The Refresh Orlando Heirs

Developing user friendly mobile phones.

Because of the variety of handheld devices to choose from, usability can be a very powerful distinguishing factor. Good designed mobile phones mean happy users, and satisfied customers become loyal customers. By understanding the techniques of Handheld Usability you can give the consumers what they want and need, and get it right the first time.

The main goal of usability professionals working on mobile phones is to develop devices from the end-user needs’ perspective, and not only based on technical possibilities. The main task is to ensure that the target user group of each model can operate the device fluently and with joy.

Some examples of what should be taken in considderation is presented below.

Input

Output

Software

Other

- Ergonomics of keys & the whole device
- Key discovery
- Text input
- Touch screen input
- Speech input
- Motion gestures

- Display qualit
- Audio quality
- Haptic feedback

- User interface consistency
- Information visualization
- Usability within single applications
- Application interworking

- Mechanics (e.g. battery change)
- Cover material
- Graceful power saving
- Accessories

Regarding handheld device functionality, a small device does have its limitations, but being mobile brings also huge benefits. In comparisement to stationary devices, a mobile device that users carry with them almost all the time gives new an innovating oppurtunities for applications and features.

Other then usability and marketing, there is also emotions research, which is aimed at understanding what users feel and why when interacting with the device, and what brings about a joyful user experience. People have an emotional relationship with their personal mobile phones. The phone they carry with them expresses their personality in a similar way as their car does.

As you can see a lot is been undertaken to get the phone from the drawing board to the consumer.
Industrial design and functionality are the factors that affect a purchasing decision the most, in addition to the price.

Adding your view on mobile phone design.

Did you ever had an amazing idea on mobile phone design? like you there are others that have these visions in this evolving age of mobile phone design and the need to improve the old ways or to come up with a fresh new idea or stylish design.
Mobile phone producing companies are always looking for new ideas, the next trends or hype if you want to call it that. What if you can make an effort to put something new out there? Would you be interested?

You don’t have to be a professional industrial designer or someone in that category if you want to put your idea(s) out there.
On these galleries you can place your design and ideas on mobile phone design either fully digitalized or as a scanned image of a paper drawing. It is all about getting the idea out there since this is most of the time the best way for things to get started.
Does the design need to be perfect you might ask? No, your effort to put your idea out there is enough and much appreciated by anyone affiliated in the mobile phone producing markets.
Of course you can leave some info about yourself to get noticed by others or hopefully if you pursue a career in industrial design to be noticed by the big companies involved with mobile phone design.

The interface of the mobile phone is very important for the users of mobile phones and overall design combined with functionality is what is most appealing to the public for buying a mobile phone. Ever used a phone that had dial buttons so small you would press other numbers by mistake? Well, i did and it can be very frustrating and if you have experienced a similar situation you would likely feel the same. Therefor making a serious professional design requires some if not a lot of research to make any mobile phone design attractive towards the public.

Mark Verburg

designyourphone.com

IF, An Online Internet Marketing Poem

If before you have turned on the coffee, or got your kids fed, If you are the last one dressed and ready to leave the house, While others in the family get ready, your still moving a mouse.

If you have more friends online, than you do in real life, And hubby refers to you as his cyber wife.

If you cook dinner between web pages and downloads, And your brain is dreaming about java script codes.

If your daughter tells her teacher moms a computeraholic, And you always push, “view source” to see how web pages tic,

If you are still sitting with blood shot eyes in that chair, While the rest of the family is off having fun somewhere,

If the dishes are piled high on the counter and sink, You know you should be doing them, you just got to hit one more link.

If all of the above in life seem too true, Maybe you should rule your computer, instead of letting it rule you!

By Laurie Meade Copyright 2002-2005 All Rights Reserved.

Dedicated to my 4 children, who I learned are growing to quickly for me to allow the computer to rule me.

Visit lauriemeade.com for more articles and resources and humor on Internet Marketing. Writer’s Resources for Internet Marketing
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Your computer’s data is at risk. Whether you use a Mac or a PC, viruses, power surges, hackers, human error, natural disasters, hardware failures, and more are real everyday threats. To keep your data safe and sound, you will first need to back up your files on a regular basis. Secondly, when hard drive failure does occur, data recovery is the only solution.

Of course it is ideal to back up data and avoid the complicated process that is data recovery altogether, but even when you take the necessary steps to prepare for hard drive damage, you might run into problems.

