New Product Development

New product development is one of the most important components of product policy and product management. Product lines and products are appraise and are positioned effectively. Brand decisions are taken wisely. For a higher level of growth, a firm has to look beyond its existing products. A progressive firm has to consider new product development as a cardinal element of its product policy.

Innovation is the essence of all growth. This is especially true in marketing. In an age of technological advancements, change is a natural outcome -- change in food habits, change in expectations and requirements. Any business has to be vigilant to these changes taking place in its environment. People always seek better products, greater convenience, newer fashion and more value for money.

A business firm has to respond to these dynamic requirements of its clientele and these responses take the shape of new products and new services. Through such a response, the firm reaps a good deal of benefits. New products become necessary from the profit angle too. Products that are already established often have their limitations in enhancing the profit level of the firm. Profits from products decline as they reach the maturity stage of their life cycle. Thus, it is necessary for business firms to bring in new products to replace old, declining and losing products.

New products become part and parcel of the growth requirements of the firm and in many cases, new profits come to the firm only through new products. New products can be broadly classified into two groups: new products arising out of technological innovations and new products arising out of marketing oriented modifications. The first group involves innovations leading to intrinsically new products with a new functional utility behind them. The second group involves mere marketing oriented innovations in existing products; it gives rise to new versions of the existing products.

Product Development provides detailed information on Product Development, New Product Development, Product Design And Development, Product Development Processes and more. Product Development is affiliated with Enterprise Risk Management.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Gluckman

The Top 10 Mistakes Technology Companies Make

In working closely with technology providers over the years, I regularly discover that these companies are making common mistakes that devalue the company, leave revenue on the table, or jeopardize their long-term health. So this special article identifies the top 10 of these mistakes to help you avoid making them.

10. Failure to register a federal copyright for company-developed software

Your company has spent months, and maybe years developing the next-big-thing. You're out there licensing it to customers, fighting off competitors, and trying to maximize your revenues. What would you do if a customer was misusing your software? What if a competitor was copying parts of it to use in its product? There are various ways to respond to these problems, but one of the easiest to way to strengthen your claims is to register a copyright for the software with the United States Copyright Office. Registration provides you with an enhanced ability to have a court prevent infringing use of your software, and a greater amount of damages that are recoverable. The best part is that registration is relatively easy and inexpensive.

9. Licensing technology too broadly

So you've landed that big deal with that big customer. You've carefully priced the deal based upon your expectations of how the customer is going to use your technology - by a specific group within the customer's large organization. You're hoping that the success of this deal will lead to a greater adoption of your technology within the rest of the company, and ultimately more revenue for you. Unfortunately, you later learn that this one group is sharing your technology throughout the rest of the company, with no additional license fees to you, and there's nothing you can do about it. Why? By failing to carefully and narrowly draw up the license grant in your agreement, you've unwittingly granted the entire company the rights to use your technology, and you've left a pile of cash on the table.

8. Failure to provide detailed support and maintenance policies

Too often, once a company's technology is ready to be licensed, determining how to support the technology becomes an afterthought. General and non-descriptive obligations like "providing telephone and email support" and "providing updates" are invitations for disagreements and missed expectations. When is phone support being offered? How quickly will you respond to problems? What is considered and update and what is a new product for which you would charge the customer separately? Many times, you need your customer to provide you with certain information about the problem before you can diagnose and fix it. Set the appropriate expectations in your support and maintenance policies and avoid these issues in the future.

7. Not contracting customers to recurring support fees

Customers want and expect that you will be there to support your product, assist with problems, and provide them updates when you add features or fix bugs. Customers also expect that you will regularly charge them for these services, so why do so many technology vendors sell a product to a customer and fail to structure regular and recurring support fees? In general, a technology vendor's highest profit margins are realized through a support fee stream, and not in the upfront license charge.

6. Inadequate non-disclosure and non-compete agreements with employees and contractors

The technology business is one of the most competitive industries in the market. Why take a chance losing your competitive advantage by not ensuring that your intellectual property, customer lists, trade secrets, and other sensitive information are properly protected through appropriate agreements with your employees, contractors, and vendors? Finding and using some form agreement that you saw floating around on the Internet somewhere may actually make matters worse if you don't fully understand the terms. Moreover, simple steps can be taken to ensure that anything developed by your employees is, and remains, your company's property.

5. Giving away intellectual property ownership too liberally

Many technology companies develop customized technology for their customers, or make customized modifications to their existing technology on behalf of a particular customer. And most customers argue that if they're paying for it, they want to own it. But giving away your company's intellectual property in these instances can prevent you from reusing it for other customers - effectively shutting down a potential source of revenue in the future. And many times, your customers may not need to actually "own" the developments - a license right can often do the trick.

4. Using overly broad or subjective acceptance testing

It is not uncommon or unreasonable for customers to want to "kick the tires" of your technology before they pay for it. Problems arise when the customer has an unreasonable expectation of what the technology is supposed to achieve, and either want to withhold payment, or force you to provide extra services to meet that unreasonable expectation. This especially manifests itself when a customer includes acceptance testing language in a contract which is not tied to objective and realistic standards. Although it can be a laborious effort, taking the time to objectify these standards with the customer in the contract can save you significant time down the road, and get you paid faster.

3. Offering liberal source code escrow release conditions

For software developers, you know that your source code is the "crown jewels" of your business. It is the core of your technology, representing months or years of your blood, sweat, and tears. Yet many software companies are willing to give it away, for free, to their customers. How? By entering into a source code escrow agreement with a customer and allowing it to be released to them in situations where the code still holds value for you. Many customers will demand the source code be released to them if you stop supporting the software, but the intellectual property in the code may still be used in your other products or technology, effectively giving your customer the tools it needs to duplicate your technology. Creating very narrow and specific source code release conditions can minimize this impact.

2. Undervaluing technology

What is your technology worth? It's a difficult question, and value can be measured and determined in many ways. Many new technology companies feel compelled to undercharge for their technology in an effort to break into the market. Although there is certainly some merit in that, I see vendors consistently undervaluing what their technology is worth, leaving significant revenue on the table. Understanding the impact and loss to the customer if they DON'T license your technology is the first key to pricing your product. Plus, under-pricing your product can create an impression that the technology is "cheap" - not a label that will build a positive reputation of your company in the long run.

1. Using a form license and/or services agreement that doesn't fit your business model

Capturing exactly how you want to provide your product or services to your customer, allocating the risks, and creating each party's obligations and rights, is not a simple or quick process. Replicating some other company's form agreement not only exposes you to risks that you may not be aware of, but potentially violates the other company's copyright in their agreement, and raises the risks outlined in the other points of this list. Having a customized agreement created for you that aligns with your business processes, mitigates your risks, and addresses the laws that apply in your jurisdiction for your industry is a key component in running a successful technology business.

Pepper Law Group, LLC has been working with technology companies for over 10 years to address these mistakes head on and to adopt best practices in the industry. How can we help you? Contact us for a free initial consultation.

Daniel A. Pepper is the founder of Pepper Law Group, LLC, a law firm based in Somerville, New Jersey focusing on representing e-commerce businesses, and users and providers of technology. More information on the firm can be found at http://www.informationlaw.com or by telephone at 908.698.0330.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_A._Pepper,_Esq.

The Importance of Information Technology Training from a Management Perspective

Information technology training for IT managers and systems analysts may seem superfluous - these folks are usually well-learned in their areas of expertise. But, do they understand how a company's technology fits into the bigger picture from a business perspective? That's where management training becomes important. Every manager who plays a role in researching, selecting or implementing enterprise technology needs to have a firm grasp on the basics of emerging technologies, as well as how they serve a larger business purpose, to ensure that technology is being used to the company's best strategic advantage.

Stay Current on Revolutionary, Emerging Technology Applications

A program of continual information technology training is crucial to the success of any IT team. Technology is constantly evolving, and it seems that there is a new application released every day that is meant to simplify doing business. This can be overwhelming if you do not stay current on the high-level trends of technology and their corresponding impact on business. With the Web 2.0 revolution in full swing, management training is a useful tool for managers to become familiar with the online trends such as blogs, wikis, podcasts and RSS feeds, as well as how the trends are going to change the ways we view the Internet and communicate with each other. It is estimated that these technologies will have significant business impact in the coming years, and companies everywhere have to consider directly how it affects their business strategies.

Information technology training can help managers determine the impact of new technologies and how to adapt their business processes. Trying to envision how Web 2.0 changes traditional business models is difficult when you have no knowledge of how these new technical applications are being used from a business perspective. First and foremost, managers must take it upon themselves to become proactive by keeping abreast of emerging trends and understanding them not only from a technical standpoint, but evaluating them from a higher-level, strategic standpoint. Management training courses on technology focus specifically on the ways that emerging technologies affect businesses on a high level. This is the type of knowledge needed to make conscious and informed decisions on what aspects of new technologies will affect your organization in the next few years and transition your thoughts into strategic action and implementation.

