful scan engine, and its ability to remove and immunize your system from spyware and malware infestation.

Registry medic is indeed more than just a mere registry fix. It aims to be a spyware cure and prevention solution as well, making it one of the top downloads of people who wish to speed up and protect the integrity of their PCs.

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What is a fiber optic patch cable

Fiber optic patch cable, often called fiber optic patch cord or fiber jumper cable, is a optical cable terminated with connectors on both ends. It has two major application areas: computer work station to outlet and patch panels or optical cross connect distribution center. They are for indoor applications only.

Common types

Fiber patch cables can be divided into different types based on cable mode, cable structure, connector types, connector polishing types and cable sizes.

Cable Mode:

1. Single mode:

Single mode patch cables use 9/125 micron bulk cable and single mode connectors on both ends. Single mode fiber jacket is usually yellow.

2. Multimode:

Multimode patch cables use 62.5/125 micron or 50/125 micron bulk multimode fiber and are terminated with multimode connectors on both ends. Multimode fiber jacket is usually orange.

3. 10gig multimode:

10Gig multimode fibers are specially designed 50/125 micron fibers optimized for 850nm VCSEL laser based 10Gig Ethernet. They are backward compatible with existing network equipment and provide close to three times the bandwidth of traditional 62.5/125 multimode fibers. 10Gig fiber cable jacket is usually aqua.

Cable Structure:

1. Simplex patch cables:

Simplex patch cable has one fiber and one connector on each end.

2. Duplex patch cables:

Duplex patch cable has two fibers and two connectors on each end. Each fiber is marked "A" or "B" or different colored connector boots are used to mark polarity.

3. Ribbon fan-out cable assembly:

For ribbon fan-out cable assembly, one end is ribbon fiber and ribbon connector such as MTP connector (12 fibers), the other end are multiple fibers with connectors such as ST, SC, LC, etc.

Connector Types:

1. Same connector type:

This type has the same type of connector on both ends, such as ST, SC, LC, FC, etc.

2. Hybrid:

This type has different connectors on each end. One end can be SC and the other end can be LC, ST, FC, etc.

Connector Polishing Types

Optical connectors are designed and polished to different shapes to minimize back reflection. This is particularly important in single mode applications. Typical back reflection grades are -30dB, -40dB, -50dB and -60dB.

1. PC (Physical Contact): Typical back reflection is less than -40dB, for single mode and multimode applications.

2. UPC (Ultra Physical Contact): Typical back reflection is less than -50dB, for single mode applications.

3. APC (Angled Physical Contact): Typical back reflection is less than -60dB, for single mode applications.

Special types of patch cables

1. Mode conditioning patch cable

In some cases such as for long wave laser modules used in Gigabit Ethernet, modules need to operate for both single mode and multimode fibers, the mode conditioning fiber optic patch cables will fit for such situations.

By allowing the single mode laser launch to be offset away from the center of the multi mode fiber the mode conditioning fiber optic patch cable reduces the effect of such differential mode delay.These cables are usually duplex type.

2. Polarization maintaining patch cable

Polarization maintaining fiber optic cables are made with a special fiber that maintains the polarization of light waves. They are used where high stability is required, not withstanding fiber and stress movements.

These cables are mainly used in instrumentation, measurement and in some applications where stability is required at speeds above 10Gbps.

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Nokia mobile phones are known for the stunning looks and their technological advancement. Nokia 8800 Arte is also one of the most sought after mobile phone from Nokia, which is jam packed with latest technologies with a long lasting smart ergonomics. Nokia 8800 Arte is 109 x 45.6 x 14.6 mm in dimensions and weighs only 150gm. Though the phone is massive in weight but wins the attraction of the viewers.

The Nokia 8800 Arte comes with an OLED screen with 16 million colours at high image resolution. The users can view the pictures and video clips on the phone with ease and will enjoy viewing. Nokia 8800 Arte comes with a 3.15 MP camera, autofocus functions and video recording capabilities. It enables you to capture images, so that you can enjoy your special moments anytime. It comes with a 1GB memory, which enables the users to store all their essential documents, music files, photos, video clips and even games. The embedded games allow you to pass your free time by playing them.

Nokia 8800 allows you to send SMS, MMS and Email to your friends. You can even share the captured photos with your friends with the help of Multimedia messages. This handset is 3G enabled, which allows the users to watch the person while talking. It comes with wireless Bluetooth, which enables you to transfer the files to any compatible device.

Nokia 8800 Arte also provides you the facility of FM radio, MP3/ AAC/ eAAC player. Now you can listen to your favourite music while walking in bus or train or even in flight. This phone has connectivity with Bluetooth, USB, GPRS and HSCSD for high speed. It also possesses a standard battery that stands by up to 300 hours.

The Nokia 8800 Arte works well on the tri-band networks that cover GSM 900, 1800 and 1900. This 3G enabled handset comes with advanced EDGE technology that provides high-speed data transfers. Moreover, with the GPRS connection, the users are able to access the information from the internet using the XHTML browser. The phone is good with high end features!

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Mobile Phone have undertaken outstanding strides over the years. These tiny gadgets are no longer regarded as communication devices as nowadays they come loaded with a variety of high end options. One can use his or her handset as a Music Player, camera and also for browsing the internet. You can also enjoy viewing movie clips with mesmerising sound and picture quality. These widgets are now referred as the most essential utility tool. As the latest handsets are now adorned with several high tech features, they can efficiently tune with our modern and hectic lifestyle.

The mobile phones have steadily won the hearts of people from every category. For some, these widgets are used as a fashion accessory, while for other, they are meant to be the entertainment widgets. For some, they serve as a good companion for traveling. They have undergone a process of complete makeover with their different facets and varied Application . Adopting new and advanced technology and adjusting into the busy lifestyle of people, these handsets have now become very trendy and slim. Earlier they were 2G compatible but now they can support 3G technology also at ease. The designer widgets with latest technology and sleek dimensions can comfortably slip into the user's pocket. They make a distinct style statement for every kind of people. One can opt for camera phones or 'music phones, basic handsets or high tech widgets according to his or her requirements. The availability of varied kinds of handsets in the markets have facilitated the requirements of every class of people.

As the Technology is offering various high end widgets to enhance the working style of the users, the expectation of the people also never seems to end. To meet the growing expectations of the people, the competition among the top notch mobile phone manufacturers has also become very fierce. As such, we are offered various high end handsets by the top class manufacturers such as Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and LG etc. Almost every day a new model is launched in the market to target the specific customers. Feature rich handsets like Cyber Shot and Walkman series from the domain of Sony Ericsson, designer handsets from Samsung and N series from the lineage of Nokia etc have been produced to facilitate the varied official and personal tasks of the customers.

The Mobile Phone can be referred as a 'boon' as they efficiently facilitate the varied requirements of the users. They can amazingly help us to stay connected with our beloved ones all throughout the day. The online mobile phone stores are now regarded as the best place to purchase the preferred handset. Internet shopping is gradually redefining the entire facet of shopping procedure. One can avail his or her dream handset at very cheap rates along with various lucrative free gifts and attractive deals too. These websites are regularly updated to offer you the latest deals and offers at economical prices. However, one should be aware of his or her varied requirements and priorities before purchasing any models. You should carefully research the prices and compare the specifications to get the best deals and offers at an affordable price.

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Some years ago, the usage of a mobile phones was confined to communications alone but the trend has now been refined. The modern day mobile phones do enough than just facilitating communications, they are used by mobile users for entertainment and multimedia applications also, apart from communication purposes.

Each mobile manufacturer tries his level best to satisfy the ever-growing needs of the existing and prospective customers. However, there are some manufacturers that remain ahead of their peers purely on the basis of their products & services' overall performance, quality and functionalities. Sony Ericsson is one such name that has revolutionised the mobile world ever since its inception. It has been able to win the acclaims of its customers as well as market critics on the merits of its ability to offer exemplary services and products.

