Monday, December 6, 2010

Ink Cartridge

As with any recycling program, the recycling of ink cartridges aims to preserve the natural ambience of our planet that should diminish the various hazards resulted by the sustained disposing of inkjet plastic containers that cartridges happen to be.

Another obvious reason, being the main reason to motivate consumers to participate in the recycling programs would be money saving. So what are the particular steps to the recycling process? Technically, this is a process of purchasing the ink and refilling the existing cartridge, then putting it back to its normal performance. The number of circles that a recycling may be done is limited by two major reasons. The first reason is due to legal predicaments in that certain brands of cartridges are being purchased with the wholesale discount and are therefore marked as 'dispose only' which means that those may only be used the single time. The opposite should be correct as well - in that if you don't see such 'dispose only' label, then it is entirely legal to proceed with the refill process, in other words - this cartridge is absolutely eligible for the recycling program. You may then proceed with submitting your cartridge to the authorized dealership workshop where it will be refilled using the particularly designed professional tool set. An alternative here would be in trying to recycle on your own using the retailer offered tool kit that would include a drilling device and a ink refill container with the special outlet which you may use to safely insert a new portion of ink into your existing cartridge.

You may try to recycle your cartridge 2 to 3 times without considerably losing in the print job quality. The print head may eventually be clogged to the point that further recycling be entirely impossible or the print job quality be unacceptable. In this situation, please consider disposing of your used cartridge as you would normally do with the plastic material in your area of residence.

Today practically everybody owns a printer at home, so lots of people at least once faced the problem when ink cartridges are out. Earlier you had to make the round of a number of shops to find what you want but today you can use the Internet to look for print cartridges and even to buy them with delivery to your place. You can save a lot of precious time.

Disc Producer

I have used many disc producers of various brands. Results of my business solely depend upon the quality of CDs, DVDs that I offer to my clients as a product and to the traders for promotional purpose. To offer the best product, I don't mind to invest little more for replacing the old one with advanced version of disc producer. But as per my experience, I can say that there are very few manufacturers who match their steps with rapid changing technology. Recently, while conducting search for the better disc producer, I came across Epson producer PP-100. Within few seconds of stay on the site, I was in love with this disc producing solution. There are many reasons that prove this producer an ultimate buy.

First of all, it is the product of Epson America. It is a U.S. affiliate of Seiko Epson Corporation. I was familiar with Seiko Epson since a decade. This company is known worldwide for technical revolutions in precision imaging and robotics technology. On inquiring in the circle and over the forums, I got many more references. In all, I can say that Epson America is providing quality disc publishing and recording solutions as per varying needs of global base of experienced professionals. When a company has such a vast global user base, there is no scope to doubt about the functionality, integration, efficiency, compatibility and durability of its products.

Epson producer PP-100 is made up of two Pioneer burners. These are capable to write at 40x for CDs, 8x for DVD+R DL (dual-layer) and 12x for DVD±R. The unit is connected to PC through a single USB 2.0 cable. It has a six-color inkjet printer. It delivers disc prints up to 1440×1440 dpi. The six color cartridges (cyan, magenta, light cyan, light magenta, black and yellow) have astonishingly long life. These can be changed individually. The most impressive feature of PP-100 disc producer is that users can adjust the ink consumption according to the specific requirements; it reduces disc producing cost.

This unit can print and duplicate up to 100 discs in one go without any personal touch in between various steps of process. It has series of disk stacker trays attached automated robotic arm. This robotic arm grabs only one disc and inserts it into the burner. After the completion of burning process disc automatically shifts to printer and finally comes out in output tray. The whole process is governed by Epson Total Disc Maker software. This comes with Total Disc Maker software. This software that has Disc, Publish and Label sections is compatible with almost all the operating systems.

Kyocera FS C2126MFP

What can the Kyocera FS C2126MFP do that makes it one of the most sought after printing systems? This printer has a whole host of features that make it an ideal choice for any home or business environment. So let's take a look at exactly what it has to offer.

The C2126 can print 26 copies per minute in A4 both in black and white and colour. The 35 scans per minute through the 50 sheet document processor is a handy feature. Printing on both sides of the paper is a savings feature that is preferred. The functions include fax, scan and copy and up to 9600 dpi printing quality can be achieved.

The design is compact so it will sit virtually anywhere without taking up a lot of space. The printing cost is very low in comparison to many other printers of the same class. One of the features that often cannot be combined to produce good quality is the reliability and speed. However, the Kyocera FS C2126MFP has managed to capture both.

The perfect solution for offices with heavy workloads, the scanning speed is quite impressive. The fact that the Kyocera is made with such heavy duty components means that it is highly durable; without having to replace your printer, you will be able to keep long-term costs to a minimum. When they do need to be replaced the reduced emissions are also a bonus as they do not pollute the environment.

The maximum paper input is 1,300 sheets and output is 250 sheets if they are face down. The scanning capabilities are excellent as well. You can scan to WSD, TWAIN, USB, scan to SMB, scan to FTP and scan to email. The printer has an incorporated address book, data transfer is encrypted, a multi-send feature (you can fax, e-mail, print and use the SMB/FTP folder all at one time).

In addition for security the active directory support is perfect and provides this security through SSL, Private Print and IPsec functions. Confidentiality is assured with the security function that requires the use of a password for printing all your highly sensitive documents.

The printer's drum life is approximately 200,000 pages and as a printer for a work group that requires high quality colour output, the Kyocera FS C2126MFP delivers first class value. The printer is reliable and efficient and will cost you 1,000 pounds upwards depending upon where it is purchased. Although this may seem a bit pricey, it will last for years without needing replaced. The printer also has a 2 year on-site warranty.

Adding to all the convenient features of this printer are the TFT screen that allows you to preview the image before you print it so that any corrections can be made. The PictBridge capabilities also are a great feature so that you can print directly from memory cards as well as mobile phones. The wheel is an easy scroll design for optimal use of the menu.

If you are looking for an advanced photo printer that features the capabilities of all in one as well as direct printing, the Kyocera FS C2126MFP is an outstanding printer. For printing, scanning and copying at extraordinary speeds, it will provide just what you need for your home or office.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Portable External

A portable external hard drive is indeed essential in this generation where people can no longer seem to live without computers. More than the convenience of communicating, sharing information and other things that you could do through the internet, computers have become the go-to machine when it comes to typing, playing music and making other things.

You can even use a computer for editing videos, photos and audio files. With the many things that you can do with computers, one thing you need to consider is memory. Undeniably, the desktop computer can house more memory as compared to the laptop computer. Portable external hard drive can expand your computer's memory.

Some files and programs you may not want to store them in your computer anymore. You can decide to erase a few of your files, but then you can always get a back up hard drive to address your needs.

