The Refresh Orlando Heirs

Google Inc. has launched a new software package that allows you to see satellite images on your desktop.

Google Earth lets you search for locations anywhere on earth and display 3D aerial images of major cities and tourist attractions. Google Earth is in development, but a free beta version is available for home users. Locations can be searched by address, intersections, cities, zip codes or countries and the images can be zoomed in close enough to see streets and buildings.

The images generated are 3D – you can rotate the view to see different sides of an object. You can navigate using a mouse or the keyboard, and view selectable layers to display information about local features such as roads, terrain, schools or golf courses.

Images of 38 US cities can be viewed from “the ground up” allowing you to see 3D representations of buildings and terrain. Measurement functions include distances between two locations, perimeters, radius and area.

Search results can be saved, printed and emailed. Driving directions can be automatically generated and you can trace the route using the “Play” button located underneath the directions tab.

Google Earth is based on technology from Keyhole Corp., a digital mapping company acquired by Google in 2004. The database that drives Google Earth is based on images from satellite and airplane photographs. The database is said to be “multi-terabytes” in size.

Google Earth is available in several versions. The free version is for personal use. Google Earth Plus costs $20 and integrates data from your GPS device. Google Earth Pro costs $400 and is designed for businesses who need a research and collaboration tool. Finally, there is Google Earth Enterprise Solutions for on-site deployment of Google Earth.

The technology behind Google Earth is not new, and smaller companies such as GlobeXplorer LLC have been offering 3D aerial views for several years. Google has the marketing clout, however, to bring the technology to the consumer level and integrate it into its advertising programs.

Users can search for local businesses and receive a viewpoint of 10 search results within a specified area. Clicking on a business listing brings up its address, phone number and driving directions.

Copyright 2005 by Ross MacIver

This article may be redistributed freely on the Internet or in ezines as long as the resource box and hyperlinks remain intact.

Ross MacIver is the director of Best Online Content. We provide quality content for your web site and offer a full range of design and SEO services.

In the risk evaluation phase, there are a number of key areas that must be covered. One of the most important is to understand probable threats. In an ideal world, which most of us have noticed does not exist, we would identify and protect ourselves against all threats to ensure that our business continues to survive. Obviously, we are constrained by other factors such as budgets, time and priorities and need to apply cost benefit analysis to ensure we are protecting the most critical business functions.

A second important step is to identify all probable threats and prioritize them. Threats, typically, can be classified in several ways such as internal/external, man-made/natural, primary/secondary, accidental/intentional, controllable/not controllable, warning/no warning, frequency, duration, speed of onset etc. While classifying threats is helpful in terms of understanding their characteristics and potential controls, grouping and understanding by business impact is also important. Obviously, the same impact can result from a number of different threats.

Identifying mission critical business processes and systems is another fundamental building block of the business continuity plan. After your critical business processes and systems and probable threats are established, the next step is to identify vulnerabilities and loss potential. This requires an extensive scan of the organization to identify vulnerabilities and then analysis to understand those vulnerabilities which would have the greatest impact on your critical business processes and the organization. This starts to clarify and quantify potential losses, which helps to establish priorities.

Following the identification of the most probable threats and vulnerabilities, an analysis of existing controls is needed. This spans physical security as well as people, processes, data, communications and asset protection. Some controls such as physical security and data backup are obvious. Other controls required are often less obvious, but they can be identified through the risk evaluation process.

Once the key building blocks of critical business functions, most probable threats, vulnerabilities and controls are identified, the next stage is to develop an understanding of the probability of threats factored by the severity or impact of the threats. This leads to the business impact analysis phase which establishes priorities for protection.

The goal is to minimize threats, impacts and downtime and to mitigate any losses. Fundamentally, the goal is to protect your people, protect your data, protect your vital communications, protect your assets and to protect your brand and reputation. Overall, of course, the goal is to ensure your business continues to operate and to do it in a cost-effective way meeting standards of reasonable and prudent judgment.

About The Author

Robert Mahood has significant technology and management experience in data communications, internet, storage, disaster recovery and data recovery. He is currently the president of Midwest Data Recovery. www.midwestdatarecovery.com

bmahood@midwestdatarecovery.com, 312 907 2100 or 866 786 2595

On TV and in the movies, we see a lot of portable computers being used in homes and offices. Does that mean that’s the trend? Is that what you should get?

