Explosion of Mobile Traffic In 2012

 By Sidney M Lefrancois 

Photo: privacystar.com
 
According to latest data published by Cisco, mobile traffic has grown by an unprecedented 70% in the year 2012. This is, however, in lieu with what had been anticipated. Considering the phenomenal growth in sales of mobile devices, especially Android and Apple smartphones along with tablets, the northward surge of mobile searches is set to increase even further on a yearly basis for at least the next five years.

2012 saw an interesting trend emerging in mobile traffic. Mobile video streaming apps accounted for the largest growth in traffic. The entire spectrum of mobile traffic is now dominated by video which accounts for a majority of mobile traffic, information accounts for 12%, social networks have a solid 7% and general web browsing has a 6% share. Music streaming and other audio related traffic accounts for 4%. It is not really a surprise that video streaming apps and video sharing platforms account for the largest share of the pie because they have been the most intriguing aspect of mobile internet over the past three years but the rate of growth is worth noting.

Among the video streaming apps that have witnessed a huge rise in their popularity are not the already dominant video sharing sites but apps like Netflix and others that offer mobile friendly interfaces and a lot of free content to complement the premium content that can be subscribed to.
The growth in mobile traffic can be attributed to many factors. The first of those contributing elements is the larger market share of Android smartphones and Apple iPhones along with more tablets being out there from various companies. The mobile traffic amongst smartphone users has increased by a gigantic 80% in 2012. The second factor that has contributed to this sensational growth in mobile traffic is faster and better internet speeds. Internet connections for mobile devices have never been better and with faster speeds, users are now engaging in browsing web content, searching for anything and watching videos, images and social networking only from mobile devices. The third factor is the quality of web experience. With better displays and faster processing power of smartphones and tablets, it is inevitable that mobile traffic would surpass all other kinds of traffic in the near future.

2013 will witness a similar surge in the number of mobile devices being sold and as people also start to use Wi-Fi, land-based internet networks along with mobile internet offered by service providers, the growth trend would continue to rise further to unprecedented heights.

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The Two Major Android Game Development Issues

 By Denis Richard 

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Android's huge market share may make you believe that developers for this technology are absolutely in love with it. But the truth is something else, at least for those developers who deal with graphics in their developments. They are not happy when it comes to graphics support provided by Google's world-famous mobile OS. It is not a great platform that allows developers to easily use graphics in their apps, particularly in games.

This was also an exclusive issue in the recently held Game Developers Conference (March 25-29, 2013). In this conference, many developers revealed that Android is simply loathsome for game projects, but they will continue to create apps for it anyway. Their point is that due to dominance of this OS, they have no choice but to struggle.

The reason why Android still bothers developers for graphics is that Google has not paid enough attention to solve out the major issues in its platform. However, it does have a dedicated web page (developer.android.com/design/get-started/creative-vision.html) up on its official website for developers. This page says that developers should build their projects around three goals, which are Enchant Me, Simplify Me, and Make me amazing. The page also explains these goals in details.
Apple's iOS faced similar problem in its early years; however, improved development tools have now completely solved it out. Apple also keeps improving its mobile platform to fit various sorts of games. It is attracting more and more PC game developers who have now begun to develop games for iOS powered devices due to its advanced support to graphics and others functionalities.
Apart from graphics, game developers also have hardware related issues with Android. There are many hardware specific games that demand particular hardware environment to work. Tegra and Snapdragon are some most commonly used chips in this situation. These chips are generally used to integrate ARM architecture central processing unit, graphics processing unit, memory controller, Northbridge and Southbridge onto one package.

Together they decrease power consumption and delivers high performance. But, the major problem is that not all Android devices are built with these chips. It disappoints developers that games based on high-end technologies would not support all devices, whereas they need not to worry for the same if they build for iPhone.

Developers suggest that Google should take some steps to solve graphics and hardware related issues. They hope that with growing older, Android would also improve for these drawbacks. They want more support from Google because they also admit that they will hardly be able to survive in mobile gaming market if they do not build for Android.

Denis Richard - Working as professional technical content writer -For more information kindly visit here- android application development and android developers For any queries call +1 516 515 9506 or email us at info@rapidsofttechnologies.com

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5 Simple Tips To Get Rid Of Confusion Between Buying the iPhone or Android Phone

 By Denis Richard 

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It is safe to say that Android and iPhone are two kings in the castle. Both have strong market shares. According to the findings of Wireless Smartphone Strategies (WSS), Android and iOS had captured a record 92 percent share of global smartphone shipments in Q4 2012. This statistics makes one thing very clear that most people are buying either Android powered smart phones or iOS powered iPhone.
But people are confused between buying Android and iPhone. It is difficult for them to make up their minds for one and leave other. It is not a simple task. Both phones offer plenty of great features. But if you look closely, there are always some key differences. This article is a manual for those users who are confused between buying Android and iPhone. Here are the 5 simple differences that help you choose whether an Android or iPhone is better for you:

The hardware comparison
The hardware is the first and foremost thing in any device. After all, every OS performs better because of better hardware. Every iPhone is made by Apple. It gives the company a tight control over the quality and avoids the chances of any type of fragmentation. On the other hand, Google's Android is an open source OS and can be used by any mobile device manufacturer. Samsung, LG, HTC and Motorola are the major manufacturers of Android powered smartphones. Android phones vary in size, weight, display, features, user experience and quality.
Many users complain that Android devices of particular makers overheat. Some models simply run Android OS on low quality hardware that affects performance and productivity. These phones can hardly support all Android apps. Only high-end Android devices support all types of applications.
When you buy Apple's iPhone, the company offers limited choices such as 5, 4S and 4. Apple devices do not let you experience inconsistency of quality, but that doesn't mean there is no hardware issue in iPhone. iPhones too have hardware issues, particularly the iPhone 4 antenna problems.