Collaboration and information sharing, within and outside of enterprises, are two areas that have made huge strides that management training can help your organization harness to improve business strategies. The advent of user-created content sharing has transformed the way that enterprises communicate. Enterprise-class blogs and wikis boost productivity and innovation by enabling ad hoc teams to participate in complex, collaborative problem solving, and then make the results available to the rest of the organization with ease. Information technology training gives managers the high-level information about these technologies that they need to bring them effectively into your organization.

Large companies will often struggle the most with adopting new business strategies based on emerging technologies due to organizational inertia and the lag that comes from changing any integrated system. Not only do the right people need to be convinced of the value of a new application, but the proper infrastructure often needs to be developed or tweaked to implement the technology. This is where the importance of management information technology training to understand the potential impact of technology from a business perspective comes into play.

Management Training for Appropriate Technology Selection and Recommendation

Management training courses typically deal with logistics and personnel management but fail to guide managers when it comes to making decisions about technology. As a manager in today's world, what really matters isn't just your ability to lead and maintain technology infrastructure - it's your ability to deliver positive business outcomes. Cutting IT costs and managing infrastructure are only part of the equation. Technology must also reduce business risk and generate new opportunities and growth. Information technology training can help managers transition their views of technology as an isolated island off the coast of a business and look at it as one working part of the whole machine that is the organization.

Finding a cool application that has all the shiny bells and whistles you dreamed of and recommending implementation based on the technology's sheer innovation is no longer enough to make a good business case. Before presenting a recommendation, you must understand every step involved with the successful implementation of the technology. A thorough study will need to be conducted to determine what departments, processes and functions will need to be modified in order to benefit from the new technology. Management training courses focusing on information technology gives managers the tools they need to make that determination.

If you are going to make an impact on the decision makers of a business, you have to get on their level. When it comes down to making a decision, for many business people it is all about the numbers. That is why it is essential to participate in information technology training courses that help you perform your due diligence and gather the data you need to compile hard numbers around your recommendation. What is the true return on investment that the company can expect to achieve by implementing the technology? It is much easier to convince an associate of the merits of your idea if you can show a real increase in profit based on proven research instead of attempting to sway them based on opinion only.

Conclusion

Technology is rapidly changing the way that businesses communicate and function every day. It is important for managers to take a proactive role in understanding emerging technology trends and how they may affect a company's business model by investing in an ongoing program of information technology training for all levels of staff. Management training in particular is essential for ensuring the right technologies are pursued to ensure business success. Viewing technology as a direct influencer on the business as a whole ensures consistent alignment of goals throughout the enterprise.

About the Author

Mark Rogers is the president and CEO of WestLake Training + Development, which he purchased in 2005. After spending 10 years managing strategic accounts and developing new business for DDB Needham Worldwide and Ketchum Communications, Mark was co-founder of Virtualogic, which was one of the country's fastest-growing I.T. professional services firms. In 1999 Mark joined LifeMinders, Inc, a direct marketing "dot com", where he served as vice president, business development. To learn more about information technology training, please visit http://www.westlaketraining.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_A_Rogers

Get Rid of Slow Computer Speed - So Quick and Easy That Anyone Can Do

Get Rid of Slow Computer Speed - So Quick and Easy That Anyone Can Do By Kaiser R.


Everyone has had a problem with their computer becoming slow at some point in time. Over the years of doing various maintenance methods to get rid of slow computer speed and performance problems. I've found these methods to be the most helpful that anyone can do.
One thing that most people tend not to do properly is getting rid of unused files. If you haven't used it in three months then chances are you won't ever use it again. So just go ahead and delete those files. Delete text files to because they clog your system just as bigger sized files do.
Be sure to defragment your computer at least once or twice a month. I defragment mine three times a month since I use my computer every day for many hours. There's a program called Defragger that you can use to defragment your hard drives. Most operating systems come with their own defragmenter tool so you don't actually have to download one.
Scan your computer for various viruses, spyware, and malware at least once every month to three months. Infections are one of the most causes of slow computer speed and poor performance. Also make sure you use your scanners in safe mode. You can go into safe mode by pressing F8 when booting up your computer and select safe mode option. You can get rid of much more viruses this way since they most likely won't be loading up when your operating system starts up. Remember you can't delete files that are in use.
After you have done everything else the next step is very important. Fix registry errors and clean out junk entires. So many people either never heard of a registry or completely overlook it. It contains data which every program has stored into. Including operating systems. By fixing the registry you will be able to fix most, if not all, system errors as well as increase computer performance.
If you truly do want to find your long lost friend or someone who was very close to you then by all means do not hesitate to click here!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kaiser_R.

How Secure is Your IT Network?

How Secure is Your IT Network? By Derek Rogers


Nowadays, just about all major businesses and corporations are powered by one or more IT networks and continuously serves as the life and blood of day to day business operations. Each of the units or nodes of the network are powered by computers and individuals that work together in their dedicated positions and fulfill their roles assigned. IT networks are so delicate since any disturbance in the network can either hinder or slow down the overall network performance to a certain degree. Not only must the network administrators do their jobs in preventing these issues from happening, but they must also evaluate how secure their IT networks are.
What about your network? Have you ever considered doing a security audit for your network? Just because your network has never bumped into any problems doesn't mean that the security is at its maximum. Therefore it is important to test your computer for any network vulnerabilities and stay updated with the current trends to see if new network vulnerabilities are discovered that may pose a threat to your network one day.
There will always be people that are up to no good in developing hacking programs and viruses that are specifically meant to disrupt or harm networks directly. These methods may involve data theft, data corruption, or a combination of the two and for the average business this can be a serious threat to the wellbeing of the network and business.
Security software and services are one of the allies of these networks that aim to hinder these rogue software and stay one step ahead of the threats to prevent IT networks from suffering at all. The payload of these vulnerabilities can sometimes be irreversible like if data is stolen so preventative measures must be forced, especially in businesses that have highly sensitive data in their servers.
Resorting to the various security software and services shouldn't be the only option, as they may not have defense to the newest threats out there right away. By making a habit to do your own network security maintenances, you can keep these new threats at bay and wait for your network security programs to update.
Common things to protect are sensitive files and entry web pages of the network. Passwords are a good first line defence to restrict access to the individuals within the network who know the password. Making the password complicated can reduce the risks of brute force attacks - a common method in breaking through password protected areas. Using the latest system software from operating system to other programs that have network access can also reduce the chances of a security breech since patches aim to plug in security holes.
Always take some time off to check your networks security. If you have no knowledge on how to do it, you can always ask a skilled hacker to try and break into your network. Former hackers are the best people to consult as these people dedicate themselves to helping personnel and using their previous hacking to improve the security of networks. This will allow your network to run smoothly without fear of a network crisis.
Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who writes for a number of UK businesses. For Network Security, he recommends Network 24, a leading network security solution company.
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Service Level Agreement Template Tips For Building Solid Client Relationships

Service Level Agreement Template Tips For Building Solid Client Relationships By Joshua Feinberg


Do you use a service level agreement template to more efficiently manage client relationships? Templates are essential to running an efficient business with repeatable solutions, and can save you a lot of time and money.
Many computer consultants try to over-customize certain elements of their business. When you spend time re-inventing the wheel for each and every customer and client, instead of customizing already-working templates, you waste a lot of time and miss out on important business-building recurring service revenue streams.
Many computer consultants also mistakenly believe that templates will hurt client relationships because they will be too formal and rigid. But templates done right actually help nurture great relationships because they provide a solid, professional framework, while ensuring that your company gets paid on time, every time, and earns steady recurring service revenue.
The following 4 tips can help you understand the importance of having an effective service level agreement template program in place.
1.Understand Each Element of a Well-Designed Service Level Agreement Template. There are at least 9 important pieces of a comprehensive service level agreement (SLA) package. To make your business efficient, you should have templates in place for (a) annual service level agreement; (b) rate card; (c) non-disclosure agreement (NDA); (d) credit application; (e) credit reference letter; (f) change order form; (g) purchase authorization form; (h) client feedback survey; (i) contract renewal notice.
2.Templates Make You Look Professional. When you consistently use the same templates for all your clients to handle your service contract package, you show you really know what you are doing and that you are a legitimate computer consulting business. And when your clients see you can be trusted to organize and manage important information, they will see you as a credible provider of technology services and be more likely to enter into long-term agreements with your firm.
3.Don't Forget to Have Your Templates Reviewed by Your Attorney Before You Use Them. You must get any official agreement or document you use as part of your computer consulting business reviewed and approved by your lawyer before you use them. Otherwise you risk expensive legal mistakes, and compromising or destroying important relationships with clients. To avoid paying for your attorney to learn on your dime, at a cost of potentially several thousand dollars, consider writing your own first draft that takes into account the marketing and business issues that are most important to you. That way when you go to your attorney, you're mainly just paying for an hour or two of review time. And be sure to ask your attorney for their opinion on whether your service level agreement template is appropriate for (a) your personal financial situation, (b) your company's financial situation, (c) your business entity type, (d) your target client type, and (e) enforceability if needed.
4.A Service Level Agreement Template Protects You from Problematic Clients. Of course a professional computer consultant will have an attorney review any template for his/her business ... but no amount of documentation will completely protect you against the "World's Worst Client". You can't build a firm around one-shot deals. Service level agreements are the exact opposite of that concept. When you have a template in place for service agreements that clearly states your expectations of client relationships, you ensure you only work with those that will follow through and follow the rules.
In this article, we talked about important ways to build a stable computer consulting business. Learn more about how you can attract great, steady, high-paying clients now at http://www.ServiceLevelAgreementTemplate.com
Copyright (C), ServiceLevelAgreementTemplate.com, All Rights Reserved.
Learn how your computer consulting business can get more of the best, steady, high-paying clients in your area. Sign-up now for free computer consulting business tips, strategies, and best practices from the field-tested, proven Computer Consulting Kit Home Study Course.
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Information Technology and Its Vicissitudes on the Flexibility of Organization