Here are some procedures to follow if you experience trouble.

If a program is not functioning well on your computer, turn the computer off! This may seem a simple task, but shutting down a computer at the moment you notice your hard drive to be working overtime – perhaps you hear unusual sounds (like “cleaning”) – can prevent damage to the disk and data loss. If you let a failed hard drive run, it will eventually self-destruct. Damage to your disk is inevitable in this scenario.

If this is the case, unless you know exactly what you’re doing, don’t fix your computer yourself. Professional expertise is not a luxury in this situation – it is a must. Data recovery is a difficult and sensitive process requiring special tools and a clean environment. Not only will it be tremendously challenging to repair a hard drive on your own, but you might actually make matters worse and ensure irreversible data loss.

There is “do-it-yourself” data recovery software, but be cautious of things like this. With most computer problems of this nature, at-home instructions can be more dangerous than useful. Even if a company boasts that its products and instructions will handle your vulnerable data properly, it is important to be a skeptical consumer.

A local service provider is the average solution. Repair can happen on your own premises and you can be assured that your computer is in good hands. However, there is always the possibility that your hard drive is beyond repair – even for expert technicians – so be prepared to buy a new hard drive altogether; data recovery may not be an option any more.

Stu Pearson has an interest in Business & Technology related topics. To access more information on data recovery services or on restore data, please click on the links.

Duct tapes have become an indispensable part of a tool kit. These strong, multi-purpose adhesive tapes are a popular means of fixing broken materials and equipments. However, the use of duct tapes is not limited to emergency patch-up measures. They are now used for creating a range of accessories and decorative items. Today, duct tape crafts are featured in many lifestyle books and magazines. There are a growing number of fans and patrons for this art. Duct tape crafts have almost become a cult in the United States. A whole new breed of experts has emerged to cater to the rising demands of duct tape crafts.

Duct tape crafts are now a common feature in competitions held at various cultural events. Popular items created with duct tapes include wallets, belts, guitar straps, purses, bracelets, folders, visors and backpacks. This craft is also applied in the fashion industry. Many retailers feature fashionable duct tape handbags sporting reputed brand names. Duck Products, one of the most famous manufacturers of quality duct tapes, organizes an annual competition for creating stylish formal wears. The popularity of duct tape crafts can be judged by the variety of shades and hues that are available today including fluorescent and transparent varieties.

The popularity of duct tape crafts is so high that in 2002, when duct tapes turned 60 years old, numerous contests were held, and to mark this occasion, the Duck Products Company created an American flag entirely from duct tape. This flag, measuring the size of an NBA basketball court, was hoisted in New York’s Union Square Park. Some famous examples of duct tape crafts can be seen at the Cleveland Zoo. This zoo has on display animal models created using duct tapes. Duct tape crafts are now a common feature in exhibitions and art shows hosted by art students of reputed universities and colleges.

Duct Tape provides detailed information on Duct Tape, Duct Tape Crafts, Duct Tape Wallets, Duct Tape Fashion and more. Duct Tape is affiliated with Electrician Jobs .

Over the years, as IT consultants, you’ve probably supported thousands of PC hardware configurations. During this time period, you likely have formulated a strong opinion of what PC hardware specs make for a solid purchase recommendation.

However, in order to properly position your professional expertise, it’s important to be able to convey this hardware selection benefit effectively to clients. After all, “everyone” is an expert at buying PCs, right?!? Not!

IT Consultants Can Help Clients Choose Right the First Time

Choosing the right PC specs can save your clients big money on unpredictable installation and support costs.

In a perfect world, all software and hardware vendors claiming compatibility, under a particular operating system or PC environment, would have products that work well together. But, this isn’t a perfect world.

IT Consultants Can Save Their Clients Time and Frustration

You can save your clients considerable time and potential aggravation, and pick up substantial service revenue, by getting actively involved in the selection of various hardware components and software programs that come preinstalled with the purchase of a new PC.

IT Consultants Can Save Their Clients Money with Hardware and Software Solutions

In much the same way that you’ll often find greater overall value by getting more menu items bundled into a complete dinner at a restaurant, rather than a la carte, you’ll find the same thing with computer purchasing.

It often makes small business sense for your clients to purchase various hardware components and upgrades with the purchase of the PC — as opposed to shopping for these hardware components and upgrades a la carte at a later date.

