Archive for October 27th, 2007

October 27, 2007: 6:40 pm: adminThe Technology Way

Is it better to have a separate phone and a pda or is it better
to have a device that combines the two together.

On the surface, it seems like a no brainer. Why bother with two
devices when you can have one? It’s more convenient to carry one
device wherever you go. You need more pockets and get weigh down
with additional weight if you carry two separate devices.

Another cool thing is that you don’t need to juggle with two
devices if you want to take down notes with someone on the phone
line. All in one devices make it convenient to make a mobile
call and take notes simultaneously. Just plug in the phone
earpiece and then jot down notes easily on the hybrid device. If
you have two separate devices, you need to hold the mobile phone
between your shoulder and your neck while whipping out your pda to take down notes.

There’s also no need to search for your telephone number in the
pda and then dial it on the mobile phone. It simply slows you
down.

Finally, it’s complicated when you have to make changes or
update contact information. You need to sync the phone with the
pda. If you have a single device , all your data and information
is found in one place and there’s no need for synchronization of
the pda with mobile phone.

But on the other hand, separates makes more sense. Working on a
spreadsheet with a smart phone will easily drain or wipe off
your battery power in matter of minutes.

When your smart phone runs out of power, you are left with no
mobile phone and no pda.

Secondly, a regular mobile phone is so much more affordable than
those with pda functions. You can get a regular phone at zero
cost provided you sign a contract with the mobile service
provider. Compare that against smart phone which can cost at
least an exorbitant USD 350 and go up to $ 800. Only a small
minority can afford such expensive smart phones.

Thirdly, the design of the hybrid doesn’t serve its user very
well. Most smart phones are very bulky and heavier than
separates. You look silly and find it uncomfortable to hold it
against your face to make a mobile call. Also, the small screen
makes the smart phone/ pda phone difficult to view pictures and
text. The small keypad of a smart phone or pda phone makes it
difficult to input data.

The worst thing about a hybrid is that it ends up neither here
or there. Instead of a mobile phone that takes great photos and
videos ,you are faced with a smart phone that takes
mediocre pictures and videos and run out of power if you try to
work on spreadsheet. They have limited capability and serve only
basic functions such as appointments, memo and contacts well .
However, if you want to edit MS Office documents, surf the web
and run other applications, you will find a pda does a much
better job than a smart phone.

: 6:39 pm: adminThe Technology Way

The power of scent, and the virtues of the oils of various
plants, have been recognized by religious and magical
practitioners since ancient times. Whether through the
inducement of subtle and powerful sensory memory, or the direct
stimulation of the body and nervous system through chemical
reaction, scented oils can help to shift consciousness and
enhance psycho-spiritual well-being.

The ancient Egyptians used a compound called kyphi (the name
means “welcome to the gods”), which was said to induce hypnotic
states. Priests in the City of the Sun, Heliopolis, burned
resins in the morning, myrrh at noon and kyphi at sunset to the
sun god Ra. Kyphi had more than religious uses, however. It
could lull one to sleep, alleviate anxieties, increase dreaming,
eliminate sorrow, treat asthma and act as a general antidote for
toxins. (”Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art” by
Kathi Keville and Mindy Green). In the Book of Exodus,
requirements for the Tabernacle include fragrant annointing oils
and an altar devoted to burning incense (Exodus 30).

Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki discusses the psycho-spiritual impact
of fragrance in her book “Highways of the Mind: The Art and
History of Pathworking” as she describes how our brain and
neural systems function while doing spiritual work. “The
olofactory sense is the only one that connects immediately with
the mid-brain, with no kind of transformer between the particles
coming in and the actual organ of scent. Much has been written
about the memory stimulation brought about by different smells.
It is because of this direct contact with the hidden ‘Halls of
the Gods’ that incense has always been of the greatest
importance in magical work” (p. 41). Whether incense, scented
candles, or scented oil, stimulation of the olofactory senses
can have a powerful impact on any work involving the mind. The
virtues extend to magical, psychic, and healing work, as well as
psychological adjustments and intellectual pursuits.

