Get Down With MySpace Backgrounds

Using MySpace backgrounds is a great deal of fun. Since you have thousands and thousands to choose from, there will be the need to have some patience as well. You can really have a great time picking these backgrounds because there will unique designs and plenty to look at. If you have a boring profile, it will not attract many users. Though there are millions of users on MySpace, most of them will overlook the profile because it is dull. You can make the profile interesting by using various backgrounds to enlighten content that you write. You could be blogging about something very interesting, but if you do not have a good background for that section, it might be ignored. Thus having good MySpace backgrounds will enhance the profile a great deal. You can really let your imagination run wild with the use of these, as there could be a variety that you can apply. You can also keep changing them as you please. You might want to use various ones, as there could be a change in the content. You might be updating your profile often, and accordingly you can choose the themes as you please. Updating backgrounds will be a very good idea, as you never know if the same people could visit your profile more than once. So once you customize accordingly, there will be a much better look to your profile. These changes will help you have a better chance of making more friends. MySpace backgrounds are very easy to apply as well, and this could be the reason why you can make the profile very exciting. You can search for them according to the themes you want, as that will be much easier. You can narrow down the search for the backgrounds, and find them on the appropriate sites. Since there are various themes that you can choose from, you can get as versatile as you can. The use of these backgrounds will play a very important role in the profile, as you will have many people who would be interested in you. As you never know who is going to be part of this visit, you can make sure to get the best that you can for the profile. You will not have a shortage of the backgrounds to choose from, and you can play with the designs as much as you can. You can pick something that would be unique, or something that you think someone else will not use. This will be very helpful, as it would give a unique look to your profile. MySpace backgrounds need not be used with any technical expertise, but with a very creative outlook. This will go a long way in making the profile different from the others.

Get away from it all

Haven't you ever had time you wanted to get away from it all? In March/April 1978, www.motherearthnews.com published a story about a couple who bought McLeod's Island — a 90-acre island off the coast of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. They have a few animals, spend very little on groceries, and are pretty well sustained by the island itself. Although it does present them with some challenges: "The sea, you know, is not called "restless" for nothing. A glass-smooth bay (as we've learned so well!) can churn-sometimes seemingly in seconds-into a windswept chaos of currents and combers. We've also seen that same bay (the one in which our island is located) thaw and then completely refreeze in just hours on a single December day. Winters up here can be especially variable. Continual spring-like thaws throughout 1976's cold season, for instance, kept our bay filled with slushy ice that was too thick to push a boat through ... but too dangerous for even a fox to walk on. We were marooned for three full months, from the first of January until the end of March. Last winter's record cold snap, on the other hand, filled the bay so solidly with pack ice that we could hike back and forth to the mainland for our mail and toboggan loads of supplies any time we wanted." For some of us, we find the Internet gives us the freedom to be able to work and live almost any place we want to. These people didn't have that luxury. I use the past tense as I can't find any current information about them. Who knows? Maybe the tide swept the out to sea. Life is full of sacrifices. Some are just more dear than others. Still, I don't think buying an island is in my future. You can read the whole article here. http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/1978_March_April/We_Homesteaded_an_Island

Gagner A la Roulette

Depuis que la roulette est considérée comme un jeu de chance, tout le monde pense qu'il doit exister plus ou moins de trucs pouvant vous faciliter vos jeux. Mais ceci n'est pas toujours vrai. Bien que quelques conseils d'experts puissent vous être donnés, sachez que nulle stratégie n'est fiable à 100%. En voici cependant quelques une. Essayez la Roulette Européenne: généralement, vous trouverez sur les sites de casino en ligne deux types de roulettes: l'européenne et l'américaine. La seule différence entre les deux et le nombre de cases de zéro existant sur le cylindre. L'européenne n'en comprend qu'une, alors que l'américaine en dispose de deux. Cette différenciation s'explique par l'avantage pris par la maison ( ou casino). Avec un seul zéro, l'avantage de la maison est diminué de moitié, ce qui vous permet d'accroître vos chances de gagner. Apprenez à bien miser: les paris sur numéros simples sont la pire chose à faire dans tous les jeux de casinos existants. L'avantage de la maison est si important lorsque vous pariez sur un nombre simple qu'il vous est presque impossible de remporter quelque gain que ce soit. De plus, avant de pouvoir gagner, il vous faudra miser énormément auparavant. Les meilleurs paris restent donc ceux dont l'avantage de la maison est le plus faible. Jouez pour le plaisir. Quand vous jouez pour le plaisir, vous êtes d'avantage détendu et plus apte à prendre de bonnes décisions, ce qui est loin d'être le cas lorsque vous vous trouvez en état de stress, soumis à la pression de devoir remporter de l'argent. Dans ce cas ci, vous pouvez le payer très cher car votre compréhension du jeu est altérée et vous pousse à commettre d'inévitables erreurs. Etablissez votre budget. Ce conseil est valable pour tous les jeux d'argent, sans restrictions aucune. Ne jouez jamais sans avoir au préalable déterminé votre budget. Ne jouez qu'avec la somme prévue et jamais d'avantage. En effet, si vous pensez jouez d'avantage que cela, il ne s'agira plus dès lors d'un simple petit problème financier à court terme mais d'un véritable gouffre sur le long terme, et la limite est fine avant d'être considéré comme joueur problématique et se retrouver interdit de casino. Mettez de coté ce que vous venez de gagner. A nouveau, ce conseil, avec le précédent, est l'un des meilleurs. En remisant ce que vous venez de gagner, si le tour précédant vous perdez, rien de dramatique n'est arrivé à votre budget. En revanche, si vous misez tout le temps avec vos gains et que vous perdez à chaque coup, il ne vous restera dès lors plus rien. Et entre nous, il vaut mieux repartir avec un petit quelque chose que rien du tout. Ne laissez jamais vos gains sur le tapis car en cas de perte, vous perdrez tout, très vite. Entrainez vous. Rendez-vous sur un casino en ligne et jouez des parties gratuites en mode démo afin de vous familiariser avec le jeu. Il n'y a rien de pire que de se rendre à un jeu dont on ne maîtrise pas les règles et de pariez au bon vent la chance. Lisez avant tout les règles des jeux, puis allez sur le mode démo et jouez y régulièrement jusqu'à ce que vous vous sentiez prêt à passer le cap du mode réel.

FTA keys

In the last five to six years the FTA satellite receiver has become an everyday household electronic device. People all over the world are buying free to air receivers because of their growing and always evolving features and capabilities. FTA receivers these days are gaining popularity all over. Starting initially in Europe, the craze spread globally shortly after. With FTA satellite TV being available in almost every country across the globe, FTA satellite is the wave of the TV future. Free to air satellite TV channels are free. You can connect your receiver up to multiple satellite dishes and point your dish at different satellites in space. There are thousands of 100% free satellites in space with limited channels per satellite. Some free to air channels include PBS, International channels, and locals. These companies broadcast their signal for free. The majority of people with FTA receivers don't point their dishes at these satellites. Infact, people all over the world including North America are reprogramming their boxes so they can point their dishes at real satellite TV and watch channels for free. This is actually where FTA keys come into play. In order to watch FTA satellite TV this way. You need to be constantly entering what are called FTA keys or Dish keys into your receiver so that your receiver can keep itself updated with the satellites in space. This enables you to watch TV. Because the keys are constantly changing and always need to be entered manually each time a key change occurs, this presents a problem and inconvenience to the user. This is why people program files called autoroll bins on to their receivers. Autoroll files automatically roll the keys over to the new keys everytime they change. These are what people often refer to as FTA fixes. FTA fixes fix your receiver essentially by getting your channels to work with very little human interaction other than initially programming the new FTA file to your receiver a few times a year. FTA files don't work forever, they also go down from time to time and the user will have to load the new autoroll bins. Usually people get their autoroll bin files from sources like FTA Support websites. FTA Support sites offer a complete support service to their members giving them all the software, files, keys, and online technical support they'll ever need to keep themsselves always up and watching TV. FTA support sites usually include online support and troubleshooting via email and they usually have all the downloads and setup instructions you'll ever need to get your receiver working all the time. FTA receivers are getting bigger and better offering new innovative and experimental ideas and technologies that keep them interesting all the time. Many new features FTA receiver owners have learned to love are 7 day EPG (electronic program guides), PVR functions (record, pause, and rewind live TV), DivX movie watching capabilities, and many more little features and add-ons that keep things very interative and enjoyable.