IT Consultants Can Help Determine the Value of The Components

The challenge however is knowing which components and upgrades are “worth” it, which are a waste of money and which are a potential land mine of tech support troubles. That’s where your firm steps in to save the day!

Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consulting Blog. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

Joshua Feinberg can help you get more steady, high-paying computer consulting clients. You can learn how too. Sign-up now for Joshua’s free audio training program on the Computer Consulting Blog.

Many cry and wonder why
And seek further insight
From big Daddy in the sky
Not knowing what’s going on
Having nobody upon whom to hold on
When the church service is over
And all have come and gone.

Once the offering has been given
All hands shaken
Smiles exchanged
A remembrance of a few names
Dreams unfulfilled continue to turn within
Waiting incessantly for Christ within
The hope of glory to arise
To burst the bonds
Remove the guise
Fulfill His Word
And all surprise.
This futile life
How can it be
That Christ above
Would lower Himself
To die for me!
Amazing love
Beyond comprehension
That upon the cross
Christ knew painful suspension
Brutal torment
The lashing of whips and tongues
The departure of the Holy Spirit
After which He Himself was numb

It’s in the silent moments
When defeat seems evident
That the seed of significance is sown
The power of the resurrection grown
The sufferings of Christ fully known
When you seemingly are left all alone
Many don’t understand
And are quick to judge
I however care not
Knowing the Judge above
Moreover I judge myself strictly
Examine myself wholeheartedly
Desiring to walk circumspectly
To be godly and live selflessly.

Nevertheless life’s circumstances can be hard
And your faculties they temporarily retard
Making you sluggish as lard
Dulling your senses
Troubling your soul
Effecting all areas of your life
Troubling and taking their toll

Thanks be to God however
The Son did arise
With power, strength and fire in His eyes
Though many did not initially realize
And Him they publicly despised
Yet when He bounced back from defeat
Many hid in fear
Others wondered in amazement
The victimized applauded happily
Counting His resurrection
Their personal victory

It is my urgent request
That you too personalize Christ’s triumph
Over death, hell and the grave
For you too He surely
Came to save
His death
Being your life
His breakthrough
Breaking chains for you today!
Liberating you in every way
No matter what you do or say
Christ’s victory personally appropriated
Can better your day
Illuminate your way
Reverse the curse
Remove the tendency to rehearse
Your personal pain and setbacks
Because in Christ
You too bounce back!
You too are blessed
And can boldly express
His more over your less
His loving-kindness
His mercies countless
His joys boundless
His grace groundless
His Spirit measureless
So before you digress or regress
Consider God’s profoundness
To turn Christ’s sorrow
Into your joy
His pain
Into your gain

His minus
Into your plus
So why therefore all the fuss?
Remove your eyes from yourself
And look up to heaven
Where your help comes from
Get a proper perspective
And from your troubles
No more shall you run
Now is the time
For life to become fun
And like Christ our example
You too shall mightily overcome!

So arise and take your love
And all you dream of
Disburse it among the nations
Build dreams
And break limitations
Cause countless multitudes abroad
To be touched and transformed
Because of Christ’s crucifixion
And glorious resurrection!

In this pain you go
In this power you know
For love is no vain show
Though you try to deny it
It continues to grow
Despite months of neglect
It does not whither
In the face of cruelty and criticism
It remains alive
Though kill it
Or rationalize it away
You try
And outwardly lie
It nags at you within
Not rationalized away
By your psychoanalysis or spin
Christ the hope of glory
Always wins!

By reasoning against love
You cannot win
So this determine
Take this boundless, immeasurable love
And spread it throughout the nations
With it overtake the world
Turn it upside down
Take it beyond the head
Down deep into the heart
Ignite a fire within
From which no soul can depart

Magnify and multiply
This raging inferno in your heart
And erect a monument of love
An eternal work of art
From which even the hardest of hearts
Cannot depart
Let all humanity know
The glorious creation itself does fully show
That though winter may come
It does also go
And is followed by spring
A time to flourish
A time to sing
For Christ surely has arose
And for you will do a new thing.

By Paul Davis

Paul Davis is author of Breakthrough for a Broken Heart a book telling us “How to overcome disappointments and blossom into your dreams!” He is a minister, life coach (relational & professional), dating expert, popular worldwide keynote speaker, creative consultant, humor being, adventurer, explorer, mediator, liberator and dream-maker.