The Sony Ericsson W960i is a GSM-enabled mobile phone that has been receiving huge acclaims on the merits of its unparalleled and seamless performance, advanced features, flexibility and affordability. It has dimensions of 109 x 55 x 16 mm and is lightweight at 119 grams. This sophisticated Sony Ericsson mobile phone has a remarkable 2.6 inches TFT touchscreen with 256K colours and has a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels.

The affordable and highly impressive phone has smart, user-friendly and advanced mobile features such as handwriting recognition, Class 10 GPRS, 3G - 384 Kbps, WLAN - Wi-Fi 802.11b, Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP and USB v2.0 to its credit. The Symbian OS v9.1 - UIQ 3.0 operating system of this smart phone facilitates the delivery of advanced and reliable mobile solutions with complete ease. The Sony Ericsson W960i has a 3.15 mega pixels camera with an amazing resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels and comes with autofocus, flash and a secondary VGA videocall camera. In addition to that, the phone has features such as Java MIDP 2.0, TrackID music recognition, Walkman Touch player, FM radio with RDS, Organiser, Built-in handsfree, Picture/document editor and Voice memo to its credit. The standard Li-Po 900 mAh battery of this mobile phone offers an exemplary standby time of 370 hours so that its users can remain worry-free when it comes to staying connected with family members, friends, colleagues and relatives.

The Sony Ericsson W810i, on the other hand, can be best described as a mobile phone with a "huge difference". This GSM-enabled phone has dimensions of 100 x 46 x 19.5 mm and weighs 99 grams. It has a 30 x 38 mm TFT display with 256K colours and has a resolution of 176 x 220 pixels. The stylish and affordable phone comes with an embedded and shared memory of 512 MB and 20 MB respectively and comes with a Memory Stick Duo Pro card slot for memory expansion of up to 4 GB.

It has highly advanced mobile features such as Class 10 GPRS, Class 10 EDGE - 236.8 kbps, HSCSD, Bluetooth v2.0, USB v2.0, SMS, MMS, Email and Instant Messaging. The phone has a 2.0 mega pixel camera with a high resolution of 1632 x 1224 pixels and comes with autofocus, video and flash. The music/video player of this smart phone supports the playback of MP3, AAC and MPEG4 format files. The Sony Ericsson W810i is also powered with FM radio with RDS, Picture editor, Image viewer, Organiser, SyncML, Voice Memo and built-in handsfree. The Li-Po 900 mAh battery of this phone offers an approximate standby time of 350 hours.

The choice for the obvious winner in the Sony Ericsson W960i vs Sony Ericsson W810i supremacy battle solely lies with each prospective mobile user and can vary as per her or his needs and preferences.

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In the modern day world, there is intense competition in the mobile market and there is no denying the fact that a mobile manufacturer can survive in these conditions only if he is ready to come up with innovative technologies.

It is highly imperative from the point of view of a prospective mobile user that a clear and precise insight must be attained before unleashing into the world of Camera mobile phones. This is equally necessary for a mobile user who wants to have a built-in camera to meet his growing needs.

The greatest advantage of a mobile phone with camera is that special and timeless moments of life can be easily captured with it. The captured images can then be easily shared with the family members, friends, relatives and colleagues and can be stored for a lifetime. The images can also be uploaded to online photo albums for sharing and to enhance the appearance of social websites' albums.

The more the number of pixels, the better the image quality is. This means that a 5.0 mega pixel camera is better compared to a 1.0 mega pixel camera. For a normal mobile user, a 5.0 mega pixel camera is good enough to capture real-life alike images without compromising on the overall quality. In addition to the number of mega pixels, smart features such as autofocus, zoom, flash and a secondary video call camera enhance the overall value of a camera phone.

If you are looking for some of the biggest names in the world of camera phones with an image resolution of 5.0 mega pixels, then brand names such as Nokia, LG phones and Sony Ericsson are good option for you. The LG Secret KF750, Nokia N82, Nokia N95, LG KU990, Sony Ericsson K850i and LG KG920 are some of the highly acclaimed names in the world of 5 mega pixel mobile phone cameras.

A prospective mobile buyer must consider important factors such as product quality, price, substitute products, brand name and awareness, after-sales service and prevailing market trends in order to attain a "fair and reasonable deal". In addition to that, a combined study of the traditional as well as the online markets can go a long way in attaining a good deal. If the buyer can perform these small yet highly meaningful tasks then there is no doubt that he can fetch a great deal while looking for these 5 mega pixel mobile phone cameras.

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Yet another mobile phone has been announced, we really are spoilt for choice these days when choosing our mobile phone! This time its Nokia’s turn to show off their brand new handset the 7310 Supernova.

Nokia have announced the soon to be released 7310 Supernova fashion phone, which is thought to be part of a trio of handsets including the 7510 and the 7610. This could be Nokia’s successor to the L’Amour collection of handsets.

The 7310 Supernova is a lightweight handset weighing in at 83 grams. It measures 106.5 x 45.4 x 11.95mm. The Supernova runs on the well-known Series 40 interface.

The handset comes in a pink or blue colour scheme. Each colour scheme has a different etched pattern on the back fascia of the handset.

It boasts a 2” 240 x 320 pixel display in 16.7 million colours, MP3 player, video capture, stereo Bluetooth, micro SD card expandable memory up to 4GB, 2.5mm TV/audio output connector, web browser, email client, USB 2.0 connectivity and FM radio. The battery gives a talk time of up to 4 hours and 12 days standby time.

It is unknown as to when the 7310 Supernova will be available; there are rumours that it is already available in Asian markets. It is expected to retail at around £120 which is approximately the same price as the Nokia 630

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What are Fiber Optic Inspection Microscopes?

Fiber optic inspection microscopes are used to inspect the end face of a optical connector or cleaved fiber.

Two types of fiber optic microscopes are popular on the market: fiber optic connector termination inspection and fiber patch panel ferrule inspection.

Magnification levels of fiber scope are available at 200X or 400X for single mode fiber applications, 100X low cost type for multimode applications. The latter is often included in many fiber optic termination tool kits.

What types of flaws or contamination can the microscope see?

With at least 200X magnification you can clearly see scratches, dig, dirt deposit, debris and other contamination on a fiber optic connector.

Desktop video fiber microscope

The typical desktop fiber optic video inspection microscope has a 9" black and white monitor attached to the scope with a 4 feet video cable. So you can place the monitor where it is convenient. Because of its bulk volume, this type of fiber microscope is typically used in production environments and labs. Both 200X and 400X versions are available.

Portable optical fiber scope

This type of microscope with universal adapter is a versatile instrument to inspect fiber optic connectors. They can be used for both multimode and single mode applications. Connectors slide into scope adapter, providing ease of use with or without tripod. 8 degree angle adapter can be used for inspecting angled connectors such as FC/APC, SC/APC, etc. Both 200X and 400X versions are available.

Coaxial Illuminated handheld fiber inspection scope

These low cost microscopes are available in 200x or 400x magnification, and utilize white LED light to provide coaxial illumination to connector end-faces. This method of illumination produces high resolution detail of end face scratches, defects and contamination. It is provided with a universal 2.5mm adapter, with other common connector styles available. These are the natural choice for fiber installation contractors.

Ferrule inspection microscopes

All aforementioned four types of microscopes are for standalone fiber connector inspection. But what about the connectors already installed on patch panels and hardware devices? The ferrule inspection microscopes are the solution.

These video fiber optic microscopes include a handheld LCD display unit and a small, lightweight probe that contains a long-life LED light source and CCD video camera. The probe adapter tip mates with the connector and projects a crisp, clear image of microscopic debris and end-face damage on the LCD display.

