You know what a pixel is or a least you think you do. In reality it is something that you totally take for granted as the basic unit of the images that have literally invaded life in the last 15-20 years. Pixels are used generically for many, many different concepts that all have one thing in common and that is some sort of image. You could be talking about the dot in a printed image, or the cell of a lcd screen, or simply the resolution that a display is capable of displaying, or more technically the binary code that a computer uses to store an image file.
The computer revolution has lead to huge advances and has taken computer graphics much closer to the true representation of objects in life that we see with our eyes. This is most apparent in the areas of video games and digital photography. When someone is referring to pixels as in the code that a computer uses to store the image digitally it may be more helpful to refer to them as texels.
So how can such complex information be stored into a computer and understood in binary, that is a series of ones and zeros? Well I am going to attempt in the next one and one half paragraphs to give you a whirlwind explanation. So we will start with black and white. Here each number in binary code refers to an intensity of the pixel. Therefore all eight zeros in a eight bit image construct which equals zeros would represent black or in other words no intensity. On the other hand all 1’s which would equal 255 in binary would represent white or maximum intensity.
In color the numbers represent the intensities of three colors – red, green, and blue (rgb format). The amount of colors in a palette depends on the amount of bits per pixel (bpp) in the image. In eight bpp (two bits for red, three for green, and 2 for blue) there can be two to the power of 8 colors or 256 colors. In 16 bpp there are greater than 60,000 possible colors to choose from. Pixels are amazing aren’t they.
What you want to know is what this all has to do with internet marketing, so here is the deal. Pixels can also be used to describe space in an add. There are scripts that can automate the production of an add that contains the images of the different companies and if the pixel is clicked on the user is taken to the sales page for that company. The pixels are sold in 100 pixel blocks and this type of advertising has become huge since a student made a million bucks with one page by selling space like this. There are tools that can automate this process and you too could get in on this amazing money-making opportunity!
Minggu, 04 Januari 2009
Sabtu, 03 Januari 2009
Excel Workbooks: Can't Live With Them - Can't Live Without Them
Excel.... When it comes to spreadsheets, it's the only game in town. For basic formatting, calculations, and the rare chart or two, it has all the functionality most users need. However, those who regularly use advanced features to create Excel workbooks understand the program's limitations. The hair pulling starts when you have to repetitively perform virtually the same formatting and analysis steps on new data for the same fields and continues when you discover that there is virtually no re-usability for the work you perform in Excel. Each time, it's almost like starting from scratch.
But what if there were products that could streamline the creation of workbooks, so that what usually takes hours could be accomplished in mere minutes? Imagine a world where you could format data on an ad hoc basis or new data for the same fields on a repetitive basis in a way that would create formatted worksheets, a PivotTable, and a PivotChart utilizing more Excel formatting and analysis features than you could ever implement manually? It would be a world of sheer bliss.
After looking at all of the products on the market, there's one that stands out above all others: Xcelerator. In essence, it transforms Excel from a cumbersome necessity into a fast, powerful, easy-to-use report writer. By automating Excel's most frequently used features, it completely eliminates repetitive, mechanical, and time consuming manual formatting tasks. The best part of all is that the program never touches the original data, whether it's manually maintained Excel data, data extracted from databases, or data imported into Excel from other applications.
If you find yourself constantly formatting new data for the same fields, Xcelerator's workbook creation and formatting process is completely automatic. Because it creates templates, it literally takes less than one minute and produces new, identically formatted Excel workbooks every time.
Although Xcelerator isn't a substitute for a thorough understanding of Excel's features and capabilities, it does streamline every step of creating Excel workbooks. But it goes beyond simply making a more efficient mousetrap because it has a number of powerful features that are exclusive to Xcelerator, such as mixing multiple subtotal types at each subtotal level and dragging the field contents of non-breaking and non-totaling fields to any subtotal level.
As if that wasn't enough, the program also allows you to print out charts and tables with headers and footer, making it ready for presentation.
Although Excel workbooks have their inherent limitations, products like Xcelerator tear down those walls and keep you from tearing your hair out!
But what if there were products that could streamline the creation of workbooks, so that what usually takes hours could be accomplished in mere minutes? Imagine a world where you could format data on an ad hoc basis or new data for the same fields on a repetitive basis in a way that would create formatted worksheets, a PivotTable, and a PivotChart utilizing more Excel formatting and analysis features than you could ever implement manually? It would be a world of sheer bliss.