Information Technology and Its Vicissitudes on the Flexibility of Organization By Benedict Yossarian


The basic organizational values and capabilities of any business enterprise are vastly altered with the dawn of progress in information technology. The changes are not detrimental to the progress of enterprises; in fact the changes have been indeed very beneficial.
As stated by Henry C. Lucas, Jr. and Margrethe Olson from NYU and the DMR Group in Australia:
"Information technology (IT) contributes to flexibility by:
1) Changing the nature of organization boundaries and the time when work occurs
2) Altering the nature and pace of work
3) Helping firms respond to changing market conditions
But, there are also aspects of technology which can decrease flexibility, and there may be second-order impacts of flexibility that are not easily predicted."
Expenditures in the United States
In the United States alone, it has been estimated that capital expenditures for communications technology has reached over 1/3 of the total figure. This means that a sizeable chunk is being devoted to improving communication and data retrievable in businesses.
The picture has been optimistic since the dawn of the World Wide Wed, with the birth of decentralized data retrieval and data processing systems.
Uncertainty and flexibility
The issue in businesses is rooted in the uncertainty of doing business alone. The increased amount of expenditures in communications and other related technologies can be seen as one of the ways to safeguard one's business from financial harm.
In a world drawn completely to the centripetal movement of the global financial system, there is no clear indication what type of system would remain robust. In the long run, those who have been continually improving their systems will be the last to fall. This is manifested in the way the newer startups in the DOTCOM boom and bust have been able to roll with the tides.
Working with little capital, these small merchants have been able to brave and survive uncertain times by implementing strategic communication channels between buyer and seller.
Flexibility is the key term here, and is further is explained by Lucas and Olson:
"All of these observations suggest that flexibility is the ability to adapt when confronted with new circumstances; a flexible organization defends quickly against threats and moves rapidly to take advantage of opportunities. Flexibility provides the organization with the ability to adapt to change and respond quickly to market forces and uncertainty in its environment."
The investments take shape
What kinds of investments are we looking at here? The basic premise is that these investments are intrinsically linked with the improvement of production. Production takes a lot of work; and is now being aided by the most powerful computer systems.
As stated by Lucas and Olson, even the mechanization of basic forms of data is part of the progressive turn to information technology:
"Significant IT investment is for basic mechanization of the records of production and distribution of goods and services (e.g., invoices) or for actions like themselves, electronic money transfer. Technology is also used for manufacturing (such as CAD/CAM) and computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM). A centralized database enables production and dissemination of information for management control as a by-product of mechanization."
The author of this article is Benedict Yossarian. Benedict recommends Comm Store for all your networking needs including Cat 5e Cable and also Root3 for IP CCTV systems
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Benedict_Yossarian

Five Reasons Why Your Business Needs an NTP Server

Five Reasons Why Your Business Needs an NTP Server By Richard N Williams


Most businesses these days rely on a computer network. Computers in most organisations conduct thousands of tasks a second, from controlling production lines; ordering stock; preparing financial records and communicating with computers on other networks - often from the other side of the world.
Computers use just one thing to keep track of all these tasks: time. Timestamps are the computers only reference for when an event or task occurs in relation to other events. They receive time in the form of timestamps and they measure time in periods of milliseconds (thousandth of a second) as they may conduct hundreds of processes each second.
A global timescale known as UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) has been developed to ensure computers from different organisations all over the world can synchronise together. So what happens if the clocks on computers don't coincide with each other or with UTC?
The consequences of running a network with computers that are not synchronised can be disastrous. Here are five reasons why all businesses need adequate network synchronisation using a NTP server (Network Time Protocol) or other network time server device.
1. Tasks fail to happen:
When computers are running at different times, events on different machines can fail to happen as often a PC may assume an event on another machines has already happened if the time for that event has passed according to its own clock. And what is worse, when one task fails it has a knock-on effect with other tasks failing to happen and in turn causing further tasks to fail.
2. Loss of Data:
When tasks fail to happen it soon gets noticed but when networks are not synchronised data that is meant to be kept can quite easily be lost and it can go unnoticed for quite a while. Data can be lost because storage as and retrieval is also reliant on time stamps.
3. Security Breaches:
When networks are not synchronised log files are not recorded properly or in the right order which means that hackers and malicious users can breach security unnoticed. Many security software programs are also reliant on timestamps with anti-virus updates failing to happen or scheduled tasks falling behind. If your network controls time-sensitive transactions then this can even result in fraud if there is a lack of synchronisation.
4. Legal Vulnerability:
Time is not just used by computers to order events it is used in the legal world too. Contracts, receipts, proof-of-purchase are all reliant on time. If a network is not synchronised then it becomes difficult to prove when transactions actually took place and it will prove difficult to audit them. Furthermore, when it comes to serious matters such as fraud or other criminality a dedicated NTP server or other network time server device synchronised to UTC is legally auditable, its time can not be argued with!
5. Company Credibility:
Succumbing to any of these potential hazards can not just have devastating effects on your own business but also that of your clients and suppliers too. And the business grapevine being what it is any potential failing on your part will soon become common knowledge amongst your competitors, customers and suppliers and be seen as bad business practices.
Running a synchronised network adhering to UTC is not difficult. Many network administrators think that synchronisation just means an occasional time request to an online NTP time source; however, doing so will leave a system just as vulnerable to fraud and malicious users as having no synchronisation. This is because to use an Internet time source would require leaving a permanent port open in the firewall.
The solution is to use a dedicated NTP time server that receives a UTC time source from either a radio transmission (broadcast by national physics laboratories) or the GPS network (Global Positioning System). These are secure and can keep a network running to within a few milliseconds of UTC.
Richard N Williams and Richard Hawkesford are technical authors and specialists in atomic clocks, telecommunications, NTP and network time synchronisation helping to develop dedicated NTP clocks. Please visit us for more information about an NTP server or other network time server solutions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_N_Williams

The 2nd Generation iPod touch - Better than the Best

The 2nd Generation iPod touch - Better than the Best by Sara Thompson

In my previous post, we saw many great features of the first generation Apple iPod touch. On September 9, 2008 Apple released the advanced version of the iPod touch. Just like its predecessor, the 2nd generation Apple iPod touch digital media player is also loaded with many great features. In addition, it also has some newly enhanced functions to increase its appeal.
On the outside: The new Apple iPod touch portable media player features a sleekly contoured metal design. With rounded edges, it has a curved and compact design. Weighing just 4.05 ounces, it is lighter than the previous model. All these add up to the fact that the new iPod touch is more comfortable to carry around. The Apple MB528LL/A iPod touch MP3 player has volume controls on the top left side, providing easy access to the frequently used buttons. In my opinion, the best part has to be the built-in speakers, which means that you need not have to plug in the earphones every single time.
On the inside: iPod touch users no longer need to pay for an upgradation. The Apple MB528LL/A iPod touch MP3 player comes with iPod software version 2.1.1, so you no longer need to upgrade the software to gain access to the online App Store. The App store features a whole lot of iPod touch games and applications. These applications cover a series of topics - education, social networking, travel, photography, news, weather, lifestyle, and a lot more. iPod touch also comes with a Genius feature that creates playlists with similar songs. Who needs a DJ when you have the Genius? The new iPod touch now has a built-in Nike + iPod support. When you train with the Nike+iPod sensor in place, details like time, distance, and calories burned can be tracked. When you sync the iPod to iTunes, these details can also be transferred to nikeplus.com so that you can track your fitness goals.
Battery life: It has an extended battery life, which is quite impressive. When fully charged you can listen up to 36 hours of music and songs or watch videos and movies for up to 6 hours.
Cost: Priced lower than the first generation iPod touch, this Apple iPod touch digital media player will not pinch your pocket.
If you've been planning to buy yourself an Apple iPod touch portable media player, now would be a great time to get one. Enjoy!
About the Author
Sara Thompson is an expert on electronics, especially those products pertaining to entertainment