Zoom levels of different optical fiber optic microscopes

* 100X
* 150X
* 200X
* 400X

Warnings

* Do not look into a fiber while the system laser is on

* Do not connect a fiberscope while the system laser is on

* Do not touch the end face of the fiber connector

* Lasers used in telecommunication systems are powerful enough to burn contaminants into the fiber end face. Always ensure the laser is turned off while performing the cleaning procedure.

Other special features of popular handheld fiber micrscopes

1. 100X magnification for viewing multimode connectors
2. Includes 2.5 mm connector "Universal Adapter" for FC, ST and SC style connectors
3. Oblique illumination provides good view of ferrule cleanliness and core condition
4. White LED illumination delivers long working life

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What is a fiber optic continuity tester?

Fiber continuity tester is also called fiber optic continuity checker. It is the simplest visual test of a fiber optic cable link.

To function properly, a fiber optic cable link must be "continuous", meaning no breakage, either within the fiber cable or in the fiber connectors, should exist. The simplest and least expensive way to check is to inject some visual light into one fiber end and check the light coming out from the other end.

To perform this task, two types of fiber testers are available: a fiber optic continuity tester or a laser visual fault locator.

Differences between a fiber continuity tester and a laser visual fault locator

The most important difference is their light source. A fiber continuity tester typically uses a red or green color high intensity LED while a laser visual fault locator uses red color semiconductor laser.

Visible lasers produce a more powerful light and can provide more information to the technician than a LED light. By coupling the fiber link to a visible laser, problems with connectors, breaks in the fiber near connectors or splices, and some bend radius violations can be located.

On the other hand, LED powered fiber continuity tester can only verify that light can travel through the fiber link and no more information is obtained. Fiber continuity tester simply yields a "no go" result. If the light isn't visible at the other end of the fiber link, then the fiber is unusable in its present state and requires further testing and repair.

Applications of a fiber continuity tester

Its best application is testing fiber on a reel before you pull it to make sure it hasn't been damaged during shipment. Look for visible signs of damage (like cracked or broken reels, kinks in the cable, etc.)

The other good application is to check fiber patch cables at patch panels. When connecting fiber cables at patch panels, use the fiber optic continuity tester to make sure each connection is the right two fibers!

And to make certain the proper fibers are connected to the transmitter and receiver, use the continuity tester in place of the transmitter and your eye instead of the receiver.

Understanding the features of a fiber continuity tester

1.Fiber mode compatibility

Some fiber continuity testers only support multimode fibers while the others support both single mode fibers and multimode fibers. So it's best to check the spec sheet from manufacturers to choose the type you need.

2.Fiber connectors supported

Most fiber continuity testers have adapters available for testing 2.5mm ferrule connectors such as ST, SC and FC, 1.25mm ferrule connectors such as LC, MU and special types such as SMA connectors.

3.Fiber distance

Most fiber continuity testers have enough light power to support 2km on multimode fibers.

The fiber optic continuity tester makes it easy to trace fiber optic cable runs.

Compared to laser and incandescent light source testers, this low-cost unit is safer to use and easier for the eye to locate.

This unit has bright red light source which is focused into the fiber optic cable. A multi-use coupler enables connection to ST, SC, FC, RSD and FSD without additional adapters or cables.

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IT department automation in an enterprise.

Recommended: for the heads of enterprises, IT departments, system administrators

This article will tell you:

How to quickly install Windows on all computers of an enterprise.

How to quickly upgrade software on all enterprise computers without losing any data.

How to automate all kinds of routine processes in an enterprise.

How to increase the productivity of system administrators in an enterprise.

Any company faces the problem of timely software update on all computers as well as the problem of the quick recovery and configuration of an employee's working environment. To solve this problem we offer our product: Almeza MultiSet.

A company before using MultiSet:

The software is installed/configured manually with the employee working with this computer being idle at this time.

Databases are updated, computers are configured, software is set up - all that is also done manually and requires the administrator to be present at every computer.

Every remote office requires system administrators to be employed

The IT staff has to be arranged to be on duty 24 hours a day.

Expenses on business trips made by technical specialists are necessary.

You get the following benefits after you deploy MultiSet in your company:

You will need only 1 administrator at any point on the network to update any amount of software on any number of computers. Note that the time needed to update software on all computers will be approximately equal to the time needed for one computer!

It is possible to quickly change the configuration on multiple or separate computers throughout the entire network. Note that the administrator has to be physically present at one computer only.

It is possible to quickly and safely reinstall WindowsXP without losing any current data!

It is possible to create a master disk for the standard automatic installation of a set of software on any number of computers.

It is possible to automatically install Windows together with drivers, service packs, any types of tools and applications.

It is possible to quickly update databases, configuration files on client computers.

Using MultiSet dramatically increases the effectiveness of using the office hours of the IT administration department.

Why particularly MultiSet?

Reliability. MultiSet reliably runs on any type of Windows operating system.

Quickness. Due to its innovational algorithm, MultiSet performs its functions fast, exactly and, which is most important, reliably.

Trustworthiness.. Among our clients there are banks, government organizations, customer support services, large corporations, which proves the actual usefulness of MultiSet in practice.

Flexible pricing policy. We offer a very flexible pricing policy that allows you to cover a large number of computers at minimum cost.

Low system requirements. MultiSet has minimum system requirement for its work. MultiSet supports the following operating systems: Windows Vista/XP/2003/2000 (32-bit) and Windows Vista/XP/2003 (64-bit).

SOLUTIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESS

Small organizations often do not have enough funds to employ an administrator and it often happens that regular employees have to update and configure software.

MultiSet will allow you to reduce expenses on calling administrators for every client computer, save a lot of time for everyone and therefore provide more time for employees to spend on their direct duties.

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Home networks are becoming more common. People want to be able to share a single broadband Internet connection to several computers in the house. There are many different devices that you can use to make up your home network. If you have never heard network terminology device names like router, hub, etc may seem confusing.

The purpose of most of these devices is to control how the network passes around information. This information is sent in the form of "packets". I will refer to the term packet several times in this article. It simply means the data that the network is transporting. I will now explain the purpose of the major components of a home network.

What is a Hub

A hub is a device that has several Ethernet ports on the back of the device. One of these ports will likely be labeled “Uplink”. This port allows you to connect multiple hubs together, if you run out of ports on your hub. If you do not have an uplink port on your hub, the hub cannot be easily extended if you run out of ports.

A hub is a device that attaches multiple computers on an Ethernet network. If you have a number different computers that you want to connect together, you could connect each to the hub. Any packet that is sent out by any computer on the network will immediately be transmitted to the other computers. Each computer will determine if the packet was really intended for it, and filter out packets that were intended for other computers.

You really should not use a hub in a modern home network. You should always use a switch in place of a hub. Switches will be discussed in the next section.

What is a Switch

A switch is a device that has several Ethernet ports on the back of the device. One of these ports will likely be labeled “Uplink”. This port allows you to connect multiple switches together, if you run out of ports on your switch. If you do not have an uplink port on your switch, the switch cannot be easily extended if you run out of ports.

A switch serves the same function as a hub. It allows you to connect multiple computers together, so that they can exchange packets. However, a switch is much more efficient than a hub. A switch will only send Ethernet packets to the computer that the packet was intended for. Because of this you should always use a switch in place of a hub.

What is a Router

A router is a device that has several Ethernet ports on the back of the device. One of the connectors will be labeled WAN. You should connect the WAN port to the Ethernet connection on a broadband source, such as a cable or DSL modem. The other ports on the router can be connected other computers or switches/hubs that will share the WAN connection.

Routers allow you to share your broadband connection with multiple computers in your house. Rather than connecting your computer directly into your cable or DSL modem you connect the router to the cable or DSL modem. Now any computer that you connect to the router will have access to the Internet.