You could always doubt how technology is working, but if you are computer savvy, you would be dying every minute that pass without you having a more sophisticated item like the external hard drive. Yes, everyone is simply getting the Esata external hard drive because of its reputation for being the fastest connectivity device as compared to the firewire and the USB 2.0 connectors.

The portable external hard drive is a more convenient way to store your files and keep them on the go. It is going to be really very easy for you to access your files, wherever you are and even if you are using someone else's computer.

Different features have been developed to even make a computer bug's life much easier. There are even one TB external hard drives, which mean that these can store up to 1 terabyte of files. That is hundreds, if not thousands, of folds more than your floppy disk could do.

Aside from that, there is also a 500 gb external hard drive for you to try. Of course the connectivity could also vary from esata to firewire and to USB 2.0 which most computers are built with.

Another thing that you can trust in the portable external hard drive is that they are sold at a price that range from cheap to expensive. It all depends on the brand and capacity of the item.

You could find the best external hard drive in most IT shops and if ever you have problems or doubts, you could look for external hard drives review to help you out. You have to ensure getting your money's worth by carefully buying the best portable external hard drive.

Laptops Price

Olive laptops are new to the cheap laptops market and their latest entry to the market is the Olive Zipbook. The keyboard and touch pad have more than satisfactory ergonomics. The display has an aspect ratio of 16:9 which eliminates the annoying black lines on top and bottom of movies, the 10.2-inch screen is backlit by a WLED hence it has better viewability, and has a resolution of 1024 x 600. The WiFi in it is N wireless enabled, and couple with it comes Bluetooth and a 10/100 LAN port too.

The Battery that comes in it is a regular 6 cell Lithium ion, and has a simple retention mechanism on the back. This netbook is powered by a Qualcomm QSC6085 chipset and also supports EV-DO. The cpu in it is an Intel Atom N270 processor which runs at 1.6 ghz, and comes with 1-GB DDR2 memory, with a 160-GB HDD for storage and weighs in at only 1.3 kgs. The Laptop come preinstalled with a Windows operating system.

This netbook isn't all that flashy as other Laptops in India and sports simple looks, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It has a matte black finish on its back panel which continues to the inside as well. The internal surfaces including the keyboard and touchpad also have a matte finish.

However the power button and the touch pad aren't black in color.

The keyboard extends from edge to edge and is only 8% smaller than regular keyboards, which makes it resemble a normal keyboard in terms of feel and user experience. The size of the shift and Enter keys are normal too which is very convenient. The only noticeable problem that was noticed was there are no separate PG Up and PG Dn keys, they can be accessible using the Function key however.

The touch pad in it is very likeable, especially because it has a separate marked scroll zone that makes it even easier to navigate pages. Since laptop prices are very competitive these days this Laptop too has been priced very aggressively.

Creative Speakers

For those who are aware of the quality of Creative speakers the brand needs no introduction for itself. It has been the leader in PC audio solutions for quite a long time now. Creative is one of the leaders that produce Speaker systems and internal as well as sound cards which form the core competency for Creative speakers and they have never failed to impress, creative has always been the pioneer when it comes to upgrading the audio experience at any home or office when it comes to providing the right sound cards and multi-channel speaker systems.

The Latest Creative speakers to hit the market is the Gigaworks S750 which is one of the best computer speaker system available in the market today. It is one of the most powerful 7.1 speaker system that the users can lay their hands on, it is a THX certified speaker system can that provide 700 Watts RMS of total audio power.

The overall build quality of the speaker sets is extremely good, the satellite Speakers are very sturdy and have been built with high quality materials. A few specifications of these creative speakers include a monsterous700 Watts RMS of total system power at its disposal, the power rating for each of its satellites is powerful enough to be as good as that of a complete high end decent 5.1 system. Each of the amazing seven satellites has 70 Watts of RMS power to boast, while the 8 inch subwoofer provides a massive 210 Watts of RMS power.

The impedance of each of the satellite is rated at 8 ohms at 0.1% THD at 1 KHz and that of the subwoofer is rated at 8 ohms at 0.2% THD at 70 Hz. The creative gigaworks S750 has a frequency response of 25 Hz to 40 KHz and an impressive signal-to-noise-ratio of 99 dB which is extremely impressive.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

New Laptops

The price for a new laptop can quickly put you off purchasing one. Buying a second hand laptop is a good option but sometimes we want to treat ourselves to something brand new. So, how much should you expect a fresh of the shelf laptop to set you back?

Of course the price largely depends on what specifications you require from your machine. Increasing major functionality factors such as getting more memory or RAM is going to increase the price tag significantly, as can the level of your central processing unit (CPU). Laptop CPUs have advanced power-saving features and produce less heat than desktop processors but are not as powerful. There are a range of central processing units designed for laptops, manufacturers include Intel, Transmeta and VIA Technologies. Intel have recently developed the quad-core processor for desktop PCs, which is designed to handle massive computer and visualization workloads enabled by powerful multi-core technology. Similar processing power will soon be inherent in new laptops.

Improvements in these technological departments will raise up the price towards the four hundred mark but your machine will be considerably better, with a more powerful processor and added memory to run multiple programs without slowing down. If you're an avid gamer you will probably require a powerful CPU as well a high grade graphics card in order to get the best visuals for your game, and possibly an upgraded sound card too. These additions aren't massively expensive individually but expect them to push the price of your laptop towards the £450 mark.

With the advent of Apple's Air laptop there is now a healthy choice of ultra thin laptops that are most suitable for those that are often on the move and need to be able to work as they travel. Previously you'd think that a slimmer laptop would mean you'd have to sacrifice functionality such as battery life but this isn't so much of an issue these days. Many manufacturers are investing in the development of their mobile models as market demand for this style of machine increases.

The introduction of the iPad has also caused a stir in the laptop world. This new device has upped the competition which means manufacturers such as Toshiba, Sony and Dell have had to improve their game and as a result now offer some high spec laptops at decent prices.

A new laptop doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg these days, shop around and haggle with the seller to get high models at a low cost.

Printing Easy

Does your printer get stuck while working? Have you heard of Toner cartridges?
The following article will guide you regarding the best quality ink cartridges. To know more, kindly read below.

Well a toner cartridge is also known as a magnetic toner which is used in printing checks in order to avoid any kind of fraud and this is done by a specific process. This toner is made with a different kind of magnetic iron oxide, which prints the characters and emits a special magnetic indication. Then this indication is read by a machine which checks the documents that have characters printed with that ink for security reasons.

These tonic cartridges are mainly used in banks and insurance companies and even in airlines for printing receipts and tickets. Toner cartridges ensure speedy processing, security and accuracy.

