Latest Computers Articles

Misgivings about compatible ink cartridges?

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:14:43 -0700

When your new inkjet printer has used up the ink cartridges that came with it, and this tends to happen quickly since the free ones that come with the machine are often only half filled by the manufacturer, you may be considering buying compatible ink cartridges instead of branded ink cartridges from the manufacturer. These compatible cartridges are a lot cheaper but many people have a few misgivings about the quality which we will look at briefly.

It is a perfectly sensible thing to worry that the quality will not be up to scratch but well respected companies that sell compatible ink cartridges live on their reputation and provide hundreds of thousands of cartridges a year. In many ways they are far more in the business of making ink cartridges than the computer companies that make the printers. The materials and inks they use in their compatible ink cartridges are of at least the same, and often better quality than the branded cartridges and because the turnaround is greater there is often not as much old stock which means the shelf life will often be longer than the branded ones. Good companies will use the highest quality inks in their cartridges and often offer different types, for instance cheaper ones for draft printing and more expensive ones for high quality photo printing. Because of the manufacturing process these cartridges will be completely filled when you get them so quite often you will find that they will even last longer than the more expensive manufacturer branded items.

9 Killer Tips & Guidelines For A Successful E-commerce Website

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 14:18:06 -0700

Having a successful offline business venture does not guarantee an automatic success-replication in the online world. Undoubtedly, mere thought of expanding an established offline business into the online territory is pregnant with tremendous worldwide opportunities that are hard to resist. However, in your enthusiasm to tap this vast business opportunity, you must not forget the importance of getting to know the working of online business model, and to channelize your energies towards this end. The processes involved in setting up a successful web-based business may be a little intricate and slightly technical for some, but its understanding is indispensable if you were to experience the same level of success in your online initiative as that achieved in the offline model.

Internet offers level playing field for every business – big or small. All you need is the basic business etiquettes and ethical online conduct to compete with your rivals. Of course, as mentioned above, a little technical knowledge about ecommerce websites must be acquired before setting your foot in the wild horizons of cyberspace.

The success or failure of your online business is directly proportionate to the performance of your website. A user-friendly website bereft of any faulty working and patchy functionality goes a long in satisfying this basic criterion for a successful online business. Of course, a good product or service is important but if the website is scratchy, even the most saleable goods or services won't sell! Another important aspect is the accurately and convincingly written content that precipitates response time (in the affirmative!) of the prospective customers, but again, if the website misbehaves, even Shakespeare won't succeed in selling your products or services.

So, here are my tips for good web design that I think, if followed, can go a long way in ensuring an error-free, impressive, and a good salesman-like ecommerce website. (Spare me the abuses if it sounds a bit detailed, but I've tried to dot all the i's and cross all the t's that are there in designing an apt ecommerce website.)

1. Latest and Stable Technology

More than understanding the technological aspects of an ecommerce website, it is its comprehension in letter and spirit that plays a pivotal role in making your e-business a success. In other words, automation of sales is not the only function of an ecommerce website; rather it's the potential of the website to act as your relationship manager that is now being increasingly accepted as the true realization of IT goals within an organization. The ability to effectively interact with the existing and potential customers online should be the true aim of any ecommerce website.

Not just software, even the hardware supporting the applications on your website, like the multiple servers, must be of same latest and stable standards as the software.

2. Good Design

Handsome functionality will count for nothing if your website can't boast of visually appealing outlook. Exterior is as important, if not more, than the interior. If the design of your ecommerce venture is pedestrian, no one will even care for a second look. The best way to settle for a good design for your website is to test multiple designs in the initial few days of your website launch. The yardsticks for judging should be the bounce rates and time-on-page. The target should be minimum bounce rate and maximum time-on-page.

3. Easy Navigation

I can't stress enough on the importance of easy navigation on your website. The users can easily get frustrated when, for instance, they are impressed by your offering but don't know how to proceed for ordering the product or service. Window-dressing of webpages is fine, but any visitor should be able to easily know where he/she is and how to go to somewhere else on the same website. Therefore, usability and navigability play an important role in ensuring repeat visitors and retaining the existing customers.