If you run out of ports on your router you can always connect an additional switch to the router. To connect a switch to a router simply connects the switch’s "uplink" port to one of the routers Ethernet ports. Of course, don’t connect to the router’s WAN port. The WAN port should only be connected to something such as a cable or DSL router.

Some routers come with additional features installed. Most routers also include a firewall. Firewalls are discussed in the next section. Some routers will also include a wireless access point (WAP). The WAP allows you to use wireless devices, such as wireless laptops, with the Internet.

What is a Firewall

A firewall controls traffic flow between your network and the Internet. A firewall can be either hardware or software. Windows XP SP2 or higher includes a software firewall. A hardware firewall is included with most routers.

A firewall is a very good idea. It can protect you from inbound virus attempts. By inbound virus attempt I mean other computers that will connect to your computer and attempt to infect your computer. You do not want to run a computer directly connected to the Internet, without a firewall. There are just too many other computers out there that can connect and infect you without you even noticing.

What is a Network Attached Storage (NAS)

A network attached storage device is a device that allows a hard drive to be shared across the network. This hard drive is NOT attached to any of your computers. It is simply made available by the NAS. This can be a convent way to add a hard drive that can be accessed by several computers on your network. The other common way to add a network hard drive is to simply share a folder on one of your computers. However, with the NAS, you do not need to keep one of your computers on at all times.

There are two types of NAS commonly available. The first type comes with a build in hard drive. The second accepts a USB or Fire wire external hard drive. The advantage to using a USB or Fire wire hard drive is that you can upgrade the hard drive if it ever were to become too small.

What is a Print Server

Just like you can buy a device to allow you to share a hard drive, you can do the same with a printer. A print server connects directly to your printer. Your printer is then shared to all of your computers on the network. This is convent because you do not need to leave the printer hooked to a computer, which must be turned on to print.

Conclusions

As you can see there are many different components. Perhaps the final component that I ave yet to mention is the cable. These components are connected together with CAT5 Ethernet cable.

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As an Oracle DBA, you probably have heard a lot about the new security features in Oracle 11G such as database vault, audit vault, strong verifier, enhanced ASO, etc. But with a busy schedule, how do you find the time to study all the topics in depth? Are all of them going to affect your daily DBA operations? What should you know first and foremost? Of course, depending on the particular database you are administering, you will have your unique need. But as a rule of thumb, what tends to affect you the most is almost never those cool new features. The reason is simple: if you don't use them, they won't affect you. What tends to affect you is the change in the existing features that might lead to compatibility or interoperability issues. When that script you have used for years suddenly stops working, you will be disappointed. When your boss or above calls to ask what happened, you could feel terrible.

In this article, we discuss the new password case sensitivity feature in 11G. Every Oracle session starts with authentication. If the authentication fails at the beginning of your script, everything that follows will almost certainly be broken. So what was changed, why, and what should you know?

A Primer on Verifier

I'll start with a primer on password verifier. As you probably know, for security reasons, Oracle user's passwords are never stored as clear text. Instead, they are stored as a "verifier", a one-way hash value calculated from the clear text password. Hash verifier has a few unique features. One, it is "one-way": It is easy to calculate the hash value from a clear text password, but it is nearly impossible to figure out the clear text password from a hash value. Two, different clear texts almost never yield the same hash value (called collision). These features allow Oracle database to store the hash value of a user's password as a surrogate for the clear text password. When a user provides a password to logon, Oracle calculates the hash value from that password, and allows the user to logon if it matches the hash value that is stored in the database. To get a feel what an Oracle verifier looks like, take a look at the PASSWORD column in the user$ table in SYS schema (of course, you will need SYSDBA privilege to do that).

SELECT NAME,PASSWORD FROM SYS.USER$ ORDER BY NAME;

What Was Changed

Prior to 11G, Oracle passwords were case insensitive. "foobar", "FOOBAR", and "FoOBaR" are identical when used as an Oracle password. They yield the same hash value. If a user could log in with password "foobar", he could log in with "FOOBAR" as well. In 11G, however, when you create or modify user accounts, by default passwords are case sensitive. 11G also introduces a "salt" in the hash value generation so that even two users have identical passwords, their verifiers would still be different.

Oracle allows to you to control password case sensitivity for backward compatibility by setting the SEC_CASE_SENSITIVE_LOGON initialization parameter. Only users who have the ALTER SYSTEM privilege can set the SEC_CASE_SENSITIVE_LOGON parameter. Set it to TRUE to enable case sensitivity or FALSE to disable case sensitivity.

ALTER SYSTEM SET SEC_CASE_SENSITIVE_LOGON = TRUE | FALSE;

How Case Sensitivity Affects Password Files

As you may remember, Oracle stores the passwords (again in the form of verifiers) of users with SYSDBA and SYSOPER privileges in a "password file" on the server, rather than in the database. You can enable or disable case sensitivity for password files by using the ignorecase argument in the ORAPWD command line utility. The default value for ignorecase is n (no), which enforces case sensitivity.

Here is an example of how to enable password case sensitivity for SYSDBA and SYSOPER users

orapwd file=orapw entries=100 ignorecase=n
Enter password for SYS: password

This creates a password file called orapwd. Since ignorecase is set to n (no), the password entered for the password parameter will be case sensitive. Afterwards, if you connect using this password, it succeeds(as long as you enter the password using the exact same characters with the exact same case as created). If you enter the same password with different case, it will fail
If you, the DBA, sets the system to ignorecase to y, then the passwords in the password file are case insensitive, and this means that you can enter the password using any capitalization that you want.

It is important to note that given the way it is controlled, within one Oracle system, the password's case sensitivity of a regular user and a SYSDBA/SYSOPER user can be independent.

How Password Case Sensitivity Affects Import and Upgrade

What happens when you export some users from a previous database where the password is case insensitive into 11G? The case-insensitive passwords in these accounts remain case insensitive, even if the 11G system has turned on password case sensitivity. This makes sense because otherwise old users may not be able to log on from a previously working script or client program. This, however, will change when the user changes his or her password.

You can find users who have case sensitive or case insensitive passwords by querying the DBA_USERS view. The PASSWORD_VERSIONS column in this view indicates the release in which the password was created. For example:

SELECT USERNAME, PASSWORD_VERSIONS FROM DBA_USERS;

USERNAME PASSWORD_VERSIONS
------------------------------ -----------------
JONES 10G 11G
ADAMS 10G 11G
CLARK 10G 11G
PRESTON 11G
BLAKE 10G

The passwords for accounts jones, adams, and clark were originally created in Release 10g and then reset in Release 11g. Their passwords, assuming case sensitivity has been enabled, are now case sensitive, as is the password for preston. However, the account for blake is still using the Release 10g standard, so it is case insensitive. Once he changes his password, it will become case sensitive and more secure.

Conclusion

Users' passwords in Oracle 11G database become case sensitive by default. Regular user and SYSDBA/SYSOPER user's password case sensitivity can be controlled independently. If you have a script with inconsistent password cases, the script may stop working with 11G even though it works fine with previous releases. To learn more about this topic, read "Security Guide" (Oracle Part Number B28531-03).

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When your CD or DVD (disc) drive starts giving you problems, your first thought may be to replace it or take it to the repair shop, but a good cleaning may be all it needs.

Below are three methods to clean the disc drive. The easiest method is the least effective. The hardest method is the most effective. Since the hardest method takes some time to do, I recommend that you start with the easiest method. If it solves your problems, congratulations. If not, try the next method.

The Cleaner Disc method - this, the easiest method, uses a special cleaner disc which can be purchased in computer stores. The disc usually comes with a little bottle of cleaner solution. Apply a few drops of the solution to the disc and insert it in the disc drawer (be sure to read and follow the instructions that come with the cleaner disc). The drive will turn the disc and clean the lens. Unfortunately, this only works adequately about half the time.

