Love in Jiangnan

Basically the purpose of the public address systems is to intensify sound when you need to address large number of people and hear you. There are many kinds of public address systems and they ranged from just few watts which are commonly used in addressing crowd inside the boardroom to the large mega systems that can produce thousands of watts such as used in live concerts and sports in stadium.

However, you can use any kinds of PA systems as long as your audience can hear you enough and clearly without altering the quality of the sound. What constitute the basic system are only simple gadgets normally found on PA systems whenever there are lots of people around. There is the amplification unit, the microphone and the speaker. However, to expand and have more control with the quality of the sound and the volume, there were also additional device like the mixers, effect processors, splitters and so on.

Consequently, the main purpose of the PA systems is only in the amplification of sound and all that you can see along with the basic components are only secondary tools to make sound more spectacular and controllable according to the audiences preference. However, you have to remember that every part of your PA system is as necessary and important as the other part of your system and even with just one part malfunctioning, the whole system is affected.

For example if your speaker does not live to its expected output, the microphone and the amplification unit are also useless. Also remember that the most significant part of your system is the speaker because this is where everything comes out. If you compromise your speaker unit then you are also compromising the quality of your sound output.

One of the most requested services I receive from clients is to transfer documents from their old PC to their new one. While this is probably one of the easiest tasks for me it’s a pretty confusing task for the average PC user. In this article I’m going to show you how to transfer your old documents from Windows XP or Vista to Windows 7.

Requirements:

1 External hard drive large enough to hold your documents, pictures, desktop and music.

1 USB cable for your external hard drive.

When I transfer a clients documents from their old PC there are a few folders I know I need to backup. These folders would be “My Documents” or Documents, Favorites and Desktop. The music, pictures and video folders are inside the “My Documents” or Documents folder. On a typical Windows XP PC these folders will be listed in the following directory:

C:Documents and Settings”user-name-here”My Documents

C:Documents and Settings”user-name-here”Favorites

C:Documents and Settings”user-name-here”Desktop

Let’s go ahead and begin the copytransfer process:

1. Select all three folders

2. Right click the selected group of folders and click copy

3. Open your external usb drive and right click, then select paste. This will copy those 3 folders to the external drive.

4. Once your data has been copied to the external USB drive unhook it from your current computer.

5. On your new Windows 7 pc connect the USB external drive.

6. Open “Computer”

7. Find your external drive and open it.

8. Select all three folders, right click, click copy.

9. Click the windows globe on the bottom left.

10. Click computer.

11. Double click C.

12. Double click Users.

13. Double click your username (the person you are logged in as).

14. In this click “organize” on the top left, then click paste.

15. Select Yes to overwrite the existing folders and say yes to moving Pictures, Music and Videos to their new folders.

It’s really is simple as that. These steps will also work for moving documents to Windows Vista.

If you are looking to become an MS Access developer there are a few different routes you can take. If you are coming from a programming background then you will most likely take to MS Access quickly. If you are coming from a non programming background, but have had some experience of developing and implementing database systems then you may need some MS Access training, but may also be able to adapt your current skills. If you have no experience of programming or using databases you will need to decide whether to go on an MS Access training course or purchase a book on the subject.

Learning from a book or an online training course can gain you enough knowledge to get you to the job interview stage. You would have to know the subject well though. When MS Access first appeared there were not so many experienced developers out there and it was easy to talk yourself into a job with minimal knowledge. Now things have become more competitive and you need to be on top of your game.