Some of the basic rules of making an easily navigable website include:

(a) provide clear labels that unambiguously tell the users what to expect if he/she clicks the link;
(b) navigation labels should be placed at a predictable place on the website, like top, left, right, front, center, or bottom;
(c) try to make your website disabled-friendly, who use aids like screen readers, refreshable Braille displays, magnifiers, or other helpful devices, to read the websites (read World Wide Web Consortium's How People with Disabilities Use the Web to learn more);
(d) don't feel shy to experiment with new technologies, like breadcrumbs, that help in better navigability on the website; and
(e) lastly, always have a sitemap that systematically tells the user what's there on the website and its precise location with direct links.

4. Internal Search Feature

If your ecommerce website has several pages, Internal Search functionality is indispensable. As your website grows in page numbers, a Search feature will ensure that the users who have already decided what to look for can easily reach their destination in double quick time. Since Internet users are fed and nourished by search engines, like Google, to direct them to their desired location, a similar Search facility will make them feel at-home always.

5. Secure Financial Transactions and Safety of Data

A "Merchant Account" with a financial institution is an absolute must for any ecommerce website. It is simply a business account at a reputed financial institution that acts as a clearing account for all the credit card transactions. The processing of financial information, like credit card details of the customers, online is another routine feature of any ecommerce website. However, it's the security of this information that the customers are more concerned about. They don't want this highly sensitive information to get into the hands of criminals, who can easily dupe the gullible customers through technological loopholes. Therefore, latest Secured Socket Layer (SSL) based encryption must be provided for the servers handling and storing financial information and emails of the customers. Digital Certificates (a.k.a. "Authentication Certificates"), SSL Server Certificates, Digital IDs, etc., are all aimed at re-assuring the customers that their information is secure from unauthorized access. You can get your Digital Certificate from any authorized Certifying Authority (CA), like VeriSign. The USP of this Certificate is the virtually zero probability of its forgery. Any affiliation with industry associates (such as SEMPO) also helps in building trust and credibility among prospective customers.

6. Building Trust Through Transparency

One of the most pressing requirements on the part of ecommerce business owners is the need to build trust among the customers who are used to buying offline. We have discussed one mode of building trust through security of data transmitted through the servers. Another mode to generate trust among Doubting Thomasses is to provide as detailed information about the products on offer as you can before the customers decide to order.

7. Testimonials & Feedback

Testimonials feature on a website is often the most abused one. However, if used astutely, it can generate tremendous amount of goodwill in the minds of potential customers.
The key is to present a true picture of browsing experience of other customers and how you've tried to improve after receiving every negative feedback.

8. Customer Support

Provision of customer support is indispensable for any successful ecommerce website. Several studies have conclusively established that majority of the buyers will get in touch with the customer support regarding their query on the latest purchase.

9. Targeted Traffic, SEO, and Internet Marketing

Your ecommerce website may sell anything from kids' toys to women's apparels to books to heavy machinery, but it's useless if it is not promoted online in order to generate targeted traffic. Unless you have the right prospects on your website, they will never turn into sales. I mean what's the point in having exotic lingerie selling website, when the visitors are mostly kids looking for latest video games?