The Cleaning Stick method - this is what I do in desperation when the cleaner disc does not work and I don't want to disassemble the drive. Since all that is needed (at least in my mind this is true) is a little more pressure applied to the lens, I start out in search of a thin, flexible stick of some type which is at least six inches long. It should not have sharp or rough edges that would scratch the lens. Next, get a soft, thin cloth and put water or rubbing alcohol in the middle of it. Place one end of the stick under the wet part of the cloth and slide it into the opened disc drawer. The goal is to rub the wet cloth on the lens to clean it. Do not apply so much pressure that you will scratch and ruin the lens. Also try blowing into the disc drive to remove any dirt that may have accommulated in it. If you do not succeed at this, proceed to the next method.

The Disassembly method - this method should work but it requires you to disassemble the drive. So if you are not comfortable with taking the drive apart, please take it to a computer repair shop and let them do it.

Take the cover off your computer, unplug the cords from the back of the disc drive, remove any screws holding it in, and slide it out (you may need to remove the face plate on the end of the drawer to get the drive out). Remove the screws in the drive housing and take the cover off. The bottom side of the drive is a circuit board, so if that is what you see when you take the cover off, figure out how to access the other side. On the correct side, you should see a lens that runs on a track (there is no harm in moving the lens along the track but do not touch the lens itself). Use a wet, soft cloth to clean the lens.

Sometimes a disc drive malfunctions because there is too much dust or debris in it, so be sure to clean out the inside with either compressed air, a soft cloth, or a cotton swab. Reassemble the disc drive, put it back in the computer case, and cross your fingers. Hopefully, it will work when you turn on the computer.

If these methods work, you just saved yourself some money. If not, you needed a better disc drive anyway.

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When designing a website, it is important that webmasters ask some general questions before they begin the design process...

What Is The Purpose Of Your Website?

Many companies use websites to establish their brand. Others use websites as a communication tool. Some companies see websites as sales vehicles and "billboards". Still others use their website as an educational tool. And some may be any combination of the above. The website must have a purpose in order for it to be effective.

What Is It That You Are Trying To Accomplish With The Website?

A strong understanding of the website will allow a webmaster to emphasize the action they want the website visitor to take on the website. By defining and understanding the purpose of the website, webmasters and publishers can better structure the information on the website. Information can be provided with the appropriate emphasis and navigation. An ideal website will lead the web visitor to take the action the webmaster wants.

Who Is Your Audience?

You must identify and understand your target audience. Understanding your demographic will allow you to cater content specific to that group.

What Are The Objectives Of The Website?

You also need to determine what the objective of your website is. What are you attempting to accomplish? Are you trying to sell something? Are you looking for downloads, or is sales your real objective? Is your website trying to promote a specific product or service? Do you want your visitors to take a specific action? Is the intent to profit from ad space in general or to have website visitor's click on specific ads? Are you trying to build a brand? Do you want visitors to purchase a product, or provide an email address?

When attempting to solicit a specific action, there are some general guidelines that you should follow. Your website should be designed to solicit the action you desire, so the navigation should intuitively lead the visitor to take the desired action. If clicking a link is the goal, then that link should be clearly indicated and prominent on the page. This will not only help insure that the maximum number of visitors will be able to adequately view and navigate your content, but it will also help prompt those visitors to take the action you wish to have occur.

For example: Many software companies struggle with the action they wish to solicit from the website visitor. Software companies and eBook publishers are often guilty of pushing users to download, at the expense of the actual sale. Some companies prefer to have users download prior to making a purchase decision, while others lose impulse purchasers by only pushing the download rather than the sale.

In Order To Maximize The Websites Sales Purpose And Objectives, Follow These Simple Steps...

Address Compatibility Issues

If a website visitor is unable to view the website's content, they are obviously going to be unable to complete the desired action. The compatibility issues could be related to technology or usability. Avoid using technologies that require the website visitor to download a plug-in before they can view the website content. If providing content using flash is important to you, you should also provide a flash-free version as well. Also, do not alienate website visitors who might have a disability -- use proper web construct, provide alt tags for images, and avoid using a color scheme that will cause confusion.

Define A Clear Navigation Path

A website's navigation should provide the visitor with a clear path. Information architecture is the organization and categorization of online content -- the process of creating clarity and organizing online information in a purposeful, and logical way. Prioritize and emphasize the most important items on the website. Give visitors a clear path to what they are seeking. Each and every page should intuitively provide them links to additional information and purchase options.

Minimize Distractions

Minimize choices and other website distractions. Website visitors should be provided a clear path of action. Do not provide the website visitor an abundance of choices -- studies show that a large number of choices often puts the consumer off. It is generally recommended that you provide no more than 3 choices. Keep your message concise and on-topic. Website visitors will often just scan a webpage rather than reading it, so bulleted lists and headlines might be used to emphasize your message.

It may sound like a cliche, but it's the little things that can make the biggest difference. Pay attention to all aspects of your website. Defining the specific website objectives and purpose will help to encourage the desired action or behavior from your website visitors.

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What Is It?

Coverity Prevent SQS™ is the market-leading automated approach to identify and resolve the most critical defects in C, C++, and Java source code. By providing a complete understanding of your build environment, source code, and development process, Prevent SQS sets the standard in enabling high-quality software across organizations worldwide.

Prevent SQS for C/C++ automatically analyzes large, complex C and C++ code bases and detects critical, must-fix defects that could lead to system crashes, memory corruption, security vulnerabilities, unpredictable behavior, and performance degradation.

Prevent SQS features:

• 100% path coverage: Prevent SQS for C/C++ analyzes 100% of the paths through your source code, ensuring that all possible execution branches are followed, while avoiding impossible paths to maintain fast execution.

• Low false positive rate: Prevent SQS for C/C++ maintains a very low false positive rate , ensuring that developers’ time spent inspecting defects will result in noticeable quality improvements.

• Highly scalable: Prevent SQS for C/C++ analyzes millions of lines of code in a matter of hours, easily integrating into your regular build process with little or no additional hardware and no disruption to your development process.

What Makes It Great?

Unlike other C/C++ analysis tools that focus on programming style and syntax-based checks, Prevent SQS for C/C++ performs deep, interprocedural analysis to uncover the critical, must-fix defects that matter most to developers. Prevent SQS for C/C++ leverages multiple analysis engines to uncover hard-to-find defects including:

• Path Flow Engine understands the control flow through each function in your code base, allowing Prevent SQS to analyze 100% of the paths through your code.

• Statistical Engine tracks behavioral patterns throughout your entire code base, allowing Prevent SQS to infer correct behavior based on previously observed behavior.

• Interprocedural Summary Engine enables Prevent SQS to perform a whole program analysis of complex call chains at any depth across files and modules in a form that is most similar to the eventual executing Binary. This result in the highest-fidelity results available.

• False Path Engine solves each branch condition to determine if it will be true, false, or unknown on the current path. This allows Prevent SQS to efficiently remove obvious false positives from the set of defects reported.

A sample of the critical defects reported by Prevent SQS for C/C++ include:

Concurrency Issues

• Double locks, missing locks.

• Locks acquired in incorrect order.

• Locks held by blocking functions.

Memory Corruption and
Mismanagement

• Resource leaks.

• Calls to freeing functions using invalid arguments.

• Excessive stack use in memory constrained systems.

Crash-causing pointer errors

• Dereference of null pointers.

• Failure to check for null return values.

• Misuse of data contained within wrapper data types.

C++ Specific Errors

• Misuse of STL iterators.

• Failure to de-allocate memory by destructors.

• Incorrect override of virtual functions.

• Uncaught exceptions.

Window/COM Specific Errors

• Incorrect memory allocation with COM interfaces.

• Incorrect type conversions.

Security Vulnerabilities

• Buffer overruns.

• SQL injection.

• Cross-site scripting.