Portable computers cost more, so unless you really have the need for one, you get a lot more computer for your money with a regular desktop PC. The main thing is portability. If you need a portable computer, get a laptop. (”Laptop,” “portable,” and “notebook” all refer to the same thing, by the way). Otherwise, a desktop computer is a better buy, and better ergonomically.

The Price Difference

You might wonder why laptops cost more than desktop computers with comparable features and power. That is largely because it is more expensive to manufacture laptops and their parts. For portable computer components, factors such as compactness, the amount of heat they generate, their weight, and power consumption are more important than they are for desktops. Those factors add to their manufacturing costs.

Space Requirements

While laptops are certainly compact, a desktop computer with a flat panel monitor can take up almost as little space. While called a “desktop” computer, the computer itself is most often kept on the floor. That leaves just the monitor, keyboard and mouse on the desk, which is really very similar in footprint to a notebook computer.

A great way to further reduce the space taken up on the desktop computer is get a keyboard drawer to hold the keyboard and mouse. That way, they slide out of the way under the top of the desk when they aren’t needed.

Be Mindful of Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the science of designing and arranging things so that people can interact with them more comfortably and safely. The basic ergonomic principals for computer use tell us that, 1) the keyboard should be as close to your lap level as possible (assuming you touch-type), 2) the monitor should be about arm’s length in front of you, and 3) the top of the monitor should be at about your eye level. Try achieving that with a laptop computer! Two words: im-possible.

It is obvious then, that a desktop computer is much better ergonomically than a laptop is. For prolonged use, especially, you’re much better off with a desktop computer.

And Don’t Forget Usability

Another aspect of ergonomics is usability. Because of size constraints, laptops also are lower on the usability scale than desktop PCs are. For one thing, laptop keyboards lack the separate groupings of the different sets of keys with space between them. For another, there are fewer keys on a laptop’s keyboard, so some of them have to perform double duty. On a standard keyboard, you don’t have to deal with that.

Screen Resolution

Computer monitors — the bulky ones, anyway — can be set at different resolutions. In other words, you can change the fineness of the image on the screen. The range is typically 640×480 — that is 640 pixel across and 480 pixels up and down — to 800×600, 1024×768, or even higher. At 640×480, the icons and such appear quite large; at 1024×768, they are substantially smaller. The most common resolutions today for desktop computers are 800×600 and 1024×768.

Something They Don’t Tell You

Laptop displays, on the other hand, have a fixed, or native, resolution. You can change the setting, but then the images and text don’t look good. While people tend to think that bigger numbers are better, a higher screen resolution may not work as well for you. It may make everything too small to see comfortably.

Remember, the laptop’s screen is smaller that a desktop’s. While a typical desktop computer screen is 17″ or so a laptop’s is usually in the range of 12″ to 15.” That is a big difference. Make sure you can see everything clearly before choosing a high-resolution laptop.

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Reid Neubert is the creator of ConsumerTechTips.com, the site that provides simple, useful information about consumer electronics for shoppers, plus money-saving links to online bargains from leading retailers. For more information or to contact Reid, visit www.consumertechtips.com

This simple, yet elegant table centerpiece is a great way to make a fancy “to do” at each table, without breaking the bank.

This is so easy, even a child can do it! I had my 8 year old son help me. For my own wedding, we picked up stemware at our local thrift stores. The idea wasn’t to have every table look exactly the same, but rather for each table to be a variation on a theme. If you’re looking for a more unified appearance, please make sure your count is accurate and buy everything you need at once, to ensure colors and shapes match.

For each centerpiece, you will need:

1 wine goblet, or other stemware
2 pieces of tulle 9-12″ in width (either square or circle)
2 contrasting curling ribbons approximately 10-14″ long
1-3 tea light candles (the 7-hour floating type)or other floating candles, depending on the width of the glass
water

1. Stack the tulle pieces. If you are using square pieces, turn one of the pieces so that you have an 8-point star shape. It will add more visual appeal to the finished project. You might consider using 2 diferent colored pieces of tulle to add a more dramatic appearance.