After looking at all of the products on the market, there's one that stands out above all others: Xcelerator. In essence, it transforms Excel from a cumbersome necessity into a fast, powerful, easy-to-use report writer. By automating Excel's most frequently used features, it completely eliminates repetitive, mechanical, and time consuming manual formatting tasks. The best part of all is that the program never touches the original data, whether it's manually maintained Excel data, data extracted from databases, or data imported into Excel from other applications.
If you find yourself constantly formatting new data for the same fields, Xcelerator's workbook creation and formatting process is completely automatic. Because it creates templates, it literally takes less than one minute and produces new, identically formatted Excel workbooks every time.
Although Xcelerator isn't a substitute for a thorough understanding of Excel's features and capabilities, it does streamline every step of creating Excel workbooks. But it goes beyond simply making a more efficient mousetrap because it has a number of powerful features that are exclusive to Xcelerator, such as mixing multiple subtotal types at each subtotal level and dragging the field contents of non-breaking and non-totaling fields to any subtotal level.
As if that wasn't enough, the program also allows you to print out charts and tables with headers and footer, making it ready for presentation.
Although Excel workbooks have their inherent limitations, products like Xcelerator tear down those walls and keep you from tearing your hair out!
Jumat, 02 Januari 2009
Your computer desk, it might not look like much, but if you work with your computer a lot, it’s actually a very important thing in your life. If it’s configured wrongly, you could find yourself with wrist and back pain, not to mention struggling to think or work up the motivation to do anything at all. Why is this? It’s all down to ergonomics.
Ergonomics, also known as human factors, is the science of how we interact with things like computers and desks. The theory is that even the smallest things in our environment build up over time, and can cause physical and psychological problems.
So what could happen? Consider, for example, having a chair or a desk that is the wrong height for you. It’s not wrong by much, but you have to tilt your head ever so slightly downwards to see the computer screen. Now imagine that you’re doing that every day, for six hours, for months or even years. It’s easy to see how that small problem would get magnified, until it could eventually cause you back or neck strain.
The most common ergonomics-related injuries are caused by mice (the computer kind, of course). When people are moving a mouse around every day from a slightly awkward position, they can get a condition called repetitive strain injury (RSI) that can leave them unable to move their hand at all. Although it is less common, there is a similar risk with keyboards. That’s why your equipment is so important, and it is especially important how it is positioned on your desk relative to you.
Basically, if you’re not comfortable using your computer, you’re not moaning or being awkward – you’re looking out for your safety at work. We all have to be vigilant when it comes to ergonomics, as it’s not in anyone’s interest for you to be left at home, unable to do your job.
Ergonomics, also known as human factors, is the science of how we interact with things like computers and desks. The theory is that even the smallest things in our environment build up over time, and can cause physical and psychological problems.
So what could happen? Consider, for example, having a chair or a desk that is the wrong height for you. It’s not wrong by much, but you have to tilt your head ever so slightly downwards to see the computer screen. Now imagine that you’re doing that every day, for six hours, for months or even years. It’s easy to see how that small problem would get magnified, until it could eventually cause you back or neck strain.
The most common ergonomics-related injuries are caused by mice (the computer kind, of course). When people are moving a mouse around every day from a slightly awkward position, they can get a condition called repetitive strain injury (RSI) that can leave them unable to move their hand at all. Although it is less common, there is a similar risk with keyboards. That’s why your equipment is so important, and it is especially important how it is positioned on your desk relative to you.
Basically, if you’re not comfortable using your computer, you’re not moaning or being awkward – you’re looking out for your safety at work. We all have to be vigilant when it comes to ergonomics, as it’s not in anyone’s interest for you to be left at home, unable to do your job.
Kamis, 01 Januari 2009
Epson Printer- A Must Have Accessory
Okay, you have purchased your new computer, and maybe some office furniture, now it is time to buy the PC accessories you need. One basic computer accessory that almost everyone will need at some point is a good printer. Epson printers offer good quality and a wide range to choose from.
Epson printers come as inkjet printers, photo printers, laser printers, point of sale printers, and all in one printers. Ink jet printers are probably the most widely purchased for home use. Epson printers range in price from $59.99 to $850.00. Prices vary depending upon printing speed, photo capability, ink types, and dpi. For basic home use, the Epson Stylus c68 printer should cover all of your basic needs, and is priced at $59.99 on the Epson website. This Epson printer prints well on paper and photo paper, and has its own individual ink cartridges, which can be a plus budget wise. In standard black text, it prints at speeds up to 17ppm.