Winning strategy for CCNA certification

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:28:12 -0700

We gets tons of questions on how to prepare for your Cisco CCNA Certification exam so I wanted to take a few minutes here to give you some suggestions. Whether you a networking novice or someone who is looking to extend their current CCNA certification, I feel a few basic principals will help you achieve your goal of passing your CCNA exam. I am going to break it down into a few categories; Essential and Beneficial
Essential Category
The first thing you need is a full blown CCNA Study Guide to cover all the major topics in detail. Even if you go through a CCNA boot camp, you still need a full blown CCNA study guide. The boot camps go through the equipment so quickly, a CCNA Study Guide will give you a reference to go back to when concepts come up that you just can’t remember all the details. This CCNA guide will also come in handy long after you pass your exam as questions come up in your day to day administrative duties. It should be handy on a shelf right above your desk for easy reference.
Next on your list should be a CCNA Test Engine or CCNA Practice Test application. This will help you determine your readiness to take your CCNA exam. A suggestion I have is when you go through the exam, don’t just memorize the answers to the questions you got wrong. That is not the way to learn! Look up those questions and review the theory behind it. What happens if you get a somewhat similar question on the CCNA exam where it is slightly reworded to change the context? You will get it wrong unless you really understand the theory on the CCNA exam. Many of the CCNA exam simulators also have flash cards which are also an awesome tool to help you prepare for your CCNA exam.
A CCNA CRAM Sheet is also an excellent tool. Don’t want to carry a 10 pound, bulky book around everywhere? Carry our CCNA CRAM sheet which is a 3 page, fold-out, full color, laminated CRAM Sheet with all the major concepts condensed in an easy to ready format. Use it during your travels, lunch breaks and most definitely on the way to the CCNA exam or while you are waiting for your seat to open up at the CCNA exam center!
Probably the most important thing you need is REAL Cisco equipment! Our CCNA Lab Kits will provide you with the hands-on experience with Cisco equipment that you need to succeed in the real world! Don’t be a paper CCNA! Have the confidence that when you interview you can say “Yes, I have upgraded Cisco routers before. Yes, I have configured EIGRP before!”. You have no idea on all the things a “router simulator” can’t simulate until you work on the real equipment. What is your career worth? Don’t short change yourself by trying to pass the CCNA exam without actually working on real Cisco equipment. If you do, it will come to surface sooner or later in your career.
Beneficial
Probably the most beneficial item you can get is our CCNA DVD CBT training videos. These will step you through over 22 hours of CCNA training just like taking a class at your local college or a CCNA boot camp. These CCNA CBT Videos normally run $225 but we frequently run specials where you can get them for only $50 with purchase of a CCNA hardware kit or our CCNA Study Value Pack.
Well something that will make your studies a little more fun and is an impressive poster is our CCNA TCP/IP Study Poster. Some people learn visually and this full color poster will clearly detail many of the key concepts covered on the CCNA exam relating to TCP/IP while contrasting IPv4 and IPv6.
I hope this article on preparing for your CCNA exam has been helpful. Please feel free to visit www.CiscoKits.com to review all of our free CCNA study resources and CCNA kits.

Nubifer Cloud Computing: Numerous Benefits

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 04:46:22 -0700

Changing the system interface while guiding you through the total transformation for your business enterprise is the main focus of Nubifer Inc. These processes have proven to be very cost effective and beneficial to your entire business’s growth. Nubifer’s acclaimed research services allow for your enterprise to stay abreast of the latest technological advancements in the field of IT, cloud computing and Software as a Service. The personnel and consultants at Nubifer.com will be able to help you choose the most efficient cloud platform and planning tools, along with the technological resources necessary for the success of your migration and adoption.

By leveraging the power of SaaS (Software as a Service) companies can avoid the significant burden of traditional IT capital expenditure and increase the functionality and interoperability in enterprise applications simultaneously. The lowering of the costs companies incur on a varied range of things like hardware, software and internal officing services are but a few of the tangible benefits cloud computing and Software as a Service can offer to modern enterprises. With a cloud hosted application, the expenses incurred by your business are calculated on the basis of consumption, or subscription, with no start-up costs in the majority of instances. Other benefits include reduction in infrastructure costs, lowered IT overhead and more importantly, access to a wide array of scalable, cloud hosted applications that suit your needs adeptly.

By adopting a cloud computing platform one can build their own scalable business network with the help of SaaS applications, all while simultaneously constructing an interoperable IT ecosystem. Nubifer’s SaaS programs are all-encompassing, and includes any future upgrades, amendments or updates to the user for the same monthly subscription rate. Any software update and latest announcements are served to the clients without any additional charges.

With the help of Nubifer Cloud:Link, enterprise monitoring becomes easy as it offers all the functional and technological aspects that are needed to audit and monitor the system configurations of your enterprise. The benefits are numerous... contact a Nubifer consultant to identify the right plan that suits your business.

Wireless Setup â€“ revolutionary technology for all

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 05:46:40 -0700

Wireless, you may be interested to know, generally refers to the service known as WLAN, or to the laymen the wireless local area network. You will have stumbled over these terms I’m sure during the last few years and they all go to make up the innovative world of WIFI technology.