What comes with the 'Wii'

What comes with the 'Wii' by Sara Thompson

Nintendo released its seventh generation home video game console, the Nintendo Wii console system, in many parts of the world over the course of 2006. Wii is the direct successor to the Nintendo GameCube. The Nintendo Wii console bundle is backwards compatible with Nintendo's previous gaming consoles. Its Wii Parents feature lets you choose age-appropriate games based on Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) game ratings.
When connected to the Internet you gain access to a whole lot of Wii Channels. You can watch trailers of new games on the Nintendo Channel and download them easily from the Wii Shop Channel. There are various accessories that go with the Nintendo Wii game console, including: • Wii Remote: The Wii Remote uses the latest motion-sensing technology to make the game interactive. It also packs a speaker, rumble feature, and external extension connector for other input devices.
• Nunchuck: The Nunchuck can hook up to the Wii Remote through the external extension. With 2 buttons and a Control Stick the Nunchuck allows you to move characters around.
• Sensor Bar: Two points of infrared light from the Sensor Bar helps to determine the distance between the Wii Remote and the TV screen. It can work with up to four Wii Remotes at a time.
• Wii Console Stand: Your Wii can be mounted vertically and displayed stylishly on the Wii Console Stand. To get more out of your Wii, you can also get a few more accessories, like
• Classic Controller: The Nintendo Wii console Classic Controller can be used to play many classic Nintendo games.
• Wii Zapper: The Wii Zapper allows you to club your Wii Remote and Nunchuk to give you a unique game feel.
• Wii Speak: Use the Wii Speak accessory to chat with people in up to four locations.
Buy these Nintendo Wii console accessories, and you are in for an entertainment experience of a lifetime.
About the Author
Sara Thompson is an expert on electronics, especially those products pertaining to entertainment

What Is The Difference Between Hd Dvd And Blu Ray Today?

What Is The Difference Between Hd Dvd And Blu Ray Today? by Stacey Reid

There is an ongoing battle between Hd Dvd (High Density Digital Versatile Disc) and Blu Ray Discs. Right now Blu Ray is taking the world by storm primarily using the Playstation 3 game console. It is desperately trying to take over the Dvd market and gain a larger share over Hd Dvd. It is doing a good job of it too. For many people, buying Hd Dvd and Blu Ray products is rather common but the average person still does not know the difference between the two other than one holds more data space than the other. Here is a breakdown and an answer to the question of what is the difference between Hd Dvd and Blu Ray.
What is Hd Dvd? Hd Dvd is the abbreviated version of High Density Digital Versatile Disc. It is a digital optical media format (dvd or disc) that is used for high definition dvd players. It along with the Blu Ray disc uses the same size disc/cd which is 120mm in diameter and a 405 nanometers wavelength blue laser. The old dvd used a red laser which had wavelengths of 650 nanometers. The longer wavelengths are not capable of consistent clarity which limits their ability to focus directly on a surface. The Blu Ray lasers wavelength is shorter causing it to read and write data over a tighter surface which allows for more data storage on a disc the size of a cd. This essentially answers the question from a scientific point of view of what is the difference between Hd Dvd and Blu Ray.
From a consumers point of view and why anyone would be interested in either the Hd Dvd or Blu Ray here are a few facts. Both discs can hold many times more data than the old Dvd. The Hd Dvd can store more than 30 gigabytes of data while the Blu Ray disc can store 50 gigabytes of data. A single sided Hd Dvd can store 15 gigabytes and a dual layer 30 gigabytes. A single sided Blu Ray disc can store 25 gigabytes and the dual layer Blu Ray can store 50 gigabytes. The playback and recording time for the Hd Dvd is 4 hours for 15gb and 8 hour for 30gb. Blu Ray has a playback and recording time of 6 hours for 25gb and 13 hours for 50gb.
There are other reasons that can answer the question of what is the difference between Hd Dvd and Blu Ray. Here is a very powerful difference between the two. It is two letters and a number, PS3. The Playstation 3 is the difference maker between both media outlets. Currently it houses Blu Ray technology that enables it to really take advantage of movie and game storage. The average PS3 owner is not even aware of all of its capabilities. They only bought the game because it has awesome graphics but are missing out on its most unique capabilities which is utilizing its storage capacity the way it was designed to save them money in the long run.
With the storage capacity of Blu Ray combined with online PS3 download websites, PS3 owners can stop TODAY purchasing movie, album, video game, and television shows altogether. The PS3 is so sophisticated that it allows PS3 owners the privilege to download any media onto their Blu Ray storage area and immediately begin playing games without the need for a disc ever again. Many PS3 owners are missing out on the science inside their investment. They can pay a one time fee and have access to newly released media forever. There is no Hd Dvd format in any video game that can compare to Blu Ray in the PS3. You guys better learn all the ins and outs of your PS3 thus answering the question of what is the difference between Hd Dvd and Blu Ray.
About the Author
To Read Reviews of Popular PS3 Games and Get Tips, Cheats, and Videos visit Video Game Madness

Warehouse Control Systems Leader QC Software Identifies Productivity Solutions with Advanced Shipment Notifications

Warehouse Control Systems Leader QC Software Identifies Productivity Solutions with Advanced Shipment Notifications by Thomas R. Cutler

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) refers to the structured transmission of data between organizations by electronic means. It is more than mere e-mail; organizations might replace bills of lading and even checks with appropriate EDI messages. It also refers specifically to a family of standards, however, EDI also exhibits its pre-Internet roots, and the standards tend to focus on ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) formatted single messages rather than the whole sequence of conditions and exchanges that make up an inter-organization business process.
An Advance Shipment Notice (ASN) is an EDI formatted electronic notification of pending deliveries; an electronic packing list. The ASN can be used to list the contents of a shipment of goods as well as additional information relating to the shipment, such as order information, product description, physical characteristics, type of packaging, marking, carrier information, and configuration of goods within the transportation equipment. The ASN enables the sender to describe the contents and configuration of a shipment in various levels of detail and provides an ordered flexibility to convey information
Jerry List, vice-president of QC Software, (www.qcsoftware.com) suggests that EDI - Advanced Shipment Notifications (ASN) is best used to identify inbound carton/pallet contents. According to List, "It reduces identification time in receiving while providing the means to verify and audit for integrity. It also allows distributors to measure with Scorecards by Vendor/Supplier for being On-Time, Accuracy - Matches Packing List, Wrong SKU's, and Wrong Quantity."
There are numerous productivity solutions for distributors including:
• EDI - Advanced Shipment Notifications • Dynamic Putaway Location Selection • Wave Management • Cartonization • Multiple Pick Slots • Dynamic Pick Location Selection • Quality Control /Auditing • Batch Picking
QC Software is the leading provider of Tier 1 warehouse control systems to the warehousing and distribution industries. Since 1996, QC Software, utilizing state of the art technology combined with extensive research, development, and rigorous testing, has developed the QC Enterprise suite of products. Designed to be modular in nature, easily configurable, and platform independent, this highly scalable solution satisfies the needs of any size warehouse.
QC Software, Inc. www.qcsoftware.com Jerry List JerryList@qcsoftware.com (513) 469-1424
About the Author
Professional Marketing Firm for the Manufacturing Community and Manufacturing Journalist to most manufacturing magazines