What types of uses can fragrant oils been put to?

Anointing is a powerful ritual practice which conveys blessings
on the recipient. Even in modern times, priests and sovereigns
are anointed with sacred oil as part of their investiture.
Magical practitioners frequently anoint themselves with sacred
oil as part of self-blessing or purification prior to doing
ritual work. Sandalwood, myrrh and frankincense are among the
oils used for such rituals.

The connection between love and roses doesn’t end with flowers
in a vase. Rose oil is used to heal and open the heart on the
spiritual level, and is a primary component in many rituals for
attracting love. Rose oil is used to anoint candles for love
spells, or worn as a perfume to attract a lover or to induce a
more romantic state of mind in the user.

How else can you use oils and incense to enhance your own
spiritual well-being? The possibilities are almost endless.
First, decide what effect you want to achieve. Do you want to
feel more peaceful? Become more prosperous? Balance your
chakras? Commune with angels or spirit guides? Successful ritual
work begins with a clear, specific intention. Once you have your
goal clearly in mind, consult several of the many books and
websites which list correspondences and find out which oils are
associated with your interest. In many cases there will be more
than one listed. For example, mint, patchouli and pine are all
associated with increased prosperity. Select the scent with the
strongest positive associations for you, or experiment with
blends.

Oils work best when coupled with visualization or ritual work.
The scent stimulates the mind and spirit, and the mental focus
and physical gestures reinforce the inherent virtues of the
oils. After the ritual or visualization has been performed,
anointing yourself with the fragrance, putting some on a
diffuser, or using some in your bath can renew the energy raised
and released in the ritual. Just as the smell of fresh-baked
cookies can instantly transport you back to the emotions of
childhood, a ritually-charged scent can trigger the effect over
and over again.

: 5:45 pm: adminThe Technology Way

When you are trying to find the best information relating to computer virus, you will find it hard separating quality information from ill-equiped computer virus suggestions or help so it’s prudent to know how to qualify the advice you are presented with.

Avocent: Network Security Solution
Provides KVM switching and network connectivity solutions for data centers. Includes desktop, rackmount and wireless KVM connections and extenders.

Here’s a few guidelines which we think you should use when you are searching for information about computer virus. Understand that the guidance we give is only applicable to internet advice about computer virus. We are unable to offer any advice or guidance when you are also conducting research in books or magazines.

INSA: Network Security Services
Reseller of network security products, including firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention devices, anti-virus appliances, and more.

An excellent piece of advice to follow when you’re presented with help and advice regarding a computer virus web is to research who is behind the website. This may show you who owns the site computer virus authorizations The easiest way to reveal who owns the computer virus website is to look on the ‘about’ page or ‘contact’ page.

Any worthwhile website providing information on computer virus, will almost certainly provide an ‘about’ or ‘contact’ page which will record the site owner’s contact details. The details should make known some advice about the owner’s necessary expertise. This means you can conduct an appraisal about the webmaster’s depth of experience, to offer guidance about computer virus.

About the author:

Joe Brown is the webmaster for http://www.detailsspecialnews.info

: 8:23 am: adminMiscellaneous

Astrology is not a modern invention dating back only a few
years, it dates back as far as recorded history and has
fascinated man ever since.

Astrology is essentially about the interaction between the
Planets, the various Signs of the zodiac and how they shape our
personalities.

The relationships between all these inputs and their
interactions are based on mathematics, and Astrology is the
study of these mathematical cycles.

The forces between the planets involved in Astrology can be
summed up in one word: Gravity.

The Sun has the greatest gravity and the strongest effect in
Astrology, followed by the Moon. The other Planets are not true
satellites of the Earth like the Moon, but, their gravity still
affects the Earth.

The Sun controls the Earth’s motion and the Moon controls its
tides, but the other Planets have their own effects on the Earth
and on the people who live under their influence - This is the
basic theory behind Astrology.