• Integer overflows.

About Coverity

Coverity (http://www.coverity.com) is the market leader in improving software quality and security. Coverity’s groundbreaking technology automates the approach to identifying and resolving critical defects and security vulnerabilities in C/C++ and Java source code. More than 300 leading companies have chosen Coverity Prevent SQS because it scales to tens of millions of lines of code, has the lowest false positive rate in the industry and provides total path coverage. Companies like Ericsson, HP, Samsung, EMC, and Symantec work with Coverity to eliminate security and quality defects from their mission-critical systems.
Coverity also has customers like Symbian, RIM (Blackberry), Juniper networks, Cisco, Texas instruments and is also used by the Department of Homeland security to scan lots of open source projects.

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This article is also available as a "The Sniffer Guy" podcast on iTunes.

ATTENTION AMERICAN IT MANAGERS: Within the next decade most of your best people will retire or die. Your senior staffers are baby boomers with twenty years or more of experience in their field. They built the systems: they learned the operating systems as they were created: they know what they know from real life experience that cannot be learned in school. They are also somewhere between their late forties and early sixties. They rose to the top while competing within the largest workforce America has ever seen. When they leave they will take a level of efficiency and expertise with them that will take twenties years to replace.

To make matters worse, the population of appropriately educated Americans coming up behind them is far smaller than the population getting ready to move out. Do the math. Start now. To try to buy that talent later will not only cost you a fortune but you will be competing for a very small population of such individuals, with the entire world.

In this corporate environment where everyone is disposable and so much work is done by contractors so that companies can avoid having to make a commitment to personnel, it is far too easy to miss this growing danger. Business Managers may have learned this—but probably not. However, IT managers usually have not had much exposure to this concept. They live in a world of projects that staff up for the project and then disband. How to you bring up the next crop of leaders in such an environment? This is going to take far too many companies by surprise! But IT is going to be hit much harder than most other departments. I know of no other area of corporate life that is so project oriented. In the IT world, you build a team and disband it a few months later--even when they do outstanding work. All in the name of avoiding long term cost. It also avoids long term success.

There is also an emotional and psychological component to this problem. After the Dot-Bomb debacle, many people with decades of smarts were kicked out due to layoffs, or companies failing, or being eaten by a bigger company that had its own staff. Why do we eat our seed corn? Those that survived are still concerned about it happening again. And it could. It makes them conservative. Possibly even a tiny bit timid and less likely to share their knowledge freely. I don't blame them. Because our corporate mentality is to cut the expensive people and replace them with contractors—that we can easily get rid of when the job is done. What a vote of no confidence! This is considered to be a strategy. OK…I will accept that. It is a strategy. But it is a very short sighted one. Where is the mid-range planning?

So, what do you do? In this article and podcast, let us restrict our focus to Mentoring. Future articles and podcasts will explore other activities that are also proven and available.

Do you have a mentoring plan in place? I don't mean the typical, "oh, we believe in mentoring around here" kind of plan. I mean a thought out purposeful plan whereby you determine which journeyman IT personnel have the potential to grow into those senior roles and have your baby boomer senior staffers truly mentor them to bring them along. I doubt it. It does exist; I know of a few such companies. But it is rare.

Part of the problem for those that want to create a mentoring program is that it is not so simple to identify candidates. Let me help with that. Not everyone is a candidate for mentoring and few people are cut out to be mentors. It's sad but true. Don't spin your wheels and exhaust your enthusiasm backing the wrong plan and/or individuals. You need to have some way to identify in whom you want to invest. And, please understand, it is an investment. You will invest money but not only money. You will invest the time of very busy and critical people. That will hurt a bit—but you don't really have any choice. If you are responsible for future planning in your organization, ignoring this process is irresponsible.

Here is a handy way to help make these determinations. A friend once told me that he had learned in a sales course at IBM, decades ago, about a concept that went something like this—and I may be mangling it so please forgive me. It was not meant for IT or Mentorship purposes, but I have adapted it.

There are four levels of competence. They are listed in order from least capable to most capable in performing their job. Oddly, this does not represent the order in which they are most effective in a mentoring program.

- Unconsciously Incompetent
- Consciously Incompetent
- Consciously Competent
- Unconsciously Competent

UNCONSCIOUSLY INCOMPETENT: This person doesn't know that they don't know. They are not a candidate for this program—but may need help in learning to learn.

A famous story about Thomas Edison says that he used to test fresh new Engineers who wanted to work for him by putting them in a lab with a very unique and oddly shaped glass container. He would tell them to figure out the internal volume of the container. One time he watched a new graduate work out the problem by measuring all the diameters of the odd twists and turns of the glass and carefully making the calculations on his slide rule. When he presented the answer, Edison said, "You got the right answer, but I can't give you the job." The young man asked why and Edison responded by picking up the container, filling it with water and pouring into a graduated beaker, getting the answer in ten seconds. He said, "Son, I am glad you know the answer, but I'm afraid you just don't know the question." The Unconsciously Incompetent person does not know the question.

CONSCIOUSLY INCOMPETENT: This person knows that they don't know and is probably working to get better. They are a junior person with potential. Such an individual bears watching—and possibly a little testing. Don't make it something too hard, but it should be a little scary, something that makes them stretch. See what happens. This is a good candidate to groom for middle management and in future years, senior management.

CONSCIOUSLY COMPENTENT: This is where the high performers stand. They will be in middle to senior management already. These people are two-for-one sales, all by themselves. They are both someone to be seen as a candidate to RECEIVE mentoring—for senior management—and the ideal person to PROVIDE mentoring for the Consciously Incompetent candidate. They have a high level of skill and consistently perform very well.

This person knows what they are doing, and remembers learning how to do it. They are not as capable as the Unconsciously Competent person. Nevertheless, they know what they know and they know how to transfer it to someone else--if they are motivated and are not afraid of losing their own place. If they know that they are part of something stable and long term and can afford to create their replacement—they are who you need. Because that is exactly what you want them to do. You want them to create their own replacement. You want them to bring up someone that will ask management for less, has a longer run in front of them and to know that they are not committing financial suicide by doing so.

Not all people in this category will make good Mentors as communication skills and a desire to teach are critical components to performing well in the role. I know many individuals who are extremely skilled and have the sort of knowledge that is transferable—but who could never serve this role with someone successfully. You need to keep other variables in mind.

- Communication Skills
- A temperament that tends toward explaining what they are doing, rather than keeping things "close to their vest."
- Good people skills

The people that will make the best Mentors are already doing it. They are respected by their peers as someone that is very free with their knowledge. They are just informal about it as there is no real structure. Find those people and give them a mandate, the time and some guidance and they will do a wonderful job for you.

UNCONSCIOUSLY COMPENTENT: The highest level. This person doesn't even know why they are so good anymore. Everything is so effortless that it is unconscious. This is the best you can get and you may only meet a handful of people like this in your career. Don't touch this person! There are two very good reasons why.

1) They are not replaceable or reproducible. They really are unique. Give them whatever they want to keep them doing what they do and don't distract them!

2) The other reason to keep them away from a mentoring program is because they make terrible mentors. They have no idea how they are doing what they are doing. They just do it--better than anyone else. But, they can't teach what they themselves don't really understand. Treat them as the gift that they are and get out of their way. Additionally, the probable failure in their attempt at mentoring will mess with their confidence. You don't want that.

There is a lot written on mentoring techniques, so I will not belabor the point. You, the IT Managers, may not have the authority or sense of security to set up this sort of program. I understand. However, if you want to do it and you have the authority, it isn't really hard to begin. There is a lot of material already in publication about various approaches. This is not a new concept. Available resources will probably not be specifically IT management related, but you can apply their lessons. My goal in this article is not to present something you have never heard of before. Rather, it is to remind you of what you already know--and to demonstrate how critical it has become to use that information.