If your Epson printer will primarily be used for photos, you may want to consider some of the more expensive models, depending on the quality pictures you want. Some of the higher end Epson printers can actually use archival ink, which is guaranteed to last for a long time, usually even longer than your regular prints from the photo lab. Many of these printers also print on ink jet CD’s and DVD’s, giving you more options to store your memories.
Epson also features a photo printer called PictureMate, which gives you prints that are comparable or better than your local photo lab prints. The pictures on this printer are said to last up to four times longer, and are stated to be water and smudge proof. On average, your prints will cost you around twenty nine cents each with this printer. If you are a serious photo person, this printer would probably work well for you, assuming it fits into your budget.
Laser printers from Epson range in price from $600-$700, and are Ethernet compatible. If you are running a business, and need a lot of basic black and white documents, a laser printer is probably the best, most cost effective option for you. Laser printers also tend to be much faster than ink jet printers, because they focus more on speed and quantity than quality. Some Epson laser printers also have built in fax machines, letting them serve as two pieces of office equipment in one unit.
Point of sale printers are widely used in large business and retail stores, and Epson is a common preferred brand name.
Many people like the Epson line of all in one printers, as they can do many tasks without having to buy different equipment for each task. These all in one printers are priced from $89 on the low end, to $400 for top of the line. Many of these Epson printers are able to print straight from the memory card of your digital camera, making it much easier to get the prints you need. Some offer both black and white and color copying capabilities. Other models also come equipped to send and receive faxes as well.
Basically, when you are ready to buy your Epson printer, you should think about what its’ primary function will be, and buy the printer that is best suited for that task and meets your budget. Epson printers come with good warranties, and Epson offers great tech support and customer service, which is always good, especially if you are going to be purchasing one of the more expensive models.
Epson printers come as inkjet printers, photo printers, laser printers, point of sale printers, and all in one printers. Ink jet printers are probably the most widely purchased for home use. Epson printers range in price from $59.99 to $850.00. Prices vary depending upon printing speed, photo capability, ink types, and dpi. For basic home use, the Epson Stylus c68 printer should cover all of your basic needs, and is priced at $59.99 on the Epson website. This Epson printer prints well on paper and photo paper, and has its own individual ink cartridges, which can be a plus budget wise. In standard black text, it prints at speeds up to 17ppm.
If your Epson printer will primarily be used for photos, you may want to consider some of the more expensive models, depending on the quality pictures you want. Some of the higher end Epson printers can actually use archival ink, which is guaranteed to last for a long time, usually even longer than your regular prints from the photo lab. Many of these printers also print on ink jet CD’s and DVD’s, giving you more options to store your memories.
Epson also features a photo printer called PictureMate, which gives you prints that are comparable or better than your local photo lab prints. The pictures on this printer are said to last up to four times longer, and are stated to be water and smudge proof. On average, your prints will cost you around twenty nine cents each with this printer. If you are a serious photo person, this printer would probably work well for you, assuming it fits into your budget.
Laser printers from Epson range in price from $600-$700, and are Ethernet compatible. If you are running a business, and need a lot of basic black and white documents, a laser printer is probably the best, most cost effective option for you. Laser printers also tend to be much faster than ink jet printers, because they focus more on speed and quantity than quality. Some Epson laser printers also have built in fax machines, letting them serve as two pieces of office equipment in one unit.
Point of sale printers are widely used in large business and retail stores, and Epson is a common preferred brand name.
Many people like the Epson line of all in one printers, as they can do many tasks without having to buy different equipment for each task. These all in one printers are priced from $89 on the low end, to $400 for top of the line. Many of these Epson printers are able to print straight from the memory card of your digital camera, making it much easier to get the prints you need. Some offer both black and white and color copying capabilities. Other models also come equipped to send and receive faxes as well.
Basically, when you are ready to buy your Epson printer, you should think about what its’ primary function will be, and buy the printer that is best suited for that task and meets your budget. Epson printers come with good warranties, and Epson offers great tech support and customer service, which is always good, especially if you are going to be purchasing one of the more expensive models.
Rabu, 12 Desember 2001
How To Block Direct Image Linking Using .htaccess
Most of us have a specified limit to the amount of traffic our web servers will handle for us. That limit seems very generous – until you start looking at image downloads and the bandwidth required. A few dozen users downloading an image – that's one thing. But what if you have an image that dozens of other websites like?
Worst-case scenario: suppose you run a site that gets hold of a picture taken by an Iraqi soldier of an incident that gains a lot of media attention. And suppose you have the exclusive rights to that image. You want to sell it, of course, not give it away, so you don't post it as a freebie. You may have a downloadable version that others can take away to post on their own website, generally with a link to your site. But your original image is reserved for your use only.