Astrology can be understood as a philosophy that helps to
explain life, rather than a type of mysticism that can be used
as a predictive tool.

Instead of focusing on what the Planets do to us, we can
understand ourselves better based on planetary indications.
Astrology binds all of us together:

We are all faced with planetary interactions in some shape or
form, and we are all part of these planetary cycles.

The Horoscope and Its Uses

The horoscope is a map that is shown as a two dimensional chart.
It shows the position of the Sun, the Moon, and planets at the
exact moment of your birth. The planets are frozen in their
position at this precise time. The horoscope is sometimes
referred to therefore as the birth chart or the natal chart.

A correct interpretation of your birth position can reveal much
about your personality.

Horoscopes are not predictive as stated, they do not suggest
that your life has already been decided. You of course have
freedom of choice in life, but your horoscope does reflect your
natural inclinations in relation to your personality traits.

An understanding of these can therefore shed light on the
lessons you can learn from life, the issues you face, and the
problems that you need to confront and solve.

It merely shows as an abstract formula - The personality you are
born with.

The use that you make of your personality traits, will, depend
upon you and the actions you decide to take.

Astrology can provide you with a greater understanding of your
life, but it doesn’t provide clear cut answers to all problems
which you may have to confront.

However, obtaining information about your horoscope may give you
some insights and understanding into the reasons why you behave
the way you do and how you can adapt and change your behavior,
to lead a happier life and more fulfilling life.

You can of course, also study other people’s horoscopes to gain
a greater understanding of their personalities and understand
why they act and behave the way that they do.

Horoscope’s in conclusion allows you to more clearly understand
and accept your personality and do the best you can with your
natural attributes.

Just as importantly, it can help you understand the motivations
and actions of others that influence your life.

How Does a Horoscope Work?

As we have seen the horoscope is a “psychological map” which
shows certain patterns of our personalities.

In order to be able to make sense of this map, we need to know
how it is made up.

Your astrological chart, or horoscope as stated , is drawn from
calculations based upon your exact date, time, and place of
birth.

Every element of the horoscope, is expressed symbolically. Each
symbol in the chart represents a celestial body, sign, house or
aspect.

Your chart can be analyzed and the patterns and factors which
influence your personality can be revealed.

The mathematical processes involved in formulating horoscopes
have been translated into computer programs today and are easy
for anyone to interpret.

An astrologer however, still needs to know how to complete the
calculation, even if they have been used a computer.

Your horoscope is a map of the heavens at the time of your
birth, and is usually drawn as an Earth-centered (or,
geocentric) map showing the planetary positions as seen from
your place of birth. Some astrologers also draw Sun-centered
(or, heliocentric) maps.

The geocentric premise, however, is that since you were born on
the Earth, and the focus is on you, an Earth-centered map
reveals a lot about your personality and motivation. The
360-degree circle upon which this chart is drawn represents you
as a complete person.

Picture a line dissecting the circle into top and bottom halves.
This line represents the horizon at the time and place you were
born, the planets, the Sun, and Moon are then drawn in circle.

Those bodies falling above the line were above the horizon when
you were born, those below the line are the opposite, they were
below the horizon when you were born.

The circle is then divided into twelve segments, called houses;
the first house falls just below the horizon line on the left
side of the chart.

The twelve signs of the zodiac lie on the dividing lines, or
cusps, on the border of each of the houses.

The sign on the left horizon are called the ascendant ,or your
rising sign. This changes about every two hours, so time of
birth is extremely important!

Symbols for the Sun, Moon, and planets then all appear upon the
chart, as do those for the Nodes of the Moon, asteroids etc.
Some of the houses in your chart may be empty, but each house is
connected to a planetary influence, even if it does not contain
a planet.

The above then gives you a complete overview of your
personality, your strengths and weaknesses and your natural
direction in life. Discover What Astrology Can Do For You.