Free MySpace Layouts to perk up your life

If you were to go to a friends or another members' page on one of the social networking sites and discover tons of fun stuff and pictures, wouldn’t that surprise you? You would also want to incorporate free MySpace Layouts in your page. So, you need to make use of the free MySpace Layouts to find a profile or a layout that is a reflection of who you are and not just something to ad color to your page. An easy way to personalize your page is by using any of the free MySpace Layouts available on the net and custom design a cool contact box for your page for this, you can select from the wide choice of fonts available, create your own text and insert a picture of your choice to place in the text. Now, you are ready to bring all these pieces together and find a suitable background from free MySpace Layouts to finish the page. So, the next time one of your friends or family members visit your page, the free MySpace Layouts will give them a lovely surprise. Using similar logic for the contact box, and comments area, you can even create your own background using an image you found on the net or from your saved folders. This gives you complete freedom and the ability to come up with something original instead of searching from the millions of websites with free MySpace Layouts. This way your page will reflect who part of your family are and what kind of a person you are. This will help people connect with you, and makes more sense when talking to someone who is just an online friend. Some of the users might be familiar and comfortable using HTML coding, while others would not have a clue. This does not mean that you cannot make use of free MySpace Layouts or create your own layouts. Yes, it is true that having some knowledge in HTML can make it easier in creating your own MySpace profile; but you can take the help of someone who knows how to play around with the coding to help you out. If you want to express your individuality and allow others to know what your interests are, you can make maximum use of free MySpace Layouts and create miracles. If you are not the risk taking kind of a person, you can stick to one of the pre- made free MySpace Layouts. And once you are comfortable with finding or making changes to the existing ones, you can create your own range of free MySpace Layouts. After all, it makes more sense to have something that has you written all over it. A little bit can go a long way with free MySpace Layouts, and this goes to show that it is not rocket science, but just needs a bit of time and patience.

Free Myspace Backgrounds Can Do Wonders

Myspace allows any member to be very versatile, and they can set up their profile in various ways. They have access not only to free layouts in Myspace, as there are free Myspace backgrounds too. Almost any member with this online community will know that there are plenty of free backgrounds to be used from various sites. Getting access to these free Myspace backgrounds is also an easy task, where users may look at various sites to get what they want. The variety is also stunning, and there would seem a never-ending flow of backgrounds, out of which any one of them will be creative for the profile. However, if chosen well to blend with the theme of the profile, it will be much better to look at. Free Myspace background work very simply, which is a reason for the popularity of its use. Besides being accessible to all members at no cost, the application is easy as well. It works the same way as layouts, and all members have to do is copy paste the particular code of the background to the home page of the profile. The free backgrounds for Myspace are sorted out categorically and that is why it can do wonders. As it has such a large variety, they seem to be very confusing, but in reality they offer innovative options. The number of backgrounds that a user can use will be endless. These free Myspace backgrounds can do wonders for a person’s profile, as it will break away from the monotony of the regular ones. The profile parts will also be colorful and versatile, compared to what is offered initially. Those used these free Myspace background will understand that the use will give a totally different look and feel to the profile when applied. They will not only create individuality, it obviously speaks of what the person is interested in too. All members should try out these free Myspace backgrounds, as the options are amazing. No other social networking site offers such options, and the users must make the most of these sites. Various categories are offered too, with cartoons, flowers, special backgrounds for occasions etc. Don’t forget, what make Myspace backgrounds unique are its various features. A profile should be touched up with these backgrounds, as they are of so many various categories that it would be impossible to ignore. Free backgrounds can be checked with support forums if any members have doubts about how they have to be used. They might encounter problems with the usage of some free backgrounds, and they can do the same. No matter what occasion it is, you can decorate the profile, as you need. Thus it allows the profile to get a lot of variety and different looks as well. The backgrounds are available in such large numbers that it would perfectly suit the profile in any way.

Free ISP

Is There Such A Thing As Free ISP? As a matter of fact, there really is such a thing as a free Internet Service Provider or free ISP, for short. Most Internet service providers offer service for a small monthly charge. Most people are surprised to learn that there are companies that offer free Internet service. This is much more than the free trials offered on the discs everyone receives in the mail. These ISPs actually offer free Internet service, and not for just a trial period. You might wonder how it is that these ISPs can offer free service when everyone else is paying for it. The answer to that is really no surprise at all. It is advertising, the funding that is behind nearly every free product. For example, there are a variety of sites that offer free MP3 downloads. The catch is that these downloads arrive with a ton of pop-up advertisements, just like the free ISPs. These pop-ups can create a real problem on free Internet service because there are so many of them. They can even cause your computer to freeze up and generally make it extremely difficult to navigate the Internet. Another concern with these free ISPs is that they may not offer the free Internet deal in your area. If there is no local dial-up number for you, it can turn into big charges on your telephone. Some of these free ISPs also put a limit on the number of hours you can spend on the Internet. Also, the features available with commercial ISPs are often lacking in the free ISPs. An ISP that charges for their service is always coming up with new and better features for their customers. Free ISPs do not make that kind of effort. The quality of the connection can also be a problem with free ISPs. You may find you have poor connections with constant interruptions. Still, you may want to find an ISP that is a step up from the free ISPs. The answer may actually be with the free ISP company. Many of them offer a better package for paying customers. This is often at a lower cost than other commercial ISPs. Many companies offer free Internet service as an incentive to try out their service. What they are hoping is that customer will like their service more than a competitor and decide to upgrade to unlimited Internet access. It is always a good idea to read and fully understand the terms and conditions of any ISP before you sign anything. This is especially true when you are making an agreement for free Internet access. Make sure that they are offering exactly what they say they are, and you are aware of any conditions. Double-check any time limits on your Internet access, and know the fees for going over your limit. Last of all, make sure you know ahead of time about any long distance charges or other charges that may actually apply for your free ISP.

Flat Panel Monitor: Function Or Fad?

The question is should I spend the extra several bills to purchase a flat panel monitor, or should I stick the fad out with my very functional regular box monitor? The answer is that there is no answer. There are basically two things that I see that are attractive about the new monitors that are sweeping across the world, into consumers homes, at an incredible rate. First they are attractive, low profile, elegant and refined. Second they take up less room and weigh less than the typical box-type monitor that has been with us for decades. What I don’t see a difference in is everything else. When I say everything else I am talking about quality of graphic both as far as color and clarity, efficiency of power usage, compatibility with other types of media (TV, DVD, etc.), and cost. Wait… that last one that is wrong. There definitely is a difference in price and that is the biggest reason why I think that I will wait until the fad of the flat panel monitor is out the window and the prices for these admittedly attractive looking machines is down to earth and worth their weight (which is considerably less as mentioned above. Now I have been strictly talking about computer monitors in this discussion about flat panel monitor pros and cons. What I should mention next is the TV which I take a very different tone. I think that there are enough cool things about the flat screen TV that I would be willing to pay a good bit more for one of them than for the box TV. HOWEVER I still think that the price tag on these beautiful creatures is a bit exorbitant and I will have to wait until they come back down to earth. So why do I think the TV flat panel monitors are so cool. Well for one the thought of being able to hang your TV on the wall is one of the coolest things that I have heard of. That is about the best savings of room that I can imagine for a TV. The other thing is that the picture quality on these TVs is head and shoulders above the rest of the TVs that are equal in sized but not flatness. The plasma screen allows higher resolution and better image quality without the distortion that you get from a rounded screen.