Slow Computer Advice

If you have a slow computer this article might interest you. I have been helping my neighbor working on cleaning up his computer . It had become real slow and was locking up . So, I started my normal routine of cleaning up a computer . The first thing I noticed was that there were three different versions of software to speed up internet connection or optimize a PC . It appears that over four years of use the problem kept getting worse and he was desperately looking for a solution. All these types of programs do and can have a use but, his problem had nothing to do with the speed of his internet connection . What his computer really needed was a clean up and the configuration of the systems in the computer optimized . I wanted to just point this out because I could not believe how much money he must have spent on software that really did not address his issues. The real problem was the years of use and the lack of maintenance on his PC . Do not get me wrong though, there are situations that the software he had purchased would have been useful.
The first culprit was his installation of McAfee was trying to attempt to update and was not registered so it could not complete. So, I disabled that and continued on my way. The first place to look is on the bottom of the screen by the date and see all that is loading at start up . One of the biggest things that slow down a computer is things that load at start up that you are not using. A great deal of programs when installed have an option to load at start up and you really only want them to load when you are using them. You should look into the options and disable this feature. There are some however that must and should load at start up. Here are some examples of ones that should not load. But these are suggestions, if you use them a lot and have problems with them disabled turn them back on.
-Hp Printer Options and Picture Software
-Adobe Acrobat
-MSN Messenger
-Weather Bug
-Down loadable from websites
-Internet games
-Cd Writers
-Tool bars
This list can go on forever and not all are bad. Just be aware of what is loading.
An awful lot of things we download from web sites have tracking that loads and monitors what you are doing on the web and then traffic advertising to you. You can not completely avoid this but you can minimize it. This is the reason there are so many spy ware removal software out there. Now, the next step is to take a look at the Programs Menu in the Start Up folder . If there are things in there that you do not want to load delete them. They are just shortcuts for the most part and if you need one back it is in the recycle bin and can be restored . Just to give you a hint I only have my Logitech monitoring cordless keyboard and mouse battery life and my QuickBooks Update . When I finished with my neighbors PC he had none and he is pleased as punch with the computers improvement . He almost went out and bought a new PC and now he is thrilled he does not need too!
The next step I go through is removing unused and unwanted software . It is unbelievable how much advertising type software comes loaded on a PC you buy in the stores. The majority is designed for you to spend money. I remove as much as I can from the computer , if you have not looked at it in years why leave it there and the add and remove programs tells you when you last accessed the program . This so far is really the basics and the crucial points that will increase your computers speed. Now, wait a few days or weeks and use your computer and if you are happy with it clean out the recycle bin . Then go to the Programs Menu and Accessories and do a disk clean up and then a defragment of your computer drives and you will be in good shape.
Good Software for Speeding Up a Slow Computer and Configuration Assistance I have been using the Registry Easy program for a while now and really like it. I monthly scan my PC and it stays real nice and fast because the directories are clean . When I first used it I had 1135 errors and it finds about 400 a month and keeps things clean. My Neighbors PC had over 4000 errors just to give you an example and he is learning how to maintain his own PC from what the program shows him with all its options . This program will also take care of spy ware and has many good options for computer optimization . This is a good choice for a novice PC user to help keep their computer fast and efficient.
Thanks for listening, and if you want some help just Contact Us!
Author jmm
Easy Software and Computer Tools and Advise for the Novice to the Computer Professional.
http://www.easysoftwaretools.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jay_M

How To Speed Up Your Computer

How To Speed Up Your Computer By L Gehl


I'm sure you've seen the commercials for Speed Up My PC or a dozen other incarnations to speed up both your computer and your Internet connection. The fact is, most people don't need that software. What they need is something far simpler. While it is true that computers can slow down a lot after time, you'll likely not get that 500% boost in speed the commercials will lead you to believe. If you took your exact computer and re-installed everything fresh including everything you have running now, it would likely be no more than several percent faster than it is now. What is causing the slowdown is twofold. Below you'll find the two approaches to speed up your computer.
Part 1: Remove That Old Software
One of the most common problems for a slow down is the dozens of programs you've installed over the last couple of years. You install them because either they're fun or they make your life easier or you just plain like them. No matter the reason you've installed them. However the first way to speed up your computer is to remove all those old programs you don't use. Follow the steps below to do this.
1. Go to the menu Start and select Control Panel then select the icon Add Remove Programs (or Programs and Features if you are running Windows Vista or newer). This will bring up a dialog box that lists all the pieces of software that are installed on your computer.
2. Go through the list with a fine too comb, line by line, item by item. Look carefully. If you find something that you recognize but don't use it anymore, select it and then press the Remove (or Uninstall) button.
3. If you see something you don't recognize and don't know what it is, I recommend asking a computer greek amongst your fine circle of friends if you need it. Chances are good you don't, but there's always the chance its something important. Some of the software may require you to reboot before you can go to the next piece of software. Go ahead and do that. It won't take a few minutes to be back to where you are.
4. Once you've cleaned out all the old software off your hard drive, you have two more things to do. The first is to examine what is running on your system tray. Many times a piece of software installs something in the system tray (that little bundle of icons in the lower right hand corner of your screen). That is something that runs constantly and steals the precious free cycles of your processor. Examine everything in your system tray and if you don't think you need it, right mouse click over the icon and select Exit or Close for that program. (While this step in particular won't speed up your computer considerably, it will in fact help.)
5. Go to the Start menu and select Accessories and then System Tools. Inside that group select the icon Disk Defragmenter. This will run a program called the Disk Defragmenter. It will help order everything nice and neat on your hard drive to that when programs load, they load as fast as possible with the hardware they are running on. Select the Defragment Now button. When given the list of disks, check Select all disks. You will see messages and possibly graphical representation of the defragmentation. It will take some time to defragment the hard drive, but it will be worth it. What it is doing is ordering all the programs on your hard drive in order so that when it loads or writes a program, it doesn't have to move the read write very far. That alone will save time whenever your hard drive is accessed.
If you followed the above procedure, your computer is now running only what you want it to run and is running clean and as fast as the hardware will take it. Part 2 of this tip will do the most good because if your computer is old or new, it likely has the same problem.
Part II: Upgrade The Memory
The other reason your computer is slow is likely it doesn't have enough memory. This includes older computers and newer ones. Just because you bought a brand new computer doesn't mean it has an adequate amount of memory. You will know if your computer needs more memory by a rather simple test: does your computer ever do "screen paints?" A screen paint is where the screen is re-displayed but so slowly that you can see it. Imagine the window you are viewing if it came down the screen at an inch per second. That's a screen paint! And its the first indication you are short on memory. (Remember this is memory, not hard drive space. The two are not synonymous.) Simply adding more memory to your computer will speed it up considerably, especially if you are experiencing screen paints. If you aren't experiencing screen paints but an extreme slowness, then you'll also probably need more memory. Follow the procedure below to both determine if you need more memory and how to do it yourself.
1. First determine how much memory you have. By pressing (on the LEFT side of your keyboard) Ctrl-Shift-Esc (in that order), you'll have the Windows Task Manager pop up. Select the Performance tab. About halfway down you'll see Physical Memory (MB) or something pretty close to that. You want to see what it says under Total.
2. Each release of Windows has a different recommended minimum that is stated on the side of the box. There is however a recommended amount of memory to make it run well. I'm not going to quote the recommended values that are on the boxes, but what I've come to experience as the minimum I'd recommend in a computer. For Windows 2000, I'd recommend at least 512 megabytes. For Windows XP, I'd recommend at least 1 gigabyte. For Windows Vista (or higher), I'd recommend at least 2 gigabytes.
3. If the size you found in step one is not as much as I've stated in step 2, then its time to continue and find out about your computer. First find the make and model of your computer. You'll find them on the front of the case if its a desktop or near the bottom or top of the screen if its a laptop.
4. Now its time to see what the maximum memory your computer can handle is. Start up an Internet browser (Internet Explorer or Firefox or whatever your favorite one is). Go to http://www.google.com. Put in the search box the make and model of your computer but add the word "specifications" at the end. It may take a link or two, but you'll eventually find it. What you are looking for is how many slots your computer has and also what type of memory it needs. (If you have trouble here, just consult your favorite computer geek and bribe them with a beer or two or better a home cooked meal, to do this search for you.) You are looking for things like DDR2 or PC2700.
5. Next look on http://bestbuy.com or other sites you shop at to find out much memory is for your particular type needed. If you are having trouble and don't mind paying a little extra, then simply go to Google and type in your laptop make and model (HP Presario 6440) and add "memory" to the end. You will find any number of sites where you can purchase memory. One of the first links you'll see is for the manufacturer of your computer. Go to the site and buy the amount of recommended memory for your computer. If you have so little memory in your computer, then chances are pretty good you'll toss out what you have and put in new memory. (For some desktops, they only have 2 memory slots and you'll leave out the memory that's installed because its far tinier than what you will buy.) So buy the memory you need based on the recommendations from above.
6. Eventually you'll end up with a couple of sticks of memory that you bought at Best Buy or online from the manufacturer of your laptop. Now if you're a technically inclined person, this part will be easy. Power off the computer. Again, remember to make sure your computer is powered off before doing this!
7. If your computer is a desktop, look on the back of the case for a couple of screws that hold the metal or plastic cover on. The screws are likely Phillips, but sometimes they are Flathead or Torx. In any case, take the cover off. Next look for something that looks like the computer chips in your hand. Remove them and install the new ones. Its as simple as that. Be sure to make sure to follow the instructions that came with the memory. Its important to seat the memory tightly into the slots as well as to make sure the cover is properly fastened after installing the memory.
8. If its a laptop, there will be a small door on the bottom of it that you will have to open using a Phillips screwdriver. Under the small door you will find one to three slots where you plug in the memory. For both cases, follow the instructions that came with the memory. Lastly, put the cover back on and make sure the cover is properly fastened after installing the memory.
9. Power up your computer. In some cases, it will stop and make you press the F1 key (or some other key) while it updates BIOS (the firmware that records such things as how big and where your hard drive). But after that it should boot up into Windows.
Congratulations! Your computer is now as fast as it can be made! Some friends of mine ordered the memory I told them to order (I follow the above procedure to find out how much they had in their desktop and where to buy it from). They ordered it and installed and immediately noticed a difference. They were ready to buy a whole new computer! But all that was needed was a little cleanup of old software and some more memory to suit the needs of the latest incarnation of Windows. A little elbow grease and pocket change for some additional memory can make all the difference.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=L_Gehl

