Archive for the ‘computer technology’ Category

Data Centre Failure

Thursday, August 14th, 2008
by Amy Nutt

There are many reasons in which a data centre can fail. It can be quite frustrating, so it is important to know what those reasons are so that you can prevent them or know what to do when they happen. Because a lot of data centers exist on a site separate from the computers that are retrieving data from them, it is important that data centers continue running. When they go down, all computers pulling from them from various places around a single country or even the world are not going to be able to retrieve any information. Such is true for customer service jobs in which customer information must be retrieved from a secure data centre that resides elsewhere. If that data center is not operating, money is lost because employees are unable to do their jobs and customers become very unhappy that their situation cannot be resolved.

Reasons why data centres fail

Some of the reasons why data centers fail can be prevented and then there are some ways in which they cannot. However, it is important to do what is necessary to ensure as few outages as possible.

Here are some reasons for failure:

- The “wear-in” phase ? This is the point in time in which the data center has just become operational. It is typical that certain things may fail as they are trying to become fully operational. It is like a toddler learning how to walk. The data center has to walk too, so it is good to let it run with minimal use and gradually build until it has gotten its legs. This involves comprehensive testing as the system usage increases in order to fix problems before they become a problem.

- The “wear-out” phase ? This is when the data center is reaching the end of its life. Regular maintenance and care will slow this process, but major parts will eventually wear out. It is ideal to consistently monitor the system in order to predict failure and avoid catastrophe.

- Power failure ? Power failure is devastating to anything that relies on it for operation. It is especially devastating to a data center. That is why it is important to have a generator or two ready to take over in case the power goes.

- Generator failure ? Generators need care too and they need to be tested. Power goes out and generators take over in order to keep the data center running. Generators have been known to go out and cause data center failure.

- Metal whiskers ? If the data center hardware is sitting on a metallic surface, then that metallic surface could grow zinc whiskers. These have been known to cause short circuits, especially in data centres. There are also tin whiskers that grow out from tin and they too cause shorts. Silver whiskers that grow on silver electrical contacts and gold whiskers that develop on gold plated services are also known to cause short outs. Large fans that suck the whiskers in can be used and the elements that produce them can be replaced.

Prevention is key

Prevention is the key to keeping your data center up and running. If any of these elements occur, it is good to stay calm and do what needs to be done to keep the problem from occurring again. If you have experienced generator failure, you may wish to invest in a backup to your main generator. If you?re building a new data center, be sure to use flooring that does not produce any type of metal whiskers that can short out your hardware. By being vigilant, you can ensure that your data center uptime will be at or near 100%.

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My Review Of GuruCreation SEO Services

Wednesday, August 13th, 2008
by test

I have long been a webmaster, looking at opportunity and building websites where I can. I have been in the webmaster community for years- and once I’m done with a project I am well aware that I need backlinks to get anywhere in search engine optimization. Thus, I tried out a service called GuruCreation, but quickly found out the results weren’t what I expected.

GuruCreation is the name of the service that I had found through a forum I visit. The service had many good replies, so I thought that the owner, Redgsr, would know how to handle my website and get me to the top of Google rankings. At this point I had no idea what I was getting into, and as the saying goes, ignorance is bliss.

To help keep things under control and make sure I wasn’t being two-timed, I kept a very close watch on my Google analytics account. And, lo and behold, I had found out a stunning fact of the GuruCreation service: it’s using another article distribution network that costed much less to use to gouge customers out of their money! I was in awe, but still waited for an explanation.

I got a report a little while later, and saw that I didn’t get what I had requested. The service GuruCreation advertised I would get over 100,000 backlinks- but I only got 100 in the long run. And even worse is the fact that after the Google duplicate content filter takes effect, I had little to no backlinks over the next couple of weeks. As it would seem, I got scammed out of my money for a service that wasn’t truthful about their actions.

Outraged, I immediately started sending emails to GuruCreation customers and told them of this scam, and started raising awareness of this SEO gone wrong. Whereas GuruCreation was charging up to $87 for article submission, ArticleMarketer was charging about this much for three months of unlimited submissions.