2. Center the glass on the tulle. We’re about to tie the tulle around the base of the glass, but before we do, we need to get our ribbons ready.

3. Take the 2 lengths of ribbon and pull them together. Make sure they are not twisted. You want one color on the “inside” and the other on the “outside” so that when we tie them around the stem of the glass, we have a beautiful contrasting mix of color.

4. Pull up the tulle and secure it in place with the ribbon. Tie a knot to secure the ribbon to the stem. Now make a bow and pull the ribbons apart so that your bow has more volume. Curl the ends of your curling ribbon and arrange the curls around the base of the glass.

5. Fill your goblet with water. You might consider coloring your water with a bit of food coloring to match your wedding colors.

6. Float the candle(s) on top of the water. Light the candles as the reception begins. Look for long-burning floating candles. You don’t want your candles burning out just as dinner ends. A single candle floating on water will gravitate to the edge of the glass. Try to find glasses big enough to float 2-4 candles safely. Too much heat may damage fragile stemware, so use caution.

For a more elegant look, arrange goblets of different heights on the same table or change the level of the water in each glass to create the illusion of height. You can also decorate your tulle with beads, or find tulle that is already adorned with sequins or beads. Use your imagination and create something perfect for your special occasion. Place the goblet on a mirrored coaster to create a beautiful reflection of light.

Good luck, and best wishes on your special day.

Lisa Robbin is the Director of Product Development for the giving candle, the maker of Heavenly Gems resin-based clear candles. Lisa writes articles on all things candle related in an effort to educate consumers about making the most out of their candle purchases.

You can email her directly at lisa@thegivingcandle.com

This is the first step to servicing, upgrading or removing PC hardware from your PC. Refer to my other articles on adding, upgading or removing just about any piece of hardware.

First things first, get that case off your PC. This is usually done by removing the screws on the back. Don’t remove the ones near your power supply! This will cause your power supply to fall out. Simply remove the screws along the side that seem to be holding the case to the frame. Usually, this is about 6-9 screws. This will remove both sides. If you are aiming on only removing one side (sometimes this is best, as you only need to service one side) then remove the three screws holding the one side on. (For clone PCs. For IBM/Compaqs, refer below). After you’ve got the screws off either the one side, or both sides, simply slide the sides off towards the front side (the side where the power button is).

If you’ve got an IBM or Compaq, you will need to remove all the screws holding the case onto the back, and then employ one or both methods. Some IBM PCs require you to “yank” the case off. Don’t be rough - just remove the screws, then hold the PC in both hands and pull the case towards you, in the direction facing the front. Some of these can be quite annoying to get loose. The other method is using push tabs - some PC cases have these, so if you are having trouble, look for these puppies.

I am a young, aspiring computer engineer into Internet Marketing, hardware, software, web design, SEO and just about anything related to computers. Please come check out my growing PC forum at http://www.markspcforum.com

Security systems use the home telephone line to transmit alarm
signals to the central monitoring station. This is accomplished by connecting
a 4-conductor wire between the security panel and the main phone company’s box.

It is very important that the connection is made the right way to achieve what is called line seizure. It ensures that a dial tone is available for the security system to call out on . Without line seizure a burglar could cause a busy signal by calling the home or by taking the phone of the hook. This would keep the company providing your home security service from receiving any signals.

The alarm technician is supposed to connect the incoming telephone line to the security panel first and then feed the home phone line from the security panel. You should double check to see if this has been done

Have you recently changed to phone service to VOIP?

A call to the alarm company is needed to check the phone connection to the security panel. Many times the cable company will disconnect the phone connection to the
security system and attach it to their equipment. The homeowner doesn’t realize there is a problem because there is no apparent change to the phone service.

Another tip to keep your home security service working. If you upgrade your Internet
connection to high speed DSL there may be a compatibility problem that can prevent
your system from dialing out. To remedy this problem you can pay your alarm
company a service call fee to come to your home and install a DSL filter.

While using your existing phone line is the most cost effective way to notify the police it does leave your home vulnerable if your phone line is cut

Burglars use this vulnerability to help cover up the crime. When the homeowner returns their initial shock turns to anger when they realize how easy the home security monitoring was defeated. The good news is that there is a solution available.