An astrology report reveals who we are, where we come from and
what our main strengths and weaknesses are. Astrology can also
help us understand what is expected from and what we can achieve
in this lifetime.

Gaining a greater insight about ourselves, can help us to change
our direction in life and as a consequence lead a more
fulfilling and happier life.

: 8:11 am: adminMiscellaneous

The recent phenomenon of so called “Gated Online Communities”
seems to be catching on. These sites are part of a group of
sites called “Social Networking Sites” these sites are still
rare on the net, with only a handful of them now online. More
common are Social Networking sites which are “Open” i.e. anyone
can join. Some examples of these sites are
http://www.Friendster.com and http://www.MySpace.com.

Other commonly known sites target the business individual like
http://www.ecademy.com or http://www.rize.com. “Gated” Social
Networking sites cater for a smaller more exclusive group of
people which could be called privileged, either because of their
wealth, there social status (which often goes hand in hand), or
just because they are well known celebrities. Mostly these
individuals do not wish to mingle with common people found in
the more commercial social networking sites.

Sites like http://www.OutOrIn.net and http://www.aSmallWorld.net
target these individuals through a more or less strict
membership application process. For example most of us are used
to stand behind the velvet rope and wait patiently for a grim
looking individual to let us pass and grant us entry into the
“exclusive” and “hip” clubs. This is a well known ritual around
the world repeating itself every Saturday or any other Party
night of the week. The privilege to experience this real life
concept of being rejected by the bouncer in cyber space is give
to us thanks to “Gated” Online Communities. Another example of a
“Gated” Community is http://www.orkut.com by Google, which at
the moment counts over 12.000.000 Members. While the “Gated”
aspect is in place most people would not brand it as an
exclusive Online Community, because of it’s number of Members.

http://www.aSmallWorld.net introduced the Internet to the
exclusive virtual club scene of Gated Social Networking sites,
by demanding to be invited by another member of the site before
gaining membership. This phenomenon seems to be catching on,
after http://www.OutOrIn.net announced its launch last month.
While you are able to buy an Orkut membership still on eBay,
other “Gated” Community Sites do not make it so easy to join.
This has created a grey market on Blogs with people offering
money to gain membership for these sites. “Who are these people
so desperate to join these sites offering thousands of dollars
to get an invitation”?

Gated Community Sites will discourage the common individual even
about thinking to join, with requirements like “You need to have
attended a prestigious university or boarding school” or “You
need to be a member of a Members Only Club” like requested by
http://www.OutOrIn.net. Still if you manage to fulfil all their
criteria, you will be happy and excited to receive your
membership, join and have the feeling of being “one in a
million” - not so fast - the membership application still need’s
to pass the committee! But do not let me discourage you,
especially if you’re extremely wealthy and well connected!

: 7:54 am: adminUniversity of Security

On Tuesday I received 423 emails from an unknown spammer attacking my site.

On Wednesday I received 789 emails from the same spammer.

Action had to be taken.

The emails were copies of posts to my discussion forum - the typical spammers posts - keyword stuffing, numerous hyperlinks to junk sites crammed with even more keywords.

It was clear I was being hit by one spammer, with an automated script, for a number of telltale reasons:

1) Nobody could post 789 posts to a forum in 24 hours manually

2) All posts were from random .co.za email addresses (South African domains, but likely false)

3) All posts pointed to very similar spammy sites obviously made with the same auto-generation software

4) Checking various domains promoted within these posts in WHOIS showed they were all owned by a certain guy in Paris

I carefully combed my forum for these junk posts but couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. So I checked for posts by .co.za email addresses, or French IPs but couldn’t see a problem anywhere.

Where were they coming from, and where were the posts?

To help me in my quest I did a search on Google for the text that began every email which read:

“The following was posted in the on

But couldn’t find any links that were any help.

So next I investigated the content of the emails for common factors and found the following Javascript snippet began every message body:

“var defDoor”… before launching into other Javascript elements, followed by the keywords and links.