Anyone using a toner cartridge needs to do the right formulation of the toner to derive the right signals. One must remember to consider the fonts, placement and size of the characters; otherwise the document will not be accepted by the reader if there are any mistakes.

One must make sure that the characters size is appropriate and their placement is correctly related to the speed in which the documents are made. The document would be rejected if the characters will have a wrong size or would be lighter in print. Hence the speed must be maintained.

In addition to this, one must know the other reason for speed, that is, the total volume of checks which go through banks.

Toner cartridges elevate the security of the account that it is made upon. It also prevents any kind of fraud as the symbols and numbers printed without magnetic features at the bottom of the check are not readable by a reader machine.

Other toner cartridges are specially processed to avoid chemical alteration in the documents. Like a stain of red or other color, ink is spread all over the page and the document gets wasted.

A person who wants to prevent all his work from fraud can look at the website and checkout the various toner cartridges by putting in simple keywords like Canon ink
Canon is one of the leading business companies in the field of electronics, telecommunications and computers and their accessories. Canon launched its first printer many years back and from then on it has been in a leading position in the market. Printers from this manufacturer come with excellent Canon ink cartridges about which we all are aware.

There are two types of Canon ink cartridges and one can choose according to his requirements, they are: Canon monochrome cartridges and colored cartridges. Monochrome cartridges have the best quality and are used all over the world. Color cartridges are used by all Canon color printers.

If one has a daily requirement of ink cartridges for his official work then he can purchase the best quality Canon ink cartridges without any doubt. Although generally ink cartridges are expensive, Canon ink cartridges can really be an expensive affair. In that case, one can get the ink cartridges refilled, which will be cheaper and preferable too .The ink cartridge can be refilled as many times as needed. The process of refilling the cartridges is easy and can be done at home as well.

online data backup?

What do you mean by a backup?

Backing up files is a method through which files are stored in a location separate from the computer. This is done so as to prevent every small loss which may occur due to a sudden computer crash and making the access to those files possible in original even after a crash. Safety holds an incredible part in this process. Files like pictures, word documents, videos, e-mails, spreadsheets, and anything else you store locally on your computer, can easily be erased forever in a moment. Online data backup stores your files on the internet, in place of using traditional backup which typically uses disks or your computer's hard drive. The requirement of an online data backup service can be better understood if one knows about its advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of Online Data backup
- Online data backup will never rely on hardware or equipment that can fail. Since online backup is stored elsewhere, a disaster at your home or office will not be able to take out both your computer and your backup information.
- Users are able to backup their files anywhere that has an internet connection. Files are backed up incrementally, so when you update a file, only the changes will need to be uploaded to your backup system.
- One of the perks of online backup is the access which can be made anywhere. All you need is a computer and an internet connection to access them.
- Uploading and updating of files is automatically done whenever one gets online. This saves users time and effort, and helps in instances where you may forget to update your backup files with new or revised files.

Disadvantages of Online data backup
- The initial uploading of files is a lengthy process. This is often a barrier for most people, as even the most patient user can get frustrated when waiting that long for files to transfer and thus make this backup method impractical.
- File restoration will be a lengthy process as well. Downloading files back to your computer could take days, and while some online backup services will put it all on a disk and mail it to you, waiting for your own stored data can be annoying.
- As with anything posted on the internet, it is possible that your privacy may be compromised. Always check that the online backup you are using offers file encryption for transfers between you and the site, and make sure that the place where the data is stored is entirely secure as well.
- If you do not have an internet connection, or do not access the internet frequently, online backup is probably an impractical solution. By not accessing the internet, you deny the online backup system a way to incrementally update your files.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Save on Laser

Laser printer manufacturers claim that only genuine toner cartridges can deliver the print quality and yield expected of the machine. This is a claim that is disputed by third party manufacturers. It is for a fact that OEM's cannot hold sole claim to product quality because aftermarket consumables are also able to meet the standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials or ASTM. Given the expensive pricing of OEM consumables, the use of compatibles manufactured by aftermarket entities has become an economical option.

Online marketing meanwhile armed consumers with the flexibility to select the product they prefer based on the merits of quality and price options without having to visit brick and mortar retail outlets. This way, consumers save on time and gas expenses; particularly when scouting for the best deals on laser printer peripherals.

Let us look at the many ways by which users can save on laser printing expenditure, particularly related to consumables.

Tweaking Printer Settings

When printing, select draft mode to save on toner. Use only high resolution print mode when producing the final print.
If possible, use only black and white prints or grayscales for the printout of draft copies; particularly if the final print is in full color. Proofread the copy many times before producing the final, full color printout.
When print defects start to manifest over printouts and print quality is rather dull, check if the drum can be replaced before taking the final option of replacing the entire cartridge. This will sensibly reduce laser printing expenses.
Consumable Options

Compatible Toner Cartridges.These consumables are new cartridge units compatible for use on particular laser printers but developed and distributed by third party manufacturers. A compatible toner cartridge is a complete clone of the original cartridge and is retailed 50% less than the counter price of the OEM cartridge.

Remanufactured Toner Cartridges. Said consumable is another viable option since a remanufactured unit is a refurbished cartridge composed of old but still working components; assembled and post tested to resemble the performance of the original cartridge.

Toner Refill Kits. Empty toner cartridges that may now be collecting dust inside storage can be reactivated for another printing cycle with the user of toner refill kits. Each refill package is provided with easy step by step instructions relevant to the refill process. The Dell 330-1436 toner cartridge for instance can be refilled in less than 5 minutes and sells for only $20. Nonetheless, the gram load of toner supplied is rated 2,500 pages at 5% page coverage just like the OEM cartridge. On the average, OEM toner cartridges can be refilled for up to 3 times.

Upgrade your savings spree with the purchase of multi-pack dell toner refill kits (the lifeline of laser printers). Substantial savings can be generated when buying compatible toner for dell in bulk instead of just individual kits. These are surefire ways to reduce your dependence on expensive toner cartridges - a relevant move that saves a lot of dollars in the process without sacrificing print quality and yield over output pages.

HP LaserJet 3800

During the late 80's, Hewlett Packard (HP) started the mass production of laser printers that changed the course of printing history. And together with related accessories and printer peripherals introduced affordable printing to countless households and offices worldwide - thus giving HP an iconic reputation. What started it all was the technical innovation used in laser printing, the development of toner powder and toner cartridges that are first of all handy and could easily be loaded into the laser printer. Because HP has the foothold in the compact printing industry, it dictates the costs of both printers and toner cartridges to the point that laser printing has become limited only to affluent households and large business enterprises.