After everyone was notified, we all agreed that we would team up and let everyone know that GuruCreation and Redgsr are scamming customers all over the world. Instead of using GuruCreation, customers can go directly to ArticleMarketer and get the service for next to nothing, compared to the outrageous prices given by Redgsr.

Final Thoughts

If you can take anything from the advice given, be sure to note that GuruCreation is a scam to get more money out of clients that should go straight to ArticleMarkter- and not through the “middle man” that inflates prices through deception. Do your part- tell everyone you can that Redgsr and GuruCreation are scams!

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Printer Ink News

Thursday, July 24th, 2008
by Printer Wizard

Printer ink is said to be the most expensive substance on the planet, often costing thousands of dollars per litre. Printer ink is a $32 billion market worldwide. Printer ink is pricey no matter where you shop.

Inkjet printer ink is manufactured both by printer vendors and third-party vendors. The inkjet cartridge is a combination of speed and precision. Inkjet manufacturers have never lowered their prices or engaged in a price wars. Inkjet cartridge refills are one option that may save you money, although they can be messy to use. An easier alternative is to purchase compatible or remanufactured ink cartridges.

HP is currently the dominant company in the printing market, and a considerable portion of the company’s profits come from ink. The tactics employed by the printer manufacturers to maintain monopoly control over ink distribution for their printing products have become increasingly aggressive. According to Wilhelm Imaging Research and other reviewers, if you are primarily printing photos, select the OEM cartridge. However, printing at the maximum quality more than doubles the cost per print, so make sure to check your printer setting before starting that big print run..

On average, inkjet printers provide an ink efficiency of just 58 percent when used for photo printing purposes and 47 percent when used for printing business documents such as presentations. Durability is another important consideration for printed photos. The big three manufacturers (HP, Canon and Epson) all make archival inks for their middle and higher-end photo printers.

According to Wilhelm Imaging Research and other reviewers, if you are primarily printing photos, select the OEM cartridge. In cases where photo quality matched OEM ink photo quality, editors say that the store-brand inks produce inferior text quality. In tests using dedicated photo printers, aftermarket inks were less competitive. However, in nearly all cases, using the manufacturer’s ink and paper will ensure the best, longest lasting photo prints.

Quality Comparison I have personally tested thousands of both brand new printer ink cartridges and refilled or remanufactured printer ink cartridges and without a doubt the originals, produced by the printer manufacturer, are better in print quality. However, printing at the maximum quality more than doubles the cost per print.

If you print mainly text pages, aftermarket printer ink is fine. Everyone knows that printer ink is a swindle: they sell you the printer cheaply (or not so cheaply for higher-end professional models),then sell the colors - unremarkable commodities, let us not forget - at prices that would make a perfumer blush.

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Taking Advantage with Lexmark Ink Cartridges

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008
by Alan Wilson

Lexmark ink cartridges are designed with superb quality to work compatibly with several Lexmark inkjet printers. Inkjet cartridges vary in selections suited to the printer model. Depending on the printing functions deemed by the customers, an appropriate accessory specific to a printer model is available. There are different kinds available for different purposes such as print quantities, expected quality, speed, features, paper types and even size of the actual printer. Businesses and home use have different inkjet printer needs. Lexmark ink cartridges are incorporated and fully useable with their print products.

Coming a long way since the early 90’s

Lexmark started as one of IBM?s groups in 1991. Later on, the company went public and detached itself from IBM in 1995. In the process, it had to do away with all the IBM logos printed on its products such as the laser, dot matrix, and inkjet printers. Lexmark became the first company to release a printer in the market that costs below 100 USD. It also made history by being the first to develop printing in 4800 x 1200 and 3600 x 1200 dpi resolutions. Moreover, in the world of photo printing, it pioneered in developing a stand-alone photo printer.

Today, reaching over 150 countries, Lexmark is known to be one of the key players in developing, manufacturing, and supplying different printing and imaging solutions including accessories such as inkjet cartridges and copiers. Their products are designed to cater to the varying needs of those customers at home, those running small enterprises, and up to those in large organizations.

In caring for your printer, you should take into consideration the quality of the inkjet cartridge you install. And there is no better solution than buying original Lexmark inkjet cartridges to suit your printing needs. Looking around, you may find lower-priced cartridges that claim to offer the same quality of printing. But keep in mind that once printer-ink compatibility is jeopardized, you are increasing the risk of damaging your printer. At first you may not feel the difference but the amount that you saved from buying the less-reliable cartridges may not be enough to cover the damages your printer may incur in the long run.