OS update comparison
You have no choice but to buy iPhone if you want a smartphone with updated OS. Apple is the only company that manufactures iPhone and uses iOS mobile operating system. It has full control over the OS update that adds latest and greatest features to iPhone. As soon as Apple sends an OS update, users around the world are able to download it on their iPhones. On the other hand, Android phone makers are very slow about updating the OS version and sometimes do not provide update at all. Some users also complain that their smart phones with older Android OS do not support all types of apps. If you still want to buy an Android smart phone, make sure you buy the branded one.

Application comparison
Both platforms now have equal amount of apps (about 775,000 for iPhone and about 700,000 for Android). But big numbers do not make a sense. What makes sense is the quality of apps. Apple is famous for maintaining high quality standards for iPhone apps and want iPhone developers to built apps adhering to these standards. Only the best and safe apps are approved and made available to users, while Google's standards for Android application development are fairly more lax. There is no restriction whether developers make high-quality apps or low quality apps. All are published and made available to user.

Gaming app comparison
Mobile games are now dominating all forms of video gaming. Most credit goes to iPhone. This smartphone accelerated the trend of mobile game development. It has tens of thousands of great games. Leading mobile game platforms like Nintendo and Sony appear to be eclipsed because of iPhone. Android too is quite popular for game. More and more leading game developers have now begun to launch the iOS and Android versions of their world-famous PC and video games. Both devices offer great graphics and hardware supports. Most game developers build a game first for iPhone and then Android. So, you may have to wait for your favorite game if you buy an Android smart phone.

Battery life comparison
The battery life of Android phones varies from device to device. Android devices with 4-inch or larger screen drains more battery. However, some Android devices can work 8 hours straight without needing a charge. As far as iPhone is concerned, the new iPhone can go days without needing a charge. Still, the battery life mostly depends on how you use your smartphone.
Other things that can shape your decision include the size of screen, carrier, storage and cost. But they are not as important as the pointers mentioned above.

Denis Richard - Working as professional technical content writer -For more information kindly visit here- iPhone application development and iPhone developers For any queries call +1 516 515 9871 or email us at info@rapidsofttechnologies.com

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HTC Arrive: A Review

 By Lucky Akpodiete 

Photo: mobilecreek.com
 
Super fast 3G connectivity speeds are what you get on Sprints' network and the HTC Arrive comes loaded with lots of this quality. This device is actually the first from Sprint that is based on the Windows 7 operating system providing access to lots of User Friendly qualities like Microsoft Office etc that are a characteristic of windows based devices.

The HTC Arrive is endowed with a 1GHz dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor, providing great speeds that enable you perform you multitasking with ease and without lags or delays. Its' also got 16GB of internal memory with no expansion slots but granting access to Windows Live SkyDrive for cloud based storage of up to 25GB, hence at your disposal is enough room for downloads of all your games, movies and multiple Windows compatible applications.

The device is a 3G enable smartphone with a 3.6 inch, 480 by 800 pixels, LCD touchscreen display. Its' also got pinch to zoom capabilities.
The batteries that come with the device is a 1500 Milli Amp Lith-ion battery that provides as much as 6 hours of talk time.

One unique quality of the device is its slide-out QWERTY keyboard, hence there are no more limitations to using the on-screen keyboard as is common with most other smartphones, the keyboard is also back-lit resolving concerns about using them in poorly lit environments.

On the surface, the device has its 3.6inch touchscreen display as was earlier mentioned, with capacitive buttons on the lower end for 'search','home' and 'back', on the top of the device is a 3.5mm headphone jack and the power buttons. On the left is situated the volume controls and micro USB port for charging and connecting the device to other gadgets and wider screen displays. On The right is the dedicated camera button which can also be used to wake up the phone when it is off by pressing and holding for a while and activates its camera function at the same time. Below the device is the microphone hoe and on the back is a 5 mega pixels camera with an LED flash.

The HTC Arrive works great with third-party applications such as netflix and offers portrait to landscape transitions when browsing even though such transitions don't occur with use of the home-screen when the keyboard is slid out.

All of these and a lot mor,e are the qualities that come with the HTC Arrive. If you love phones that are based on the Windows Operating System then this device is one you should take a better look at.

A more comprehensive review of The HTC Arrive including videos is available at http://www.phonepiper.com
The #1 source for Mobile Phones, MP3 Players and Accessories

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A Cheap Desktop Computer is really easy to Attain now