Here's the problem. Webmasters, often amateurs not really understanding why what they are doing is harmful, want to deliver the best possible image to their own readers. So instead of downloading your free file or linking to your site, they embed a link in their own page that downloads your picture, and only your picture, as part of their own website. This is easy to do; all you have to do is use the image link straight out to the other website.
With that excellent and lucrative image referenced above, you may have blogs on both sides indexing you; you may even have news sites or image sites indexing you. How much bandwidth can your site take before it exceeds your monthly limit? Chances are, even a medium-case scenario is going to turn your site into a DNS instead, and you will lose viewers and site ranking while you are unavailable. Not worth posting that great picture anymore, is it?
But you do have another option: the .htaccess file. This works primarily in Apache servers; if you're not certain what you've got, call and ask. Because not all systems will allow them, and some can even be damaged by improper .htaccessing, you should contact your server administrator before you upload one, anyway.
What Is .htaccess?
.htaccess is a type of file that has, for years, been used to restrict access to protected web pages or areas, such as error pages and password-protected directories. You create it using a text editor such as NotePad or SimpleText, and then save as plain (ASCII) text. Upon saving it, the file extension needs to be changed from .txt to .htaccess – and the rest of the name needs to be left off. Your file should be named nothing except for .htaccess. Not file.htaccess. Just .htaccess.
If your text program insists on appending the .txt, you can right-click the file anywhere you normally open it and select Rename to remove the .txt. If your computer system does not show file extensions, look up how to make it show them! Alternately, telnet and ftp programs will also allow you to rename files and remove extensions.
Creating .htaccess Files
Your first step in creating this file should be to open your text editor and save an empty page as .htaccess. Turn off your word wrap function. .htaccess files are intended to be single-line commands, and a word wrap can throw this completely off and make your file unusable, either by breaking lines in the wrong place or by putting in unwanted characters when it's uploaded.
When you upload an .htaccess file, it should be encoded as ASCII, not binary. CHMOD the file to either 644 or (RW-R—R--) so that the server can use it but a browser cannot; readable .htaccess files can compromise your security by allowing hackers to figure out what you have protected and where the authentication files are. (You can also prevent this problem by putting your authentication files above the root directory so that they cannot be accessed via www.)
An .htaccess file affects the directory it's placed in as well as any subsequent subdirectories; if you have files everywhere you want protected, you can put the .htaccess file in your root directory. If you only want to protect your images, you can put it in your images directory alone. The closest .htaccess file to any given directory, reading up the directory tree, is the one that is applied to that specific directory. Try to use the fewest number of .htaccess files possible; redundancies can cause an infinite loop, which is bad for your site.
Preventing Hot Linking
The most important thing you want to do with an .htaccess file is prevent hot linking of non-HTML objects like images and movies. Hot linking is often referred to as "bandwidth stealing."
Your .htaccess file will disallow hotlinking; instead of the image your thief is trying to use, they'll get something else, like a broken image symbol or content you specify (angry men are popular).
Your .htaccess file content should read as follows:
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^$
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://(www\.)?mydomain.com/.*$ [NC]
RewriteRule \.(gif|jpg)$ - [F]
The first two lines you don't have to modify in any way. However, the third line's http://mydomain.com needs to be modified to reflect your URL. The fourth line in the example is set up to deny use of GIFs and JPEGs; you can add, using a pipe (|) separator, any other file type you wish.
If your server is set up to deliver alternate content (call your server administrator and ask), you can add another piece to the fourth line of code in the .htaccess file to do this:
RewriteRule \.(gif|jpg)$ http://www.mydomain.com/angryman.gif [R,L]
This delivers an angry-man image you have in your directory; just as above, make certain you change that domain name to the proper one.
Worst-case scenario: suppose you run a site that gets hold of a picture taken by an Iraqi soldier of an incident that gains a lot of media attention. And suppose you have the exclusive rights to that image. You want to sell it, of course, not give it away, so you don't post it as a freebie. You may have a downloadable version that others can take away to post on their own website, generally with a link to your site. But your original image is reserved for your use only.
Here's the problem. Webmasters, often amateurs not really understanding why what they are doing is harmful, want to deliver the best possible image to their own readers. So instead of downloading your free file or linking to your site, they embed a link in their own page that downloads your picture, and only your picture, as part of their own website. This is easy to do; all you have to do is use the image link straight out to the other website.
