Archive for the 'Technology Center' Category

Vivek Kundra Uses Private Sector Platforms to Impose IT Initiatives in Transparency

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

Gov 2.0 is a mashup of Web 2.0 widgetry, Social Media interactivity and analytical transparency. Vivek Kundra has been promoting this form of communicating for a while now. His primary focus is transparency of U.S. government agendas, accountability for lawmakers and an open interchange of information. And for Vivek Kundra, this exchange of information goes both ways. This means not only does he want you to listen to the United States government, he wants the Federal government to hear from you as well.

Vivek Kundra, Federal CIO

Vivek Kundra believes that government information and services can be provided to the American people whenever and wherever they need it. As Tech Czar, Vivek Kundra works to ensure the governmental IT endeavors deliver quality data to U.S. citizens through initiatives such as IT Dashboard, Datamasher and even the White House blog. The overall idea is if government upholds information on an assortment of issues, that information should be deemed a national asset.

As Federal CIO, Vivek Kundra is in charge of the Federal government IT investment and utilization. With his grand IT background, Vivek Kundra will ensure that the Federal government spends safely and effectively. Efficiently addressing the challenges facing our country while dropping squander and growing with technology can all be attained with credentials such as his. He is always looking for new ways to help adapt private sector technologies that aid the United States government in saving money.

Entertainment Industry Up in Arms against Online Piracy

Monday, January 25th, 2010

Concerned authorities from the world of film, music and television have united to request the European Union (EU) to take stringent measures against illegal downloading of files on the internet.

The entertainment industry is suffering significant losses due to internet piracy, and therefore, authorities from the industry have decided to make the best use of the opportunity presented by the Digital Economy Bill and its recommendations. With the introduction of the Bill, stringent measures against internet piracy have become necessary.

A committee formed by these interested parties, called the ‘European Audiovisual Social Dialogue Committee’, is advocating positive changes in EU legislations so that persistent offenders can be penalized.

The Committee recently issued a statement in which it said that the EU cannot afford to ignore acts of illegal file-sharing. According to the statement, the Internal Markets Commissioner should see that the required infrastructure is present in all the member states so that these states can formulate better laws to prevent copyright infringement. The Commissioner should also see that peer-to-peer file-sharing and similar acts of copyright violation are checked by internet service providers (ISPs).

When the Digital Economy Bill was published last year in the UK, it promised to reduce copyright violation by 70%. This was to be done in close coordination with the ISPs, who would issue letters of warning to marked offenders. If the warning letters do not deter the offenders, then Secretary of State Lord Mandelson will approach the Parliament for sterner measures. These measures can include temporary disconnection of internet lines of the offenders by the ISPs.

For information on your ISP, mobile broadband genie is a good site to look at for provider reviews and broadband news from the likes of 3 mobile broadband and the other top internet service providers.

Expert Claims Disconnecting Users for Copyright Infringement Violates EU Law

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

Details of the UK’s new digital economy bill that were released last month have created a furore in the industry. According to professor Lilian Andrews, the UK law, and especially its provisions for disconnecting users for downloading copyright content illegally, clash with the EU E-commerce provisions.

The draft released by the UK government puts the onus of illegal file sharing and downloading on the networks. ISPs are responsible for the safeguarding of copyright and the provisions are designed to allow them the right to disconnect users repeatedly found downloading or sharing copyrighted content. However, this means that businesses such as hotels and cafes can no longer offer free internet WiFi services to their customers.

Already, mobile broadband service providers have claimed an inability to comply with this provision as it is impossible to trace offenders without a traceable IP address. Now the onus is on fixed line networks.

According to Edwards, the bill makes it impossible for hotels and cafes to offer free internet access as they would be held liable should a user be found downloading illegal content, leading to suspension or disconnection. Since the law allows action to be taken against someone allowing others to use the network for the infringement of the authors’ copyright, these establishments would be subject to legal action. The same could also be applied to unsecured home WiFi connections.

According to the professor Andrews, this provision clashes with the EU E-commerce Directive, passed into UK Law, which explicitly states that network providers are not liable for violations by their subscribers if they have no prior knowledge of these actions.

If you want to know more about mobile broadband or to know the current range of mobile broadband devices and offers click – free laptop – for the Broadband Genie comparison table. The website maintains a database of all the latest laptop deals and broadband prices.


What Ophthalmic Examination Chair Is Right for You

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

Opthalmologists will find their vocation calling for far more than their training and experience: for what they actually are given to depend upon uppermost is sure to be specialist instruments to help get solutions as accurately as possible. Let us scrutinize a trio of necessary pieces of equipment: covering diagnosis, the comfort of your patients, and storage, and the things to bear in mind in purchasing each, be they used, new, refurbished or remanufactured.