Author: Eflex Computers

Photo: i.dell.com


Computer has achieved essential part in our lives and live has changed due to the computer. Now the computer is fulfilling many responsibilities very conveniently. Therefore, we cannot survive without computer. If any person wants to move in the society without difficulty, he has to keep at least one computer at home and office as well. Unluckily, many people cannot afford it so far. They cannot bear the prices of a good condition computer. However, they can find very cheap desktop computers.
One decade before, it had too much expensive. Only affluent people could get it and manage it. Now, promisingly, computer is achievable for every one. The advancement of technology is the basic reason. Thus, computer's prices significantly are going down. Since, computer-processing power is tending every two or three years. With it, economical balance is demanding a delicate stability. Consequently, more order - extra supply is the main reason of lower prices. For this reason, computer prices are decreasing day by day. Accordingly, every person can get cheap desktop computers very easily.
We can get a computer very reasonable price from repair stores. These second hand computers have very good strength. We can make it more useful after the some changes. When we buy a second hand computer, we should be careful. First, we should check it very cautiously then we buy it. Although, the new cheap desktop computers are available in the markets, getting the good quality cheap desktop computer is a difficult task. We should aware about the desktop computer's hardware. Therefore, we have to know about the RAM, hardware, operating system etc. After that, we can purchase a top quality desktop computer.
Moreover, cheap desktop computers are not handy. We cannot hold and move it easily. Nevertheless, it is ideal for home. Because, cheap desktop computers not only do work on small project but also cheap desktop computers give a very better look to the room.
Furthermore, if any one wants to get quit new cheap desktop computer, he should get contact only some manufacture companies. These manufacture companies are trustable for instance, HP, DELL, etc. Hence, many people are making computer themselves and give any name to there computers. Therefore, if we need to buy cheap desktop computers, we should go towards only trust worthy names. These companies can supply us very reliable high-speed cheap desktop computers.
Most cheap desktop computers have fully equipped with a LAN card, optical device, RAM, hard drive, an operating system and a motherboard. Usually, windows XP are used in the cheap desktop computers.
Therefore, these cheap desktop computers can carry out different task. We can solve many problems and get benefits by them. We can run a lot of software on it. No doubt, these softwares can make speed very slow. Heavy software makes speed slow. Then, we should choose light software. Light software can provide the similar job. So, we should ignore the heavy software. For instance, heavy games, video editing and graphics design and choose the light software.
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About the Author

Eflex Computers is a UK registered company specialising in the production of Custom desktop computers, Gaming PC's and in the refurbishment and resale of High Quality Business and cheap Laptops. See our full range of Cheap Laptops & Cheap Desktop Computers, fast UK delivery and unbeatable prices.
   

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HTC Windows Phone 8x: A Review

 By Lucky Akpodiete 

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In a world filled with literally millions of smartphones, the HTC Windows phone 8x stands out amongst others with an endless list of laudable features some of which include;
A 4.3 inch touchscreen LED display with a rich blend of colors that make viewing anything o the device a sight to behold.

Its' also got a 1.GHz dual core Qualcomm snapdragon processor thus providing the necessary speed for all of your multitasking needs and making it possible to play heavy games without delays. It has beats audio as a characteristic of HTC devices for superior sound quality.

On the surface, the device has a micro Sim slot on the left together with volume controls and a dedicated camera button. On the top is the 3.5mm headphone jack, below is the micro USB port for charging the device and syncing with other gadgets and connecting to larger screen displays.
On the front is the earlier mentioned 4.3 inch highly responsive touchscreen display, with a front facing ultra-wide angle viewing 2.1 mega pixels camera, which is unique as there are only a handful f devices that present that much for a front facing camera. The camera can record at 1080p. On the lower end of the screen are three capacitive buttons, the 'back','home' and 'search' buttons and on the back is an 8 mega pixels camera that can record High Definition videos at 1080p.
The device comes with a 1800 Milli Amp battery that presents excellent battery life even on heavy use.

The HTC Windows Phone 8x doesn't have and expandable memory slot for micro SD cards but that isn't much of a concern as you can access SkyDrive which comes with lots of free storage space for cloud based storage of up to 7GB. The internal storage on the device is 16GB which presents a lot of room fr downloading your favorite games, videos and applications.
The Operating System on the device is the Windows 8 Operating System providing access to user-friendly applications such as the Microsoft Outlook Mobile, Microsoft Office Mobile that houses Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and One-note.

The Device also presents access to super fast connectivity on AT&T's 4G LTE network making browsing the web and downloading your favorite applications and games easy and fast,
All of these and a lot more are the qualities that come with the HTC Windows Phone 8x, a device that really is a delight in use.

More information about the HTC Windows Phone 8x can be found at http://www.phonepiper.com
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Sony Xperia TL: A Review

 By Lucky Akpodiete 

Photo: i.i.com.com
 
Sony makes all things beautiful with the High Definition cameras that come with devices that carry the Sony tag and the Sony Xperia TL doesn't fall short of this quality.
Some exciting features of the device include a 4.6 inch LCD touchscreen display that is very responsive to touch and a 1.5GHz dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor that makes gaming and multitasking easy without the frequent lags and delays that is common with some other smartphones.
The operating system is the Android 4.0 (ice cream sandwich) which can be upgraded to newer versions if need be, presenting a wide range download options from the Google play store.
Its got an internal memory of 16 GB with options for using an external memory card hence providing you with a lot of memory room for storing all of your favorite applications, music and other downloads.

On the surface, the device has got a 1.3 mega pixels front facing camera for your video chats and calls, alongside its 4.6 inch screen. On the back is a 13 mega pixels auto focus camera with Exmor R for Mobile image sensor and a LED flash. It also has NFC capabilities for one touch connectivity. On the right we have a micro SD card slot for your external memory SD cards, a micro Sim card slot, the power button, volume controls and a dedicated camera button.

On the left is the micro USB charging port and on top of the device is the 3.5mm headphone jack.
The device is compatible with 4G LTE connectivity on AT&T providing access to super fast download and browsing speeds.
The battery is a 1850 Milli Amp battery that provides up to 7 hours of talk time and is capable of 17 days standby time.

Sony Xperia TL is also Play Station certified hence enhancing your gaming experience which only gets better when combined with its 4.6 inch LCD display.
All of these and a lot more are the great features that come with the Sony Xperia TL 4G LTE Android Phone. If you are concerned about the big sizes of the High End Galaxy devices or any other smartphone in the market, then in the Sony Xperia XL you have found a device which can perform optimally well and at the same time provide you with the portability that eludes some other smartphones in the market.

For a more intensive review of the Sony Xperia TL including video reviews showing some of its functions, visit the Mobile Store http://www.phonepiper.com The #1 Source for Mobile Phones, MP3 Players and Accessories

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Network Interfaces and Ports - Is There Any Difference?