To maintain the level of performance of your inkjet printer, you should always install a compatible inkjet cartridge. With the quality and reliability of Lexmark inkjet cartridges, as backed up by the company?s history and reputation, it is the choice if you are going for the best.

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Repair Registry Errors for a Speedy PC

Sunday, July 20th, 2008
by James Daystone

Is your computer running slowly or are you suffering from overall poor performance? The problem is likely hiding right there on your computer in the form of registry errors. Registry errors are a leading cause of many everyday computer errors. Learn more about your Windows registry and how to make sure it is running smoothly in this article.

So What is the Windows Registry?

The Windows registry is the place on your computer where Windows maintains important information about your settings and configuration. Every program that you have on your computer is represented in your Windows registry. The registry is a very important part of your computer and your computer requires a clean registry to run well. If the registry has problems, you will discover errors, crashes and other problems. Plenty of common computer problems are caused by registry problems.

What Types of Problems Can a Bad Registry Result In?

Poor overall performance is one way to tell if you have registry problems. Registry errors can cause your computer to run sluggishly, throw errors or even crash. Actually, there are many symptoms related to problems with the registry. The only way to know for certain if your registry is at fault for your computer problems is to download a free registry scanner and let it scan your computer for any errors.

Can Registry Errors Be Repaired?

To get rid of registry errors and the hassle that they bring with them, you will need to clean your Windows registry. The simple way to do this is to download a registry repair software and let the software automatically take care of any errors that it finds on your computer. Using registry repair software is easy to do for anyone and the entire process is very quick. After it’s all over, your computer will run better than before and be free of errors!

The first thing to do if you are looking to fix your registry is to download and install a free registry cleaner. This is the tool that you will use to find errors and repair them automatically. Simply run the software on your computer and it will go and find hidden problems in your registry automatically. After the scan is complete, you will be able to see how many errors you have. Next, allow the software to repair the problems that it discovered and in minutes it’s all done. It’s true, repairing your registry is really as easy as that.

At this point you may be curious about what registry cleaner to use. Among the top registry cleaners, theres little difference in basic functionality. The big differences come from the user end. Because I like my registry cleaner to be both easy and powerful, I use RegCure. If you want to give it a try, I left a free download link below for you. Another cool feature of RegCure is that I can set it to clean my registry automatically with the scheduler. By cleaning the registry regularly, you can prevent many of these problems from occurring again.

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SQL Injection Prevention Guidelines For Developers

Thursday, July 17th, 2008
by Chris Channing

One of the biggest flaws in the PHP language is the fact that it allows for web developers to make very big mistakes in regards to security. One example of this is through SQL injections- an exploit that malicious users take advantage of when web developers don’t accurately safeguard their application.

An SQL injection attack is, simply put, a vulnerability in the SQL query that programmers unwittingly leave wide open. When a web developer calls an SQL query, he or she will commonly forget to escape quotes that the user might input. Users might input text such as “MyVariable’ OR 1=1–” ; this line will actually give the malicious user to your database!

Magic quotes have long helped web developers secure their SQL query statements. But as it stands today, this function is depreciated and no longer in use. Magic quotes have received a bad reputation since they do escape quotes- but they do so on the entire input, and not necessarily just a certain field we need to escape. Magic quotes are a hassle, and can even lead to performance issues. Thus, developers tend to ignore them.

Using the “mysql_real_escape_string()” function will enable web developers to escape quotes properly. And unlike magic quotes, this function will only escape quotes that we need. Keep in mind that when using this function, it may be necessary to use the “striplslashes()” function to counteract the slashes that are being outputted as a result.

Oddly enough, we can create a greater sense of security through creating more user accounts via our SQL program. We can assign different types of access to different users, which would make it quite hard for attackers to get full access to our database should they find a hole somewhere. Having a user for creating, deleting, and inserting data is a good idea to help split up responsibility.