With that excellent and lucrative image referenced above, you may have blogs on both sides indexing you; you may even have news sites or image sites indexing you. How much bandwidth can your site take before it exceeds your monthly limit? Chances are, even a medium-case scenario is going to turn your site into a DNS instead, and you will lose viewers and site ranking while you are unavailable. Not worth posting that great picture anymore, is it?
But you do have another option: the .htaccess file. This works primarily in Apache servers; if you're not certain what you've got, call and ask. Because not all systems will allow them, and some can even be damaged by improper .htaccessing, you should contact your server administrator before you upload one, anyway.
What Is .htaccess?
.htaccess is a type of file that has, for years, been used to restrict access to protected web pages or areas, such as error pages and password-protected directories. You create it using a text editor such as NotePad or SimpleText, and then save as plain (ASCII) text. Upon saving it, the file extension needs to be changed from .txt to .htaccess – and the rest of the name needs to be left off. Your file should be named nothing except for .htaccess. Not file.htaccess. Just .htaccess.
If your text program insists on appending the .txt, you can right-click the file anywhere you normally open it and select Rename to remove the .txt. If your computer system does not show file extensions, look up how to make it show them! Alternately, telnet and ftp programs will also allow you to rename files and remove extensions.
Creating .htaccess Files
Your first step in creating this file should be to open your text editor and save an empty page as .htaccess. Turn off your word wrap function. .htaccess files are intended to be single-line commands, and a word wrap can throw this completely off and make your file unusable, either by breaking lines in the wrong place or by putting in unwanted characters when it's uploaded.
When you upload an .htaccess file, it should be encoded as ASCII, not binary. CHMOD the file to either 644 or (RW-R—R--) so that the server can use it but a browser cannot; readable .htaccess files can compromise your security by allowing hackers to figure out what you have protected and where the authentication files are. (You can also prevent this problem by putting your authentication files above the root directory so that they cannot be accessed via www.)
An .htaccess file affects the directory it's placed in as well as any subsequent subdirectories; if you have files everywhere you want protected, you can put the .htaccess file in your root directory. If you only want to protect your images, you can put it in your images directory alone. The closest .htaccess file to any given directory, reading up the directory tree, is the one that is applied to that specific directory. Try to use the fewest number of .htaccess files possible; redundancies can cause an infinite loop, which is bad for your site.
Preventing Hot Linking
The most important thing you want to do with an .htaccess file is prevent hot linking of non-HTML objects like images and movies. Hot linking is often referred to as "bandwidth stealing."
Your .htaccess file will disallow hotlinking; instead of the image your thief is trying to use, they'll get something else, like a broken image symbol or content you specify (angry men are popular).
Your .htaccess file content should read as follows:
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^$
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://(www\.)?mydomain.com/.*$ [NC]
RewriteRule \.(gif|jpg)$ - [F]
The first two lines you don't have to modify in any way. However, the third line's http://mydomain.com needs to be modified to reflect your URL. The fourth line in the example is set up to deny use of GIFs and JPEGs; you can add, using a pipe (|) separator, any other file type you wish.
If your server is set up to deliver alternate content (call your server administrator and ask), you can add another piece to the fourth line of code in the .htaccess file to do this:
RewriteRule \.(gif|jpg)$ http://www.mydomain.com/angryman.gif [R,L]
This delivers an angry-man image you have in your directory; just as above, make certain you change that domain name to the proper one.
Senin, 12 November 2001
How to Clean a Dirty Aquarium
A fresh water fish tank requires about 30 minutes to an hour of work a week depending on the size of the tank.
Waht you will need:
1) You will need a clean 5 gallon bucket that has never had chemicals or soap inside of it.
2) A hose or gravel cleaner
3) A bag of natural or synthetic sea salt
I have split the work into two parts the tank which needs to be cleaned ever week on the same day and the filters which can be cleaned every 2 or 3 weeks.
The very first thing you have to do before you start cleaning your fish tank is to unplug your tanks heater if you have one. The heater can not be allowed to be removed from the water while it is hot so make sure to leave it unplugged at least 20 minutes before attempting to remove it. The water help cool the glass on the heater if removed it could crack, or the glass could totally shatter. You should also remember to never stick your hand inside of any fish tank before making sure the heater is not only off but unplugged from the wall. A small crack in the heater could be more then enough to cause a shock to you that can be fatal.
After the heater has ha time to cool you can safely remove the heater from the tank or it the heater is submersible you can just push it down to the bottom of the tank.