 By Barry Burdette 

Photo: i.dell.com
 
Over the long course of my career I have heard many of my colleagues refer to these two terms interchangeably, although this is actually not true and may cost you a wrong answer on an exam such as Cisco's CCNA or CCNP which could make the difference between you passing the exam or not. Let us take a look at the differences in these two terms.

Ports:
The Port resides at layer 1 of the OSI model, the Physical layer. This layer defines the electrical and physical specifications for a device, such as copper or fiber media as well as the voltages, line impedance, signal timing, and the physical layout of pins for the connecting device such as twisted pairs, coaxial or in the case of fiber cable single mode or multi-mode.

Interfaces:
The Interface resides at layer 2 of the OSI model, the Data Link layer. This layer defines the functional and procedural method of transferring data between network devices, such as Serial, Ethernet, FDDI, and Token-Ring. Additionally this layer may provide the ability to detect and maybe correct errors that might occur at the physical layer.

Virtual Interfaces:
There are a number of interfaces that have no physical connection to any device such as Loopbacks, Lines, and VLANs. These interfaces are referred to as virtual interfaces, and although these interfaces have no physical connection they can still be addressed and accessed by other devices in a network. Interfaces such as Loopback interfaces are very useful in insuring devices are reachable with many routing protocols.

Sub interfaces are another form of virtual interface and are used in WAN connections like Frame-Relay, and VLAN Trunks between routers and switches when creating a router on a stick to route between VLANs or deploying DHCP addressing for multiple VLANs.

In conclusion the line between Ports and Interfaces may be blurry, and in the real world the two terms may be used interchangeably but there is a difference and you need to understand the difference not only to pass an exam, but to help you properly configure network interfaces on Cisco routing and switch equipment and help you troubleshoot some complex networking issues. A good way to remember this is you use some form of media to physically connect a network port to another network device port and you configure a network interface with some form of protocol to allow communication between network devices on a LAN or WAN.

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Computer Care, Can I Do It Myself?

Author: The Computer Psychic

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With all of the resources available to you, you may well ask yourself, "Why do I need a computer expert to maintain my computer?" The short answer is, you don't. Just like you don't need a technician to fix your car, repair your furnace, or do any other maintenance or repairs. If you have the knowledge and the time, you can easily repair and maintain your own computer.

But be warned, there are several potential "gotchas" involved in maintaining your own computer. If you decide to repair your own automobile, a company won't sell you a carburetor what will break your car. Unfortunately, that's not true of computer maintenance. There are many programs out there that either don't do what they purport to do, perform unnecessary functions, or are just plain dangerous to install. It's up to you, the computer maintenance technician, to determine what programs you can safely use in what manner.

In this article, we'll discuss some of the programs out there and what the do-it-yourselfer needs to watch out for.

Registry Cleaners Websites such as Finally Fast.com and Double My Speed.com have been promoting themselves heavily of late. These (and other) sites offer products to download and install that purport to improve your computer's performance. These programs are mostly registry cleaners. The Windows registry is simply a database that the operating system uses to store everything it needs to know to run as per your specifications. In addition, it's available to any other program to write their information in there as well. Since Windows 95, the registry has been the recommended repository for user preferences, settings, and any other variables a program has to remember.

Over time the Windows registry will become cluttered with unneeded information, most frequently caused by uninstallation programs not removing all of the data they should. The concept of a registry cleaner is that it will detect and remove these orphan settings, frequently improving computer performance.

The problem with registry cleaners is that they will often incorrectly detect a setting as unneeded and delete it, causing problems with either installed programs or the Windows operating system itself. Registry cleaners are good, but you should never blindly take their advice as to what to delete. You should always review each entry to verify that it can be deleted safely.
And keep in mind there are freeware applications that do an excellent job of cleaning your Windows registry. Ccleaner is the one recommended by The Computer Psychic. (Go to Google and search for ccleaner.)

Anti-Malware Applications Malware (spyware and virus) cleanup and prevention is one of the most important aspects of computer maintenance. If you catch a virus on your system, you leave yourself open to all sorts of mischief - including having files deleted, getting your address book scammed and spam e-mails being sent in your name, and even having your credit card and banking information stolen! Spyware can be just as bad - it typically "watches" what you do on your computer, down to even logging keystrokes, and thus stealing your passwords. In addition to these problems, spyware and viruses are often poorly written, causing performance problems in your system.
There are dozens of applications on the market that claim to remove malware from your system. And many of them do a good job. But here's the rub - many programs that present themselves as anti-virus or anti-spyware are, themselves, viruses and spyware! The Computer Psychic has seen all too many systems where the owner has - with the best of intentions - installed an anti-malware app into their system, only to see the floodgates opened; they find themselves with more popup ads and performance problems than they've ever seen before.

So how do you make sure you don't install one of these #$%& programs? First of all, if you get a pop-up message telling you that your computer is infected with viruses and click here to download a virus cleaner, don't do it! Without exception, these programs are scams. Downloading one of these apps will introduce your system to more viruses than you thought existed. In fact, when you see this window, you'll be presented with an OK and Cancel button. Don't click either one! If you click Cancel, it will still install a virus. Instead, click on the little X in the upper right-hand corner to close the window.

Secondly, if you use a search engine looking for anti-malware programs, be careful what links you follow. Malware creators will name their applications very similar to - or even exactly the same as - legitimate programs, hoping to confuse you into downloading theirs instead of the good one. For example, if you wanted to download Spybot Search and Destroy (an excellent anti-spyware program) and searched for it in Yahoo, the very first result you'll find purports itself to be Spybot. Clicking their link takes you to a page that says it's Spybot Search and Destroy, but is actually an application that acts as a gateway to allow viruses into your system.