Projects are also an opportunity. If you allow less capable people to work with more capable people, or more accurately, tag along, relationships can be created. Make the project oriented nature of our industry, which is its greatest weakness in this regard, become a new strength.

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This article will discuss the differences between the Linux and Windows operating software’s; we discuss some of the pro’s and con’s of each system.

Let us first start out with a general overview of the Linux operating system. Linux at its most basic form is a computer kernel. The Kernel is the underlying computer code, used to communicate with hardware, and other system software, it also runs all of the basic functions of the computer.

The Linux Kernel is an operating system, which runs on a wide variety of hardware and for a variety of purposes. Linux is capable of running on devices as simple as a wrist watch, or a cell phone, but it can also run on a home computer using, for example Intel, or AMD processors, and its even capable of running on high end servers using Sun Sparc CPU’s or IBM power PC processors. Some Linux distro’s can only run one processor, while others can run many at once.

Common uses for Linux include that of a home desktop computing system, or more commonly for a server application, such as use as a web server, or mail server. You can even use Linux as a dedicated firewall to help protect other machines that are on the same network.

A programmer student named Linus Torvalds first made Linux as a variant of the Unix operating system in 1991. Linus Torvalds made Linux open source with the GNU (GPL) (General Public License), so other programmers could download the source code free of charge and alter it any way they see fit. Thousands of coders throughout the world began downloading and altering the source code of Linux, applying patches, and bug fixes, and other improvements, to make the OS better and better. Over the years Linux has gone from a simple text based clone of Unix, to a powerful operating software, with full-featured desktop environments, and unprecedented portability, and a variety of uses. Most of the original Unix code has also been gradually written out of Linux over the years.

As a result of Linux being open source software, there is no one version of Linux; instead there are many different versions or distributions of Linux, that are suited for a variety of different users and task. Some Distributions of Linux include Gentoo, and Slackware, which due to the lack of a complete graphical environment is best, suited for Linux experts, programmers, and other users that know their way around a command prompt. Distributions that lack a graphical environment are best suited for older computers lacking the processing power necessary to process graphics, or for computers performing processor intensive task, where it is desirable to have all of the system resources focused on the task at hand, rather than wasting resources by processing graphics. Other Linux distributions aim at making the computing experience as easy as possible. Distributions such as Ubuntu, or Linspire make Linux far easier to use, by offering full-featured graphical environments that help eliminate the need for a command prompt. Of course the downside of ease of use is less configurability, and wasted system resources on graphics processing. Other distributions such as Suse try to find a common ground between ease of use and configurability.

“Linux has two parts, they include the Kernel mentioned previously, and in most circumstances it will also include a graphical user interface, which runs atop the Kernel” reference #3. In most cases the user will communicate with the computer via the graphical user interface.

(ref #6) Some of the more common graphical environments that can run on Linux include the following. The KDE GUI (Graphical user interface). Matthias Ettrich developed KDE in 1996. He wanted a GUI for the Unix desktop that would make all of the applications look and feel alike. He also wanted a desktop environment for Unix that would be easier to use than the ones available at the time. KDE is a free open source project, with millions of coders working on it throughout the world, but it also has some commercial support from companies such as Novell, Troltech, and Mandriva. KDE aims to make an easy to use desktop environment without sacrificing configurability. Windows users might note that KDE has a similar look to Windows. Another popular GUI is (ref #7) GNOME. GNOME puts a heavy emphasis on simplicity, and user ability. Much like KDE GNOME is open source and is free to download. One notable feature of GNOME is the fact that it supports many different languages; GNOME supports over 100 different languages. Gnome is license under the LGPL license (lesser general public license). The license allows applications written for GNOME to use a much wider set of licenses, including some commercial applications. The name GNOME stands for GNU Network object model environment. GNOME’s look and feel is similar to that of other desktop environments. Fluxbox is another example of a Linux GUI. With less of an emphasis on ease of use and eye candy, Fluxbox aims to be a very lightweight, and a more efficient user of system resources. The interface has only a taskbar and a menu bar, which is accessed by right clicking over the desktop. Fluxbox is most popular for use with older computers that have a limited abundance of system resources.

Although most Linux distributions offer a graphical environment, to simplify the user experience, they all also offer a way for more technically involved users to directly communicate with the Kernel via a shell or command line. The command line allows you to run the computer without a GUI, by executing commands from a text-based interface. An advantage of using the command prompt is it uses less system resources and enables your computer to focus more of its energy on the task at hand. Examples of commands include the cd command for changing your directory, or the halt command for shutting down your system, or the reboot command for restarting the computer ect.

Now that we are more familiar with the Linux operating system, we can note the many ways in which Linux differs from the worlds most popular OS, Microsoft Windows. From this point forward we will discuss some of the more prominent ways in which Linux deferrers from Windows.

For starters there is only one company that releases a Windows operating system, and that company is Microsoft. All versions of Windows, weather Windows XP Home, Business, or Vista, all updates, security patches, and service patches for Windows comes from Microsoft. With Linux on the other hand there is not one company that releases it. Linux has millions of coders and companies throughout the world, volunteering their time to work on patches, updates, newer versions, and software applications. Although some companies, charge for TECH support, and others charge for their distribution of Linux, by packaging it with non-free software, you will always be able to get the Linux Kernel for free, and you can get full-featured Linux desktops with all the necessary applications for general use, for free as well. The vendors that charge money for their distribution of Linux are also required to release a free version in order to comply with the GPL License agreement. With Microsoft Windows on the other hand you have to pay Microsoft for the software, and you will also have to pay for most of the applications that you will use.

Windows and Linux also differ on TECH support issues. Windows is backed by the Microsoft Corporation, which means that if you have an issue with any of their products the company should resolve it. For example if Microsoft Windows is not working right, then you should be able to call Microsoft and make use of their TECH support to fix the issue. TECH support is usually included with the purchase of the product for a certain amount of time, maybe a two year period, and from there on you may be charged for the service. Although IBM backs their Linux products, for the most part if you use Linux you are on your own. If you have a problem with Ubuntu Linux you cannot call Ubuntu and expect any help. Despite the lack of professional help, you can however receive good TECH advice, from the thousands or millions of Linux forums that are on the web. You ca also get great help from social networking sites such as Myspace, by posting questions in the many Linux groups. You can usually receive responses for your questions in a matter of hours form many qualified people.

Configurability is another key difference between the two operating software’s. Although Windows offers its control panel to help users configure the computer to their liking, it does not match the configuring options that Linux provides especially if you are a real TECH savvy user. In Linux the Kernel is open source, so if you have the know how, you can modify it in virtually any way that you see fit. Also Linux offers a variety of Graphical environments to further suit your needs. As mentioned earlier Linux is capable of running full-featured graphical environments like KDE, or more lightweight and resource friendly GUI’s like Fluxbox, or Blackbox, to suit users with older computers. There are also versions of Linux that are designed to emulate the Windows look and feel as closely as possible. Distributions such as Linspire are best suited for users that are migrating over from the Windows world. There are also distributions that include no graphical environment at all to better suit users that need to squeeze out all of the computing power that they can get for various computing activities, and for users that are more advanced than others. All of this configurability can be problematic sometimes, as you will have to make a decision on which desktop is right for you, and to make things easier on yourself you will need to only install applications that are native to your distribution and graphical environment.