Paul’s compassion for people & passion to travel has taken him to over 50 countries of the world where he has had a tremendous impact. Paul has also brought revival to many in war-torn, impoverished and tsunami stricken regions of the earth. His nonprofit organization Dream-Maker Ministries is building dreams and breaking limitations.

Paul’s Breakthrough Seminars inspire, revive, awaken, impregnate with purpose, impart the fire of desire, catapult people into a new level of self-awareness, facilitate destiny discovery and dream fulfillment.

Paul can be contacted at: RevivingNations@yahoo.com - 407-967-7553 or 407-282-1745.

For additional info:
http://www.CreativeCommunications.TV
http://www.BreakthroughSeminars.org
http://www.DreamMakerMinistries.com

EDI (electronic data interchange) has become one of the most reliable systems for companies to exchange information related to their business. This system coordinates the transaction process, thereby reducing the overhead costs. However, setting up an EDI system requires expertise and infrastructure, such as a computer network and the related software and hardware. Companies therefore often opt for EDI outsourcing. Many companies specialize in implementing EDI systems by providing the necessary hardware, software and the subsequent management services. All these services are provided at a fixed monthly charge. EDI outsourcing has come to be a viable option for medium and small companies who lack the expertise to implement the system on their own.

There are many companies specializing in EDI outsourcing. These companies provide their clients the option of outsourcing for individual functions of the EDI system or the operations of the whole EDI department. In case a business corporation chooses to implement an EDI system, it has to invest money on the required infrastructure and staff. Once the system is installed, it has to be maintained and monitored constantly. This maintenance job requires dedicated staff. Complication results if the partner companies have different network systems. Handling these issues efficiently requires expertise. EDI outsourcing has therefore gained popularity. The companies specializing in this field leverage on their years of experience to provide the most cost-effective solutions to EDI management.

Companies preferring EDI outsourcing must choose a service provider based on the number of years of experience, the technology being offered, the cost and the service provider’s clientele.

EDI provides detailed information on EDI, EDI Outsourcing, EDI Software, EDI Services and more. EDI is affiliated with Contact Management Systems.

Follow the steps below to quickly design, generate, and deploy a great portion of your real-life N-Tier application.

STEP 1: HAVE YOUR DATABASE READY

1. Create your database in Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, or DB2. You can design and create your own database. Or, you can use the sample database provided with TierDeveloper. Or, you can use one of the databases/schemas already provided with your database. They are:

a.Microsoft SQL Server: Northwind database. Just create a new TierDeveloper project against this database.

b.Oracle: DEMO schema with EMP, DEPT, BONUS, SALGRADE, and other tables. Just create a new TierDeveloper project against this schema.

c.DB2: SAMPLE schema provided with DB2. Just create a new TierDeveloper project against this schema.

2. Populate database with data. This would ensure that you have a fully working database ready to be used by a web application.

STEP 2: KNOW YOUR APPLICATION’S DATABASE INTERACTION

1. Identify table-columns your app will access: Before you do anything, you must know which tables and which columns in these tables is your application going to access.

2. Identify transactional operations: Identify where in your application you need to do insert, update, delete, or single-row select operations.

3. Identify queries: Most applications need to retrieve collection of rows from one or more tables in the database. Identify all places where you need to issue queries. These could be single-table queries or could involve complex joins or nested queries.

4. Identify stored procedures to call: If there are any stored procedures that already exist in the database which you need to call, identify them here. These stored procedures should be those that contains complex business rules or other data manipulation logic. Do not manually create stored procedures in the database for transactional operations or for queries that are otherwise handled by TierDeveloper. TierDeveloper can generate stored procedure DDL for you in that situation.

5. Identify bulk updates or deletes: Most applications do not require bulk updates or deletes but some do. If you have any, identify them.

The best way to understand your applications database interaction needs is to understand its behavior from the user’s perspective and focus on all the data that needs to be displayed to the user or changed by the user.

STEP 3: CREATE TIERDEVELOPER PROJECT

1. Connect TierDeveloper to your database: TierDeveloper uses OLEDB to connect to your database and reads its schema so it can let you define the mappings of middle-tier objects with tables in the database (based on what you have determined about your application’s interaction with your database). Please note that even if you’re going to generate Java/J2EE application that will use JDBC to connect to the database, TierDeveloper (the product) will use OLEDB to connect to your database.