So, again, you need to take the time to learn what is and what isn't safe to install. The Computer Psychic has a very easy recommendation. Microsoft has a vested interest in keeping your computer malware-free. If they do a good job of preventing viruses from getting into your system, then that's one less thing that Apple can beat them up over. Towards that end, in September of 2009, Microsoft released an excellent free anti-malware program named Microsoft Security Essentials (www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials). In the past, The Computer Psychic has recommended against all-in-one solutions, arguing that no one application can catch everything. But Microsoft Security Essentials is just that good. It does as good a job as - or better than - any other application, or combination of apps, in blocking any type of spyware or virus.

Startup Monitors While not as popular as the other system maintenance programs, proper use of a startup monitor can dramatically speed up your computer. A startup monitor will tell you just what programs, drivers and processes load when you start your computer.
When you boot up your computer, the operating system will also auto-start many other components - possibly a fax application, printer elements, video or mouse drivers, to name a few. These are good - they are essential for the proper operation of your computer. However, many applications add themselves to the auto-run settings for their own convenience - not yours.

For example, programs such as Adobe Reader and Microsoft Office will tell the operating system to pre-load some of their components as Windows starts up. This allows their software to open more quickly when needed. The downside of this is, even if you aren't actively using their software, your computer is using memory running those components. Better to not pre-load those components; let the software take a second or two longer to load, and speed up your entire system.
Another popular use for the startup is for auto-update programs. These apps will periodically check the internet looking for updates. If one is found, the program will present you with a window telling you an update is available. Not only do these apps consume computer resources, they can be an annoyance.

In order to easily prevent unwanted software from running automatically, The Computer Psychic recommends a Microsoft application called AutoRuns (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902.aspx). Using Autoruns you can decide just what apps you want to run when starting your computer. Once again, though, don't blindly turn of all apps. Make sure you know what you're disabling.

Summary
As you can see, using the tools recommended in this article makes it quite possible for anyone to maintain their computer's health. But as with anything technical, make sure you know what you're doing before just tinkering away.
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About the Author
With over 20 years industry experience, Steven O Smith is the owner of The Computer Psychic, providing affordable on-site computer repair to residences and business in the Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR area. Visit http://www.thecomputerpsychic.com for more valuable information and free software.

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Reviewers and Training Manuals for COG-703 IBM Certification Test

 By Nadine Myrick 

Photo: i.ebayimg.com
 
The COG-703 test is the code for IBM Cognos Tables Manager1 10.1. This is the required certification test if you plan to become an IBM Certified Administrator - Cognos Tables Manager1 (TM1) 10.1. Basically, this is an online certification test written in English language and there will be 60 questions. You will only be given 90 minutes or one hour and a half to answer everything. There will be no time extension. You will pass if, and only if, you garner at least 66% correct answers which is equal to approximately 40 points.

The IBM Cognos TM1 10.1 or COG-703 has four parts such as TM1 Concepts, TM1 Installation and Administration, Performance and Scalability, and Troubleshooting. Each part is worth 28%, 38%, 15%, and 19% respectively. From there you can figure out how many items of questions are allocated for each part.

The IBM itself provides a ready-to-read sample test that is available for public to download. This will give you an idea of how COG-703 looks like. However, the sample test only contains 10 questions with multiple choices so this is actually not enough for your preparation. Most likely, the questions included in the sample test are very basic. Do not rely much on the pattern given by the sample test, besides it is not a reliable assessment tool of how prepared and qualified you are for the test.

A very engaging preparation for the COG-703 test is the IBM Cognos TM1: Administer the Technical Environment (v10, 1). It is a short course that runs for two days. In case you do not have the opportunity to attend the training due to schedule and location restraints, you still have an alternative choice which is a COG-703 Instructor-led Online Course. With that, you will still get to prepare for the test at your own convenient time without thinking of distance issues. The title of the online course is IBM Cognos TM1: Administer the Technical Environment (v10.1) - ILO.

You really have to do a lot of reading to be able to pass COG-703 with certainty and to get your IBM Certified Administrator - TM1 10.1 soon-to-be title. The different manuals you should not miss to read are IBM Cognos TM1 10.1.0 Information Center, cognos TM1 Operations Console Guide 10.1.0, TM1 Reference Guide 10.1.0, cognos TM1 Operation Guide 10.1.0, TM1 TurboIntegrator Guide 10.1.0, TM1 Installation and Configuration Guide 10.1.0, Cognos TM1 Developer Guide 10.1.0, Configuring IBM TM1 for Citrix, Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler User Guide 10.1.0, TM1 New Features Guide 10.1.0, TM1 Web User Guide 10.1.0, SAP Cookbook for IBM Cognos 8 BI.

You might wonder why there are so many readings you have to review for 60-item COG-703 test. Well, the answer is simple- the test is just the start of you career determination so if you really want to be a Cognos TM1 Administrator, better be prepared for the real thing ahead of time.

If you are ready to take COG-703 Exam, then you must try IBM Cognos Certification Questions to Practice your exam. There is 100% passing guarantee.

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Nationwide POS Installation Companies

 By Robert C Kenney 

Photo: cdn-static.zdnet.com
 
There are many companies across the nation that use POS terminals and therefore there should be POS installation companies to provide these services nationwide. The POS installation companies usually arrange for the new POS system to be setup and also installed at your site. As a business person, you need to make sure that you get a company that does the installation the right way in order to have you up and running as quickly as possible.

After the POS system has been installed for your company, the company that provided the services should be able to log into the system remotely and offer your staff real-time training on the usage of the system, additional software assistance as well as technical support where necessary. Installation as well as set up of the system can be a very simple practice for some companies while for others it may end up being a daunting task. So to avoid any complications, you need to know what operations are carried out in your business and the kind of POS system that will be suitable.