WIFI technology allows the interconnectivity of electrical devices such as laptops, mobile phones, games consoles and the like.

This opens up a whole realm of new experiences allowing for example a gamer, once they have wireless setup achieved to play with a group of mates from anywhere within the area of connectivity, this could be his bathroom to his garden. Skype conversations can be as free as using a mobile phone, with wireless connection allowing the user to roam around their home at will whilst chatting away to someone perhaps on the other side of the world.

When your next out and about, have a look around and see how many places and public services are now offering or using a WIFI service, there are tonnes, including many fast food outlets – it seems now that you can be constantly connected to the internet by simply looking for WIFI hotspots where a wireless setup is present. Many places offer the use of their wireless for free, but some are a little savvier prompting you to gain membership or pay up front for time online. So having a wireless setup is a great way to get people into your facility it seems and to keep them there for perhaps a second or third cup of coffee.

Companies have made wireless setup so simple these days that it is almost a given that you should have the service in your home. Like a lot of new technology, what one day seems a bit of a hassle and too much effort the next is as easy as changing channel on your TV or using a DVD player. That’s what makes having wireless such an advantage, once it is up and running in your home you’ll forget how you lived without it!

The wireless setup has revolutionised working practices as it has allowed for the streamlining of meetings and conferences through speed and versatility of the technology that can be used. Home life has benefitted to as a number of different systems can be run and synchronised through a wireless network once the wireless setup has been achieved. This allows the household to share information such as music files and pictures, movies and documents that can taken away on USB’s and worked on away from home, or accessed remotely via the network so that changes can be made to a live document with ease and speed and without having to find somewhere to plug in your laptop! All sounds great and indeed it is so if you haven’t already got one and have been putting it off, there really is no need, take the plunge and get yourself wirelessly setup, you’ll soon be wondering how you managed without it.

Getting a job with an MCSA Certification

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:27:30 -0800

The MCSA is the fastest-growing Microsoft certification; within the first five months of its launch over 22,000 people had earned the certification as this program has become the required skill for professionals who are seeking a job for their career in the information technology industry.

Microsoft is a global leader in computer networking, so you can set your sights on a high flying career with long term prospects and the potential to travel nationally and internationally.

In the IT industry, you will often hear qualifications referred to as 'Certifications':
• 75% of managers believe that the certifications are important to team performance
• The added market value that a certification brings can be as high as 30 - 40%
• The Average salary uplift reported all certifications in the study were in the 5-11% range.

Job roles with MCSA

Today's networking challenges could be within an organisation's internal network, a network connecting regional offices or a wide area network supporting international operations. The networking role is diverse and highly rewarding.
Job roles for people chasing this certification usually include: systems administrator, network administrator, information systems administrator, network operations analyst, network technician, or technical support specialist.

To achieve a Windows 2003 MCSA, a candidate must pass four exams. There are 3 core exams and one elective exam.

Take your time to understand your learning's around salary potential, career prospects, plus your ambition. It's vital to know what this industry expects from you, what kind of qualifications will be required and how to broaden your experience. Have a conversation with an experienced advisor that has a background in the industry you are considering, and provide detailed descriptions of what you want to do in that role. Getting to the bottom of this all well before beginning a training course will save you both time and money.

Easy Virus Removal

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:39:56 -0800

Whether you are seeking computer repairs in Brisbane or Belgrade it's worth remembering, many computer problems aren't hardware related, they're infections. It happens to everyone. Somewhere you catch a bug. Call it a Trojan, a worm, spyware, malware, or a self-replicating virus, your Windows computer is infected. What are you going to do? Cleaning up an infected PC isn't as hard as you may think. It takes the right tools, a systematic approach, and time.

Run your antivirus program. Almost all of us have an antivirus program installed on our computers. But frequently we've let that program become out-of-date, or we've failed to renew an annual license. Assuming your infected PC can still go on-line, update your antivirus program immediately. Occasionally malware programs are written to deny you access to common antivirus sites. In that event, download updates using another PC, copy to a flashdrive, and install your updates manually. Don't run your antivirus program from the Windows desktop. Most antivirus programs will allow for a thorough boot-time scan, before loading your start-ups and processes. Reboot and run your program.