But then, third party manufacturers conceived compatible consumables and pioneered its distribution in the aftermarket, obviously to support the printing requirements of printers like the LaserJet HP 3800 and thereby providing regular laser printer users a viable alternative. The most important aftermarket consumable is the toner refill kit, which was primarily designed to replenish the toner supply of empty OEM toner cartridges with compatible toner powder. Priced at almost 85% off the original, the toner refill product brought laser printing closer to the masses. After two decades, aftermarket consumables has gained the fervor of many laser printer users to capture at least 30% of the printer consumable market share.

The OEM Q6472A (yellow) toner cartridge was designed to load the LaserJet HP 3800. The unit is non-refillable and comes with a microchip or lockout chip that bars printing after cartridge toner supply has been exhausted and prevents the administration of toner refills on the cartridge as well. But then again, third party manufacturers introduced the refill tool to burn a hole on the plastic shell of the empty cartridge, access the toner chamber and empty the toner chamber of leftover old toner while serving as fill hole for the transfer of a new shot of toner into the cartridge's toner hopper. Third party manufacturers also added a replacement chip to replace the lockout chip and allow further printing. This new system worked and countless of consumers enjoyed the benefits of a toner refill kit because they were able to save while also being privy to superb and razor sharp printouts as well as yield in printed pages that is similar to the OEM counterpart.

The HP LaserJet 3800 toner refill kit carries similar performance characteristics as the OEM toner, likewise rated 4,000 pages at 5% coverage. All these come at a price of only $35 versus the OEM toner cartridge's counter price of $165. And since the Q6472A OEM toner cartridge can last up to 3 refills, users stands to save around $390 for the entire life span of the cartridge.

Tape Cartridge

LTO format was introduced by the leading media manufacturing companies including IBM, HP and Seagate. LTO (linear tape open) format was developed to meet the increasing demands for data protection and storage. TDK Corporation is a global manufacturer of high performance, advanced backup storage media. TDK LTO-2 tape cartridges are designed for large volume storage capacity with unparalleled media durability and data integrity. Part number of this high quality LTO2 TDK cartridge is D2405-LTO2.

LTO-2 tape has become the most widely adopted tape storage technology that offers impressive backup storage performance and long term data security. TDK D2405-LTO2 tape cartridges deliver excellent performance and robust protection in mid-range servers, data centers, data intensive applications and enterprise servers.

TDK LTO-2 ultrium offers numerous breakthrough features including advanced data compression, increased bit density, error correction, enhanced servo technology, ultra smooth tape surface and multi-channel support. Combination of all these cutting edge technologies enable the TDK D2405-LTO2 ultrium tape to provide cost efficient solution in data rich environments. Increased track density allows the TDK LTO-2 tape to backup 200GB uncompressed data. Data compression will extend the capacity of D2405-LTO2 tape to 400GB. These backup tapes support high density recordings at a remarkable 40MB/s native speed.

Ultra high speed TDK LTO2 tape cartridges reflect the unmatched technical expertise of TDK in media recording technology. TDK LTO-2 tape cartridges achieve highest levels of durability and media durability with the help of the TDK's stringent quality control standards, advanced manufacturing process and comprehensive testing procedures.

TDK Corporation is well renowned for its major innovative technologies and development in backup storage media. If you already have a LTO-2 tape drive then you won't need to purchase new LTO drive to use the TDK LTO-2 cartridges, because the TDK D2405-LTO2 tapes perform excellently with all LTO-2 tape drives. Superior compatibility of TDK LTO-2 ensures peace of mind and your previous I.T investments will also be secured.

Improved cartridge design of TDK D2405-LTO2 tape helps to provide its clients with enhanced level of cost effectiveness and data integrity. TDK LTO-2 tapes feature a proprietary unified mechanism system which ensures superior hardware compatibility with all LTO 2 drives. D2405-LTO2 ultrium cartridge is intelligent engineered for long term operational stability, and its robust design protects from accidental drops and mechanical stress. These reliable data tapes can withstand over 25,000 media loads/unloads with exceptional data integrity and mechanical stability.

TDK's exclusive "Super Finavinx" media formulation is designed to maximize the data performance and capacity of D2405-LTO2 ultrium cartridges. TDK has developed a new binder system called 3-DC "Three Dimensional Compound" that ensures high bit density and elevates the resistance of tape medium against particle shedding. Exceptional robustness and outstanding adhesive qualities of 3DC binder mechanism help to provide long term resilience, low error rate and higher output frequency under increased stress of repeated read/write cycles.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

HP, Sony, and Compaq Laptops

So do you prefer to call them laptops or do you prefer to call them notebooks. I am partial to notebooks as I never keep them on top of my lap. Jokes apart, purchasing a new notebook computer is really tough.

If you were to read the ads then each computer sounds better than the cat's whiskers. But when you look close, they all look similar. At least the similarly priced ones tend to be similar. So, is there really a difference between one laptop and another? Or should I say one notebook and another?

To answer this very question, I am going to look at three popular computers that are currently on sale and compare them. The read can then take this to be the starting point and evaluate many other options to find the one that works best for them.

First of all, let us consider the HP Pavilion DV6426US, a machine that I powered by the Intel Core Duo Processor T2450. This multithreaded architecture based micro processor is well optimized for multi-tasking based performance. The fact that this notebook comes installed with 1 GB RAM should help run many of the contemporary popular applications at a good speed. It has a 160 GB Hard Drive which is nothing spectacular, but should do the trick in most cases. And the bundled operating system is the Microsoft Vista Premium. And I really like notebooks that come with an integrated WebCam. This HP laptop sure has one of those. In the absence of such a webcam, attempting Video IM becomes a serious pain.

Second let us consider the Sony VAIO VGN-FZ140E/B. This laptop too is powered by a Duo Processor, in this case the Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7100. It beats the HP one in terms of RAM, as it comes with 2 GB RAM. Its hard disk is bigger at 200 GB. So, if Freud was right and size does matter then, well, this one has the bigger Hard Drive. The duo-core multithreading micro processor will deliver performance similar to the HP machine. This laptop comes with Microsoft Vista Home Premium.


Finally let us look at the Compaq Presario F572US. Like both the previous machines, this one too has a 15.4" screen. Though it has a dual-core micro processor, the Compaq uses the AMD Athlon 64 Processor TK-53 and not an Intel based processor like the other two I wrote about. Also it has 1 GB RAM like the HP machine. Where I think it scores lower is in its hard disk capacity, a mere 80 GB. It also comes with the Microsoft Vista Premium.

All in all, the machines have pros and cons. I have not listed prices here, as they would change faster than I could type them out. But, make sure to look at the prices too.