2. Define data object mappings to your tables: Wherever you had identified table-columns that your application needs, define data objects mapped to these tables with the appropriate columns selected as data object attributes. You can map a data object to single table or multiple tables. You’ll need multi-table data objects for situations where you’re trying to issue a multi-table join query that returns data from multiple tables.

3. Specify transactional methods in data objects: Based on what you identified as your application’s transactional needs earlier, you should now define those insert, update, delete, and single-row select as methods of your data objects. TierDeveloper lets you do that with point-and-click.

4. Define queries as data object methods: For each query that you identified earlier, define a query method in the appropriate data objects. Remember, a query returns a resultset which get translated into a collection of data objects by TierDeveloper generated code.

5. Define stored procedure calls as data object methods: Wherever you needed to call stored procedures, you need to define data object methods for them. Remember, these stored procedures contain sophisticated business rules. Any stored procedures for transactional operations or queries can be generated by TierDeveloper so you do not have to manually write them in the database.

6. Define bulk update/delete operations as data object methods: Wherever you need to do a bulk update or bulk delete, you’ll need to define data object methods for them.

STEP 4: GENERATE AND RUN 50% OF YOUR APPLICATION INSTANTLY

1. Generate data objects: After you have defined all your data objects, you are ready to generate code for them. You can generate data object code in the following format:

a. .NET components

2. Build and deploy data objects generated code: If you machine has the appropriate build environment for your platform, TierDeveloper asks you whether you want to build the generated data objects code. If you say “yes”, it creates the following. It also then deploys them to your appropriate environment.

a. .NET assemblies for .NET components. They are deployed through component services.

3. Generate web application: After you have generated and build the data objects, you can generate a fully working web application. The purpose of this web application is to let you test all the functions of data objects. This also serves as a good sample/example code for you to copy into your own web application development. TierDeveloper generates the following types of web applications:

a. ASP.NET pages in C# or VB.NET and with or without XML/XSLT.

4. Build and deploy web application: TierDeveloper can also build the web pages for you. It does the following for each platform:

a. Build a .NET assembly for ASP.NET pages. They are deployed to IIS

5. Run deployed web app with data objects: Now that you have successfully deployed the data objects and the web app, you can run the web app. The really nice thing is that all this generated code is now working against your own database and in your own environment. You can see all the behavior of the data objects through this web app and also use it as a guide in your own web development. Try this and you’ll be convinced about TierDeveloper being a true Rapid Development tool.

STEP 5: DEVELOP REMAINING 50% OF YOUR APPLICATION

After running and verifying that all the generated code contains your desired functionality and runs correctly against your database, you are now ready to develop the rest of the application. The areas you are likely to need to develop in your application are:

1. Presentation Layer (Web Pages): Use TierDeveloper generated web app as a sample/example for quickly developing your own. You can even copy/paste a lot of the code from the generated web app into yours, thereby speeding up your development work even further.

2. Business Objects: Although TierDeveloper generated code contains all your data manipulation logic and some of your business rules as well (in the form of data validation or stored procedure calls), you will most likely have to develop additional business objects. If you’re not an expert in your target platform (.NET, J2EE, or J2SE), you can learn from the generated data objects as your business objects are likely going to be in the same environment and would follow similar design approach.

For free evaluation download please visit
http://www.alachisoft.com/download.htm

Introduction

Computer forensic examiners are responsible for technical acuity, knowledge of the law, and objectivity in the course of investigations. Success is principled upon verifiable and repeatable reported results that represent direct evidence of suspected wrong-doing or potential exoneration. This article establishes a series of best practices for the computer forensics practitioner, representing the best evidence for defensible solutions in the field. Best practices themselves are intended to capture those processes that have repeatedly shown to be successful in their use. This is not a cookbook. Best practices are meant to be reviewed and applied based on the specific needs of the organization, the case and the case
setting.

Job Knowledge

An examiner can only be so informed when they walk into a field setting. In many
cases, the client or the client’s representative will provide some information about
how many systems are in question, their specifications, and their current state.
And just as often, they are critically wrong. This is especially true when it comes to
hard drive sizes, cracking laptop computers, password hacking and device
interfaces. A seizure that brings the equipment back to the lab should always be
the first line of defense, providing maximum flexibility. If you must perform onsite,
create a comprehensive working list of information to be collected before you hit
the field. The list should be comprised of small steps with a checkbox for each
step. The examiner should be completely informed of their next step and not have
to “think on their feet.”