Employed in many a diagnosis, there are a variety of types of tonometer available to fill the requirements of the individual opthalmologist. To be certain of the greatest accuracy you have to select tonometers of top quality and those which boast ease of use, which creates a sizeable overall acceleration of your process of diagnosis – benefitting both your practice and your patients.

There is nothing more obstructive than an inability to get the patient at the correct angle to perform a full diaregnosis, and because every patient is different, this is seldom an easy task. Comfort in addition to flexibility should therefore be taken into consideration when you go about choosing the examination chairs that you want. Search for fully adjustable examination chairs capable of raising or lowering even the smallest patient until they’re at the right height. The patient’s appointment should be made in comfort, with the exam chairs you chose giving her support. You’ll discover that this makes a big benefit during more in-depth exams.

Your optometry equipment must be stored away somewhere, and for preference in a place offering easy access when needed. The time honored solution is a treatment cabinet with certain useful features: secure locks, leveling glides in case of uneven floors, and the like. Cabinets like these can quickly be relocated to any part of your practice which currently needs what they contain and to store the equipment you’ll find that you use. Take care, though, that you purchase a cabinet that won’t be too cumbersome for hassle free re-deployment.

How well you can do your job will be determined in part by the equipment you employ, like your choice of exam chair, treatment cabinet and tonometer. Determine your precise needs (why not make a list?) before triggering equipment purchase. Badly devised or imprecise equipment can only impede you, but the more painless to handle and the more ergonomic your instrumentation the better your performance. Indeed, you’ll find yourself positively amazed by how much simpler the right choice can make your practice… Hence, the decisions you make in terms of your instruments will have a significant influence on your performance in your job, and, quite as importantly, on the long term success of the practice.

How Tonometers and Similar Smashing Opthalmology Instruments Will Help You

Friday, December 4th, 2009

Optometrists will find their vocation calling for far more than their training — for this apart, what they actually require preeminently is likely to be specialist equipment to help them get diagnoses as quickly and accurately as they can. Let’s consider three necessary tools — involving assessment, the comfort of your patients, and equipment storage, and what to bear in mind when shopping for these and similar items, whether they’re remanufactured, used, new or refurbished.

Used to take intraocular pressure, tonometers are available in a number of different forms including non-contact, applanation, digital, pocket, and handheld disposable models. You can opt to use any style or utilize a selection of models to meet your needs. You will want to employ only very high quality tonometers, so check this when buying. Your diagnostic process becomes so much smoother if you can boast both ease of use and precision with this class of optometric equipment.

Take care that despite the physical differences between patients they can all spend their appointments comfortably. You can do this without giving up your ability to position your patients effectively to carry out an examination. There’s many optometry examination chairs readily available that will support any patient, from largest to shortest, and they can do so in comfort in whatever position you prefer.

Fighting with your ophthalmic instruments and devices is of course not the way you ought to work. This makes a good set of treatment cabinets a precious addition to your practice.. Ensure that the cabinet you have decided on isn’t too hefty to fit into your practice without causing difficulty.

Three of the items of optometric equipment that will affect your capacity to do your job are the examination chair, the tonometer, and the treatment cabinet. Accordingly, commence your equipment purchasing only once you’ve positively established your needs. Inaccurate tools will most most likely exasperate you, but the simpler to use and the more precise your instrumentation, the better you should perform. You’ll be stunned by how much simpler the right choice can make working in your practice!

As you can see, the instruments you select will have a significant influence on your performance in your job as a whole, and, last not least, the success of your overall practice.

Establishing Fire Suppression Systems and Equipments Are Needful

Saturday, October 24th, 2009

For our security, Fire Suppression Systems are truly important. One reason why fires are so damaging is people may not realize there’s already a fire happening while it is still beginning to develop. With no fire suppression systems installed, it may be too late for people to perform a good deal of sparing of property as well as lives. They protect buildings and household residents at the earliest signs of fires so that people can evacuate to safety the earliest time workable.


Electric, heat and smoke sensors as well as doing it manually, can actuate fire suppression alarms. For heat and smoke sensors, a positive degree of heat or smoke is fixed and once that level is exceeded, warning signals are set off to signal that a fire is already coming about or about to go on. These alarms may take place as a blasting cautionary sounds or as radiant twinkling lights. To supply your home with utmost protection, some alarms have been incorporated with trespasser warning devices as well. Searching on what sort of alarm is most fitted for you is powerfully promoted.