Now take any decorations you may have placed in the tank, so all you have are the small gravel at the bottom, this will allow you to get any dirt that those decorations may have been covering up. Now if you do not have a gravel cleaner you are going to have to roll up your sleeves and get your hands wet. You will need to stir up the gravel to get the dirt that has settled between the gravel into the water, and start removing the water into the bucket with the hose. Do not throw out the water you will still need it to clean the filters.
If you have a gravel cleaner, push the plastic tube into the gravel until it hits the bottom of the tank, then start a siphon into the bucket, every second or 2 move the gravel cleaner over an inch or 2 and repeat this process until either you have removed 15 percent of the tanks water of you have cleaned all the gravel.
Now at this point you can clean the Aquariums filters. The insides of the filters are used to grow bacteria, that help break down the nitrites and nitrates that are in the water from fish waste and uneaten food. To make sure we don’t kill all these Aquarium friendly bacteria, we clean the filter materials and sponges in the dirty water that I also full of the bacteria. Take everything out of the filters and rinse them of in the bucket of dirty Aquarium water, then give the sponge a couple of squeezes in the bucket and reassemble the filters, and put them back on the tank.
Now before adding the water sea salt must be added to the tank. All water has some amount of salt in it and to replicate the natural habitat of the fish there must be salt in your tank as well. Add approximately 1 cup of sea salt for every 50 gallons of water.
Now you can add water to the tank, but you must make sure the water is the within a degree or two of the temperature of the water in the tank. A drastic change in the tanks temperature suddenly can throw the fish into shock and kill them or weaken their immunity and help give them a fish disease. I recommend filling the bucket with hot water and checking it regularly till it is the same as the tanks temperature, then slowly add the water to the tank, start the filters and the heater.
Cleaning the filters only needs to be done once or twice a month, but the water in the tank must be cleaned on the same day every week.
Waht you will need:
1) You will need a clean 5 gallon bucket that has never had chemicals or soap inside of it.
2) A hose or gravel cleaner
3) A bag of natural or synthetic sea salt
I have split the work into two parts the tank which needs to be cleaned ever week on the same day and the filters which can be cleaned every 2 or 3 weeks.
The very first thing you have to do before you start cleaning your fish tank is to unplug your tanks heater if you have one. The heater can not be allowed to be removed from the water while it is hot so make sure to leave it unplugged at least 20 minutes before attempting to remove it. The water help cool the glass on the heater if removed it could crack, or the glass could totally shatter. You should also remember to never stick your hand inside of any fish tank before making sure the heater is not only off but unplugged from the wall. A small crack in the heater could be more then enough to cause a shock to you that can be fatal.
After the heater has ha time to cool you can safely remove the heater from the tank or it the heater is submersible you can just push it down to the bottom of the tank.
Now take any decorations you may have placed in the tank, so all you have are the small gravel at the bottom, this will allow you to get any dirt that those decorations may have been covering up. Now if you do not have a gravel cleaner you are going to have to roll up your sleeves and get your hands wet. You will need to stir up the gravel to get the dirt that has settled between the gravel into the water, and start removing the water into the bucket with the hose. Do not throw out the water you will still need it to clean the filters.
If you have a gravel cleaner, push the plastic tube into the gravel until it hits the bottom of the tank, then start a siphon into the bucket, every second or 2 move the gravel cleaner over an inch or 2 and repeat this process until either you have removed 15 percent of the tanks water of you have cleaned all the gravel.
Now at this point you can clean the Aquariums filters. The insides of the filters are used to grow bacteria, that help break down the nitrites and nitrates that are in the water from fish waste and uneaten food. To make sure we don’t kill all these Aquarium friendly bacteria, we clean the filter materials and sponges in the dirty water that I also full of the bacteria. Take everything out of the filters and rinse them of in the bucket of dirty Aquarium water, then give the sponge a couple of squeezes in the bucket and reassemble the filters, and put them back on the tank.
Now before adding the water sea salt must be added to the tank. All water has some amount of salt in it and to replicate the natural habitat of the fish there must be salt in your tank as well. Add approximately 1 cup of sea salt for every 50 gallons of water.
Now you can add water to the tank, but you must make sure the water is the within a degree or two of the temperature of the water in the tank. A drastic change in the tanks temperature suddenly can throw the fish into shock and kill them or weaken their immunity and help give them a fish disease. I recommend filling the bucket with hot water and checking it regularly till it is the same as the tanks temperature, then slowly add the water to the tank, start the filters and the heater.
Cleaning the filters only needs to be done once or twice a month, but the water in the tank must be cleaned on the same day every week.