Overestimate

Overestimate effort by at least a factor of two the amount of time you will require to
complete the job. This includes accessing the device, initiating the forensic
acquisition with the proper write-blocking strategy, filling out the appropriate
paperwork and chain of custody documentation, copying the acquired files to
another device and restoring the hardware to its initial state. Keep in mind that you
may require shop manuals to direct you in taking apart small devices to access the
drive, creating more difficulty in accomplishing the acquisition and hardware
restoration. Live by Murphy’s Law. Something will always challenge you and take
more time than anticipated — even if you have done it many times.

Inventory Equipment

Most examiners have enough of a variety of equipment that they can perform
forensically sound acquisitions in several ways. Decide ahead of time how you
would like to ideally carry out your site acquisition. All of us will see equipment go
bad or some other incompatibility become a show-stopper at the most critical time.
Consider carrying two write blockers and an extra mass storage drive, wiped and
ready. Between jobs, make sure to verify your equipment with a hashing exercise.
Double-Check and inventory all of your kit using a checklist before taking off.

Flexible Acquisition

Instead of trying to make “best guesses” about the exact size of the client hard
drive, use mass storage devices and if space is an issue, an acquisition format that
will compress your data. After collecting the data, copy the data to another
location. Many examiners limit themselves to traditional acquisitions where the
machine is cracked, the drive removed, placed behind a write-blocker and
acquired. There are also other methods for acquisition made available by the Linux
operating system. Linux, booted from a CD drive, allows the examiner to make a
raw copy without compromising the hard drive. Be familiar enough with the
process to understand how to collect hash values and other logs. Live Acquisition
is also discussed in this document. Leave the imaged drive with the attorney or the
client and take the copy back to your lab for analysis.

Pull the Plug

Heated discussion occurs about what one should do when they encounter a running
machine. Two clear choices exist; pulling the plug or performing a clean shutdown
(assuming you can log in). Most examiners pull the plug, and this is the best way to
avoid allowing any sort of malevolent process from running that may delete and
wipe data or some other similar pitfall. It also allows the examiner access to create
a snapshot of the swap files and other system information as it was last running. It
should be noted that pulling the plug can also damage some of the files running on
the system, making them unavailable to examination or user access. Businesses
sometimes prefer a clean shutdown and should be given the choice after being
explained the impact. It is critical to document how the machine was brought down
because it will be absolutely essential knowledge for analysis.

Live Acquisitions

Another option is to perform a live acquisition. Some define “live” as a running
machine as it is found, or for this purpose, the machine itself will be running during
the acquisition through some means. One method is to boot into a customized
Linux environment that includes enough support to grab an image of the hard drive
(often among other forensic capabilities), but the kernel is modified to never touch
the host computer. Special versions also exist that allow the examiner to leverage
the Window’s autorun feature to perform Incident Response. These require an
advanced knowledge of both Linux and experience with computer forensics. This
kind of acquisition is ideal when for time or complexity reasons, disassembling the
machine is not a reasonable option.

The Fundamentals

An amazingly brazen oversight that examiner’s often make is neglecting to boot the
device once the hard disk is out of it. Checking the BIOS is absolutely critical to the
ability to perform a fully-validated analysis. The time and date reported in the BIOS
must be reported, especially when time zones are an issue. A rich variety of other
information is available depending on what manufacturer wrote the BIOS software.
Remember that drive manufacturers may also hide certain areas of the disk
(Hardware Protected Areas) and your acquisition tool must be able to make a full
bitstream copy that takes that into account. Another key for the examiner to
understand is how the hashing mechanism works: Some hash algorithms may be
preferable to others not necessarily for their technological soundness, but for how
they may be perceived in a courtroom situation.

Store Securely

Acquired images should be stored in a protected, non-static environment.
Examiners should have access to a locked safe in a locked office. Drives should be
stored in antistatic bags and protected by the use of non-static packing materials or
the original shipping material. Each drive should be tagged with the client name,
attorney’s office and evidence number. Some examiners copy drive labels on the
copy machine, if they have access to one during the acquisition and this should be
stored with the case paperwork. At the end of the day, each drive should link up
with a chain of custody document, a job, and an evidence number.