It should be noted that programs and web applications that stop SQL injections should not be obtained- since they commonly cost quite a bit of money. As long as webmasters take precautions with what they create, there should be no reason to spend hundreds of dollars on software that only makes use of escape characters and formatting data correctly. This type of application is created to con webmasters into buying something they don’t need- so dont fall victim to them!

In Conclusion

SQL injections are never a pretty sight. They ruin databases, can be a security risk to users of the website, and they even can destroy entire websites. Thus, it’s good to either hire developers that know what they are doing or to brush up on some security topics by one’s self. Doing so can save a world of hurt for a webmaster, as well as quite a bit of money from not having to buy mock applications that claim to do the “hard work” for webmasters. In the end, it’s recommended developers pick up a good book or visit their favorite PHP security websites to stay informed.

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A Brief Infroduction To CRM Software

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
by Ray Lam

CRM is the accepted purpose of Customer Relationship Management is to enable organizations to better manage their customers through the introduction of reliable processes and procedures for interacting with those customers. In today’s competitive business environment, a successful CRM software solution cannot be implemented by only installing and integrating CRM software application designed to support CRM processes.

A good CRM System helps to manage the entire customer related functions with a completely integrated software. Right from generating the leads till the time of converting it to a sale could be tracked through this software. Apart from this, the CRM software should be able to process the functions related after sales service and dealer authorization etc.

A good CRM calls for using latest technology and analytical tools. The data collected through CRM software is very valuable in terms deciding the future of the company and for other major activities related to improving customer satisfaction and thereby profits. A good CRM system also offers the users complete control over their operation and added security for the data.

Implementation of CRM Package should be done with utmost care. While the core of the CRM Software remains the same, many of its other functions can be customized for the end user. An expert CRM consultant can offer you customized reports, which can be generated through the CRM data already gathered.

On-time information and ready availability of relevant data provides for better decision making and an overall improvement in the operation of business. CRM software has a positive effect on all functions of a business and assists in management reporting at all levels. CRM Software is very valuable in the level of insight it allows into your business and enables you to modify it as per the market requirement. It is a great way of becoming more responsive to the tastes and needs of your customer.

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A Look At Technology In Modern Mobile Phones

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
by Chris Channing

There has been much development in recent years when considering the mobile phone industry. Mobile phones are becoming vastly popular- often replacing landline phones because of their better features and mobility. And with newer technologies coming out each day, the mobile phone is starting to become a technological powerhouse.

Digital cameras are a popular topic among photographers. But so too are mobile phones, which have recently started to excel in raising the quality of resolution and picture quality that is able to be taken. Mobile phones can’t replace the more expensive digital cameras, but they are indeed catching up regardless. For most photography needs, a mobile phone can now fit the situation with an easy solution.

Networking and social contact among mobile phone users is becoming strong every day. With technologies such as infrared, Bluetooth, and fully functioning wireless cards, it’s now possible to share and send media in seconds flat. In years to come, battery life will continue to become less of a problem with such technologies and we could even start seeing social networking platforms emerge.

We’ve all heard of the Nokia N-Gage. It was supposed to be the revolutionary consumer phone that also doubled over as a video game platform. Mobile phones haven’t quite lived up to the hype that the N-Gage had, but they are making leaps and bounds in the gaming department regardless. Some mobile phones can allow support for fully 3D games, as well as many different kinds of visually appealing 2D games.

Also beneficial to mobile phone users is the fact that mobile phone networks are becoming faster, more dependable, and maintain larger areas of coverage. Current trends in mobile phones are shifting towards the 3G network, which has taken advantage of high speed networks to deliver content faster and more reliably. The upcoming 4G network is also expected to make quite a stir in the mobile phone community as well.

And of course, lest we forget, the GPS craze that has been sweeping the world is also starting to rewrite the way we think of mobile phones. Already mobile phones can tell emergency responders where a caller is based on the global positioning network they make use of. This technology is also starting to hit consumers in the form of driving directions, estimating time until a destination is reached, and even calculating speed or fuel efficiency. Whatever the case, the GPS industry is quickly becoming standard among consumer electronics of present and future technologies.

Final Thoughts

It’s tough to tell where the mobile industry is going, but it’s easy to say where it’s been. The mobile phone industry has made considerable progress over the years, and there is no signs in showing that this progress is slowing down any. Mobile users get the benefit of this upstart in technological advances, although it doesn’t always come cheap. It won’t be long until mobile phones become multi-use consumer electronics, but many would attest that they have already become so with their vast features and options.