Some POS installation companies have point of sale systems that are already reconfigured and preloaded with the appropriate application, device drivers as well as their updates. For such companies, installing the system for you will be a very easy process. The company you choose should be able to make the process as simple as possible so as to get the system up and running in the shortest time possible. If you deal with a company that has got the systems already reconfigured, the task left for them will most likely be just plugging in a few cables and then later on powering up the system.

Some people will however prefer having an experienced POS technician on site during the implementation of the entire POS system. The technician will oversee processes like laying network cables from one internal location of the company to another, installing POS hardware, configuring internet access and also answering general questions that you may have concerning the system that is being installed. The technician can be very important if you are installing multiple systems and remote printers or you are doing additional hardware configurations for hardware components as well as other specialty programs you have in your organization.

A reputable POS installation company should be able to help you in the complete setup of the system, installation as well as the roll-out of the system anywhere in the country. The most common industries that utilize the POS system are the restaurant and retail industries and therefore it is important that their owners know the best POS companies to deal with.

You can always check the history of the company services, track record and its performance. If a company has been in existence for long and it has been offering good services to its clients, then it is no doubt that it is a company that offers quality services.

Did you know that IT-NetLogistics is among the companies that offers nationwide POS installation services? Visit our website for more details.

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Microsoft Access, How to Create a Combo Box Using Data From a Table

 By Alex K Cuttner 

Photo: 185.photobucket.com
 
Combo Box Tutorial For Microsoft Access 2010 

This program is a great asset to any business today.
Microsoft Access is an invaluable tool and can be used in the most easiest to most complex applications you can think of.
It is similar to Excel but only as a database, nothing more Microsoft Access is more powerful than many people will get to realise unless you are handy with VBA programming.
None the less you can achieve many things with the simple UI that Microsoft has provided for its users.

So your reading because you want a combo box BUT you don't want to enter the data as this will change over time. What you need is to use data from a table, this will allow that data to change, in turn the combo box will be updated with any changes.

• Step 1. Create a table with one column named "colours".
• Step 2. Create a blank form, switch to design view and select a combo box.
• Step 3. Click on the form, you will be prompted with a wizard, make sure "I want the combo box to get the values from another table or query." is selected and click next.
• Step 4. Select the table you would like to use which has the column "colours" in it and click Next.
• Step 5. Select the column colours and move it over to selected fields and click next.
• Step 6. If you would like to arrange the selection in a particular order you can do this here otherwise click next.
• Step 7. Next you can adjust the width of the columns that will be displayed, click Next when done.
• Step 8. Finally type the name of the label you wish to use and click Finish to create the combo box.

You will now have a working combo box that will update as the data in the table changes.
In most cases you will find using a query to be more beneficial and this can be done exactly the same way, just create a query with the data you would like and follow the same steps.
The query can be helpful for things such as customer orders where they appear when they are made but are gone when they have been sent. In this case the query will only show orders that have been paid for and have not been shipped with some simple SQL in the SELECT query.
You can view the SQL for the combo box in the Properties > Data > Row Source.
These techniques are some of the most efficient to create drop down boxes.

If you need any help with your projects visit our Microsoft Access page for more information.

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Why Companies Need Business Intelligence

Author: Jose Allan Tan

Photo: 4.bp.blogspot.com

"We need information but all we have is data!"

This is the message managers often complain about. If there is anything that IT has ever done right it is the ability to collect nearly every single bit of data imaginable -- from data that is written or keyed-in to a computing device, to images like signatures and X-rays. We even record voice and video these days.

One manager told me over coffee: "I've got data coming out of my ears. I don't know how to make sense of it!"

Part-time solutions have been around for many years. I say "part-time" because the solutions solve only "part of the problem, part of the time." Product marketers have labeled these as business intelligence (BI) tools.

Wikipedia defines business intelligence as applications and technologies which are used to gather, provide access to, and analyze data and information about their company operations.

The goal of BI tools is to allow anyone using the information provided to make better business decisions. But there are a few problems with traditional BI tools.

BI is mostly associated with report delivery. Usually there are few people within an organization who actually know how to use BI tools. These users hold on to this 'control' because they probably get a kick out of the power they have over others.

More importantly, such specialty creates job security. But the net effect has been dissatisfaction with what was purchased, and concern over making further investments in the future.

BI tools' failure rests in the business unit's failure to communicate their needs and IT's failure to ask the right questions. The result is solutions that fail to deliver expectations.

"Previous perceptions of BI didn't factor the value provided in managing and making sense of the information assets contained within every enterprise," says V.R. Srivatsan, vice president of Asia South for Business Objects.

"However, this is changing as both technology and the business will with which to use it are maturing resulting in BI becoming a key business process driver within today's enterprise," Srivatsan adds.



BI wish list

Suganthi Shivkumar, managing director for ASEAN & India at Hyperion Solutions, notes that business managers want tools that give them increased insight into the dynamic nature of the global marketplace and allow them to identify areas of profitability.

They expect IT to unlock information that is potentially trapped between silos of applications scattered throughout the enterprise.

"Today's regulatory institutions and business climate are very unforgiving towards any kind of expectation variances or financial discrepancies that may be construed as malfeasance or misconduct. This forces companies to put a lot of rigor in their planning and reporting processes. To produce reports with confidence is critical in the choice of BI tools," Shivkumar says.

Having a single version of the truth is also just as important. Finally organizations want to have clear visibility of their operations including accurate demand-revenue-expenses forecasts to better deploy resources and capitalize on opportunities.

Business intelligence has emerged as a strategic initiative and investment priority for companies. But because departmental objectives vary, it would be easy to lose sight of the core objectives of the company and to deploy BI tools (sometimes from different vendors) to satisfy those needs.