I wonder…

A quick search on Google and two factors astonished me…

1) Google showed up 92,600 pages with this code on, of which every one I checked matched the exact spam posts I was seeing in style and content. So we were dealing with a professional of some magnitude.

2) They were all on forums, but not the one I used, but WWWBoard as available from http://www.scriptarchive.com/wwwboard.html

A quick search with my FTP software through the bowels of my admittedly large site that has been online for 5 years or so and has seen more reworkings than Pamela Anderson showed I *had* got WWWBoard installed on my site but had stopped using it years ago in place of my current forum software.

I had completely forgotten about it, and there were the hundreds of spam posts sitting there on my server!

Obviously I don’t use the script so instantly deleted it and the spamming stopped dead overnight but if I’m one of over 90,000 victims this guy has duped then a little advice is necessary:

1) Appreciate that there are security flaws to WWWBoard and you either need to watch your forum very carefully or consider switching to another script.

2) Don’t leave old scripts sitting around on your server waiting for spammers to abuse them. Use them, or delete them.

3) Try to avoid using obvious folders for scripts. Whilst I didn’t link to my old forum from anywhere on the site, it was in an obvious folder so a spammer (or a script) could easily have guessed it.

4) Realise that security threats are very real if you get reasonable traffic and take steps *in advance* to minimize the risk to your own site.

Copyright 2006 Richard Adams

=======================================================
Richard Adams is the founder of http://www.merchantaccountforum.com , one of the net’s most popular merchant account advice sites.
=======================================================

: 7:51 am: adminMiscellaneous

The smartest course for a speaker to follow is the rule that a
straight line is the shortest distance between two points. The
best way of developing a speech is to focus on the one theme or
thought behind the talk and drive relentlessly towards it. One
of the reasons why this is a winning strategy is because most
audience members cannot concentrate for the duration of a speech
because of a number of distraction - such as other attendees,
noise and most importantly the thoughts in his/her head. A
speaker should not only ensure that his/her speech is clear and
easy to follow, the speaker should also ensure that breaks are
provided during the speech.

Many speakers have started injecting break sessions or even mini
exercise sessions during long speech to ensure they keep the
audience alert at all times. Promoting interaction with other
audience members is another excellent way to maintain your
audience’s attention. Group exercises are excellent at promoting
interaction and keeping audience members alert. All these things
are important to changing the pace of the speech and will help
hold the interest and attention of the audience.

Not allowing interaction or breaks is like inflicting a
punishment to your audience. The average person will can take so
much “punishment” before escaping to more mental gymnastics or
worst by falling asleep.

The speaker who wants a completely relaxed audience will relate
quite a number of attention-getters during the course of his/her
speech. The story is told of Mark Twain when he was to make a
speech in front of a College audience. He began with this story:
“When I was coming up in the car with the very kind young lady
who was delegated to show me the way. She asked me what I was
going to talk about. I said I wasn’t sure. I said I had some
illustrations and I was going to bring them in, but that I
hadn’t the faintest notion what they were going to illustrate.”

The talented Mark Twain had many illustrations and humorous
stories but he also had the rare ability and talent to center
them around some intelligent observation so that he was not only
entertaining by he left a message that made his talk worth
while. What’s the value of this illustration for a junior
speaker? Simple, it may be dangerous to bring a story,
illustration or anecdote merely to break the monotony of the
speech or offer a diversion. For this reason, every
illustration, example or outside reference, brought into the
speech must be appropriate and must link in some way to the main
theme of the speech or the development of that theme.

A speaker must introduce diversions which will help the speech
rather than hurt it. And which will serve to help the audience
concentrate on the principal subject rather than lose interest
in it. Stories and anecdotes may be used as examples to
illustrate a point or help develop the ideas the speaker is
offering.

: 7:25 am: adminHardware Stuff

Accessories for a cell phone, for example the Motorola Razr V3 which
launched in autumn 2004, has a built-in accessory: the digital camera with zoom,
but we’re not talking here about this really nice feature.