Flat Panel Computer Monitors Offer Many Benefits to Consumers

Flat panel computer monitors are all the rage these days. We live in an overcrowded world and anything that saves space is a great thing. In fact, many of the newer computer desks are set up to take these monitors into consideration. It won’t be long before the flat panel computer monitors are the standard. In the meantime, those of us with the clunky old huge monitors can look at those with the sleeker slimmer flat panel computer monitors with envy. If you haven’t seen one you should really check them out. They come in many sizes and with many different price ranges. Depending on what you use your computer for, you may find that you can do quite well with one of the lower end flat panel computer monitors. If you use a lot of high-end graphics intensive functions on your computer you will want one of the better quality (and more expensive flat panel computer monitors). These flat panel monitors not only save space, but they are much more environmentally friendly. Less parts to get rid of once they need replacing, this means they take up less space in landfills. They consume less energy and they have fewer emissions than traditional CRT monitors. These small favors add up when you consider how many households worldwide own computers. Not only are these monitors more environmentally friendly, they are also work place friendly. They are easier on the eyes of workers and free up desk space to allow for more productivity in smaller spaces. With larger companies paying a premium for office space every little thing that results in needing less space is a good thing for overhead expenses, not to mention anything that can increase productivity. Flat panel computer monitors offer many benefits to the average consumer. Check them out and see if one of these might be well on its way to your wish list.

Five steps to find top quality CD or DVD duplication services

With CD and DVD becoming the preferred means of sharing and distributing content particularly in the music industry, film industry and software industry, the demand for high quality CD or DVD duplication has shot through the roof. Since these industries need to make copies of their releases in bulk, they have to keep a strict watch over quality control. Some companies, particularly in the music, films and software industry, have their in-house CD and DVD duplication services. There are scores of other companies that need to outsource CD or DVD duplication services to distribute their content – such as advertisements, games, corporate presentations, media kits, e-learning solutions, reports and documents in digitized format, etc. For example, a company announcing a product launch through a short promotional film printed on a CD and distributed along with a popular magazine would need to print copies of the CD in bulk. Although there is no dearth of companies providing professional CD or DVD duplication services, it is undoubtedly a technology-intensive job and requires high level of technical expertise. Therefore certain things are needed to be kept in mind before opting for a particular CD or DVD duplication service provider. Here are five steps you need to take to find a top quality CD or DVD duplication service provider: 1. Find a place providing a guarantee The service provider you choose has to be the one who can guarantee against its work quality. This guarantee should protect your CD and all of its content. All of your copies should be correctly formatted with no errors or discrepancies. The CD or DVD duplication services should also guarantee a time frame for your CDs/DVDs to be done. 2. Provider should employ the latest technology The next set of tips you can use is to find CD or DVD duplication services that employ the newest and latest technology to produce the duplications. Some of these can be operated by a computer and some of then can even operate without the use of a computer. When you check around for duplication services, ask the staff about the technology they use. If the staff does not seem very knowledgeable about what they use for their CD duplication, then you probably shouldn't use them for your duplications.

Finding The Right Property Rental Software

If you run or manage a busy property rental agency, then you may be considering buying some software to automate the lettings process – making your office more efficient and cost-effective. There are many different software packages on the market, so how do you choose which is right for you? When you are looking at software suppliers, ask the following questions: 1. Do you offer a free trial? Software developers and suppliers who are confident about the quality of their software will usually offer a free trial. This lets you see exactly how the software would work in the context of your business, and allows you to compare it with other packages you may have worked with or trialled previously. Software can be expensive, and you should always try and see it in action before you buy. 2. What about staff training? It can be difficult to get to grips with new software, particularly for staff who are used to working with a different package, or who are not confident using computers. A good property rental software company should offer training to everyone who is going to be using the system. That way, the company can be sure that the software is being used in the right way, and the letting agents are confident that staff are happy using the system. 3. Is it flexible? There may be elements of the standard software package that aren’t applicable to your agency; or you may have additional requirements that aren’t included. Ask the software company if their package can be tailored to your needs and those of your business. 4. Do you provide software support? Most software packages have times when they don’t do what the users expect them to. As the manager of a busy agency, you need to know that if something goes wrong with the system, there will be telephone and on-site support from the software company. In some cases, support will come as part of the package and in others you may incur a fee. Find out how your supplier works. A new software solution is an expensive commitment for any agency. Before you decide to buy, make sure you’re confident that what you’re getting is right for you.

Finding the Right Computer Desktop for Your Needs

When it comes to buying a computer, the choices can make you dizzy. You not only have to decide between desktop computers and notebooks (also known as laptops), but you need to determine which features will work best for your needs. This is all the more difficult because technology changes so rapidly. Given that most people buy computers infrequently, what may have been state-of-the-art the last time you bought a desktop or laptop is now considered obsolete. Here, then, are some things to consider before purchasing a new computer. Computer Desktop vs. Notebooks Not that long ago, no one would consider using notebooks or laptops as their primary computers. After all, when compared with desktops, they didn't have much RAM, had small, less-than-crisp displays, and didn't have features like DVD players and multiple USB ports. Today, though, LCD monitors make notebook displays brighter, and multiple ports make hooking up printers a cakewalk. Because hard drives are so much bigger and RAM is so much greater, it's no longer necessary to worry that software will either overload the hard drive or slow down performance. But just because notebooks are more powerful, it doesn't mean that they're the right choice for everyone. If, for example, you regularly work from home, you probably want a computer desktop. Bigger displays, traditional keyboards and mice, and more versatility are just some of the advantages of desktops. In addition, many people use have begun choosing computer desktops that can double as media centers. If high quality sound is important to you and your computer will have a dedicated space in your home, you probably want to choose a desktop. Mac vs. PC Computers Although Apple is gaining market share with notebooks, when it comes to a computer desktop, PCs still reign supreme. Making the choice between a Mac and a PC really comes down to how you will be using the computer. If you're a creative type who wants to, for example, take photos from your digital camera and create albums and slideshows, a Mac might be the right choice. Similarly, if you're interested in editing home movies or doing work with graphics, Macs rule. On the other hand, if you or members of your family are avid gamers, you probably want to go with a PC, since most games are Windows-based and not compatible with the Mac operating system. And, while software like Microsoft Office is available for the both the Mac and PC, other software often isn't compatible with Macs. Extras When you're shopping for a computer desktop, you need to consider which "extras" are important to you. For example, do you need a computer that can burn a DVD? Do you need six USB ports, or will four suffice? Is a built-in webcam a must-have? Can you live without wireless connectivity? Are you willing to pay a little extra for a higher resolution LCD monitor? Is surround sound speaker output an absolute necessity? Before you make a buying decision, it's important to understand what's available in the market, what kind of operating system you would like, and which features are important to you. When you do, you'll know that you're paying for only what you need, and will end up owning the computer desktop that's perfect for you and your family.

Finding the Best IT Support Services Provider

As the IT sector takes over every unit in the industry be it a bank or any other business organization, every large and small industrial unit has requirement for IT support services. The need for IT support services arises in order to get full technical support to tackle day to day IT problems that the company faces. The IT support services also help dealing with high end technical problems that may threat the loss of important company data. When a company sets up its IT infrastructure the first thing it does is hires the computer support services in order to install the hardwares and softwares by proper process and get basic technical support. Today there is no dearth of companies that provide IT support services. But it becomes difficult to select one IT support company that will provide authentic IT support solutions. To know how to find the best IT support service provider, read on! There are certain factors that one should keep in mind while selecting IT support service providers online. The things to be noticed about the service provider are: * Experience: The first thing you should know about your support service provider is the time period they have been in service. Expertise comes with time thus higher the experience better will be the IT support service and IT solutions provided to meet your business needs. * Certification: As the market is full of IT support service providers it becomes important to check certification of your support service provider. Generally IT support services providers are Microsoft Certified. There are other certifications as well. Make sure you hire Support services from an authentic IT support service provider. * Feedbacks: Read the customer feedbacks of the IT support service provider to get an exact estimate regarding the services it has been providing in the past and the satisfaction level of its previous clients. Make a thorough research before you hire IT support services, do not get flowed away with the appreciation the owner does. Reading feedbacks/testimonials is must. * Services Provided: When you hire IT support services check out the complete range of services the service provider is offering. The best IT support service provider is the one who offers complete support services be it installation of hardwares and softwares or tackling other technical problems. The services should have the flexibility to be molded according to your business requirements. All these factors combined can help you hire the best IT support service provider. Select the one who matches your needs and standards of your technical support requirements. www.fiverivers.com provides you the best IT solutions. Visit now!