The net result of such a strategy is a proliferation of disparate systems that not only do not effectively inter-operate with each other but complicate the matters.

The good news is that despite all the not-so-glorious past of BI tools, CEOs still believe that BI tools play an important role in today's competitive environment.

Global competitive pressures, and mergers and acquisitions are putting constant pressures on restructuring and finding additional sources of profitability. CEOs want insight to help them steer the business through these turbulent times.

For decades companies have been spending millions on enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer resource management (CRM) and data warehousing (DW) tools. With so much information locked in repositories, CEOs are putting pressure on IT to unlock information trapped in those systems.

After Enron, it's no longer enough to produce reports on time. Accuracy and consistency of reporting have become paramount and discrepancies can mean jail time for even the rich and powerful.



Who is responsible?

Changing the way things get done

Business intelligence has emerged as a top strategic initiative and investment priority for CEOs, but not surprisingly department objectives vary. Having learned from the past, IT is working to standardize on the type of tools it will deploy across the organization.

Users from across the business, not just managers, want quality information on demand, and are no longer willing to wait for IT to serve it. They also want the flexibility and ease of use in engaging tools that they are familiar with (the nearly ubiquitous use of Microsoft Office). And they want their information delivered consistently.

Business users need tools and solutions which not only can deliver information, but can manage information and produce information by integrating with their current systems. Finally they need to be able to tie operational information to financial information.



Minimizing the risk of failure

Business author and management expert Peter Drucker said there is nothing worse than doing the wrong thing well. Why does this happen? Because people don't understand the company plan or have visibility into how the business is performing.

It happens because people are not accountable for their part of the strategy, or can?t rely on their information to make good decisions.

One of the greatest failings of BI has been in how it gets deployed. Intelligence demand often starts out at a specific department where the scope is tactical and thus deployment is departmental in scope.

The result is a proliferation of tools serving the unique needs of specific departments. Unfortunately, the lack of consistent visibility across the enterprise means that these tools will have limited impact and may not even be aligned with the corporate objectives.

Have you read through a BI tool manual lately? You will notice that it isn't designed to be used by a layman? Many of today's BI tools are used by so-called power users who act as gatekeepers of the information. The result is BI tools do not get widespread adoption.

"BI tools must not be limited to those within an organization based on technical skills or of a certain department. To maximize the adoption of the BI tools within the organization, all employees should be given access to the information they need to make business decisions," advises Shivkumar.

BI is no longer just about the report, but what's IN the report. Just as business dynamics are constantly changing, BI tools must evolve from a report-centric to information-centric approach that delivers "actionable" insight.

Therefore, it needs to be universally recognized within the organization that BI supports improving performance. BI is a tool that is able to deal with the past, present and future and is the power to provide insight that leads to true competitive differentiation.

The only way to maximize the value of BI is to focus on the total picture -- information management, production and delivery that ensures consistent information, and the ability for users to analyze and re-purpose data.

Only then can a standard be identified and adopted across the entire enterprise.

Peep at the future

The current software trend is that of Software as a Service (SaaS) and BI tools are not immune to this trend. In addition, search and web collaboration are functionalities embedded in what vendors are calling the Business Intelligence 2.0 revolution.

Srivatsan cites the example of an emergency room doctor who could use search within BI to scour a broad set of data sources to find out how many instances of food poisoning have been reported in the past 24 hours, where people are affected, and determine common causes.

This real-time access to trustworthy data could help medical professionals spot and prevent widespread outbreak of food-related illnesses.

Companies can also look forward to more collaborative BI such as instant messenger BI where a sales team could have an IM discussion over a dashboard that shows sales performance below objectives, thereby speeding the process for establishing the next steps for addressing the situation.

Imagine being able to call upon BI tools to provide analysis of data as it comes in. This is, after all, what business managers want -- the ability to analyze and perform "what if" scenarios with data as it comes in from the field. No waiting for periods to close. What you have is the ability to make decisions at the right time, right place and in the right context.


Final advice

Gartner's vice president for research, Andreas Bitterer believes that business intelligence needs to be a continuous process for it to be of value. So stop thinking of it as a project.

Srivatsan: "Few organizations have a comprehensive enterprise BI strategy or clearly defined BI standards. Companies with a patchwork of disparate BI technologies are facing the consequences, including, rising deployment, maintenance and training costs, inconsistent information, and frustrated employees who cannot get timely answers to business questions.

By reducing the number of BI tools, companies can save money, have confidence in and control over business data, and give employees the information they need to do their jobs well, he adds.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/information-technology-articles/why-companies-need-business-intelligence-320561.html

About the Author

Jose Allan Tan is a technologist-market observer based in Asia. A former marketing director for a storage vendor, he is today director of web strategy and content director for Questex Asia Ltd. He also served as senior industry analyst for Dataquest/Gartner and was at one time an account director for a regional PR agency.
   

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Free Windows Repair And Recovery Tools

 By David Cassell 

Photo: 0.tqn.com
 
Microsoft has done a wonderful job of making Windows 8 faster and more powerful than previous Windows versions.
But no matter how good Windows 8 is, there will still be times when you need to use a Windows recovery tool to fix problems with your PC. Fortunately, many of these tools are free.
Previous Windows versions had many tools available to perform repair or recovery tasks, many of which were just a Google search away.

Unfortunately these tools often required downloading disk images and burning CDs, understanding the Windows command prompt or following other not so simple instructions. With Windows 8, the situation has changed for the better.

You may not know it, but there are several Windows recovery tools already installed on your PC. If your PC is running normally, you can take a first important step to making sure your PC runs as smoothly as possible by creating a Windows Recovery Drive.
A Recovery Drive will allow you to boot and use several Windows recovery utilities to recover a PC that cannot boot successfully from the hard drive.