USB Flash Drives

USB Flash Drives have become increasingly popular as promotional incentives for a number of reasons. The promotional incentives market is always receptive to new and exciting ways to reach the target audience. Traditionally promotional products have been branded with a company’s logo to leave a lasting impression with the prospect. The usability of the giveaway is a key component to its success. This is the reason why gifts such as Pens, Notepads, Clothing and general business accessories have always been popular! The USB Flash Drive has taken this to another level altogether – now you can give potential prospects a USB Flash Drive and be confident your branding will hit home. The major innovation to the promotional incentives market is the way in which the device can be manipulated to suit the needs of various organizations.

For example, the USB Flash Drive can be preloaded with data prior to it being given away. This allows useful information to be at the fingertips of the recipient. This could be in the form of a PDF, PowerPoint, Video, etc. This is the ideal way for companies to make sure that when a potential prospect leaves they have a permanent reminder of exactly what the company can offer. This could be in the form of a document, a price list etc.

They are typically small, lightweight, removable and rewritable storage devices. USB flash drives offer numerous advantages over other portable storage devices i.e. floppy disk. They are compact, faster; hold more data, and have superior reliability due to their lack of moving parts and durable design. In addition it has become common for computers no longer to have floppy disk drives. Conversely USB ports appear on nearly all PC and laptop’s nowadays.

Pen Drive

A Pen Drive is a compact, removable storage device just like a floppy disk or a CD. Instead of the floppy device or the CD ROM that are used for reading a floppy disk and CD respectively, a pen drive can be plugged into the USB (Universal Serial Bus) Port of a computer. The USB connectivity makes the pen drive easier to use and data can be transferred faster to and from the pen drive.

Different Manufacturers have named Pen Drives they manufacture differently. Today, a pen dive goes by the names of thumb drive, USB flash drive, Jump Drive, Traveler`s Drive, USB key drive, USB memory stick and many others!

These pen drives are small, inexpensive, almost ubiquitous and extremely handy. They are available largely in the range of 1 to 8 GB which makes them of great use and has made floppy disks and CDs look like useless storage mediums.

The credit of inventing the pen drives goes to IBM. It was invented in 1988 to replace the floppy disks, but IBM never patented it. IBM contracted in M-Systems to manufacture the Pen Drive and the patent is now owned by them.

The pen drive is a modern floppy disk. The main difference is that a floppy disk has moving parts which makes the data stored on the drive vulnerable to loss. A pen drive, on the other hand is a solid state device i.e. it has no moving parts. This makes it possible to almost completely seal the pen drive making it dust-proof and the common magnetic fields. Hence, a pen drive is a much safer option for storing important data.

The latest operating systems like (Windows XP, Linux and Mac OS 2) can recognize these pen drives and mount them automatically. Once it is connected, recognized and mounted by the operating system, it appears just like any other partition of the hard disk except it is named as removable storage.

The pen drive can be removed any time after it is un-mounted (safely remove hardware in case of Windows) and can be re-plugged into the same or a different machine to be used again. A pen drive`s most important use is to transport data and files from one machine to another. For e.g. one can simply copy all the word processing documents, images and spreadsheets to the pen drive, carry it along and copy the files on his/her home computer and work on it at home.

Some users have found the pen drive useful in moving their internet browser History, Cache, Cookies, and other transient data. This improves their privacy and security as no traces of the work done on the machine is left on the PC. Once copied to the drive, the files can be made more secured by encryption or any other method of security.

The pen drives can also be used to store operating systems to boot the computer. This makes them popular for repair and diagnostic work. Instead of carrying tools and maintenance software applications on CDs, a pen drive can be used which is faster and can be manipulated easily in case the software is upgraded or is no more useful.

A pen drive is one of the most economical mobile medium for data storage in terms of cost per unit storage space. They are really light-weight and robust in nature which has made it a big hit and a very important and indispensable tool for a large number of users.

This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author's name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

HARDWARE LOAD BALANCING LIGHTENS SERVER LOAD

Load balancing is the even distribution of computer processing and communication activities so that a server is not overwhelmed. Load balancing is especially important for networks where it is difficult to predict the number of requests that will be issued to a server.

Busy Web sites typically employ two or more Web servers in a load-balancing scheme. If one server starts to get swamped, requests are forwarded to another server with more capacity. Load balancing is therefore a service that is employed on more sophisticated site deployments.

Most service providers that offer managed hosting will provide load balancing services to their clients if they experience constantly heavy traffic on their Web sites. Multiplexing traffic amongst several servers permits better site availability. Load balancing therefore distributes traffic efficiently among network servers so that no individual server is overburdened.

In the early days of the technology, many load balancing solutions where implemented through customized domain name server configurations. This approach called “DNS round robin,” rotated incoming requests from Web browsers to multiple Web servers. The result was that all requests to the particular Web site were evenly distributed among all of the machines in the cluster.

The advantage of this system was that it was inexpensive, as a system administrator only needed to make a few changes in order to implement it. Its major disadvantages however was that DNS round robin did not support server affinity or high availability.

Server affinity is a load-balancing systems ability to manage a users requests, either to a specific server or any server, depending on whether session information is maintained on the server or at an underlying, database level. Without server affinity, DNS round robin could not by itself exercise control over incoming traffic without the aid of cookies, hidden fields or URL rewriting.

Due to its very nature of not being able to exercise this type of control, DNS round robin could not natively handle browser caching, since incoming requests were randomized. DNS round robin also had tremendous difficulties dealing with high availability, since the DNS system requires a large amount of time of propagate information and cache it throughout the network. As a result, DNS round robin is a more antiquated approach toward managing server load. Load balancing, however, is much more sophisticated today, because it is mainly implemented through appliances such as smart switches.

Hardware load balancers solve many of the problems faced by the round robin software solution through virtual server addressing. A load balancer shows a single, virtual server address to the outside world, which maps to the addresses of each server within the cluster. When a request comes to the load balancer, it rewrites the requests header to point to other machines in the cluster. If a machine is removed from the cluster, the request does not run the risk of hitting a dead server, since all of the machines in the cluster appear to have the same IP address. This address remains the same even if a node in the cluster is down. Moreover, cached DNS entries around the Internet are not a problem. When a response is returned, the client sees it coming from the hardware load balancer machine. In other words, the client is dealing with a single machine, the hardware load balancer.

Because one machine is dealing with the management of an entire cluster, server affinity and high availability is actually integrated into the hardware load balancer solution. Indeed, with the hardware solution, a service provider can offer fail-over services, cluster management, traffic routing and geographic load balancing across multiple sites and points of presence.

Hardware also is a much faster traffic routing solution because it is solid-state device that more efficiently processes requests than software on a server deployment can

Link load balancing is a key element in the overall network Intrusion Prevention effort. Expert Link Load Balancing guards the network against internal and external attacks such as viruses, worms, Trojans, anti-scanning and protocol anomalies. Above all hovers the ultimate link load balancing challenge and network threat – DOS - Denial of Service.