Antivirus programs aren't enough. So many forms of malware can infect your PC; specialty tools are usually needed to clean up an infection. There are literally hundreds of spyware removal programs, but some are little more than another form of malware. Download the free program Spybot Search & Destroy, the industry standard. After installation download current updates. Once you have Spybot S&D, go back online and download Lavasoft's Adaware, a respectable adware removal tool. Again, install and update. Reboot your computer in Safe Mode and run Adaware, then Spybot S&D. Restart your computer in normal mode.

Removing an infection doesn't always speed up your computer. A full recovery requires more. Download two more tools, Combofix, and CCcleaner. These free programs will help you to find those last bits of malware, and to restore your registry. First run Combofix, which automatically reboots your computer, then CCcleaner. Follow the suggestions made by the programs. At this point in most cases your PC should be disease free.

Whether you're seeking computer repairs in Brisbane or Botswana, virus removal may be the answer.

Projectors - LCDs v DLP: the battle continues

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:55:51 -0800

In the competitive world of digital projectors, two types reign supreme - the LCD (sometimes also called the 3LCD) and the DLP. But which is better? And what are the pros and cons of both types?

DLP - the market leader

Judging by the number of models available, DLP is the market leader. But many of the best selling projectors are LCD models, partially because they do tend to be a little cheaper than DLP models.

DLP (Digital Light Processing) works in a very different way to LCD. The DLP chip is a reflective surface made up of thousands of tiny mirrors, with each mirror representing a single pixel. Light from the projector's lamp is directed onto the surface of the DLP chip. The mirrors tilt, directing the light either into the lens path to turn the pixel on, or away from it to turn the pixel off.

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is the older of the two technologies, and has developed extensively over the past few years. Each LCD projector contains three separate LCD glass panels, one each for the red, green and blue components of the video signal. Each panel contains thousands of liquid crystals that can be aligned in open, closed or partially open positions to allow light to pass through.

DLP has the advantage in that it has a sealed imaging chip. This eliminates the possibility of dust particles landing on the imaging plane, which would be magnified and cause a distortion on the projected image. LCDs do not have sealed panels, so can suffer from ‘dust motes' being projected onto the final image. However, in DLP projectors, the imaging chip is the only sealed unit, which can mean that the projector can suffer from a build up of dust on other components. In particular, dust can build up on the colour wheel, which may affect colour and image quality. Whether you decide to go for an LCD or DLP projector, choosing a model with dust filters fitted may prolong the life of your projector and cut down on maintenance and servicing costs.

LCD - tried and tested?

LCD has been around for longer than DLP, and as such has a provenance and reputation for reliability. They also tend to be cheaper than DLP projectors, which can be a deciding factor for smaller companies. Anti-LCD camps have claimed that LCD suffers from ‘burn-in'. This refers to permanent damage that can be suffered by CRT or plasma phosphor-based displays. Once a static image has been etched onto a phosphor display through long-term exposure, it cannot be removed. Contrary to popular belief, LCD projectors do not suffer from burn-in - when image persistence occurs, it is usually temporary and can normally be erased by displaying a white screen for a while.

The other issue is the degradation of the image over time. This is often where the biggest debate rages between the two camps. DLP tends to suffer less than LCDs from the pixelation of images over time, but LCD manufacturers have countered this by developing smaller interpixel gaps, making any so-called ‘screendoor' effect less noticeable. LCD has had longer to develop its technology, so the shortcomings that it may have had in the beginning as compared to DLP have been eradicated through research and development of the LCD technology.

It really boils down to price and function. How much you want to pay for your projector and what you want to use it for should dictate your decision. Both LCD and DLP technologies are rapidly advancing, and to be honest there is very little to choose between the two as they currently stand.

Managed print - outsourcing your printing

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:37:00 -0800

Despite the enthusiasm for the ‘paperless office' in recent years, printers are still an integral part of daily business life. Printers and print consumables can take up a hefty part of your stationary budget, so an alternative may be to outsource your printing and choose a managed print service.

What is managed print?