The media you use for the drive can be either a writable DVD or a USB Flash drive, and will contain everything you need to fix the most common Windows problems that may appear.
Be sure to note that a Recovery Drive can only repair the same type of system from which it was created. That means that a drive created from a 64 bit installation of Windows cannot repair a 32 bit installation, and vice-versa.

To create a Recovery Drive, move your mouse to the lower right of your screen to bring up the charms bar. Click on the magnifying glass to perform a search, and type "Recovery Drive" in the search area. You should see an option to create a Recovery Drive on the left. Click that option to begin the process.
If on the other hand your PC will not boot properly, there are several free and pre-installed Windows recovery tools that can help. To access them, hold down the Shift key and tap F8 just after the startup system messages appear but just before the boot process starts.
Your timing is important here, and it is easy to not get the keystrokes just right. When you have pressed the keys properly, the Windows logo will appear, and the words "Please wait" will appear at the bottom center of your screen.

After a short time, you will be offered several options for repairing your system. These include System Restore and Automatic Repair, likely the two options you will use most. Each serves a different purpose; System Restore rolls back Windows to a previous known working state, before the boot issue began.
Select Automatic Repair to scan your system in an attempt to determine what is causing your issue and repair it. Automatic Repair can identify and replace missing or damaged system files and perform other tasks as needed to get your PC working properly again.

Perhaps the best feature of these two options is that neither will damage your documents, pictures, music or other data. These options can sometimes even undo damage done by a malware infection.
If your system boots fine but runs with issues, you can still try System Restore from within Windows. If that does not solve your issues, there is another Windows recovery option available, called a "Refresh". Refreshing your PC will install a completely new copy of Windows 8, while keeping your documents and other files intact.

After performing a Refresh, you will need to re-install your software.
You can access the Refresh option in the same way as the System Restore and Automatic Repair options.
Most Windows 8 PCs purchased at retail also come with a Windows recovery partition, which can restore your PC to its factory-fresh state, including pre-installed software.
This is usually a last-resort option, used when nothing else seems to work, or when the damage done by a malware infection is too extensive to be cleaned up by other tools.

Also note that this option will erase all of your documents, so be sure to have a backup of your files available to copy back over once the recovery process is complete. The method of using the Windows recovery partition can differ among manufacturers, so refer to your PC's documentation for instructions specific to your PC model.

If you have a malware infection, you can still utilize free tools to help clean up your system. Microsoft includes Windows Defender free with Windows 8. Windows Defender is a tool that runs in the background to provide help with prevention as well as removal of malware infections.
It features a clean, simple interface and an easy to understand green, yellow or red status icon to alert you to any problems that may occur. For many people, Windows Defender is the only anti-malware tool they will ever need.

Another highly recommended free anti-malware tool is called MalwareBytes. There is a paid version that offers advanced options, but the free version does an excellent job of identifying and removing most common malware, restoring your computer to the state it was in before the infection started.
MalwareBytes is a great tool to have installed before you need it, because some malware will block your Internet access or your access to common anti-malware websites.

If this is the case, download the latest version from a friend's PC, and use a USB flash drive to copy it to your PC. Then install it and let it perform a full scan on your system. MalwareBytes will provide you with a list of the malware it found and give you options to remove it.

As you can see, there are lots of ways to take care of all your Windows recovery needs without paying a cent. These free tools are mature, effective and best of all easy to use. Become familiar with them all so you can be ready if you ever need to recover your Windows 8 PC.

Your computer data is at risk of deletion. Click here to see a review of the top online backup services you can use to secure your data permanently or visit: http://mypcbackupreview.me/a-million-dollars-worth-of-backblaze.html

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How to Avoid Viruses From Attacking Your Computer

 By Jeremy P Stanfords 

Photo: popularmechanics.com
 
Every day, people use their computers to complete a number of functions. In fact, it seems that many spend more time behind the computer screen, and use their machines to complete a majority of their tasks, either business- or leisure-related. However, with the increased activity, one thing you have to consider is how secure your computer is. One wrong click could wipe out the hard drive if you download a virus or spyware. The virus removal process could get tricky, if not expensive. A few simple steps could keep you from having to endure a costly computer recovery process.

Proper Software

One of the best ways to keep your machine secure is with proper antivirus software. These programs not only shield the system against an attack, but they also scope out potentially dangerous sites that could cause irreversible damage. Nowadays, many free programs provide just as much security as ones you can purchase in the store. However, for businesses that use a network, purchasing software is probably the better option. Otherwise, downloading free software provides many benefits, as well as protection.

Computer Recovery

If your issues are more severe, i.e. a hard drive crash, you may have to consult a professional. A PC repair shop can assist you with cleaning up any extensive problems. In some cases, you can even have someone diagnose the issue without having to leave your home. Some PC repair shops offer online support where you log in to a site, and go from there. If Internet access is unavailable, you may have to take your machine to the shop or have somebody come to you.

Watch What You Click

Another easy way to avoid falling prey to malware is to simply watch what links you click. While software exists to detect rogue sites, some may slip below the radar. Not every site contains material that damages your computer; some actually go after banking information or even personal sites. One popular method involves social media profiles, where clicking a suspect link posted by a friend results in similar information being posted to your profile repeatedly.

One way to stop the latter from happening is by changing your password on a regular basis, i.e. once every six months. In addition, be sure to choose secure passwords, one featuring letters and numbers, as well as special characters like punctuation marks or capital letters. You do not want to use any common information such as your address or name, as it is very easy for hackers to guess.

Author writes about a variety of topics. If you would like more information about virus removal, visit http://www.geeksonsite.com/.

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