DNS Load Balancing

How DNS load balancing works
When the request comes to the DNS server to resolve the domain name, it gives out one of the several canonical names in a rotated order. This redirects the request to one of the several servers in a server group. Once the BIND feature of DNS resolves the domain to one of the servers, subsequent requests from the same client are sent to the same server.

DNS load balancing implementation (Multiple CNAMES)
This approach works for BIND 4 name servers, where multiple CNAMES are not considered as a configuration error. Assuming there are 4 web servers in the cluster configured with IP addresses 123.45.67.[1-4], add all of them to the DNS with Address records (A Names) as below. The srv[1-4] can be set to any name you want, such as foo[1-4], but should match the next step.

The DNS server will resolve the www.domain.com to one of the listed servers in a rotated manner. That will spread the requests over the group of servers.

Note: The requests sent to http://domain.com (without www) should be forwarded to http://www.domain.com in this case to work. For BIND 8 name servers, the above approach will throw an error for multiple CNAMES. This can be avoided by an explicit multiple CNAME configuration option as shown below.

DNS load balancing implementation (Multiple A Records)

This above approach with multiple CNAMES for one domain name is not a valid DNS server configuration for BIND 9 and above. In this case, multiple A records are used.

Server Load Balancing: Introduction

Why is load balancing of servers needed?

If there is only one web server responding to all the incoming HTTP requests for your website, the capacity of the web server may not be able to handle high volumes of incoming traffic once the website becomes popular. The websites pages will load slowly as some of the users will have to wait until the web server is free to process their requests. The increase in traffic and connections to your website can lead to a point where upgrading the server hardware will no longer be cost effective.

In order to achieve web server scalability, more servers need to be added to distribute the load among the group of servers, which is also known as a server cluster. The load distribution among these servers is known as a href= http://www.xrio.com/xrionet/TechnologySolutions/ISPLoadBalancing/tabid/83/Default.aspx target= _blank load balancing. Load balancing applies to all types of servers (application server, database server), however, we will be devoting this section for load balancing of web servers (HTTP server) only.

About load balancing mechanism - IP Spraying

When multiple web servers are present in a server group, the HTTP traffic needs to be evenly distributed among the servers. In the process, these servers must appear as one web server to the web client, for example an internet browser. The load balancing mechanism used for spreading HTTP requests is known as IP Spraying. The equipment used for IP spraying is also called the load dispatcher or network dispatcher or simply, the load balancer. In this case, the IP sprayer intercepts each HTTP request, and redirects them to a server in the server cluster. Depending on the type of sprayer involved, the architecture can provide scalability, load balancing and failover requirements.

Grinding Coffee is Never a Grind.

After years of collecting all the kitchen gadgets and labour-saving devices you could care to mention, I’m still prize my coffee grinder above all else. I drink gallons of coffee a week – a habit that really puts my coffee grinder through the mill, as it were, on a daily basis. You just can’t beat the taste of coffee brewed from freshly ground beans. Even the very act of grinding the beans myself is something I look forward to. It has become a ritual that connects me to my kitchen and stimulates every sense. The aroma is released, my mouth begins to water, my hands tingle as they grip the body of the grinder, my eyes are hypnotized by the whirling beans, and… well the noise is pretty awful actually. In our fast-track lives in which we often eat on the fly and seldom make the time to cook, it is a privilege to enjoy such as sensual feast in your kitchen every day.

I’m sure I’d be healthier if I drank less coffee, but I belong to a long line of coffee connoisseurs. I started my coffee drinking devotion long before I should have. I had watched my parents in the middle of a heated ‘discussion’ stop and purr as the first wonderful elixia reached made contact with the tips of their tongues. I came to associate that wonderful aroma with a sense of well-being and close-knittedness. I wanted to be part of the grinding and brewing process; I wanted to be the magician that made a brew that made everything perfect. I have my coffee, like the Japanese have their tea. If you’ve seen ‘Karate Kid,’ you’ll know where I’m coming from.

I can’t understand why coffee grinders seem to be overlooked as gift ideas. They may not make the most glamorous presents, but they always make an impact on the lives of those who use them. What could be better than a coffee grinder for Christmas? It fits snuggly into a decent-sized stocking, and just a few hours later, leaning back in your chair after dinner, you can be breathing in the aroma of freshly ground coffee as you sample your first cup. Grinders can be found at any major store or mall. There’s a grinder out there for you no matter whether you have 5 dollars to spend or fifty. My own modest grinder was bought about four years ago for 10 bucks. It has never let me down.

Giving a coffee grinder at Christmas, perhaps along with a carefully wrapped sample of premium beans, is the best gift I could imagine. I’ve given grinders to nearly all my family members over the years. As I’ve said, I come from a family of coffee drinkers, but I’ve also given coffee grinders as wedding gifts housewarming parties and even a college graduation. Funnily enough, nobody has ever bought me one. I guess they assume it’s something I don’t lack. My kitchen is more like my own cafĂ© than a food production area, and my coffee grinder holds centre stage on the counter.


Eoin Beckett is a freelance writer and editor. He writes both short fiction and non-fiction for both online and print publications. Although he stems from Ireland, since his teens he has lived in countries all over the world and has forgotten many - but not all - of the Irish songs he grew up with. He currently lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark.

A wonder of the modern age

Are you sick of having no room on your computer table, if so here are a few tips that might help you on your way?

If you still own one of those HUGE CRT monitors maybe it’s now a good idea to purchase one of the new more modern looking TFT monitors, they are a fifth of the size of cumbersome CRT monitors and much more aesthetic looking in the process.

Prices for a good CRT monitor have dropped considerably over the last 12 months and a 17” monitor which I find big enough for most uses can be purchased for around $200.

Other great purchases which are now the much smaller are compact keyboards, even a smaller than normal mouse can be bought for only a few dollars and are often more preferred for the female pc user.

Also you could always turn to a laptop which would be much more portable and you could have it anywhere in the home, making wireless networking a great idea, if you have broadband.

Being wireless enabled is now very cost effective and now the best thing about it is how simple it all is to put together, most laptops already come with the WIFI card built in.

Also if you travel a lot a laptop computer is a very indispensable bit of kit, they are also very versatile and extremely lightweight the Apple G4 iBook probably being the lightest one around at the moment.

I suppose the only downside to a laptop compared to a desktop is that if you are really into gaming it maybe doesn’t quite cut the mustard like the laptop, Laptops usually share memory between the CPU(central processing unit) and the GPU(graphics processing unit), saving a lot of space and helping reduce power consumption.