About Hybrid Battery Life Expectancy

About Hybrid Battery Life Expectancy by Donovan Baldwin

People who are looking at the possible purchase of a hybrid car, usually try to figure up how much they will save in gas over the lifetime of the car.
Most, except those who are expecting to encounter extremely high mileage figures, will probably NOT be especially excited by the figures. You generally will not save that much money on gas with a hybrid car.
Of course, owning a hybrid car, such as my Toyota Prius, which gets great fuel economy when prices are extremely high, like they were in the Fall of 2008, can be a blessing to the pocketbook. No doubt about it. However, over the course of the car's life, the actual savings due to fuel economy alone will be minimal if any.
Really, at this stage in hybrid car technology, purchasing one of the many hybrid models available is really more of a statement of civic responsibility rather than an economic one.
Having disposed of that, I would like to address a more compelling question that potential hybrid owners should be concerned with.
They want to know: What is the hybrid battery life expectancy?
We can easily answer most other mechanical and economic questions about vehicle costs, operation, and repair by simply comparing a hybrid, such as my 2006 Toyota Prius which gets about 47.5 miles per gallon with 75,000 miles on it, to other cars of its approximate size and weight. Except possibly for the brakes (a separate discussion, but a positive one), tire wear, generator life, fluid and oil changes will probably be about equal.
However, there is little at the moment to compare to when speaking of hybrid battery life expectancy.
It is simply that hybrid cars have simply not been on the road that long, and you just cannot turn to your neighbor, or neighborhood mechanic, and say, "Hey, John! Got any idea how long a hybrid battery should last?"
So, in the interest of at least allaying that worry for a few people, here's a wee bit of information on the subject of hybrid battery life expectancy.
Ordinary Vs. Hybrid
Regular car batteries will generally need replacing on average about every three or four years. Hybrid car battery packs, on the other hand, are commonly warranted to last for about eight to 10 years. Testing indicates that they may eventually actually outlast the car itself.
If figures in years don't do it for you, let's say the batteries are designed to last between 150,000 and 200,000 miles.
Failure of the hybrid battery pack.
As yet, hard figures are difficult to come by because hybrid cars presently comprise such a small percentage of vehicles on the road, and also because they have been in use for such a short time, speaking in automotive history years. However, Toyota has released some figures to indicate that some of their battery packs have lasted in excess of 300,000 miles!
The word, "failure", when we apply it to hybrid battery life expectancy is so far a relative word. A hybrid car battery pack is actually made up of hundreds of nickel cadmium elements, known as cells. The "failure" of a couple of these cells would probably not significantly affect the overall life expectancy or immediate performance of the battery itself.
Those who have purchased a hybrid car in order to make a statement about their concern for the planet, will be happy to know that hybrid car batteries are highly recyclable and have been designed to have a reduced toxic waste effect as compared to other, similar products.
Additionally, there is also the available option of possibly refurbishing an aging, or failing, hybrid battery pack. Each "battery" is itself constructed of about 28 modules, and faulty modules can be replaced for much less cost than replacing the battery itself. Even better news, at least economically, is the fact that a non-faulty module can be taken from another battery, thus creating a new distribution chain for reuseable battery modules.
It is certainly also encouraging that hybrid battery life expectancy is currently (no pun intended) an on-going research issue for manufacturers. As a result, hybrid battery packs of the future will probably last even longer and be even more environmentally friendly than their counterparts of today.
If you purchase a good hybrid car, you will probably do pretty well as far as fuel economy is concerned, especially if gas prices start heading back up towards four dollars (as I write this in early 2009). Regular vehicle maintenance expenses should be roughly the same as those of any other comparably sized car or truck, The only worry many people may have will be about hybrid-car-specific issues such as the one of hybrid battery life expectancy, and, as you can see, that should not be much of an issue.
About the Author
Donovan Baldwin is a freelance writer living in central Texas. He is a University of West Florida alumnus and member of Mensa. He is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service. You may find his blog on hybrid cars at http://hybridcarsalternativefuelsandmore.blogspot.com

About Hybrid Battery Life Expectancy

About Hybrid Battery Life Expectancy by Donovan Baldwin

People who are looking at the possible purchase of a hybrid car, usually try to figure up how much they will save in gas over the lifetime of the car.
Most, except those who are expecting to encounter extremely high mileage figures, will probably NOT be especially excited by the figures. You generally will not save that much money on gas with a hybrid car.
Of course, owning a hybrid car, such as my Toyota Prius, which gets great fuel economy when prices are extremely high, like they were in the Fall of 2008, can be a blessing to the pocketbook. No doubt about it. However, over the course of the car's life, the actual savings due to fuel economy alone will be minimal if any.
Really, at this stage in hybrid car technology, purchasing one of the many hybrid models available is really more of a statement of civic responsibility rather than an economic one.
Having disposed of that, I would like to address a more compelling question that potential hybrid owners should be concerned with.
They want to know: What is the hybrid battery life expectancy?
We can easily answer most other mechanical and economic questions about vehicle costs, operation, and repair by simply comparing a hybrid, such as my 2006 Toyota Prius which gets about 47.5 miles per gallon with 75,000 miles on it, to other cars of its approximate size and weight. Except possibly for the brakes (a separate discussion, but a positive one), tire wear, generator life, fluid and oil changes will probably be about equal.
However, there is little at the moment to compare to when speaking of hybrid battery life expectancy.
It is simply that hybrid cars have simply not been on the road that long, and you just cannot turn to your neighbor, or neighborhood mechanic, and say, "Hey, John! Got any idea how long a hybrid battery should last?"
So, in the interest of at least allaying that worry for a few people, here's a wee bit of information on the subject of hybrid battery life expectancy.
Ordinary Vs. Hybrid
Regular car batteries will generally need replacing on average about every three or four years. Hybrid car battery packs, on the other hand, are commonly warranted to last for about eight to 10 years. Testing indicates that they may eventually actually outlast the car itself.
If figures in years don't do it for you, let's say the batteries are designed to last between 150,000 and 200,000 miles.
Failure of the hybrid battery pack.
As yet, hard figures are difficult to come by because hybrid cars presently comprise such a small percentage of vehicles on the road, and also because they have been in use for such a short time, speaking in automotive history years. However, Toyota has released some figures to indicate that some of their battery packs have lasted in excess of 300,000 miles!
The word, "failure", when we apply it to hybrid battery life expectancy is so far a relative word. A hybrid car battery pack is actually made up of hundreds of nickel cadmium elements, known as cells. The "failure" of a couple of these cells would probably not significantly affect the overall life expectancy or immediate performance of the battery itself.
Those who have purchased a hybrid car in order to make a statement about their concern for the planet, will be happy to know that hybrid car batteries are highly recyclable and have been designed to have a reduced toxic waste effect as compared to other, similar products.
Additionally, there is also the available option of possibly refurbishing an aging, or failing, hybrid battery pack. Each "battery" is itself constructed of about 28 modules, and faulty modules can be replaced for much less cost than replacing the battery itself. Even better news, at least economically, is the fact that a non-faulty module can be taken from another battery, thus creating a new distribution chain for reuseable battery modules.
It is certainly also encouraging that hybrid battery life expectancy is currently (no pun intended) an on-going research issue for manufacturers. As a result, hybrid battery packs of the future will probably last even longer and be even more environmentally friendly than their counterparts of today.
If you purchase a good hybrid car, you will probably do pretty well as far as fuel economy is concerned, especially if gas prices start heading back up towards four dollars (as I write this in early 2009). Regular vehicle maintenance expenses should be roughly the same as those of any other comparably sized car or truck, The only worry many people may have will be about hybrid-car-specific issues such as the one of hybrid battery life expectancy, and, as you can see, that should not be much of an issue.
About the Author
Donovan Baldwin is a freelance writer living in central Texas. He is a University of West Florida alumnus and member of Mensa. He is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service. You may find his blog on hybrid cars at http://hybridcarsalternativefuelsandmore.blogspot.com