Jumat, 12 Oktober 2001
How to Choose The Right Computer
How To Choose:
There are only a few main parts of the computer that truly make the difference between the others. As long as when you are looking for the right computer to buy, you pay attention to these parts and see what they are, and how fast they are, you will end up with the computer system you really want and need, instead of another computer that you will be looking at upgrading in the near future.
The Processor:
All computers only understand 1's and 0's which is the binary language. The processor does the calculations with these 1's and 0's to give you your windows, icons, folders, text, pictures, etc.. The faster your processor's speed is, the faster it can do these calculations, the less wait time or "lag" you will have. Now that doesn't mean that you have to get the latest and greatest of processors out. It just means that you have to make a decision based on understanding what that number next to the GHz means.
If you are a student or you are going to be using this computer for such purposes as: research, surfing the web, playing card games, word processing, book keeping, or anything of the like, it is recommended that you get a processor that is accommodating for these activities. You definitely do not need anything super fast, but you do not want to get too low end either, otherwise you will be left in the technological dust when the new processors come out and everyone you know upgrades. Typically a 2.6Ghz processor is as low end as you want to go, but with the new (M)obile technology that laptops have out this number changes. If you see "Mobile" or a "M" anywhere in the processor area when you are looking at a laptop, the low end in this case is around 1.7GHz.
If you are a gamer or a power user on the computer, or plan on being one, you will want to go with something a bit more powerful. Recommendation is definitely something over 3.0Ghz or 2.0Ghz(Mobile Technology) as a low end. If you are a gamer or power user you will want to be in a high end computer to best utilize the speed capabilities of your programs and games. This too does not necessarily mean you need the latest and greatest processor out there, but you do want something that will give you the power you need without killing your wallet, but also not leaving you having to upgrade as soon as the newest games or high-end programs come out. A good rule of thumb is to look around and compare a few different computer systems, and look for the best speed you can find, just before the price jumps up some crazy amount just for another 0.2 or 0.4Ghz.
Memory:
What is memory anyways? RAM or Random Access Memory is a type of computer storage where the content can be accessed in any order. It is primarily used in computer systems to hold information that you or your computer are actively using or actively changing. When you run a program or a game, all the information about that program or game are loaded into memory, but only certain parts of it are needed at a time. The computer sorts through the memory and pulls out this information as needed. The more memory you have to work with, the better off you are. Most companies now a days recommend a minimum of 256mb. This is only if you are on an extremely tight budget. The minimum of today is 512mb of memory, but it is recommended to get 1GB. Not being able to run a program or a game due to not enough memory, is one of the greatest heart breakers. Memory is fairly cheap in today’s computer market, so it is not worth going the cheap route in this area just to come up short later.
Hard Drive:
No matter what you have heard, you can never have enough hard drive space. A few years ago people would laugh when someone bought a 1GB hard drive, saying that they would never be able to fill that in a lifetime. Then people started getting 10, 20, even 40GB hard drives, thinking the same thing, they will never be able to fill up that much space. Well let’s face it, when it comes to our loved ones pictures, and our favorite songs, or videos, we as humans are packrats when it comes to storing things on the computer. We have the ability to burn things off on CD or even DVD now, but we want our “favorites” to be easily accessible. The computer itself uses some of this hard drive space to be able to function, with what is known as a swap file. Your computer will claim a section of your hard drive to use as “virtual memory” so it can access all your commonly used information faster than just your memory(RAM) alone. When choosing the size of your hard drive, remember this, because you will need enough storage space for all your programs, all your music, movies, games, pictures, plus the amount that your computer uses automatically. Make sure that you pay attention to the “rpm” of the drive or rotations per minute. This is how fast the information is read from the hard drive or written to the hard drive. This speed is generally either 5400, 7200, or 10000. The faster the rpm speed the better, but choose this speed based on how you are going to use your computer. If you are using the computer for games, video editing, or 3D modeling, you definitely want your hard drive to be as fast as possible.
Video Graphics:
The graphics capabilities of your computer is a very important factor to take into consideration, especially if you are to be doing gaming, 3D modeling, or video editing. All graphic cards have memory of their own, which enable them to process video graphics and render them to the screen as fast as possible, without slowing your computer system down by using some of its precious memory. Most computers today from major manufacturers have built in graphics cards. These can be upgraded if your needs call for it, but unless you are doing something that requires a major amount of video graphic capabilities, 64-128MB of graphic memory should be an ample amount. For the extreme gamers and 3D artists out there, it is recommended that you get nothing less than 256MB of video memory for optimal performance.