If you have gained some knowledge of MS Access databases, but have no commercial experience, try and develop your own application. It could be something generic such as a library booking system or a simple order processing system. Print out the code and perhaps produce an entity relationship diagram. Take this as well as the system to your interview and demonstrate what you know. Be honest about your level of experience and the interviewer will appreciate this. Not many people bring samples of their work to an interview, but it is amazing the power this can have. Some can talk a very good talk, but when it comes to actually doing they fall by the wayside. If you have something to demonstrate then it shows that

a) You are very interested in the job

b) You can actually demonstrate you have some practical skills

Some companies use aptitude tests to filter out suitable candidates, but I don’t think this is a good indication that the person is likely to be a good MS Access developer. Some people are naturally good at aptitude tests, others are not. You could have many years experience of working with MS Access, but fail the aptitude test miserably. You know the type of test – find the next shape in the sequence etc. A better test is one that actually contains questions on Access database features. There are many types of queries in Access and you may get a question asking you to name them all. This is not hard providing you know your stuff.

Try to avoid hunting around the internet for scraps of information. If you intend to to become an MS Access developer then look for a well structured teaching or tutorial series.

Computer technology has become a staple in every aspect of modern life. It is the way that most people store critical information. Backing up your data, whether on a personal or business computer is essential to safeguard the information stored on your hard drive.

Photographs and scanned documents are among the irreplaceable data that most people store on their personal computers. Business computers tend to contain information that is necessary for the running the business.

When a computer crashes, it can be disastrous for both individuals and businesses. When you have crucial data on your hard drive, there are many problems which can leave your business in a data recovery emergency.

If your computer were to be infected by spyware, malware, or viruses, it can be relatively easy to restore it to functioning mode by reformatting the hard drive. This process deletes all of the data to the date of reformatting, including the offending infection. However, if you did not back up your computer, you would lose potentially critical data that was entered or updated after the date of infection, as well.

Weather related circumstances, such as electrical storms can damage your computer. This damage could be irreparable, or could damage your memory storage, thereby resulting in lost data. If you have not backed up your computer recently, any data entered since the prior back up could be lost forever.

There are different ways in which you can back up your important files:

Some people will store data on a CD-R or DVD-R. This method is very good for smaller amounts of data which need to be stored or perhaps moved from one computer to another. Typically these discs do not have enough storage capacity to back up your entire hard drive, but could be adequate for backing up documents or photos you do not want to risk losing.

USB flash drives and external hard drives are popular ways to store larger amounts of data. Some hard drives contain separate partitions which will store a “ghost imprint” of the system data for the computer. This can be helpful, but it does not protect you from a hardware failure in the hard drive.

Cloud computing is another popular way to store data; you can store your information online on a secure server, offered by a company which specializes in data security and backup.

It is also wise to keep a system restore disc. If serious damage is done to your operating system, a system restore disc will enable you to get your computer back up and running.

It is probably wise to use more than one method of data backup for particularly critical information. This protects you from a hardware failure in the storage device itself. Using cloud computing and an external hard drive, for example, would protect you from hardware failure in the external hard drive.

Backing up your computer data will not only save your data, and potentially save you money to recover that data. It also makes sense, because it should give you some peace of mind knowing that your information, favorite photos, or essential business data is retrievable, in case of loss or damage or your computer.

I am amazed at all the advances that have been made in technology since the time I purchased my first PC in 1994. While that machine did what I needed it to do at the time, so many new innovations have been introduced that were never even thought of in the early to mid ’90’s. At that time the internet and Microsoft Windows were both in their infancy. Dial up was the only way for the average person to access the internet and laptops were much larger and much more expensive than they are today. It is really astonishing to think that in a matter of about fifteen years, we have gone from plugging in a phone line to access the internet as we sat at our desks to plugging in a usb wireless card for internet access at home and and on the go.

The introduction of the USB (universal serial bus) port is one of the technological advances that has changed many things in the computer world. The USB port was introduced because of a need to have a universal interface that could be used by a wide variety of peripheral devices. It eliminated the need for special adaptors, setting DIP switches, and diagnosing hardware conflicts when adding a new device to a computer. Before the widespread popularity of USB devices, adding a device could be a nightmare. That nightmare has been eliminated and computer users now enjoy the ease of “plug and play” USB devices.