Organize Disk Drive Partition

1. What Is Disk Partitioning?

Partitioning creates a logical file structures on your hard disk so as to divide various potions of a hard disk to be used for different purposes such as a dual operating systems, storage or organizational purposes.

2. Why Partition Your Disk?

Partitioning your hard disk helps to categorize your files into logical groupings so that you can search for files and make changes more effectively. Folders are made for the same reason too. But partitioning provides better security.

a. Security

Most default primary partition is the C drive. This is the drive which your operating system and most other software applications are installed in. A useful way of protecting your data is to store your personal information into a separate disk partition. For example, if you are using a 80GB hard disk, you might want to partition it into two drives - drive C & drive D. Drive C will contain your operating system files and software applications such as your Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat, Antivirus, Photoshop etc. While drive D can be configured as a storage drive to store all your document files, JPEG, MP3 and other personal data.

It is understood that your most important files are those that are difficult or virtually impossible to replace. For example, if Microsoft Word would to crash, you can always reinstall the application to make it work again. However, if your document files are corrupted by a virus or worm you may need to spend money and precious time trying to recover your data. In some case, you may not be able to recover them if the damage is too severe. Statistics have shown that most viruses and worms are more likely to infect executable and system files compared to your MP3 or excel spreadsheets. Therefore, if one partition corrupts, only that partition suffers and hopefully not the whole drive.


b. Convenience

Another reason for storing your document files in a separate drive is the ease of manageability. Say in a scenario which your computer needs to be reformatted due to severe corruption, you can easily reformat drive C and be assured that all your documents in drive D remains intact. This will save you quite a bit of time trying to backup your documents, then restoring them back in your local drive after your computer is reformatted and working. In this way, should you decide to refresh your operating system or application, the stored data is not affected.

c. Dual Operating System

You may wish to install more than one operating system into your computer. For example you need to a Windows and Linux operating system. But both are unable to be installed in the same partition. By partitioning the disk, you separate two logical spaces to include each individual OS.


3. Evaluating Your Needs

Before you start, ask yourself the following questions to help you determine the kind of partitions to create:

1. Do you work more on documents than on software?

2. Does your job require you to install multiple software applications?

3. Does the size of your software exceed that of your documents?
The point here to is to study the ratio space to allocate for each partition. The choice of how you partition your disk is important because it affects both disk performance and efficiency. If you are a designer or sound engineer given a computer with 80GB of disk space, you probably would want to assign 25GB of capacity to your primary disk and 55GB to a secondary drive to contain all your media files. You can always adjust this ratio according to your needs. On the other hand, if you are a software tester or a hardcore gamer you would probably choose to assign 50GB to your primary disk and 30GB to the secondary drive for storage. Again, there is no fixed rule or a standard template and much is directly dependent on your needs and how you operate.


4. Understanding Partitions

The master boot record is the first record that resides in your hard disk. It is located at the first sector of the disk and the first program that runs each time you power up your computer. The master boot record contains 2 important structure - the master boot code and the master partition table. Both of which provides instructions and information to how your computer boots up. Due to its structure, a single hard disk is limited to 4 primary partitions. One of it will be assigned as the active partition to contains your operating system. Simply, You can create 4 primary partitions, or 3 primary partitions and 1 extended partition which can be subdivided into multiple logical partitions.

For example, you may want to spilt your 80GB disk as follows:
„h 40GB primary partition for your OS and software applications

„h 10GB for MP3 files

„h 15GB for Document files

„h 5GB for Miscellaneous files

„h 10GB for Archival files

A Brief History of Rugs and Carpets

Rugs and carpets have a rich history, only part of which is known. Ancient rugs are very rare because the earliest rugs were made of organic fibers. Organic fibers disintegrate speedily over time, thus preservation over thousands of years is extremely rare. What we do know is that the art of weaving is very old and dates back thousands of years.

Weaving began with rough, simple mats and baskets made of grasses, reeds, leaves, and other natural materials. The first true ‘rugs’ were probably rough cured skins used as floor coverings in the homes of early hunters. With tough, flexible backing and generally soft material (called ‘pile’), these rugs served to keep the home more warm and insulated.

There is evidence for weaving and the existence of rugs in ancient Mesopotamia and Turkey as far back as 7000 and 8000 B.C.E., and in Egypt (wool and cotton) as early as the third millennium B.C.E. Mongolia and China were also main players in the textile industry, and nomadic herders and Chinese weavers were among the first to develop and weave wool rugs.

Weaving developed in many other parts of the world in addition to Europe, including parts of the Americas as far back as 5500 B.C.E. Weavers began to use natural colors and gradually transitioned to using vegetable, flower, and insect materials.

Silk development in China, the ornate, intricate embroidery and designs of Turkey and Mongolia, and the development of more sophisticated looms and weaving techniques throughout the world lifted rug-making from necessity to art form.

Italian merchants first brought oriental rugs to Europe, where they were used as wall hangings and coverings. By 1600, France had developed a dominant weaver’s guild, and England wasn’t far behind. The 1700’s marked England’s emergence into the weaving industry, and by about 1830, a good portion of the wool produced in England was used for carpets.

Various machines were created to aid the process of weaving, and looms have become so sophisticated today that they run off of computer algorithms. Rugs were not widely available in the US and Europe until the onset of mass production and the invention of industrial grade machines.

The first steam-powered loom appeared in 1787, and by 1876, the invention of the Axminster loom, a machine that permitted unlimited use of color and design, boosted the production of carpets. The advent of synthetic fibers and tufted carpet (carpet manufactured by the insertion of tufts of yarn through a carpet-backing fabric) made mass production and purchase of carpets easier, faster, and less expensive.

What is CCTV?

CCTV is an acronym that stands for Closed Circuit Television. It is defined as the use of one or more cameras used for surveillance purposes. It was initially developed to increase bank security and has since spread to every corner of the security industry. Home security systems, businesses, corporations, organizations, and schools are several examples of locations that implement CCTV Security Systems.

When CCTV cameras first appeared in the public sphere, they were crude, low-definition cameras that only recorded in black and white. They were completely simple and lacked even the ability to pan or zoom. CCTV cameras today are smaller, sleeker, and far more technologically advanced than the cameras of yesterday.

They produce high quality, exceptionally sharp color images, and have motion sensors that track movement across an area. They can pick a person out of a crowd and lock on them, tracing their movements; they can run at night because of infrared technology. The possibilities are endless for CCTV, especially as the technology continues to develop.
Closed-circuit cameras are often used to discourage and deter crime. While they don’t necessarily eliminate crime, closed-circuit cameras do make it possible to identify events and suspects, making is easier to detect and prosecute those involved in a crime.