There are only a few main parts of the computer that truly make the difference between the others. As long as when you are looking for the right computer to buy, you pay attention to these parts and see what they are, and how fast they are, you will end up with the computer system you really want and need, instead of another computer that you will be looking at upgrading in the near future.
The Processor:
All computers only understand 1's and 0's which is the binary language. The processor does the calculations with these 1's and 0's to give you your windows, icons, folders, text, pictures, etc.. The faster your processor's speed is, the faster it can do these calculations, the less wait time or "lag" you will have. Now that doesn't mean that you have to get the latest and greatest of processors out. It just means that you have to make a decision based on understanding what that number next to the GHz means.
If you are a student or you are going to be using this computer for such purposes as: research, surfing the web, playing card games, word processing, book keeping, or anything of the like, it is recommended that you get a processor that is accommodating for these activities. You definitely do not need anything super fast, but you do not want to get too low end either, otherwise you will be left in the technological dust when the new processors come out and everyone you know upgrades. Typically a 2.6Ghz processor is as low end as you want to go, but with the new (M)obile technology that laptops have out this number changes. If you see "Mobile" or a "M" anywhere in the processor area when you are looking at a laptop, the low end in this case is around 1.7GHz.
If you are a gamer or a power user on the computer, or plan on being one, you will want to go with something a bit more powerful. Recommendation is definitely something over 3.0Ghz or 2.0Ghz(Mobile Technology) as a low end. If you are a gamer or power user you will want to be in a high end computer to best utilize the speed capabilities of your programs and games. This too does not necessarily mean you need the latest and greatest processor out there, but you do want something that will give you the power you need without killing your wallet, but also not leaving you having to upgrade as soon as the newest games or high-end programs come out. A good rule of thumb is to look around and compare a few different computer systems, and look for the best speed you can find, just before the price jumps up some crazy amount just for another 0.2 or 0.4Ghz.
Memory:
What is memory anyways? RAM or Random Access Memory is a type of computer storage where the content can be accessed in any order. It is primarily used in computer systems to hold information that you or your computer are actively using or actively changing. When you run a program or a game, all the information about that program or game are loaded into memory, but only certain parts of it are needed at a time. The computer sorts through the memory and pulls out this information as needed. The more memory you have to work with, the better off you are. Most companies now a days recommend a minimum of 256mb. This is only if you are on an extremely tight budget. The minimum of today is 512mb of memory, but it is recommended to get 1GB. Not being able to run a program or a game due to not enough memory, is one of the greatest heart breakers. Memory is fairly cheap in today’s computer market, so it is not worth going the cheap route in this area just to come up short later.
Hard Drive:
No matter what you have heard, you can never have enough hard drive space. A few years ago people would laugh when someone bought a 1GB hard drive, saying that they would never be able to fill that in a lifetime. Then people started getting 10, 20, even 40GB hard drives, thinking the same thing, they will never be able to fill up that much space. Well let’s face it, when it comes to our loved ones pictures, and our favorite songs, or videos, we as humans are packrats when it comes to storing things on the computer. We have the ability to burn things off on CD or even DVD now, but we want our “favorites” to be easily accessible. The computer itself uses some of this hard drive space to be able to function, with what is known as a swap file. Your computer will claim a section of your hard drive to use as “virtual memory” so it can access all your commonly used information faster than just your memory(RAM) alone. When choosing the size of your hard drive, remember this, because you will need enough storage space for all your programs, all your music, movies, games, pictures, plus the amount that your computer uses automatically. Make sure that you pay attention to the “rpm” of the drive or rotations per minute. This is how fast the information is read from the hard drive or written to the hard drive. This speed is generally either 5400, 7200, or 10000. The faster the rpm speed the better, but choose this speed based on how you are going to use your computer. If you are using the computer for games, video editing, or 3D modeling, you definitely want your hard drive to be as fast as possible.
Video Graphics:
The graphics capabilities of your computer is a very important factor to take into consideration, especially if you are to be doing gaming, 3D modeling, or video editing. All graphic cards have memory of their own, which enable them to process video graphics and render them to the screen as fast as possible, without slowing your computer system down by using some of its precious memory. Most computers today from major manufacturers have built in graphics cards. These can be upgraded if your needs call for it, but unless you are doing something that requires a major amount of video graphic capabilities, 64-128MB of graphic memory should be an ample amount. For the extreme gamers and 3D artists out there, it is recommended that you get nothing less than 256MB of video memory for optimal performance.
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