Before the widespread use of USB ports, if you wanted to add a device and you didn’t have an available plug, you had to open your computer and add and adapter card. If you didn’t have an open slot in the case to add and adapter card, well, you were out of luck. Now, If you need more USB ports than your computer supplies, you can plug in a hub that provides extra USB ports.

Early PC’s had disk drives that utilized floppy disks for copying information from one computer to another. These disks would hold less than 2 MB. Compare that with the USB flash drives of today that measure their storage capacity in gigabytes and you can see yet another way that USB has made a positive difference for computer users.

While I am sure that technology will bring us even more innovations in the future, for now I am really glad that the USB port became a standard as it makes many things easier for me.

Last year I released an article on the hottest certs for 2009. The amount of readers is indicative that we are still faced with confusion. I am adamant in telling the student/ IT professional to look at relevance. One should ask:

1. Is it relevant to my present job?
2. Which company is offering the certification? Of course one can never go wrong with Microsoft, Cisco, HP, Planet 3.
3. What is the demand now and in the future?

The Gartner Group recently released their top ten technologies for 2010. At the helm is Cloud Computing followed by Advanced Analytics. Also included in the top ten are Client Computing, IT for Green, Social Computing, Flash Memory, Security and Virtualization. I tend to agree with the number one selection keeping in mind that Clouding is tied to virtual technology. My number one recommendation for hottest certification would therefore be VCP offered by VMWare. Though costly, it is going to be the most sought after qualification in 2010. VMWare will also be offering an advanced certification, the VMWare Certified Design Expert.

Green IT is a dark horse in this IT race. Again this cert is tied to virtualization. Companies are paying attention to sustainability and cost savings. Symantec’s vice president of global solutions recently stated, “perhaps in the past Green IT was a wish list item, it’s now essential for almost all companies we surveyed”. One major driving factor for the interest in Green is electricity conservation. Some companies are paying as much as $21 to $27 million per year for electricity use. There are certifications being offered by organizations like Green Building Certification Institute (LEED); Cisco; IBM. Unfamiliar terminology like Green Datacenters is now being tossed around. My second choice for hot certs would therefore be GREEN.

Social Computing, and the booming of Web 2.0 has propelled network security even further. Facebook, Digg, MySpace, wikis, blogs, all need to addressed in todays work environment. Certifications that will continue to be in demand are Security +( a brilliant start for a security career), CISSP, MCSE Security, CheckPoint’s CCSE, Cisco’s CCSP and CWSP offered by Planet 3. My recommendation to potential students is to package an IT security cert with your qualifications.

Though we are witnessing a change in requests for certified professionals one should not forget the oldies. Microsoft has made a major play with the release of their 64bit Windows 2008 server. This certification will not go away. The Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician is great for the beginner and may be packaged with CompTIA’s Network +. MCSE Messaging is also in great demand. A quick browse through dice.com or itjobs.com will reinforce the sentiment that Red Hat Linux is a moneymaker (RHCE 302). Software-as a-Service (SaaS) is another innovative technology that is sweeping through the IT world. I hope that one have identified the effect of virtualization. I read an article recently where the authored stated “want to travel the word? Get a virtualization cert! I concur!

Career changers, not to be left out, should focus on developing a strong understanding of networking technology. I recommend a class that teaches the theory of data communications. The CompTIA Network + is a great class. Cisco’s CCNA is a highly marketable cert for the beginner and will place the serious learner in some great environments.

Specializations is another way in. Mobility is the rage, so Blackberry and any Messaging Certification is well worth the time. A strong understanding of Active Directory, Exchange, Group Policy can be rewarding. Today’s Health Industry is fully computerized. Security and Compliance certs are also in demand. All in all, I can go on and on with certs and their value. Basically it comes down to relevance and to a great extent, what you enjoy. There is a certification that is suited to every professional. With some ground work, you’ll find it. Press on!