Finding Places To Access The Internet For Free

In an increasingly wireless world, there are lots of places where you can connect your laptop to the internet when you are out and about. These places are called "hotspots," and if you know where to find them, you may never want to go home again. How To Find Public Hotspots The first place to look for hotspots is big public institutions. Libraries are increasingly offering wireless access. And, if you're a student, chances are that your campus is already wireless-enabled, or will be soon. Searching Out Private Hotspots The private sector, though, is the real growth area in wireless hotspots. Businesses are falling over themselves to provide free internet access to their customers. Cafes, hotels and airports are all starting to offer wireless access to anyone nearby. All you need to bring is a wireless ready laptop. You may wonder how it benefits businesses to offer free wireless internet access. They are willing to pay the minimal cost in exchange for the new customers it brings in, especially in areas where internet access is hard to find. Customers see wireless access as a big added value, and they vote with their feet and wallets for places that provide it. Tracking Down The Hotspots Even though there are thousands of hotspots, they don't advertise this service well. Doing an internet search for hotspots in your town could really surprise you. In a town of any size, it would be surprising if there weren't lots of hotspots to choose from. There are plenty of websites you can go to to find hotspots. The most comprehensive, though, is generally thought to be JiWire.com. Or you can type your zip code into Yahoo Maps and choose 'WiFi Hotspots' from the menu on the right of the screen. Can't be bothered with all this? Then just look for a Starbucks. They are everywhere, and almost all of them offer wireless internet access. Borders and Kinko's are also good places to try. Failing that, just ask at a place of your choice. Not All Hotspots Are Free Some of the larger hotspot networks require a small fee to a wireless Internet Service Provider to use them. You usually buy a prepaid card where the access is offered -- it's easy and affordable. If you want to save your money, just stick to the smaller, independent places. Get Your Own Free Hotspot Software If you like visiting hotspots, you might be interested in an easier way to find them. Just download and install hotspot locator software on your computer. This software has a database of known hotspots that you can search at any time, whether you're online or offline. Just type in a zip code or the name of the town, and the software will give you a list of the nearest hotspots, sorted by distance from you. Each time you make an Internet connection, the software downloads the latest hotspot list, to keep your database current. How cool is that? This hotspot locator software is available free from hotspot provider sites. T-Mobile Hotspot, for example, at: http://www.tmobile.com/hotspot.

Fiber Optically Smooth - The OTDR

The use of modern fiber optic test equipment can be used to help phone companies keep their networks operating without interference. When a long distance telephone line goes down, it's not the type of publicity phone companies revel in. Fiber optical technology continues to grow to ensure the dependability of phone companies to all their customers. In addition to the underlying stability and dependability of these networks, fiber optical measurement tools play a large role in keeping these networks operating smoothly. During installation, commissioning and maintenance, fiber optic cables, connectors and splices are routinely tested for flaws. These tests are done by using specialized test equipment such as fiber optic power meters, optical time domain reflectometers (OTDR), optical sources and optical attenuator's. These same instruments can be used to determine the basic system operating parameters such as signal levels, signal attenuation and bit error rate (BER) measurements. During installation and maintenance, it is important to view the continuity of the fiber optic link. This procedure can only be done by using the OTDR. An OTDR consists of a pulsed optical transmitter, an optical coupler and a photo diode-based receiver, signal-processing circuitry and display screen. By using the connectors and the adapters, the OTDR is connected to one end of an fiber optic cable. Its transmitter sends short-duration pulses along the cable that are back scattered by imperfections of the fiber optic itself (Raleigh scattering), or reflected from splices, connectors, breaks and fiber end (Fresnel reflections). The returned pulses are oriented through the fiber optic coupler to the receiver, where it measures the levels and the traveling time of the returned pulses. Loss and reflection values are shown on a display versus the location of these events, calculated with the traveling time and speed of light inside the fiber core. Locations of the loss and reflection value’s can be given with a 1-meter resolution. For the exact fault location, the values must be corrected, since they show the physical location along the fiber, while the fiber optic is actually twisted within the cable. Depending on the power level of the transmitter and the pulse width, OTDR's can reach distances of 50 km to 200km. Longer pulses, due to their higher energy level, are used to cover long-haul applications. Higher resolution, as necessary in short-haul applications, can only be achieved by shorter pulse widths. The measurement resolution describes how far apart two faults can occur and still be accurately measured. An OTDR is often used by phone companies to isolate breaks or faults within their operation, such as in areas of extreme signal loss within a cable. Resolving a break to within a meter or less narrows down the section of cable that must be replaced, saving expense and time for the service crew. As the OTDR also enables the measurement of the overall length of the fiber optic link, it’s results are often used as a base for the expense calculation of the installation company.

Fiber Optic Cable Otdr Basics

Fiber optic communication systems have become more of a challenge for network operators to strategically and promptly keep them running at top performance in order to meet intense demands for reliable services. Many operators will go through a rigorous fiber optic training course. As the fiber optic communication systems evolve, there become newer and more complex parameters to monitor, more links to install and maintain, and more expected disruptions to track down. A new function in the primary test tool for fiber optic cable plants is the Optical Time Domain Reflectometer, or OTDR. The OTDR is an instrument that uses the inner back scattering properties of an optical fiber to detect and categorize its condition by sending high power pulses of laser light down into the fiber and capture the light that is reflected back. This new tool is of great significance for fiber optic technicians. Fiber optic patch cables are another way to provide the correct amount of light. Software enhancements are reshaping OTDR testing with potent new data processing capabilities that allow even the least experienced operator to analyze the fiber optics quickly and completely, and to find subtle features easily. While OTDR concepts are basically simple, precise measurements can be complicated. Reflected fiber optical power is a tiny fraction (of basically one-millionth) of transmitted pulse power that eminently varies with wavelength, cable length, fiber optic backscatter co-efficient, along with splice and connector attributes. Measurement parameters of fiber optics under test have to be carefully selected based on mode, length and attenuation, in order to optimize fiber optic measurements with an older, manual OTDR. The optimal parameters for all fibers, in exception for the shortest optical fibers, vary in relation to the distance of the event from the instrument. The newest OTDR instruments integrate software programs that automatically detect and configure the optimum test parameters and show results in simple formats. Most fiber optic cables require multiple OTDR measurements by using different parameters to completely and accurately characterize their property ties. These types of tests can take more time than is acceptable during a network emergency or a lengthy commissioning process. When troubleshooting the close-range resolution versus long-range visibility, several sets of waveforms must be acquired by using different OTDR settings as often as necessary. After completing the first scan by using a short-duration optical pulse, the next scan will use a longer-duration optical pulse to provide additional optical power to test further along the optical fiber. Newer OTDR's incorporate built-in testing programs that automatically characterize the fiber optics in a sequential manner, starting from the instrument-to-fiber connection and working outward. Such programs automatically determine which parameters need to change, based on criteria like signal-to-noise-ratio, length, total loss and elapsed time. They may also increase the number of averages, change the filtering, or adjust the gain of the detection circuitry in order to optimize the test results for each specific cable segment. Many other software enhancements have been introduced to the acquisition , analysis and archiving of fiber optical test data, making the OTDR an even more valuable asset for technicians to meet the challenges of supporting fiber optic cable plants.