There are Fire Suppression Systems that are adequate enough of informing warning local fire officials. If this is the case, check if there are tolls in performing so. To make positive that the fire suppression is in functional condition after they have been set up, it is needed to regularly check on it. It is worth the effort and investment to preclude disasters by establishing Fire Suppression Systems.


Another matter that should be embraced is knowing what to act when the cautionary devices go off. The right thing to perform is to educate everyone what should be done during a fire emergency. This is the cause why fire practices are being carried out in offices, schoolhouses and infirmaries. Reckonin g on the circumstances, the fire exercises done may vary from instance to instance. Essential components to consider would include the size of the fire, population and size of the facility.


As a component of overseeing the fire suppression system put in place up, it needs to be tried regularly to make positive they are in functional condition. They will be futile if they fail to perform what they are intended to. Organise with the fire section if needed.

Karoo’s Policy on Illegal File Sharing Causes Inconvenience to Customers

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Karoo is the only internet service provider in the Hull region, as the BT has not extended its services there. The public of Hull has no option, but to use Karoo if it wants an internet connection.

According to a news report in the BBC, Karoo has not been following the ‘three strikes’ policy of the government. Instead, Karoo disconnects the services of people, suspected of having indulged in illegal file sharing. Warning for the same is absent in the policy followed by Karoo. For broadband help and guides, try the dedicated website Broadband Genie, an expert can answer any concerns on their broadband forum.

The Director of Consumer and Publishing Services division of Kingston Communications, Mr. Nick Thompson, has supported the actions of Karoo. According to him, Karoo does not make any profit for disconnecting its customers. In fact, these actions are detrimental to Karoo, as it cannot ask for payment when the internet was disconnected.

The problem is that the service for many customers of Karoo has been disconnected for as long as two years. In fact, it seems that the company has wrongly disconnected the services of many of its users who have not indulged in any file-sharing or any other illegal activity. In such cases, Karoo asks for an undertaking, which states that the customer will not do any illegal file sharing, before it connects the internet again.

Andrea Robinson reported to the BBC that her service was disconnected on the allegation that she had wrongfully downloaded Terminator Salvation from BitTorrent. When she tried to get connected again, the company wanted her to sign a document admitting her guilt. She did not consent to the same as she said that she was not guilty, due to which her internet services still remain suspended.

Data Recovery: Beginners Tips

Thursday, May 7th, 2009

Right now you probably in a lot of mental pain, and all you’re concerned about is recovering your data as quickly as possible – so we’ll refrain from comments on the wisdom of regular back ups. The time for preventative measures has gone – the issue at hand is data recovery.

First – a simple tip could save you a lot of money. Take out your rolodex and get hold of your tech-savvy friends. If you’re in luck, they’ll offer to help, and if you’re really lucky, they might even have some disk recovery software.

If you’re out of luck, then get out your wallet or purse out now… because this is going to cost you. Also, be prepared for a lot of time being wasted – data recovery can take a long time.

The first thing to establish is what exactly is wrong with your hard disk:

  • Either your computer won’t boot up, or
  • Your computer boots up OK but you can’t see one of your other drives.

Let’s see if we can eliminate the worst scenario. Listen closely to your hard drive – is it making any sort of weird noise, such as scratching, scraping, ticking etc?

If so, then your drive is physically damaged and the only hope that you have is to take it to a data recovery service where experts might be able to get your data off for you. These services are expensive and time consuming – so you need to make a judgement call as to the value of data on the disk:

  • If it’s only your saved game data or downloaded music files you would like back, you’re probably better off kicking yourself for not backing up, and accepting the data loss.
  • If, on the other hand, it’s a book or other type of information product that you’ve been working on for years, then send it to a data recovery service for an evaluation and quote – it usually costs nothing.

If your hard disk sounds OK, then you stand a decent chance of recovering data yourself.

First you’ll need to download some software to help you out.

Unfortunately, the better software utilities are not free, but the good news is that many allow you to try them out to see they can access the data. There are some freeware versions available but generally speaking these are not easy to use – no user interface / little documentation, or they are not very effective.

There’s a list of recommended software on our site – http://www.recoverdatafiles.com – compare the different options then download a few of the trial versions.

Your next steps will be based on how your hard drive/s were setup:

  • If you only have a single hard drive that has not been partitioned or split into different “logical” drives, you’ll probably need to attach the hard drive to another computer
    that has enough space to store all your data. This can be quite technical so if you don’t have the skills please get a computer savvy friend to help out.

    Another option is to purchase an external USB hard drive case. You can then simply slot the hard drive into the case and plug it into another PC using a USB port.