Two OLED technologies: AMOLED and PMOLED

Two OLED technologies: AMOLED and PMOLED by Ron Mertens

OLED is a new technology that can make thin, efficient and bright displays. OLEDs are made from organic light-emitting materials, and OLEDs do not require any backlight and filtering systems that are used in LCDs. So OLEDs are more simple to make and actually can be made flexible and transparent as well. OLEDs are also very efficient, and companies are working towards OLED lighting - an OLED "lightbulb" will be efficient and thin, opening the way for great new lighting designs.
There are two types of OLEDs used in displays - PMOLED and AMOLED. The difference is in the driving electronics - it can be either Passive Matrix (PM) or Active Matrix (AM).
With Passive-Matrix OLEDs, the display is controlled by switching on rows and columns. When you turn on row number x and column number y, the pixel at the intersection is lit - and emits light. Each time you can choose just one pixel to light. So you have to turn these on and off very quickly. You do so in a certain sequence, and create the desired image. This is somewhat like the interlace-system used in old CRTs, but the control is done pixel-by-pixel.
PMOLEDs are very easy and cheap to build, but they are limited to small sizes (up to 3", typically). The image displaying is a bit complicated (because of the row/column method). Also the power consumption is not as good as AMOLEDs.
AMOLEDs have a different driver electronics - each pixel is controlled directly. AMOLEDs are more expensive, and much more difficult to create, but can be used for larger displays (current prototypes are up to 40") and are very power efficient.
The first OLED products in the market used PMOLEDs - these were MP3 players, sub-displays on cellphones and radio decks for automobiles. The displays were small and usually with just one or two colors. When AMOLED panels started to emerge in 2007 and 2008 we have seen these larger displays in mobile video players, digital cameras, mobile phones main displays and even OLED TVs.
PMOLEDs are still very popular - there are more MP3 player sold today with PMOLED than with LCDs. But for larger displays, AMOLED is the best technology, and is growing much more quickly than PMOLED displays. Obviously for larger displays, such as TV, laptop monitors or PDAs, AMOLED is the only choice.
Today there are several companies that are working on technologies that actually close the gap between PMOLEDs and AMOLEDs - offering a sort of hybrid system. The promise is that these displays will be both easy to make and allow power efficient larger displays. We still have to wait and see whether these technologies actually work on commercial displays. One such technology is Dialog's SmartXtend.
About the Author
Ron Mertens has been following OLEDs since 1998, and is the editor of OLED-Info, the web's leading OLED display information web site. OLED-Info is published by Metalgrass software, who provides shareware for AdSense publishers and several other web sites.

10 Recessionary IT Trends

10 Recessionary IT Trends By Robin Bloor


The sales of PCs, desktops and laptops, are in decline. It's not a forecast, it's a reality that didn't begin when Mr Recession rapped smartly on the door and the stock market fell out of bed. The trend began a year ago (reported in surveys by ChangeWave Research.) There was no sudden decline in buying intentions in November following the nightmare on Wall St. The trend just stayed in place, indicating a drop of about 10 percent year-on-year in buying intentions. This trend will continue. It's inevitable.
Unemployment is set to rise and that's going to add to the inventory of desktops and laptops lined up for disposal on eBay, both from consumers and companies. The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that corporations currently aren't inclined to upgrade their PCs just for the privilege of running Vista. One of the first calls I got after Wall St went deep sea diving was from a CEO who simply said that Vista was out of the question for a year. He's thinking of skipping Vista completely and I'm sure he's not alone.
The practical reality is that most budget decision in most organizations will be implemented round about now (January), so we don't really know what the real damage to the PC market is yet, but the signs are not good.
The Economy
Let's cut to the chase. There are some obvious trends that have already taken hold and which will inevitably persist. Economically, the contraction in the economy (worldwide) will not be reversed until sufficient government spending has actually been made to stimulate the deflationary trend. Reversing the current economic momentum (or lack of momentum, if you like) will not happen until the upside growth eliminates the downward momentum. This may not be an easy trick to pull off. There are unknowns and there are perils.
Here are some things to consider:
- The dominant world economy, if you think of it as an economic block, is actually Europe (with GDP greater than $17 billion). The US is a little smaller (with GDP of $14 billion). Taken together the two make up about 56% of the world GDP.
- While the European economy is larger, the US economy is more vibrant at the sunrise edge. It is just more entrepreneurial and hence capable (imho) of faster revival. We should expect the slump will be deeper in the US (because that's where the collapse in values came from and where it's deepest), but once it fires it will generate more momentum that Europe is capable of.
- The recovery will be politically driven. In the US there is resentment about "jobs being exported by major corporations." Doesn't matter whether it's a fair opinion, because it's a political fact. Therefore recovery is going to be all about US jobs. Reversing a dip in the GDP will be politically meaningless if it doesn't generate US jobs. The jobless figure will be the metric by which President Obama will be measured.
- The last time the world economy got this bad, the major economies (they were empires mostly) went into a protectionist stance and raised import tariffs in the hope of keeping home markets healthy, but it just made matters worse. There were also rounds of competitive currency devaluations, which simply reinforced the slump. It's a different world now, with a completely different economic foundation (no gold standard), but the tendency will be for countries to engage in similar activities to move the pain elsewhere. Remember that China has been artificially suppressing the value of its currency (by buying wagon loads of US Treasury Debt) to drive exports into the US. That game is probably over.
- This time, it looks to me like there will be little option for many countries but to print money in a big way, but in the end that's not much different than competitive devaluation - although the trick is to drive down the value of the currency without driving capital away, and it's no easy trick to pull off. The UK is currently seeing the value of its currency fall, but capital is flowing out.
The upshot of all this is that we can't know how severe or long the recession will be, until we see whether the governments of the world, and particularly Europe and the US, choose to hang together or hang separately. The world is waiting on Obama.
The IT Consequences
As a rough figure, 50% of capital investment worldwide is in IT. As capital investment falls, so will IT spend. The dip in IT spend should, pretty much, mirror the dip in GDP in a country. In the last recession, the dotcom bust, IT had a bad time. The damage to IT was disproportionate, because the inflated dotcom values had translated into IT spend in a a disproportionate way.
On average, 10% of the IT spend in any country comes from government spending. Given that nowdays all the governments of the world understand the economic wisdom of John Maynard Keynes (the government isn't just the lender of last resort, it's the spender of last resort) IT spending may not dip as low as it might otherwise do. In particular, in the US Obama intends to:
- Invest in healthcare, especially in IT in healthcare. - Extend investment in the Internet
America also intends to restore regulatory sanity to Wall St and the banking industry, and that will probably mitigate in favor of IT spend to some degree. Put this together and it will alleviate some of the economic pain for the IT sector in the US - but not so much that the recession magically vanishes.
There is also what we can think of as a big psychological factor. Even if IT budgets hadn't been cut at all, there's an irreversible psychological impact from what has happened, which has flipped attitudes towards being cautious in purchasing anything. Having said that, it's fairly easy to lay down a few inevitable consequent trends.
1. PC spend, as we've seen, was contracting before the economy leapt off the balcony. It will continue to do so. Vista upgrades will be deferred. The netbook will do well (it's cheap but cheerless.)
2. This will be the year when Open Office makes a breakthrough.
3. There will be a trend towards more widespread use of open source products. Thus far its been mostly a bottom-up revolution. Now there is likely to be more "strategic adoption" of Open Source.
4. The trend to desktop virtualization will accelerate to some degree. Vendors of desktop virtualization technology will do better if they can minimize the capital spend involved and demonstrate quick ROI.
5. The trend to server virtualization will remain healthy as a means of forestalling increases elsewhere in data center costs.
6. The cloud will be dominate. Every vendor that can have a cloud offering will have one, whether it makes sense or not. It will be like Web Services/SOA. Everyone and his dog will be cloud-ready.
7. Mashups and mashup ecosystems will prosper. This is a trend in progress (Facebook and Twitter have both done well in this regard. They've become strong software ecosystems.)
8. Despite recent stirrings in the world of the semantic web, this is not the year of the semantic web. That (I believe) will require a resurgent economy.
9. Despite the costs involved, BI (from simple BI implementations to big BI projects with very large databases) will do reasonably well. There's a gap here that needs to be filled and which complements SOA developments.
10. Despite the costs involved, service management software of all varieties will continue to sell well. As with the last point, there's a gap here that needs to be filled and which complements SOA developments.
Robin Bloor, Founder Bloor Research, Partner Hurwitz & Associates, http://www.havemacwillblog.com/.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robin_Bloor