Project Management is woefully in need. Two certs come to mind, PMI’s Project Management Professional and the CAPM. This exam requires an extensive amount of skill and experience, but the financial reward, $101,000, as per ZDNet is enticing. I have identified a great demand for Microsoft Dynamics. Though I am not informed about this qualification, there is demand for CRM professionals. At this point I will mention one technology that I believe will definitely catch on with time, and that is WiMAX. Verizon and AT&T are both working on this technology and I believe we will soon see certs being offered.

My list of top ten certs would look like this:- (Experienced)

1.VMWare VCP
2. Cisco’s Cloud Computing
3. MCSE -Security
4. Cisco’s CCIE Security
5. SQL
6. MCITP
7. RHCE
8. Green IT
9. CWSP
10.anything Citrix

My recommendation for the career changer would be:- ( Beginner)

1. Network +
2. MCDST
3. Security+
4.CompTIA A+
5. MCTS Exam 70-620 Configuring Vista
6. Installing & Configuring Windows 7
7. CWNA
8. CWSP
9. Microsoft Excel
10.MCITP 70-646 Windows Server Administration
6. CCNA

My recommendation to the independents ( self employed consulting)

1. Microsoft Small Business Server
2. SharePoint
3. ITIL v2
4. LMS
5. Windows Server 2003/2008.

With rising costs today every office needs to find top quality equipment that is also easy on their budget without sacrificing productivity. The IBM InfoPrint 1372 printer will make it possible to increase the productivity of your office while keeping your costs at a minimum. Combining functions into one convenient machine may be the solution for your office and the exceptional IBM InfoPrint 1372 toner ensures perfection page after page. 

The speed of the InfoPrint 1372 model is staggering. The processor of the printer operates at an amazing 500 MHz as well as being reliable, with a high duty cycle and affordable supplies. The laser printer only prints in monochrome, but does it in an outstanding way with a very high resolution of 1200 x 1200 dpi. The speed is equal to none at forty-five pages printed per second. This not only saves money but saves a great deal of time in the work environment because the users have a very small wait time for print jobs of any size.

The compatibility of the IBM InfoPrint 1372 is versatile with both Mac and PC, plus it is easily connected using either the parallel port or the USB port. Besides the amazingly fast printing speed and the exceedingly high resolution, the printer holds 350 sheets at a time. One drawer holds 250 sheets while the other drawer holds 100 sheets that can be fed manually. The warranty covers the parts and the labor for a full year. Also, like most printers, the power cord is included along with the CD needed to add the drivers and the user information for operating the printer.

No matter what size office you have, large to medium, this printer handles workgroups and can effectively meet all their needs. There are a very large variety of different kinds of print jobs that can be performed with this printer including images from the Web. The functions other than the laser printer make this a very convenient machine providing fax capabilities, as well as copying and network scanning.

The memory capacity of the duplex unit holds 64 MB and can go up to as much as 320 MB. Six hundred sheets is the media capacity. The ability of this printer is designed to meet the needs of any group size, large, medium or small. There is support for 100,000 and more pages in the duty cycles monthly while the monthly usage is 225,000 pages.

While meeting the intense demands of today’s business office and maintaining high effectiveness, the InfoPrint 1372 is a dependable solution. With the amazing features and functions of the machine the cost is still very affordable. The design features of the InfoPrint 1372 model encompasses flexible connectivity with extensive input and output options plus the high speed of printing, this model becomes a very advantageous addition to any office.

The printer is multi-functional which means that it takes the place of having to use several machines with one convenient printer that saves space and money. To make this an even more efficient piece of office equipment, it is possible to upgrade your printer and make use of the Consolidating IT hardware that is available. You can choose from the IBM M30, M26 or M22 MFP options.

By adding the Consolidating IT service to your hardware you will have the full-functioning of the fax, network capabilities including work station faxing and copier abilities along with E-mail scanning and FTP all in one device. The IT program will help to reduce device management time and control your investment. This IBM support and service gives you access to the world-class experts who know the IBM software, printers and relevant supplies inside and out. Their assistance will then be at your fingertips for any needs with same-day 24/7 service or next day 9 to 5 service for all owners of IBM printers in the US. For a perfect selection for your office needs, the IBM InfoPrint 1372 Printer may be your best choice.