  • If you have a multiple drive setup and your computer boots up fine, then it will merely be a case of getting the downloaded software to read the files and then copy them to another drive – provided you have a drive with enough space on it. If not, you’ll need to attach the hard drive to another machine with enough spare capacity.
  • The scenario where you have a multiple drive setup, where the problem drive is the one that contains your operating system files is more tricky.

    Look for a data recovery software package that has a boot disk option available. What this means is that when you start your computer with the boot disk in it, it will automatically run the data recovery program without trying to start windows. You should be able to see your files and then copy them across to another drive.

Hopefully these tips will enable you to get all your important files back.

Once you’ve had some time to recover, please take a look at the various articles on our website – our goal is to make it one of the best resources on data recovery.

For the past 20 years, Jeff Walters’ interest has been in making the most effective use of a business’s information assets. He has lead several data-to-information projects : ABC Costing, analytical CRM, datamart /data warehouse development, and Balanced Scorecard.

For help with data-related projects, contact Jeff Walters through either site: Data Recovery, or Customer Relationship Management

Learn About Broadband Phone Service (VoIP) And It’s Benefits

Friday, May 1st, 2009

Broadband phone service uses your broadband Internet connection to transmit voice signals via IP networks. This technology is commonly referred to as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) or IP Telephony. Broadband phone service converts voice signals to digital packets which are routed to their destination and reconverted at the receiving end.

Broadband phone service appears, to the user, to operate very much like the traditional telephone networks. You can use an ATA (analogue telephone adapter) that connects to a router or modem or an IP phone that connects directly to a router or modem. The difference is that with an ATA you can use your existing phones to connect to the network.

Once set up, you can use your broadband phone service to place or receive calls to or from anywhere in the world. One of the most attractive selling points of broadband phone service is the low cost of long distance and International calls. Many IP phones service providers include extra services such as call waiting, voicemail, and caller ID at no additional cost.

There are a few drawbacks that you need to be aware of if you are planning to switch to broadband phone service. You must, of course, have access to a high-speed Internet connection and if your Internet connection is down you lose your phone service until you get back on line. There are still some reliability and security issues but it’s likely that these will soon be addressed as consumer and business demand for broadband phone service increases.

Who Needs a Firewall?

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

You do! Read more to find out what a firewall is, how it can keep you safe, and how to get one.

A Firewall is, actually, pretty much the same as its non-tech definition. A firewall, in building construction, is set up to contain or prevent fire from traveling from one side of the wall to the other – an extra bit of protection, if you will. A firewall on your pc does, essentially, the same thing.

Seven Design Avenue describes a firewall this way:

A firewall is a safeguard utilized by many Local Area Networks (LANs) or Wide Area Networks (WANs) to protect the network from unauthorized access from the outside. They are basically gates that verify the users before they leave or enter the network by way of a User ID, Password or IP address.

bytown internet explains it another way:

A Firewall is a system which limits network access between two or more networks. Normally, a Firewall is deployed between a trusted, protected private network and an untrusted public network. For example, the trusted network might be a corporate network (ie: Queens University), and the public network might be the Internet. A Firewall might grant or revoke access based on user Authentication, source and destination network addresses, network protocol, time of day, network service or any combination of these. These settings are normally controlled by the Network Administrator.

So how can a firewall help you – the average, home user?

By giving an extra level of blocking protection against spam, viruses and other malware.

Those lucky enough to be running WinXP SP2 (that’s Windows XP, Service Pack 2) already have a built-in firewall that they can use. All they have to do is turn it on. Here’s how to make sure you have SP2 and your firewall turned on:

How do I know if I’m running Windows XP?
Easy enough. On your Desktop, right-click once on My Computer and choose “Properties”. The little window that pops up should tell you which operating system you are running. If not, you can also open My Computer and choose Help: About Windows from the taskbar at the top of the window.

Ok, I’m running WinXP – how do I know if I have Service Pack 2?
The same way we just went through! Both of the ways listed above will tell you if you are running Service Pack 2 (or sp2).

Great! How do I make sure my firewall is turned on?
First off, go into your Control Panel (usually found on the Start menu). Find the “Security Center” and open it up. You should see the firewall as one of the security features offered – simply make sure it’s switched to “On”.

I don’t have Windows XP or Service Pack 2 and I have no plans to upgrade any time soon.
That isn’t a problem. There are other legitimate, and trustworthy firewall sites on the Internet (of course, there are some of the other kind, too!). Just poke around and Google “firewall program”.

From homecomputersafety.com

Professional i.t. tech & geeky-girl gamer who feels her duty to warn the average user about the dangers of the Internet. Feel free to use, please link back to http://www.homecomputersafety.com/