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Options In Enforcing Security In Cisco Routers

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
by Zachary Schuessler

Cisco is the leader in routing and switching devices, but they aren’t without their problems. Routers need to be secured with several different configurations so as to best ensure a network is not vulnerable to outside attack. How to configure the Cisco router becomes the task, and with what commands is the problem.

The outdated version of the password protection routines is the enable password command. Enable password puts a password on the privileged mode of the Cisco router, although there are some large flaws with this command. First and foremost, the command is stored as clear text, which is a phrase that describes a password stored without encryption.

For those who favor encryption, and we all should, computer network technicians should instead opt for the enable secret command. Enable secret is a command introduced in more recent years for storing the password required to get into privileged mode in encryption. This encryption comes in handy in several cases, with notable benefit to be seen in the running configuration.

The enable secret command is the better password handling command, although enable password is still able to be used. Cisco router operating systems before version 10.3, the enable password is the only command that is able to be used. In such a case, it’s important for computer network technicians to upgrade to the latest IOS version for better security.

In the end, network administrators will receive much benefit from shielding the running configuration of a Cisco router from hackers and other malicious users. Even small bits of help here and there in network security can mean a large difference in how the network maintains itself in the long run, so be sure to upgrade to the latest IOS and make use of the new password command Cisco offers.

In Conclusion

Cisco routers aren’t a safety hazard by any means, but updating to the latest IOS version and taking advantage of newer commands such as “Enable secret” is the best bet in keeping the computer network up and running for months to come without hassle. For further information, consult Cicso articles and other Internet resources to learn how to actually go about the process of using Enable secret.

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How Technology Empowers Mobile Phones Of Today

Sunday, July 13th, 2008
by Chris Channing

There has been much development in recent years when considering the mobile phone industry. Mobile phones are becoming vastly popular- often replacing landline phones because of their better features and mobility. And with newer technologies coming out each day, the mobile phone is starting to become a technological powerhouse.

For those who are a photographer at heart, the mobile phone is a great way to take pictures on the go. Mobile phones are commonly about the same size as a digital camera, and recent technologies have enabled them to be on par in terms of resolution and picture quality. It isn’t uncommon to see a 6 mega-pixel camera on today’s market- something that was unheard of just 10 years ago!

There has been much to enjoy from the networking side of things when concerning mobile phones as well. Networking was previously deemed a wire-ridden technology, although it is fast becoming wireless and easier to send and share data in just minutes. While wireless technology still has room to grow, already mobile phone users are using it to connect to the Internet, share data, and connect to friends and family.

We’ve all heard of the Nokia N-Gage. It was supposed to be the revolutionary consumer phone that also doubled over as a video game platform. Mobile phones haven’t quite lived up to the hype that the N-Gage had, but they are making leaps and bounds in the gaming department regardless. Some mobile phones can allow support for fully 3D games, as well as many different kinds of visually appealing 2D games.

A big topic in mobile phone industries today is the usage of the 3G network. The 3G network stands for “third generation,” in which the previous two were slower, less functional, and less appeasing to customers. The next generation, 4G, is likewise slated to be faster, better, and stronger than that of previous mobile networks. It’s an exciting race coming up to see who can build the best network- either way, consumers win.

Lastly, mobile phone companies are now starting to input innovative features such as the global positioning system as an everyday feature for consumers. Already, mobile phones are able to send emergency hotlines location data for those who are on their mobile phone at the time of the call. This functionality is being extended to the consumer range for applications such as finding a certain location, getting driving instructions, and even estimated times of arrival. There is still room for expansion, but already the GPS is proving to be a vital consumer application in mobile phones.

In Conclusion

It’s tough to tell where the mobile industry is going, but it’s easy to say where it’s been. The mobile phone industry has made considerable progress over the years, and there is no signs in showing that this progress is slowing down any. Mobile users get the benefit of this upstart in technological advances, although it doesn’t always come cheap. It won’t be long until mobile phones become multi-use consumer electronics, but many would attest that they have already become so with their vast features and options.

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