We’re going to look at separately available and important accessories such as a headset, a charger,
and a battery.

Headset

A headset is a very useful accessory because it is the safest way to drive a car and talk on the phone at the same time. It sure might improve your awareness and reaction time compared to holding the phone to your head.

There are wired simple earbud headsets to plug into the jack of your phone w/without send-end key for around $20 — and there are various enhanced sets with Bluetooth wireless technology for around $75.

Charger

You’ve got desktop chargers and car chargers.

The first is clear. It’s used at home or in the office. The car charger is really convenient when you are out on the road.
While you drive, your phone get charged so you always have a phone with sufficient power to use after driving.

Available are car chargers to plug into your car’s cigarette lighter, equipped with overload prevention circuit to protect your Razr V3 and really affordable.
Ranging from less than $10 and up to $25.

Battery

A slim lithium ion battery comes with the phone.

To buy a spare you can choose the SNN5696B from Motorola priced around $40.
Up to 430 minutes of talk time, and up to 290 hours of standby time, in most ideal circumstances.

Or you may choose a compatible one for a much lesser price: around $15, but talk time and standby time may also be substantially less.

Consider that battery performance also depends on network configuration, signal strength, operating temperature, features selected, and voice, data and other application usage patterns.

Generally speaking, if you’re a heavy user you might go for the genuine brand accessories, but when you’re not, you might choose the often (much)lower priced universal and compatible brand cell phone accessories.

Sybren B manages various informative cell phone webpages like http://www.sb-systems.com and often looking for opportunities for its visitors, such as discounted cell phone accessories.

: 6:48 am: adminHardware Stuff

Most companies either buy or lease their laptop and notebook computers, but why or when should a company rent?

Here are a few reasons for renting a laptop computer:
-If you need a wireless laptop computers for travel and all your company laptops and notebook computers are wired.

-If you need technology on short notice or for a short time, it is best to rent a laptop.

-If your laptop is broken or in the shop.

-If you need a large quantity of laptop computers for a training class, it is best to rent laptops.

-If your laptop computers are on back order but your staff isn’t, it’s best to rent laptops for immediate installation.

People confuse computer renting with leasing.
Renting is short term in nature and is very flexible. Leasing, like buying is a fixed arrangement.

And a company can extend the rental term or even cancel the rental entirely at any time with no penalty.

Leases can’t be cancelled without a ’severe penalty’.

Renting laptop computers is totally flexible, requires no capital budget and can be accomplished with a company credit card. For most companies, renting is as easy as getting office supplies.

Most rental companies have expert computer technicians who will deliver, and test your laptop rental right at your office, training room, trade show booth, seminar, convention or conference. Other companies only ship their laptops. If at all possible, have your laptop delivered and tested in front of the users. That will ensure you have 100% operational equipment.

Other reasons why businesses rent laptop computers include short term offices, executives on company business and temporary workers.

Temporary offices can be completely setup with rental laptop computers, printers, copiers and fax machines. The hardware can be installed at any remote location in the United States or Canada.

Rentacomputer.com has set up temporary offices for companies in hotel rooms, trailers, warehouses and rented apartments.

Temporary offices have been set up for State and Federal Government agencies such as the Federa Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), the FBI and the IRS.

Offices have also been setup for legal firms, television networks covering hurricane disasters, movie studios setting up “on location”, and new building construction sites, corporate mergers and takeovers use temporary offices.

Temporary Employees

Temporary employees need temporary technology. By renting laptop computers you can coordinate the installation and removal of computers, printers and other technology for any period of time specified. If you hire a temporary employee, hire temporary technology also.

John Beagle is a technology writer for the Tech Travel Agent© services of Rentacomputer.com, a laptop computer rental company that installs rental laptop computers nationwide in the United States and Canada.

The client website can be found at http://www.rentacomputer.com.