Install cellular-backup equipment to your alarm system and never worry about a cut phone line again! Adding this equipment to a home security system turns your outdated monitoring method into a ultra secure system like many banks and large business. Once installed your burglar alarm will use your phone line as your primary means of notifying the authorities but if your phone line is cut then the company monitoring your home security system will be notified through the cellular network.

Who knows the burglar may get overconfident and stay in your home longer giving
the police an opportunity to catch them. Most security companies will charge an additional fee for monitoring a home alarm system using cell-backup on top the normal monitoring fee.

Although the fees can get expensive it is well worth the peace of mind you will have knowing you and your home well protected. Check your insurance policy to see if there is a discount given for home security monitoring.

The bottom line is the phone line is the lifeblood of your home security service, you should test your system on a regular basis and make sure you notify the alarm company if you make any changes to your telephone service

The author has more than 15 years experience in the home security industry. Learn more by clicking here
Home Security Monitoring

Why should you backup your data on the Internet?

There are several reasons.

* The backup is located at a secure place for away from your computer.

* It’s is easy to do.
* Free available disk space on your web site can be used for storage.
* Disk space on remote server can be used for storage.

* It’s a practical backup solution for small businesses and home users.

* It’s gives extra security for documents and files.

There are basically three different types of data backup you can make!

* Full Backup of the hard disk.
* Full disk image backup for fast recovery.
* Backup of specific files and folders.

Online backup of a complete hard disk is not practical to do. Although, it can be done. The size requirement and the transfer speed over the Internet makes it yet not powerful enough to do. However in the future complete backup of hard disks online will be more common. Backup over the Internet is best suited for storing limited numbers of specific files and folders.

To do this you need an FTP software which makes it possible to move files over the internet. FTP stand for “file transfer protocol” and is the most commonly used method of transferring files between computers over the Internet.

Use FTP transfer and backup to your web site or to a remote server as a safeguard of your vital data files!

Learn how at http://www.data-backup-and-storage.com/ftp-backup.html

Normally you don’t need to backup all the content of your hard disk, to recreate your data.

To be able to make a full recovery of your data, make sure that you keep CD’s of all your installation programs and operating system in a safe place. In addition, if you have installed software from the Internet you need to keep copies of the installation programs as backup together with the installation codes.

After you have done that, you need to identify the files and folders that are important to backup.

These are the files you use on a daily basis either in private or in your business. If you are using Windows this can be files in My Document folder and/or your Outlook email files.

These are the files you need to backup so that you can recreate your computer back to what it was if you have lost your data.

If you transfer files from your hard disk directly to the remote site you risk exposing your data to hackers. Your data are not secure from outside preying eyes.

To get full protection you should use a backup software to first create a backup file which is stored temporarily on you hard drive. This file is then transferred with an FTP program to the online server.

There are also a number of online backup services you can subscribe to for this purpose. They often use their own transfer protocol.

Online backups should be made at regular intervals. It is also a practical way to make backup if you use a laptop and are on the move, given you have access to an Internet connection, of course.

If you get a hard disk crash or if your computer gets lost, then you need to be able to recover your data back to what it was

The first step you have to take is to install the operation system and the software from the installation CD’s which you have stored in a safe place.
Next step is to download the backup or backups you are keeping on the Internet.

If you store your backup on a web site or on a server you should make sure that the backup is encrypted so that nobody else is able to read it.

You must keep the server’s username and password you are using as well as the password you use for encryption of the backup written down on paper in a safe place so that you can recreate your data.

Full backup can be made using other types of media such as tapes, DVD’s, on different disks or on networks.

To do this you need to have access to such devices.

This will cost you money.

The memory requirement for today’s computers has increased. The cost of regular backup on tapes or on DVD’s is high.

If you are an entrepreneur or a home computer user, this may not be an option available for you.

What happens if your computer gets stolen?

What happen if the building you keep your computer are struck by fire and destroyed?

Laptop and mobile computer are especially prone to theft. Not only because it is easy to carry away, but also because it is easy to get money by selling.

Therefore, you need to make backup of your important data on a location that is different from where you have your computer. Internet backup of data files is an attractive and cheap solution.