iPod vs competitors

iPod vs competitors by Ben T Wilson

The iPod has always had competition in the MP3 market. This comes from well-known names such as Cowon, Creative, Samsung, Sony, and Phillips; and yet Apple's iPods continues to outsell every other brand worldwide.
The appeal of the iPod
One reason for this dominance is that Apple knows what its customers want. The four models in the iPod range - the shuffle, nano, iPod Classic, and touch - reflect different customer needs and offer distinct MP3 experiences.
The iPod shuffle, for instance, is a basic MP3 player of superb quality. It's ideal for anyone who wants to carry a wide selection of their favourite music in a tiny, almost feather-light device.
The iPod nano is a remarkably compact media player. You can choose from up to 4,000 songs on the 16GB version, or up to 16 hours of video. You can also store thousands of photos, and play games.
The iPod classic is a remarkable storage device. With its 120GB hard drive, you can carry a substantial music library wherever you go - up to 30,000 songs, in fact. If you prefer watching films or TV programmes on the classic's bright, LED backlit screen, you can load up to 150 hours of viewing. With the ability to listen to 36 hours of music between battery charges, or six hours of video, the iPod classic is a portable powerhouse for digital media.
The appeal of the iPod touch is its brilliant versatility. In addition to being an MP3 player, it has built-in Wi-Fi technology. The touch can therefore download music, video, podcasts, games, and applications without the need for a computer, as well as receive and send email. It also has some of Apple's cutting-edge software, complemented by a three and a half inch Multi-Touch screen.
Consistent quality
The consumer choice offered by these four iPod models is comprehensive; but in a market where a number of manufacturers are associated with superior products, customers want consistent high quality. If they don't receive this, they lose faith in a company. Apple knows this, and hasn't let its customers down.
Since introducing its first iPod in 2001, Apple has put quality at the front of its manufacturing policy. Every iPod is extremely well-engineered. The robust casings resist the knocks and scrapes that all MP3 players endure; and on the inside, the technology is what you'd expect from a maker renowned for the graphics and audio capabilities of its computers.
Innovation
Along with quality, consumers like to see frequent innovation, particularly with technological products such as portable media players. Unlike some of its competitors, Apple has regularly introduced new and exciting developments to the iPod range. In fact, you can almost take for granted that a new generation iPod will have at least one ground-breaking additional feature.
Such an approach to innovation is part of the iPod heritage. It gives Apple an edge over the competition and provides you with the most advanced MP3 players available.
Style
The look of an MP3 player is critical to its sales success. People like to have products that are elegant and clutter-free.
This is why Apple chooses its materials for the iPod range so carefully. Brushed aluminium, polished steel, and high quality glass form the casings of the iPods. Using such smooth and sleek exteriors is not enough, however. The shape of the iPods is also a vital part of the overall concepts.
Apple's success in this area is thanks to curved designs, thin bodies, compact size, and lightness. The iPod shuffle, for example, weighs a mere 15.6 grams (0.55 ounce). The iPod nano is just 90.7 mm (3.6 inches) high by 38.7 mm (1.5 inches) wide. The iPod classic, despite its large hard drive capacity, covers less than half the surface area of a CD case. As for the iPod touch, it's a mere 8.5 mm (0.33 inch) thick.
The distinctive wheel-shaped controls and the discrete positions of the ports and switches add to the overall sense of style on the iPod shuffle, nano, and classic. The iPod touch stands out thanks to its Multi-Touch screen that in itself is a statement of technological achievement and flair.
It's hard to find any other MP3 players that can match an iPod's sheer good looks.
Colour
Yet another feature that distinguishes iPods from their competitors is the choice of colour Apple offers for the shuffle and the nano.
You can order a shuffle in one of five colours: blue, green, pink, red, and silver. The nano has an additional four: black, orange, purple, and yellow. All these colours are bright and wear-resistant, and help to personalise your iPod. They also add to the fun of using an MP3 player.
Extras
MP3 players are gadgets, and as with all such devices, people want useful, interesting extras. There can be little doubt that Apple meets this demand far more successfully than anyone else.
The shake-to-shuffle feature on the iPod nano; Wi-Fi connectivity on the iPod touch; and the Genius playlist feature on the iPod nano, classic, and touch are three examples of recent developments that have caught people's imaginations. These extras are the latest in a history of additions that help make iPods such desirable gadgets to own.
iTunes
iPods also maintain a significant advantage over other MP3 players because of iTunes. iTunes is the free software that lets you organise your digital media into a library and transfer it to your iPod. It also offers a store in which you can buy music, films, TV programmes and audiobooks from a vast selection. You can even rent certain films, and obtain podcasts without charge.
The best
Apple started the portable media player revolution and has continued to develop the iPod ever since with spectacular results. Look through any sales catalogue of MP3 players, and it's clear that where the iPod leads, others try to follow. iPods always set the pace, and the rest never really catch up.
About the Author
Ben T Wilson writes about Apple products, in association with http://www.considermac.com

Bring Down Your Phone Bills with Voice over Internet Protocol

Bring Down Your Phone Bills with Voice over Internet Protocol by Michael Sorensen

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which lets you make voice calls using the Internet or other packet-switched networks, is one technology that has gained much popularity among Internet users. It is also called as internet or IP telephony and voice over broadband. Your speech is converted into a digital signal, packetized into smaller units, and transmitted over the Internet. It helps bring down the communication and infrastructure costs to a great extent.
All that you need to get going are a broadband connection and either a specialized VoIP phone system or an adapter so that you can use the traditional phone itself for the purpose. But this depends on the VoIP service providers. Some will work only over your computer or a VoIP phone, while others will give you the flexibility to use your existing phone by means of an adapter.
Following are the many advantages of using internet telephony:
• I can simultaneously take more than one call using the same broadband connection.
• Conference calling, call forwarding, and caller ID don't cost me a bomb.
• Data transmitted using VoIP is totally secure once the digital data stream is encrypted and authenticated.
• I am completely free to access the service from anywhere with only a fast and stable internet connection.
• I can have video conversations, exchange message and data files even while talking, and manage my address book easily.
Skype is one of the popular VoIP software. You can call other users of the service free of charge. However, you are required to pay for the calls you make to landline and cell phone numbers. You can use a Skype USB Phone Adapter to use your corded or cordless phone or you can go for the USB VoIP Skype Calling Kit to take advantage of Skype's low cost calling features.
About the Author
Michael Sorensen has been in the computer networking field for many years now. He has taken care of several large-scale networks at leading organizations in his capacity as network administrator. Michael Sorensen invites his readers also to contribute posts to this blog about products they like or have recently purchased.

Advantages of Satellite Internet

Advantages of Satellite Internet By Marshawn Edwards


Those who have never used satellite Internet and have been stuck in the past with their dial up modem for the past decade don't know about all of the advantages that high speed Internet can provide. Satellite Internet is perfect for homes, small businesses, and everyone else who wants unprecedented access and connectivity to the web.
Speed is the most noticeable thing about satellite Internet. With satellite, you will be able to do more and see more on the Internet in a fraction of the time. Consider that the average speed of a dial up modem is 56k. Satellite Internet has an average speed of 2mbps. There is simply no contest when it comes to speed - satellite wins, hands down.
Look at some of the other benefits of satellite Internet and you will see why it is quickly gaining ground on all other forms of Internet access.
The service is available all around the United States, in places that cable and DSL simply can't reach. No matter where you happen to live, no matter how far out into the wilds your home is, you will have access to satellite high speed Internet. The only thing you need is to have a clear view of the sky for the satellite receiver. You don't have to rely on cables making it all the way out to your house, as you would have to with broadband.
With dial up, you have to login and wait for access to the Internet. Sometimes, the connection doesn't work and you have to continue trying to access the Internet. This is a frustrating chore on the best of days. If you have to do business on the web, it becomes a nightmare can cost you business.
Another advantage over dial up is that many different computers can access the same connection at the same time. You don't have to take turns to jump onto the web. For families with more than one computer, as well as for small businesses that need to have more than a single person on the Internet at once, this is a necessity.
When you need to upload or download information from the web, you will appreciate just how fast the connection really is. It only takes seconds to download large files, such as songs and videos. The speed also helps with streaming music and videos, allowing you to watch them directly on the Internet without having to stop and start as the data tries to load.
Satellite Internet uses state of the art technology, which means they are always on the cutting edge. Yet, the equipment is familiar and easy to use. You won't have any trouble using your satellite Internet, as it is compatible with all types of computers.
With so many advantages, it is easy to see why so many people are making satellite Internet their choice for high speed access to the web. It has everything they need, and it promises to get better with time.
Hughes Net is America's leading satellite internet service provider, delivering broadband speeds up to 50x faster than dial-up. Hughes Net internet service is available anywhere in the contiguous U.S. and with lease options and free standard installation, getting started is easy and affordable.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marshawn_Edwards