(ref #1) The cost effectiveness of Linux is another way it separates itself from Windows. For home use Linux is cheap and in most cases completely free, while Windows varies in cost depending on which version you buy. With Linux most of the applications will also be free, however for Windows in the majority of cases you are suppose to pay for the applications. For most cases, with Linux there is no need to enter a product activation key when performing an installation, you are free to install it on as many computers as you’d like. With Windows you are only allowed to install it on one computer and Microsoft uses product activation software to enforce this rule. When installing Window’s you must enter a product activation key, which will expire after so many uses. If you wish too, you can purchase Linux from a variety of vendors, which will include a boxed set of CDs, Manuals, and TECH support for around 40-130$. Of course If you purchase a high-end version of Linux used for servers it may cost any where from 400$- 2000$. “In 2002 computer world magazine quoted the chief technology architect at Merrill Lynch in New York, as saying “the cost of running Linux is typically a tenth of the cost of running Unix or Windows alternatively.” (ref#1)

(ref #1) Installation of Windows is generally easier, than installing Linux. “With Windows XP there are three main ways to install. There is a clean install, in which you install Windows on a blank hard drive. There is also an upgrade install, in which you start with an older version of Windows and “upgrade” to a newer one. An advantage of upgrading is that all of the files on the older system should remain intact throughout the process. You can also perform a repair install, in which case you are installing the same version of Windows on top of itself in order to fix a damaged version of Windows. There is also a recovery, which Technically is not an install; it is used to restore a copy of Windows back to its factory settings. The disadvantage of recovering Windows is the fact that you will loose all of your data, which resides on the damaged copy of Windows.” (ref#1) Also with Windows you can rest assured that your hardware will most likely be supported by the operating software, although this is not much of a problem with Linux you cant be sure if Linux will support all of your hardware. With Linux installation varies greatly from Distro to Distro. You may be presented with a graphical installer or it may be a text-based installer, these variations make Linux a bit more difficult and unpredictable to install than is Windows, (although the difficulty is disappearing). You may perform a clean install of Linux or dual boot it, to co-exist with another operation software. With Linux rather than having to buy an upgrade Cd, you can install updates by downloading and then installing them while your desktop is running. With Linux it is also not necessary to reboot your computer after most upgrades, It is only necessary to reboot after an upgrade to the kernel. It is also possible to run Linux without ever needing to install it on a hard drive; there are many distributions of Linux that will allow you to run it straight off of a live cd. The advantage of this is that you do not need to alter your system in order to

try Linux. You can run Linux off of the CD so you do not have to damage your Windows partition. Other advantages include the ability to rescue a broken Linux system. If your Linux computer will not boot, then you may insert a live cd and boot off it, so you can repair the damaged version of Linux. Also you may use a Linux live cd to recover files from a damaged Windows computer that will no longer boot up. Since Linux is capable of reading NTFS files you may copy files form a Windows computer to a USB flash drive or floppy drive ect.

Another major difference between Linux and Windows is the applications that you will use with either OS. Windows includes a much wider abundance of commercially backed applications than does Linux. It is much easier to find the software that you are looking for with Windows than it is with Linux, because so many software vendors make their products compatible with Windows only. With Linux you will for the most part be forced to let go of the familiar applications that you have grown accustomed to with Windows, in favor of lesser-known open source apps that are made for Linux. Applications such as Microsoft office, Outlook, Internet Explorer, Adobe Creative suite, and chat clients such as MSN messenger, do not work natively with Linux. Although with Linux you can get Microsoft office and Adobe creative suite to work using software from codeWeavers called cross Over Office. Instead of using these applications you will need to use Linux apps such as open office, The Gimp Image Editor, The ThunderBird email client, Instead of the MSN messenger you can use the GAIM messenger, and you can use Firefox as your web browser. Also with Linux it can be difficult to install software even if it is made for Linux. This is due to the fact that Linux has so many different versions. Software that is made to install on one version probably will require some configuration in order to install on another version. An example would be if you were trying to install software that was made for the KDE graphical environment, on the GNOME GUI, This app would not easily install on the GNOME GUI, and would require some configuring on your part to successfully install it.

The type of hard ware that Linux and windows runs on also causes them to differ. Linux will run on many different hardware platforms, from Intel and AMD chips, to computers running IBM power Pc processors. Linux will run on the slowest 386 machines to the biggest mainframes on the planet, newer versions of Windows will not run on the same amount of hardware as Linux. Linux can even be configured to run on apples, Ipod’s, or smart phones. A disadvantage of Linux is when it comes to using hardware devices such as Printers, Scanners, or Digital camera’s. Where as the driver software for these devices will often be easily available for Windows, with Linux you are for the most part left on your own to find drivers for these devices. Most Linux users will find comfort in the fact that drivers for the latest hardware are constantly being written by coders throughout the world and are usually very quickly made available.

(ref #1) One of the most notable differences between the two operating software’s is Windows legendary problems with malicious code, known as Viruses and Spy ware. Viruses, Spy-ware and a general lack of security are the biggest problems facing the Windows community. Under Windows Viruses and Spy-ware have the ability to execute themselves with little or no input from the user. This makes guarding against them a constant concern for any Windows user. Windows users are forced to employ third party anti virus software to help limit the possibility of the computer being rendered useless by malicious code. Anti virus software often has the negative side effect of hogging system resources, thus slowing down your entire computer, also most anti virus software requires that you pay a subscription service, and that you constantly download updates in order to stay ahead of the intruders. With Linux on the other hand problems with viruses are practically non-existent, and in reality you do not even need virus protection for your Linux machine. One reason why Viruses and Spy-ware are not a problem for Linux is simply due to the fact that there are far fewer being made for Linux. A more important reason is that running a virus on a Linux machine is more difficult and requires a lot more input from the user. With Windows you may accidentally run and execute a virus, by opening an email attachment, or by double clicking on a file that contains malicious code. However with Linux a virus would need to run in the terminal, which requires the user to give the file execute permissions, and then open it in the terminal. And in order to cause any real damage to the system the user would have to log in as root, by typing a user name and password before running the virus. Foe example to run a virus that is embedded in an email attachment the user would have to, open the attachment, then save it, then right click the file and chose properties form the menu, in properties they can give it execute permissions, they would then be able to

open the file in the terminal to run the virus. And even then the user would only be able to damage his or her home folder, all other users data will be left untouched, and all root system files would also remain untouched, because Linux would require a root password to make changes to these files. The only way the user can damage the whole computer would be if he or she logged in as root user by providing the root user name and password to the terminal before running the virus. Unlike Windows in Linux an executable file cannot run automatically, It needs to be given execute permissions manually this significantly improves security. In Linux the only realistic reason you would need virus protection is if you share files with Windows users, and that is to protect them not you, so you are not to accidentally pass a virus to the Windows computer that you are sharing files with.

The above was a general over view of some differences between the Windows operating system, and Linux. To recap we started with the fact that Windows has only one vendor that releases the software, while Linux comes from millions of different coders throughout the world. We also commented on the fact that the Linux Kernel and much of the applications used with it are completely free of charge, where as with windows you are forced to pay for most of the software. Unlike Widows Linux is often lacking in professional Tech support, and Linux users are often left on their own to solve Technical issues. Linux users can either pay for Tech support or rely on the many Linux Forums and groups available on the Internet. Due to the fact that the kernel is open source, Linux has a huge advantage over Windows in configurability. You can configure Linux to run almost any way you see fit by manipulating the Kernel. Installing the Windows Operating software and applications is easier due to the fact that it has a universal installer. Also finding applications for Windows is easier because of its popularity most apps are available for Windows only, and are made easily available. Linux will run on a greater variety of hard ware than does Windows, from mainframe super computers running multiple IBM Power PC Chips, to a small laptop running an AMD processor. And of course the biggest difference in this writer’s opinion is the fact that Linux does not suffer from an onslaught of Viruses and other malicious code, unlike Windows which is plagued by countless number of malicious code that can easily destroy your system if not properly guarded against.

In conclusion we will conclude that the Linux OS really is the superior software. Other than a few minor nuisances, linux out performs Windows in most categories. The fact that Linux is more secure is the tipping point, that tilts the scales in the favor of Linux. Windows simply suffers from far to many security vulnerabilities for it to be considered the better over all desktop environment.

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