Per Strandberg has interest in backup technology and he is running an information site on backup and data security at http://www.data-backup-and-storage.com

Learn how to make secure online data backup using ftp at http://www.data-backup-and-storage.com/ftp-backup.html

No longer are viruses the only threat on the internet. In recent years other threats have evolved which include spyware, adware, hacking, identity theft, information theft, pop-ups and the loss of information.

Let’s begin with the basics. We all need to protect our PC in the same way we protect our home, car and bank account. We wouldn’t give a stranger the keys to our car, home or bank account now would we. If you don’t protect your PC it is like giving the keys to a stranger and letting him/her have full access to your PC. Once the stranger has the keys they can snoop around and take whatever they want. I know, your thinking how can they do this, my computer is in my house and my doors are locked. Well, today you can be anywhere in the world and access someone’s computer via the internet. Since the introduction of cable modems and DSL everyone’s PC is online all the time and accessible.

Why do I need to protect my PC, I don’t keep any important information on it? Ask yourself a couple of questions.

1. Do I bank online?
2. Do I shop online?
3. Do I create documents, spreadsheets?
4. Do I let other people use my PC?
5. Do I download music, files onto my PC?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then your PC is vulnerable. If you bank online then you are sending personal confidential information to your bank via the Internet. For Example: Let’s say you are infected with spyware and you are typing in your account number plus password. A spyware installation can record key strokes and then send them off to a site on the internet. Now the person who setup the site has your account number and password to your bank. Here is one more example, if you answered yes to I let other people use my pc, here is what happens. The other person decides that they like this new cool piece of software. They download and double click on the exe, msi or whatever installs the software. The adware, spyware or virus installs. Now the infection is installed and now it can start stealing confidential information or cause havoc on your PC. You get onto the PC as always, since you don’t know this has happened and start doing what you always do, type documents, go to chat rooms, do your banking online, reconcile your banking with quicken and all this time your confidential information is stolen and you are completely unaware that this occurred.

The million dollar question, what do I do? Well, you can follow this approach.

1. Install a Spyware application and install and configure correctly. If you already have spyware application installed make sure it is up to date and make sure that is configured properly.

2. Install an Adware application and install and configure properly. If you already have adware application installed make sure it is up to date and make sure that is configured properly.

3. Install an AntiVirus application and install and configure properly. If you already have antivirus application installed make sure it is up to date and make sure that is configured properly.

4. Install backup software, why because if something does get through your defenses or delete something by accident you always have a way of retrieving the information. You should try to backup your system at least every other day.

5. Install Encryption software. This software will encrypt files like word docs, spreadsheets, banking file on quicken. This way if someone does steal your information they will not be able to read it.

6. Install a Firewall. The Firewall can either be software or hardware based. I would install both especially if you bring your laptop with you and connect to the internet at different locations. The Firewall will block hackers trying to scan your system while you are on the Internet.

Many people have these applications installed but they do not configure them correctly. Just installing the application does not mean that the application is working properly to stop the threat/infection. On some applications you need to configure the setting to make the application work the way it was designed to. Find out how to configure and install the software properly either by reading a how to book or getting someone to help. If you already have the application installed make sure it is up to date and make sure that is configured properly. All of the software needs to be up to date and kept current. As new threats are release on the internet, all applications will need the current updates to fight these threats.

If you would like to find out if you’re PC is protected you can take the test. This will not harm your PC it just checks for vulnerabilities and lets you know if you passed or failed. The application is a single exe and DOES NOT NEED TO BE INSTALLED. All you need to do is run the test application and follow the instructions.
Get Risk Assessment Tool

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I cannot bear to think
of when you will be gone.

I do not understand
how I will get along.

Your love has been my resting place,
the place that I would go,
no matter what,
no matter where
your love would always flow.

A simple call
a quick hello,
Where have you been?

What do you know?

Just to touch base
and share a laugh
a smile or two,
a joke or gaffe.

What will I do when you are gone?

Who will I call?

There is no other quite like you
no other love that’s half as true.

no one could do the things you’ve done,
no other one could be my sun,
shining brightly as I get your call,
“I’m home now dear,
what’s going on?”

Copyright August 2003
Fran Watson

For more poetry and stories you can go to Fran’s webpage http://www.franwatson.ca