False Failures: Worse Than Real Failures

Better to fail for real than fail to really fail. Huh? We know you've experienced this. Let's say you just added some new functionality into your software, and you run a new build. And let's say that 50% of your test cases fail. What is the first thing you assume? We've asked this same question as our "teaser pitch" last winter to 100 developers and QA professionals who walked up to our booth at a recent conference, and 95 of them had the same answer! The tests must be broken! This creates a cascading set of bad assumptions that will make your manager recite the adage about "ASS out of U and ME" on the whiteboard at the next project meeting. Here's why. * You assume that the problem is not with your application, it is with the test cases themselves being broken or no longer valid. * So you spend time comparing the test cases with whatever changed in your new build. * Then you dig into the test scripts to try to figure out why the test case is no longer passing, and rework them until they pass. * Or you just give up and try validating by clicking through your old Word document test cases. Fun busy work. How can you possibly call this testing? Rather than using the test to validate the application, you are using the application to test the test case - which is a program you coded! Yes, unit tests are important for finding structural bugs in your code. But once a unit test tries to get beyond that granular level of testing, it becomes another fragile program in your development environment. It is outrageous to assume that relying on coded unit test cases alone offers you any value in functional testing. In fact, the whole process is so manual and highly inefficient, that you wonder if you are doing anything more than making busy work for your own team. Unit testing has its limits. There are methods people have tried to get beyond these limits, but it is like challenging the theory of gravity. * Attempting to code for reuse - may seem possible but can only get you to the edge of Unit testing's limits. * Attempting to test the UI with your QA group, doesn't really work if you can't see those middle and back-end layers. What makes false failures so dangerous? Besides the fact that they are a morale vampire that will make the team give up on testing, false failures impact the overall effectiveness of testing. If you don't know if a failing test case is even valid, what do you really learn from testing? It is like a detective that never gathers evidence. Time to declare war on false failures.

External Hard Disk Drive: The Best Backup Medium

Want to backup quickly and easily? Backup to external hard disk drives. Backup to external hard disk drives easily, securely and efficiently. As a hard disk is the fastest and largest backup medium you can get, you may want to backup all your important files to an external hard drive. You can backup literally everything: your Outlook and Outlook Express files, your bookmarks, your favourite save games, and of course, your important work documents, photos, images and maybe even videos. As an external HDD is detatched from your system and, combined with a strong encryption algorithm, like blowfish or 3DES, you can get maximum security. Just make sure you actually remember the encryption password. You can also store your external hard disk offsite (at a friend's house, a paid locker or specialized fire-proof storage place) in case your information is very important (well, generally, anyone can do that and it can't hurt for sure). As external hard disk drives have the cheapest storage volume (about 200Gb for $150?) and you can reuse them for several years, you may as well get the cheapest backup medium at your disposal. When using a backup schedule, you can simply backup the backup program run when you are absent (or maybe even at night) to backup everything without supervision. If you need two or more backup disks, you may as well get another external HDD. Also, now there are quite large mobile hard drives, which can admit all the necessary data: work documents, e-mail files, etc. You can also carry your data anywhere you want and feel safe, because some external hard disks are now hard to break by dropping. So, go with external HDD and backup as fast as you want, as much as you want, secure your important data, get the cheapest backups and even be able to carry your backups anywhere you want.

Extend The Life Of Your Laptop Battery

If you are the owner of a laptop computer, you know how frustrating it can be when you are working on the laptop and your battery is low. If you are constantly on the go, it is sometimes difficult to find a place to plug in your computer to let it recharge. There are a few things that you can do to help you take care and extend the life of your laptop battery. General caution should be observed when running the battery of your laptop. A laptop should be plugged in to the AC adaptor whenever possible. This will ensure that your laptop battery is always charged and ready to go when it is needed. Another tip is to not expose your laptop to extreme weather conditions, especially very cold temperatures. A cold battery will run much slower than one that is warm. Also, try not to use your laptop for long periods of time without recharging the battery. This can cause information to be lost if the battery sudden stops working. When using your battery on your laptop, remember use as little power as you can by adjusting the settings on the laptop. This will make your computer go inactive when not in use for a certain amount of time. Adjusting the power setting is easy if you go into the control panel and set the display time. It is also possible to adjust the brightness of the screen display to help the life of the laptop battery. Remember to turn programs off that you are not using. This will waste battery usage quicker. Also, running movies and videos will quickly drain the battery charge. When using your laptop battery you will want to make sure you check the battery charge frequently. Charge your laptop as soon as you see the battery getting low. Whenever you can, plug in your computer. It is a good idea to always plug in your computer so that it is ready to go. Also, take care of your battery. It is important to clean the laptop battery and keep it free of dust and debris. Using canned air or a cotton swab on a regular basis can do this. The battery will run longer if it is cleaned frequently. Another tip is to have an extra battery on hand. These are easily purchased. Have at least one fully charged at all times for a quick battery change. Some laptops can run with two batteries. Most laptops are also compatible with external batteries that can easily be added and changed when necessary. Battery charges that work in the car are also good options for anyone taking their laptops on trips. Also, if you are purchasing a new laptop computer, consider buying a smaller, lightweight version. These are more efficient and are able to run longer on a battery charge than the larger laptop versions. Following these basic tips can help extend the amount of time your computer can run with a battery.

Express Yourself To The Max With Hot Myspace Layouts

Being a member of MySpace, you should not be laid back when it comes to the look of the profile. There are millions of users out there, and you should definitely try to be as different as possible. If you are not different, it is highly unlikely that anyone would want to look at any information about you. This is not something that you would want. Thus you can begin to use the power of images through MySpace layouts to express yourself. By expressing yourself, you will make it known to others that you are looking to make new friends. You can express yourself in many ways. There would be a lot of themes that you could choose from. You can choose any good image that would speak about your interests. There are plenty of categories to choose from, so what exactly should be stopping you? There would be a lot of creativity to the profile once you begin to choose the right layouts. MySpace layouts can be changed often, because you do not even need to be a technical expert to do this. All you have to do is copy paste a code on to your profile. Since the process is so easy, there would be no need for you to panic about making the profile look different. Making the profile unique is also a good idea, and it is very easy to do so as well. If you have some particular interest that you are trying to showcase, then it must be done accordingly. This will speak volumes about you. You need not even write much. You can of course look at various other profiles before customizing your own. Taking time to pick the right layout is also very important. If you express yourself the right way, then it would make sense when others begin looking at your profile. They would know instantly whether they could be friends or not. You can use text and graphics besides plain images. This will be even more exciting, but just ensure that they load quickly on to the profile. This would be important as no one will want to wait for a long time when it comes to accessing someone’s profile. You can also say so many things about yourself with MySpace layouts. A lot of mileage will be given to the profile if the MySpace layouts are used well. Choosing at random will also not help in any way. It will be about choosing the right ones so that there will be a different look and feel to the entire profile. There would be possibilities to even create the layouts of your choice. This can be done if you have some unique concept with your profile. This is also easy to do and will create a lot of buzz around the profile.

Electronic Discovery: As an Attorney, Are You Prepared For It?

You’re sitting in your office when your secretary buzzes you and says you have a letter in from the mail. Upon opening it you realize it’s a request for electronic discovery. The opposing attorney is asking for your client’s hard drives, emails, phone records, tape backups, and other legacy media. Do you know how to respond to their request? Do you know what is relevant or not to the litigation? How do you review and do productions on electronic discovery? What kind of software exists out there to help? And can’t you just give them paper and let them be happy with that? So many questions, and not surprisingly, so many answers. To begin, you need to know what electronic discovery is before undertaking any kind of response. Electronic discovery is the term coined to indicate any information in electronic format that is passed between two parties for the sake of discovery during or before litigation commences. Such information can be electronic files on a hard drive, emails on a pda, server, laptop, or desktop, and voice and video recordings among other things. Generally, most electronic discovery is centered on anything that could be paper, but is usually electronic. Emails, word documents, and excel spreadsheets seem to be the most highly sought after items in discovery. Whereas an attorney could get away in the past with printing out an email and handing it over the other side, these days that is generally not good enough. Email files contain what is called meta data which shows who sent the email, what time, who was cc’d and who was even bcc’d. It may even show what email servers sent the data out originally. Because emails are kept in electronic format during the ordinary course of business, it seems only right to ask for it in the same format. There are many vendors out there that can assist with processing emails and electronic files for the sake of discovery and productions. Doing a price comparison won’t always give you the best solution for a service provider. Ask around. See who is doing a good job among other firms and who isn’t. Vendors will take the electronic data, process it by taking out the metadata and create what is called a tiff image and a corresponding data record linked to that image that you can search on. These vendors will even OCR the image so that you can search on the words actually on the image. Computer forensic experts also exist and would be happy to provide consultation to the attorney who needs help in deciding how to handle this new realm of discovery. Such consultants are usually well versed in discovery requests and can assist in making your own discovery request as well. Once you have received the electronic data from the opposing attorneys, you now need to review it. The same vendors who assisted you with your own processing can now process the opposing attorneys files as well. They will either process and give you back searchable data files for various popular litigation support software (Concordance, Summation, etc) or some vendors have hosted solutions available that are web based and allow you to do online reviews for relevancy, confidential, and other hot coding issues that you would normally do in your own office with paper. Now that I’ve given a little primer on what electronic discovery is, don’t be alarmed if you are not up to date on everything. There is more than enough information on the web that will allow you to sink your teeth in and absorb this ever growing field of electronic discovery. A good source of reading about this field is http://www.electronicdiscoverycenter.com