Managed print is a service offered by printer manufacturers that is specifically designed to help the business end-user to streamline management and reduce printing costs. It's a method for businesses that want to outsource their printing to utilise the services of dedicated printing facilities, often offered by the manufactures themselves or through third party printing companies.

Managed print services consolidate all your printing and imaging requirements under one umbrella service. Instead of tying up business capital in printers and copiers, the business end of the printing process is taken care of by an outside contractor. These companies specialise in print technology, which means that their equipment is going to be cutting edge and much more up to date than most small and medium size businesses can afford to invest in. They also have the ability to drive printing costs down because of their direct connection to the printing industry - savings that can be passed onto the business end-user.

Business IT departments face an uphill battle when it comes to staying on top of repairs, replacing worn out equipment and consolidating existing equipment. By outsourcing your printing to a managed print service, your IT department is freed up to concentrate on other, more urgent business such as maintaining the computer systems within the business. This improves productivity, increases user satisfaction and equates to cost savings for your business.

Any drawbacks?

If your printing requirements are limited, then a managed print service may not be the best option. For day to day printing such as documents, it is always useful to have a dedicated printer available at your offices. But if you are producing a lot of printed material, then a managed printing service will be more cost efficient (and time efficient) in the long run.

Choose a print management service that is not contractually tied to one particular manufacturer. This will mean that their range of print technology is greater and more flexible. The overall benefits of managed print services are:
• Per-page printing costs are reduced
• The business has a single point of contact and accountability for all printer services
• Less investment in print technology needed for the business end-user
• Minimises printer down time

For businesses who rely on their printing capabilities, utilising the obvious advantages of a managed print service can constitute a considerable financial saving as well as freeing up members of staff for other, more business-crucial activities. Although it may not be the most suitable solution for smaller businesses, many print management services do offer deals for smaller users, which may certainly be worth investigating. It is a matter of weighing up the pros and cons on both sides, and deciding whether a managed print service would be of benefit to your business.

IT Recycling - time to trade in and trade up?

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:17:44 -0800

Computer technology is moving at astronomical speed. Twenty years ago, nobody could have predicted the effect smart phones and lightweight laptops would have on how we do business. Now, as computer advances carry on surging forward, is it time to trade in and trade up your old IT equipment?

Does your IT still do its job?

The debate is a tough one. If your IT equipment is still performing efficiently and your business is growing successfully, you may be tempted to avoid trying to ‘fix what isn't broken'. If that's the case, then great - carry on as you were. But if you're starting to find that your IT is letting your business down and worse, affecting your productivity, then trading in your old PCs for more up to date models may be what you need to consider.

Replacing your entire system for newer models may not be financially viable, so upgrading may be a case of mixing and matching to what you already have. Your add-ons such as printers, copiers and keyboards may be perfectly acceptable, but if your processing power is slow or your monitors are taking up too much space, then just replacing what needs to be upgraded is the easiest way to trade up your tech.

However, before you call a skip hire company to cart away your old monitors and PC towers, remember that your old IT equipment can be recycled. This is a much better option environmentally than sending old technology to a landfill site, and there are plenty of charities and organisations desperate for working IT equipment that will be more than happy to take it off your hands. Alternatively, you can talk to your IT suppliers and find out if they do an exchange system. IT suppliers are now far more aware of the impact that just throwing old yet still working technology has on the planet. So many are now introducing schemes to recycle useable IT equipment that may not suit a business's requirements but may be perfect for a smaller company or even schools and third world countries.

Security is still important

If you are planning to recycle your old IT equipment, one thing to remember is that the information stored on your hard drive needs to be completely removed before it can be used again. Look for a company that can carry out this process on-site, so that you are sure that any sensitive company data has been completely wiped from operating systems before it leaves your premises.

An upgrade can be something as simple as adding to your computer's memory capability, or it can be a comprehensive overhaul of your entire system. How much you want to do depends on your requirements, your budget and your projected growth. If your current IT is adequate for your needs right now but may struggle to keep up with any growth within the business, then trading in your old IT for some more up to date tech could mean that your business isn't held back later for want of a small amount of expenditure now. But by recycling old technology, you may also recoup some of the original expenditure and save your company money in the long run.