Another function that closed-circuit cameras serve is that of traffic monitors. Speed cameras are installed in various locations, taking a picture of your license plate and with the help of radar technology, recording your speed. In many cities in the US, you may receive a speeding ticket with a picture of your car and its clocked speed, or a picture of the exact moment you ran a red light.

They come in all shapes and sizes and can be installed anywhere, from your car and your handbag to police surveillance vans and taxis. They are ideal for purposes of security as they have the ability to recall events in real time at an accurate date and provide information that may lead to the detection and persecution of criminal activities.
Emerging technologies will make faster, quicker cameras that will be able to pick a face out of the crowd on command. They could be programmed to identify ‘criminal’ behavior by body movement that might signify a troublemaker, and zoom up on your face in an instant.

Banks, hospitals, institutions that deal in large sums of money, government buildings, and schools are several areas of the public sector where closed-circuit television cameras work well. The CCTV System is moving towards a completely computerized monitoring system that will eventually replace the current need for a CCTV operator and become a fully automated system.

Defining the World of Security Cameras

Finding the right security camera is difficult enough without having to wade through the terms and figure what the abbreviations and words actually mean. If you’re trying to do research on a security camera and frustrated with the multitude of terms that are unknown to the average user, here’s a list of the terms you’ll want to know. There are many more out there, but this is enough to get you started:

DVR: Digital Video Recorder, or ‘personal video recorder.’ Usually used when referring to a Security Camera System, you use a DVR to record broadcasts on a hard disk drive which can then be played back at a later time. The most well-known type of DVR is TiVO. They often come with standard features like motion detection, time and date stamping, and remote internet monitoring capabilities.

Motion Detection: Many cameras and DVRs are built with motion sensors to track movement securely.

Time and Date Stamping: Term used when a DVR records the date and time of an occurrence or recording.

Remote Internet Monitoring: Refers to using a camera like a Network IP Camera to record information and the ability to see that information live in real time from a distant location.

PC: Still refers to a personal computer.

PTZ: ‘Pan, Tilt, Zoom’ refers to the motion of a controllable or PTZ camera. Movement can go from left to right and up down, as well as zoom in and out on an object.

Infrared: A technology that uses heat sensors to detect objects in its surroundings. It was developed especially to ‘see’ in the dark.

Network IP Camera: refers to a type of camera that connects to the internet or a computer network via an IP address and can be viewed remotely from different locations.

DVR Card: Digital Recorder Card. Provides digital video recording capability so
that you can store video files from your security/surveillance system on your PC.

Camera Housing: Refers to the outer shell of a security camera. It serves to weatherproof, protect, and ‘house’ the camera from potential harm.

Quad Processor: four processors in one

Multiplexer: the multiplexer takes several separate digital data streams and combines them together into one data stream of a higher data rate. A multiplexer makes it easier to combine the data from several security cameras into one stream of information. This is system is a quicker and more effective way of processing information.

Multiple Output Power adaptor: a power adaptor that enables multiple outputs and is highly useful for a system that requires a good amount of power.

Security Camera Systems: General, broad term for the package that security companies often sell. They are usually a better deal than buying the items separately and come in a variety of choices. They usually include a security camera, Processor, Software, Cables, Power Adaptor, Monitor, VCR/DVR, and some come with a warrantee. This is one of the more basic kits; more deluxe options often entail other accessories.

Dome Security Cameras: Dome security cameras are ideal for use in building entrances, stores, and shopping malls; in short, anywhere you want a ‘fashionable’ camera that is designed to blend into its surrounding environment. Prettier and more appealing than its cousins, a Dome Camera offers high security and an increased surveillance capacity because of its non-invasive qualities.


PTZ (Pan, Tilt, Zoom) and Controllable Cameras: PTZ and Controllable Cameras are designed to be controlled by remote or through a DVR. They have the ability to move up and down as well as right and left. You can pan, tilt, and zoom in or out. You have all the control you want over these cameras, and they provide excellent surveillance and security.

Bullet Security Cameras: Bullet Security Cameras are a special type of small, sleek camera that that is ideal for both indoor and outdoor installation. Sealed in cylinders and totally protected, they are impermeable to water and are totally weatherproof. Mountable on the ceiling or on the wall, they provide sharp, detailed video images while maintaining low profile visibility and an unobtrusive presence.


Mini, Board and Covert Cameras: Just as they sound, mini cameras are small, tiny cameras that come in wireless options and can be used for increased, quiet security. Board cameras are tiny mini cameras set in small, flat housing, and are also highly useful in situations calling for more security and extremely low visibility. A Covert Camera is just what it sounds like. Like the mini and board cameras, covert cameras are intended for use for those that need increased security and a totally unobtrusive camera.

Pro Security Cameras: Professional Security Cameras are ideal for any and every purpose you might have. They can be mounted on ceiling brackets, on your wall, and indoors and outdoors. The professional line of security cameras, they are usually high resolution with clear, sharp image quality and detail. They come in color or black and white, and SONY is one of the better brands available.

How to select the printer

It is a daunting task to choose a printer without deciding what type you really require. You have to choose between an ink jet and a laser printer. After that you have to decide on the printer size essential for the tasks you require it to accomplish. You have to consider factors such as printer type, size, running costs and price and service availability.

There are mainly two types of printers in the market. The laser printers and inkjet printers are the only two choices available in the market. In the laser printer a laser beam is used to print the picture on the drum which is then transferred on to the paper. In the inkjet printer, however, ink is sprayed through tiny jets on to the page forming the image on the page. The difference between the two types of printers is the basic difference in the technology involved in them.

Inkjet printers are generally fairly versatile being able to print anything from spreadsheets to brochures to word documents to photos. Inkjet printers are particularly good at printing professional but inexpensive documents on a small quantity. Inkjets are designed to cope with only small print volumes, but they are also far more affordable than laser printers.

Another advantage of ink jet printers is that they are usually small and lightweight. Some also come with carry cases for easy portability. Hence they would be optimum for laptops and PDAs and such devices that require printing facilities. Their maintenance is also very easy with its spares readily available.

But, in case your requirement is for more advanced print jobs then you should think of buying a laser printer. Laser printers are made to take voluminous workloads and print at a much faster speed. And the quality of the print is far superior to that of the inkjet printer. That is why not only the laser printers cost more but even the consumables of the laser printer are more expensive. Laser printers are portable and can be carried from one place to another.
Sometimes they come with their own hard cover carry cases for convenience in shifting them around.

The two most popular and readily available printers are the ink jet printers and laser printers. The laser printer uses a laser beam to mark an image on a drum, which then fuses this image to the printer. On the other hand, the ink jet printer sprays ink through tiny jets on to the page without any laser imaging.