E-Banks that Accept US Players

Recently, the US Federal government banned online casinos from operating in America by making it illegal to transfer money to them through any US bank or payment system. As a result of this law, most of the popular online casino networks such as Party Gaming and PlayTech left the United States. Overnight, online casino players found themselves being chased by the Federal government. But, after a fortnight, the online casino industry came up with a solution and new online casinos started taking root. These began to operate under a different business umbrella, and by doing that, rendered the transfer of money to and from them legal. A major part of this was enlisting electronic banking systems that would accept this new clarification and start doing business with me. Listed in this article are the electronic banking systems that accept players from the United States that wish to play in online casinos. The Payment Systems You Can Use: 1, 2) MasterCard and Visa: The most popular credit cards in the world, you can use these for depositing money into your casino account. But, please note that the casinos do not deposit your winning through your credit card. They use one of the other electronic payment systems. This is also the biggest reason why you should refrain from using your personal credit cards today for gambling. 3, 4) Visa Delta, Visa Electron: These are debit cards that one can use to deposit cash into their casino account. By debit card, it means that the money you pay through the card, is immediately withdrawn from your bank account. This is a comfortable option, but here too, you cannot receive money into it. 5) Neteller: Based in the UK and traded on the London AIM Stock Exchange, this e-bank company is one of the major independent electronic banking entities in the world, and it allows players to transfer money to and from an online casino. 6) Neteller Instacash This is Neteller's version of the Debit Card, and, in fact, it is just like any other debit card with one difference. To use, InstaCash, you have to pay a small amount. But, most casinos will offer to pay this for you, so read their regulations. 7) EcoCard Based in the European Union, EcoCard offers a wider range of electronic banking solutions than the other e-banks. Other than the regular card and debit system, you can decide beforehand how to create a flexible financial account. Because they use a wide network of banks in Europe, transactions made through EcoCard are quick and efficient. 8) FirePay This e-banking system is solely web-based and carries out its transactions just like a debit card. You place cash into your FirePay account, and then, you can use that money to pay or deposit into your casino account. While it will not cost you a dime to open an account, you will be charged a minimal amount each time you transfer money from your bank account to FirePay. 9) Moneybookers All you need to open an account is an email address! This e-banking system uses transactions from your credit or debit card or your bank account to whichever company you wish to move your money to. Regulated in the UK and run by Gatcombe Park Ventures Limited, this is one of the relatively new e-finance companies that allow transferring money to online casinos. 10) eWalletXpress: Owned and run by Navaho Networks Inc, eWalletXpress is a new electronic payment system that has been created to answer the need for US players to transfer funds to online casinos. 11) 900Pay: This is a completely different e-banking system. Instead of charging your bank account or your credit card, 900Pay charges your telephone bill for all your financial transactions. This is one of the fastest methods of electronic payment because you do not have to go through a long and detailed sign up process. And, if you were wondering, this does work to fund your casino account.

Easy Ways To Secure Your Computer

Just follow these simple tips; your computer will be free from virus and spyware. 1. Stop and think before opening any attachment you receive. If you don't know the sender, don't open the attachment - just delete it. It doesn't matter if the subject promises you'll see Britney Spears dancing nude on the kitchen table, just delete it. Most of the devastating worms and viruses of recent times were distributed via email. These viruses feed on the curiosity and also the ignorance of a huge number of email users. People will get an email from fakename@weirdsuspiciousdomain and they'll just open whatever file is attached to it. If the email is from someone you know, always scan any attachments first before downloading or opening them. If every email user in the world followed these simple guidelines the distribution of viruses via email will grind to a halt. 2. Protect yourself Good protection on the Internet these days consists of 3 components: anti-virus software, anti-spyware software and a firewall. Anti-Virus Software: Good virus protection doesn't need to cost you a fortune. You can get excellent free anti-virus software on the Internet. Even the professional version of their software is very affordable. Anti-Spyware Software: For spyware protection, you can get it for free on the Internet as well. A Firewall: As for a firewall, Windows XP ships with a decent enough firewall. Just make sure it is always enabled. Alternatively you can visit a site like http://www.download.com and search for Zone Alarm, which has an excellent free version. The most important thing to keep in mind is that you need to keep your anti-virus software up to date. It is recommended that you update your anti-virus and anti-spyware software at least once a week. An anti-virus program that uses definitions that are months old is just about useless. 3. Watch out what you download Spyware is embedded in a lot of software on the Internet - especially those related to ripping, converting and playing music and videos. That free MP3 player or DVD Ripper you just downloaded may have installed a bunch of harmful spyware without you even knowing about it. 4. Keep yourself informed Major anti-virus software developers like Symantec and Grisoft updates their sites regularly with the latest virus alerts. Visit these sites frequently to keep yourself aware of what threats are doing the rounds and how to avoid them. Using these simple and software I have kept my computer virus-free for the past 3 years. It's not rocket science. Just stay alert, use some common sense and you too can stay bug free while still enjoying your Internet experience. 5. Stay clear of pornographic and illegal software sites If you want to pick up viruses and spyware quickly, visit some pornographic web sites. One wrong click on a subtle little pop-up or security warning window (which you'll run into often on these type of sites) and you'll have infested yourself with trojan horses, spyware, dialers and other unfavorable software that could leave your computer wide open to further attacks. Follow all these useful tips and your computer will be kept secure and virus free.

Video Poker: Why Do People Like It

Yesterday, I was having a pint at my local bar when I noticed a small guy in a dark suit. Sitting to the far-right corner of the bar and away from all of us, this short man was crouched over a glowing video poker screen. Huh? It was just a few months back that casinos all over the world and especially in Las Vegas were removing poker, baccarat and blackjack tables and adding more and more slot machines instead. But then something peculiar took place. Casino owners and employees noticed that one corner of the machines was more crowded than the rest. A short examination revealed that the games allocated to the slot section was none other than video poker. So why are so many interested players preferring video poker? Here, I will try and answer some of the more practical reasons why this has happened and will happen even more and more: 1) The Odds: While slot machines offer odds that are pretty difficult to win on (and by that I mean the real big bucks), video poker machines are much easier when it comes to accumulating a large sum because it is somewhat based (even though loosely) on poker. This makes each player think that it is based on his skill more than just on luck. 2) More Choice: By this I am not referring to the pick of different slot machines, but rather to the fact that you have the choice of selecting the row to play with it whereas in slots, you have no real control after you press the button or pull the lever. It is not a secret that the principle of both these two games is to try and hit the money jackpot whether it is by getting the appropriate numbers or symbols aligned or whether it is by getting a royal poker flush. To do this in video poker, you have to pick from a number of five-hand cards. 3) Sitting Out: When playing at a slot machine, you have to play each and every time. If you want to stop, you have to clear the machine so that someone else can get a try. But this is not the case when playing video poker. This game allows you to simply sit out a round or two and then continue whenever you feel like. 4) Higher Money Ratio: Because of the chance that you can sit out any round where your cards are not any good. You have a bigger chance making an overall profit out of the time you spent playing at the casino whether it is an online casino or a land one or even whether it is just a small machine in the local diner or bar or regional gas station. 5) It is also said in many video poker circles and plenty of other articles around the web that the statistics of hitting higher paying options while playing video poker are higher in comparison to playing video slot machines. Conclusion: Not withstanding all of the above reasons, the fact that poker is very popular and slot machines too only leads me to assume that a game combining the two will be greatly appreciated by any player of either of the two games but more so by those who enjoy the drone of the machine.