Establish a Policy

Many clients and attorneys will push for an immediate acquisition of the computer
and then sit on the evidence for months. Make clear with the attorney how long
you are willing to maintain the evidence at your lab and charge a storage fee for
critical or largescale jobs. You may be storing critical evidence to a crime or civil
action and while from a marketing perspective it may seem like a good idea to keep
a copy of the drive, it may be better from the perspective of the case to return all
copies to the attorney or client with the appropriate chain of custody
documentation.

Conclusion

Computer examiners have many choices about how they will carry out an onsite
acquisition. At the same time, the onsite acquisition is the most volatile
environment for the examiner. Tools may fail, time constraints can be severe,
observers may add pressure, and suspects may be present. Examiners need to take
seriously the maintenance of their tools and development of ongoing knowledge to
learn the best techniques for every situation. Utilizing the best practices herein,
the examiner should be prepared for almost any situation they may face and have
the ability to set reasonable goals and expectations for the effort in question.

Carol L. Stimmel is a Certified Computer Examiner (CCE), co-author of The Manager
Pool, and former Vice-President, Consulting of Gartner. She has worked in
technology for over 15 years and has been involved in engineering, security,
knowledge management, and the establishment of successful entrepreneurial
ventures.

CITSF provides certified consulting services to the attorney marketplace in the area
of computer forensics and e-discovery.

Visit CITSF on the web at http://www.citsf.com
She may be reached at 303-819-2068 or carol.stimmel@gmail.com.

Virus infection on your computer may cause a very serious damage and even loss on your business. You can just imagine it may wreck your system registry or your entire computer (with all your receivables data on it!) or all your HTML programs! It will come to total black out screen, it will not boot at all. But that is actually the worse scenario that may happen. Are you going to wait for this worse scenario in your life to happen? I guess NOT, right?

Here are the 10 smart ways that I personally do to protect my computers against viruses, malicious dialers and spywares.

(1)If you are using Windows XP, always turn on the firewall.

(2)Always run all necessary latest updates & service packs (all windows! including all your programs & software!—keep them updated)

(3)Run your anti-virus program everyday (some do it every week) There are many virus programs that you can get for free scanning.

(4)Run your anti-spyware/adaware once a week (I run Spybot Search & Destroy & Lavasoft Adware Personal — they are shareware, meaning it’s free!). What I do is that, I run the Lavasoft Adware first, then run the Spybot Search and Destroy (I also run it with “immunize” tool). These two tools are always on top of my desktop for easy access.

(5)Turn on the pop-up blocker – this feature is available on Windows XP (you can see this under tools>Internet Options >Privacy>click Block Pop Ups. In addition to this, I also download another pop up blocker, the Google Toolbar. I find their pop up blocker the most effective in blocking pop ups.

(6)Never open mails that are suspicious to you or not known to you. If they are in your bulk mail, send it back to your provider as “spam”! I never enable my bulk mail. I automatically delete emails from my bulk mail.

(7)When using messenger (IM) services, be very careful with files being sent through instant messenger. Rather choose to have it emailed it to you. Most of email services now has virus check and clears it if the file has virus or not.

(8)Be very careful when downloading files or any programs from the internet, pay attention on the instructions while downloading it. Downloading may sometimes cause error on the system registry or the entire computer system (one example, my nephew got his computer badly infected with viruses because of heavy downloading of games and music! – I guess!)

(9)Be careful with files that come from a floppy disk or any other external storage when you open it in your CD ROM of floppy drive. You should know its source, or better yet, when you insert it, have it scanned with your anti-virus program before you open the files.

(10)Run defragmentation, disk clean up, registry scanner at least once a week. You can find defragmentation by simply pointing your mouse on drive C: (which is usually the hard disk main logical drive)> right click the mouse>click on properties>click on tools>click on defragment now!

There are so many shareware on the internet that you can get for free! (that is the reason it is a shareware!). Keeping your computer healthy can make you more productive (if you have a business!) or it will make you enjoy more surfing and browsing the internet!

About the Author: Pinky Mcbanon is a Systems Engineer and a Medical Biller/Coder.

She shares free computer technical support with http://www.fix-exchange.com
She shares her medical billing and coding expertise with http://www.medclaimsplus.com