Watch what you do with MySpace Layouts

There are many who are into some form of art – painting, drawing, sculpture and so on. Whereas for others, it would seem like an arduous task to think of colours that go well with a theme and put in the appropriate details in that., now that is exactly what MySpace Layouts aims at resolving. It gives an individual not very artistically inclined the ability to exhibit their talent or ideas through the various MySpace Layouts themes. When a person decides to alter the style of their page or to put in a few extra details here and there, they go in search of a good MySpace Layouts site. Since this is the most popular website that everyone uses for backgrounds, pictures, flash images, and cursors, it comes right on top in any search. If you were to type in “MySpace Layouts” in Google or Yahoo, the first 30-40 will be of websites that have a collection of MySpace Layouts in them. There are exclusive MySpace Layouts sites and others which contain layouts from there. When using one of the MySpace Layouts, there are certain points to keep in mind to make the page better and make the MySpace Layouts effective. 1. Colors- The main aim of any person who is interested in changing the look of their page is to add color to it. They need to think about what their favorite colors are, and which look good on the computer. Based on this, they can make use of the MySpace Layouts to make their selection. The colors they choose from MySpace Layouts should blend well with the page, and must not be too bold or bright. This will harm the eyes and not be very friendly or easy to browse through. If the color is dark red or bright yellow, it would be like a flash on the face and the MySpace Layouts will not serve its purpose. The next time a person wants to come to your page, they will think couple of times or begin to avoid your page because of the MySpace Layouts in it. 2. Text – What kind of information are you going to put in your page? Is it in connection with your profile or some forwards? If you are unable to find something to your liking, you can take from MySpace Layouts site. There are many quotes or stories that you can make use of. But make sure to copy paste the complete code else your text will be confusing. Also if you have lengthy write up on your page, use one of the MySpace Layouts fonts to make it look elegant or classy. This will make the page more readable and user friendly. You can also keep changing the text, by using on of the MySpace Layouts posters or animated pictures with messages on your page.

Why Do People Gamble? Reasons to Gambling Popularity

Gambling in its various forms has been popular for centuries in different cultures all over the entire world. Whether through the national lottery, in horse racing tracks or in casino table games, people are wagering their money hoping to win big time. Although the number of people who go home with life changing winnings is much smaller than the number of people who have left their money in the casinos, race tracks or bingo halls, the popularity of the pastime has not been reduced through the years. Despite the low odds of stepping out as winners in most popular forms of gambling is a well known fact, even though gambling suffers from a bad reputation and even when it is illegal, gambling is still one of the most popular pastimes in the world. So, why do people gamble? The most obvious answer would be money, but it will not be a full answer. There are many other reasons that drive people to the nearest gambling facility. Here we will try to offer an answer to this disturbing question. Luck: the irrational believe in luck is engraved in most of us. These unexplained gut feelings that a special day or a certain number is luckier than the others are sends a lot of people to gamble or even gamble on the same numbers over and over again. Social Purposes: have you ever wonder how can a group of people beat the pants off someone in a poker game and remain best buddies? You can see it in bingo halls, casino bars and friendly poker games: many people see gambling as an opportunity to make new friends or spend time with old friends in addition to the chance of earning additional money. Entertainment: many people visit casinos and play their favorite casino games simply because they love it and they are having a great time. In Las Vegas casinos for example, you will meet more recreational gamblers who see gambling as part of their vacation activities than professional gamblers who take gambling as a serious source of income. Excitement: the act of gambling apparently can give you quite an adrenaline rush. Regardless of the money aspect, the anticipation of the outcome of the game while still not knowing whether it would match your bet is what makes all forms of gambling so thrilling and exciting. Relaxation: as opposed to the accelerated adrenaline rush described by many gamblers, many gamblers find the gambling experience relaxing. When you think about it, what can be more relaxing than ending a busy work week in the comfortable casino atmosphere, playing your favorite game and served free drinks? Boredom: whether exciting or relaxing, when the daily lives become an unbearable routine, gambling can serve as a way to escape reality. Money: in addition to all the reasons mentioned above, gambling allegedly provides an opportunity to can earn unbelievable amounts of money within short time and minimum investment. Even if you are aware to the exact mathematical odds of beating each and every gambling game, if you are an optimist by nature, this slightest chance would nevertheless drive you to a casino, a bookie, a lottery terminal or a bingo hall.

What To Look When Buying iPod Accessories

The large accessories market that has built up around the iPod is sometimes described as the iPod ecosystem. A host of different companies produce accessories that are designed to work with the iPod. Companies such as JBL, Bose, Altec Lansing, and Kensington all make speakers that are designed specifically to work with the iPod, using the iPod's thirty pin dock connector. Other companies, such as Griffin Technology and Monster Cable, make add-ons that allow the iPod to record sound, recharge "on the go," play music over the radio, or be used wirelessly with a remote. One of the most useful iPod accessories is a protective case which protects your iPod's screen and back from scratches and scuffs. Cases come either in clear or in a number of colors to match your style and personality. With Apple's release of the iPod Nano and the iPod Video, iPods are becoming more and more popular. They're wonderful little gadgets, but they become even more useful with one of many iPod accessories that can personalize your mp3 player and tailor it to your needs. Another way to protect and carry your iPod is with an arm band, which makes it easy to rock out to your music while working out at the gym. On the way home, instead of sitting through the chatter of radio DJs in traffic, you can listen to your iPod in your car. Various FM transmitters can allow you to listen to your iPod on your car stereo, and power adapters let you plug in for the long haul. No more screwing around with racks of tapes or CDs in your car in order to listen to your music; now thousands of songs are at your fingertips. These transmitter/power combinations can be the perfect iPod accessory for long commutes or cross-country road trips. Once you make it back to your home or apartment you can drop you iPod into a speaker set and listen to your music at home too. Many speaker combos are compatible with the iPod base station, which charges your iPod and allowsyou to connect it to your home stereo or television. Of course, the new iPods with video and photo capabilities allow for a wholenew host of iPod accessories. A/V cables allow you to share photos directly from your digital camera to your iPod, and allow you to connect your iPod to your television to transport your movies and show them on the big screen. You can even get a wireless remote to incorporate your iPod into your home stereo or theatre, putting thousands of songs, videos, and photos at your fingertips. Other iPod accessories expand the boundaries of what you thought your iPod could do. The Griffin iTalk allows you to take voice and audio recordingsleaving yourself audio with your iPod, making it a handy tool for tasks from reminders to dictating letters and documents directly to mp3 files. With the hundreds of iPod accessories on the market, you can quickly turn any iPod into your iPod and have a customized mp3 player to fit all of your needs.

Why Wireless DA Is A Multi-Billion Dollar Industry

Wireless Directory Assistance (DA) is a virtual directory that offers a fast way to get directory-dependent applications online. It is a multi-billion dollar industry that has a window of opportunity to develop and offer a higher value and more flexible services to subscribers. With billion of calls to DA, approximately a third of which generated by wireless users, it has become the cash cow of telecommunications carriers. Virtual Directories Virtual directories are not unlike meta-directories. User data can be accessed from different repositories. Meta-directories copy data into a new repository that needs to be created, maintained and synchronized. Updating data can be very difficult especially when there is frequent change in source directories’ data. Business units may find the idea of creating a second repository for customer data objectionable since it will be outside of their control. Virtual directories can access the attributes requested from each directory or database on the fly. A cache is used by the software to speed performance but data doesn’t usually get to be scored locally. Virtual directory deployments cost substantially less than other alternative strategies. The virtual directory technology should be considered for any plans to customize an application. It can also help applications that are not sophisticated enough to deal with more complex directory mechanisms such as Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) referrals. A virtual directory can follow the reference to locate the data and return it to the application. Its potential weakness lies in the fact that it can only be as good as the directories behind it. A meta-directory having its own data source may prove to be a better choice if a directory tends to go down frequently or offers poor response. Virtual directories however, have load-balancing and fail-over features that can be configured to redirect a request to an alternative data source. In instances where a connection drops in the middle of a request, the outside directory retries another repository and returns the rest of the data. An additional repository is not created but another layer of complexity is. This is because virtual directories require applications to access information indirectly through the virtual directory server instead of going to the directory that actually holds the data. There are some apprehensions with the added layer of infrastructure because if anything happens to the web single sign-on, the critical applications are down. Virtual directories are recommended for use for applications that can access only a single directory when the user data or attributes reside in many places. It is also offered as an alternative to meta-directories when attributes in source directories change frequently. It can be used as a directory migration tool as it lets administrators migrate to a new directory architecture without updating all the applications that depend on it. These applications are presented with a view of the old directory and its schema structure. Very large repositories can be broken apart to improve writer performance and reduce downtime. Wireless Directory Assistance The industry focuses its attention on Enhanced Directory Assistance which hopes to increase value for wireless users. This is because wireless directory assistance comes in second to subscription with regards to the largest source of revenue as analysts project the total amount of access fees to continue increasing. Wireless customers are looking for more informative and user-friendly services to enable them to be more wirelessly productive and efficient. A research conducted by the Wireless Commerce Monitor Study revealed that one in three subscribers use Directory Assistance on their wireless phones. The remaining number either use online directory assistance, mapping services and the newer services including Enhanced Directory Assistance, wireless short messaging, wireless e-mail notification and wireless mapping and direction services. Barriers that have been identified with regards to qualitative work are inaccurate, incomplete or irrelevant information and low perceptions of value for money. Wireless and Internet providers compete for most of the said Directory Assistance customers. The research further revealed that more than half of wireless users are using two or more Directory Assistance solutions. This would seem to support the thinking that there is not one form of assistance service that would fit everybody in the same way that one person will not always use a single form. People tend to prefer and choose from voice and electronic solutions depending on the situation. It would be advantageous to the wireless industry to continue developing wireless as a delivery mechanism for Internet applications. There is a need for Directory Assistance providers to prove to prospective business partners that Directory Assistance services actually stimulate revenue. This is especially true with small business advertisers who want to see real value. Majority of those using Directory Assistance on their wireless phone have used it for the purpose of contacting or receiving information with regards to business. The percentage is very close to the levels of inquiry seen with online methods. Another important aspect of the study revealed that the conversion potential or the proportion of actual purchase as a direct result of the inquiry is considerably strong. The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association together with the majority of the largest wireless carrier proposes to include wireless phone numbers in a data base accessible by dialing 411. Those who oppose this move say that it compromises user privacy and thus is totally unnecessary. However, backers of the directory insist that privacy remains paramount in their agenda. The group will use one unnamed aggregator to store the number in a data base and such numbers will not be published and posted on the Internet or sold. These numbers will only be available to 411 operators. Users are required to make a formal request to have their number included in the directory. All numbers with no request shall remain private. There will be no additional cost incurred, whatever the option is taken. Some have seen the benefit of having a wireless directory include all the business numbers as it can provide more company employee accessibility to clients. Protection from unsolicited wireless calls on one hand and the consumer’s right to directory assistance on the other constitute the basic differences in opinion of each side’s proponent. Wireless directory assistance will be different from tradition landline directory assistance or printed white pages type of directory. Mobile directory assistance benefits consumers in terms of location capabilities. Carriers likewise stand to benefit from this type of directory service since operators can charge for these services. The combined features of Internet type directories and location capability is a sure fire revenue generator for carriers. This just goes to show that any service that meets the needs of consumers will turn out to be quite a very lucrative business.

Why that desktop wallpaper after all?

When my parents’ generation used to talk about wallpaper, they meant that piece of colorful paper that would be glued to the walls, instead of painting them. The wallpaper was preferred to painting because it was sometimes cuter than any pattern that could be created by paint and it was also supposed to endure more than paint. My head is full of images of couples moving into a new house and going to choose the proper wallpaper for the dining room and the children’s room. They would come back with huge packages in which the wallpaper was wrapped. Nowadays when we say wallpaper we actually mean desktop wallpaper, which is the cover of our computer screen, what we see in front of our eyes when we stop working for a few minutes and close the applications. For people who spend a lot of time in front of their computers, the desktop wallpaper is much more important than any element of interior design at home. And, since more and more of us are spending their time in front of the computer, then the desktop wallpaper is a concern for more and more of us. Most people doing a regular office job would have the typical commonplace desktop wallpaper. The usual desktop wallpaper is a flower, the image of a forest, the sea. Such pictures can be easily found on the Internet and downloaded as free wallpaper on any number of web pages. The desktop wallpaper becomes more exciting if it belongs to someone who has a specific hobby or to a computer specialist. Then, instead of desktop wallpaper, we actually have a celebration of this or that actor, or a very complicated 3-D image that we cannot easily identify. In these special cases, it may be more difficult to get free wallpaper with the desired image. True fans will look through hundreds of Internet sites that have an offer for free wallpaper just to find the right desktop wallpaper. And it may not be so easy for them to find the free wallpaper they want. Even if they find the right desktop wallpaper, they may have to pay money for it. Then they will complain that the free wallpaper is not the right desktop wallpaper and that the Internet companies are ripping people off. In their quest for the best desktop wallpaper, these people will keep changing and changing their desktop wallpaper, so you may end up having a lot of fun just taking a look at their desktop wallpaper every day. You may wonder how come you can find free wallpaper so easy, especially if you have no specific demands. Who puts that free wallpaper online for unlimited download and why? Maybe this is not necessarily a question that so many people ask, but it is certainly a question that may pop up in those dead minutes at work when you are trapped until the next report comes in, so you have nothing better to do than stare at your desktop wallpaper and wonder. The truth is that it isn’t important where the free wallpaper comes from. What really counts is the effect it has on us. It is your desktop wallpaper that makes you relax, smile and sometimes remember. And all of this just because one afternoon you really wanted to put something nice in front of your eyes, to help through some of the more tedious days at work. You went through many Internet pages with images and found a website with the possibility to download free wallpaper. You finally found one with beautiful images of coffee shops. You like that because it reminds you of how you really like to spend your time instead of being stuck in an office with no air conditioning. You would rather be in a coffee shop chatting with your friends. Then you also remember that on that. The free wallpaper you chose was an image of a coffee cup on a table. You have no more time to stare at your desktop wallpaper. The report is in and you must get down to work. Free wallpaper brings a smile on our faces from time to time when we can afford a brake from routine. Whether it reminds us of the wallpaper in our childhood room or whether it makes us relax just thinking of our good moments, free wallpaper is like the coffee we drink in the morning: indispensable.

What Is Reverse-Engineering

Reverse-engineering is a term that is used for the process of taking apart something to figure out how to use it, basically. In many cases, something new and great has come about from it. In order to understand how it works or to recreate it, engineers will pull it apart and study it. Understanding how it works is one thing. But in order to recreate it, they will have to make it different somehow. This can be challenging but is often necessary. Reverse-engineering is quite a fantastic, but a worrisome way to learn new things. The task that is difficult in reverse-engineering is the task of making what is in such a way that it will no longer be the same. The fear that is involved has to do with the fact that patent information can be quite sensitive. Copying a product that is under a patent is highly illegal. But, if they can figure out how to use it and make it in a different method, it may fall into the gray area. What is important to remember, though, is that the patent is on the functionality of a product, not necessarily on the way it is designed. Reverse-engineering is something that has happened the most often by the military. In this case, the reverse-engineering will be used to copy other nation’s technology when it comes to military endeavors. In many cases, the information is obtained by intelligence operations. Reverse-engineering was most commonly used in the Cold War and World War II. You will find that reverse engineering also happens as a result of curiosity; seeing if they can do it, so to speak. It is also used as a means of cracking the code of security measures and finding a way to get around the security restrictions that can be found in such things as software and electronics. It is quite possibly quite illegal to do these things though and this needs to be taken into consideration.