In previous article I populated a DataTable called ‘leagueTable’ with data read in from a comma delimited text file and performed operations on this data to get it into the format I wanted.

The league table has the name of the team and number of wins and draws home and away ready to calculate the relative strengths of each result. For each home team I will re evaluate the rating of its opponent based on all its other away results excluding the current fixture.

For example the fixture Team A v Team B, would require re evaluating all away matches for Team B excluding the current one against Team A. To do this I need to run a query on the DataTable that holds all the result data called ‘importResultsTable’.

One feature of the DataTable is that it can perform SQL queries on the data it holds in memory by using its ‘Select’ method. The result from this select method will return a number of DataRows. In the example we want to re-evaluate the away opponent ‘Team B’ based on all its away results except against Team A.

In SQL query analyser we would select this data by using the following query

Select * from importResultsTable where home’TeamA’ and away=’Team B’

It is very similarly for the select method in DataTable only the ’select’ part of the query is already done. I’m using a string variable called ‘AnExpression’ that I’m passing as a parameter into the select method of the DataTable. The query could be passed in directly if wanted.

string AnExpression = “awayTeam=” ‘ “+awayTeam+” ‘ and homeTeam’ “+TeamA+” ‘ “;

DataRow[] awayTeamFixtures = importResultsTable.Select(AnExpression);

From the resulting array of DataRows (awayTeamFixtures) we can re-evaluate the away team value. An example of returned data is as follows

Team C v Team B 1-0

Team D v Team B 2-0

Team E v Team B 1-1

By giving points for a win and draw we can give a value to Team B away performance. Having two losses and a draw Team B away from home is not such a tough opponent so any home win against them may not be worth as much as other home wins.

The IBM InfoPrint 1222 printer using IBM InfoPrint 1222 toner plays an important role regular correspondence, interoffice memos, and legal documents that are all an intrinsic part of a business.  All of these, as with most other printing, need to be done in-house and done quickly to achieve good results. Printers help professionalize a business and hence have become an inseparable part of all establishments.

Printers should have the capacity to enhance the work output and increase efficiency, but keep the print-related costs at the minimum possible level. This is how the InfoPrint 1222 plays an important role. It is designed for small business and workgroups in larger establishments.

Space is a premium commodity in the corporate world and electronic equipments such as printers should make working easy while occupying less space. There are two models of the IBM InfoPrint 1222 printer – the 1222d and the 1222dn.

The InfoPrint 1222 is a high performance piece of equipment that helps increase productivity and keeps the overall cost of printing at a low level. This black ink laser printer can print twenty-two pages per minute and has 300 and 600 dots per inch (dpi) range using IBM InfoPrint 1222 toner. This IBM printer has 1200 image resolution quality.

It’s 200 MHz processor supports quick processing of even complex printing jobs. In less than ten seconds the first page is out after the print command, which directly relates to an increase in productivity, especially when there are high volumes of printing to be done. The InfoPrint 1222 printer has a standard feature of duplex paper handling, meaning the printer can be instructed to print on both sides of the paper through alternating print function. This allows for lower paper consumption making the printer environmental friendly. The printer prints via IBM InfoPrint 1222 toner cartridges with a higher yield ratio. It’s ten types of print settings allow the darkness of the print to be moderated by which almost 50% of the ink can be saved.

The IBM InfoPrint 1222 printer also supports wireless printing function so that print commands can be given from sources other than the desktop computers, such as mobile phones and handheld devices. This is accomplished through Wireless Ethernet and Bluetooth technology. The Wireless Ethernet provides wireless connectivity to a Local Area Network (LAN) within the building like servers or computers in adjoining units and laptops.

The built-in encryption and authentication technology in the IBM InfoPrint 1222 printer enable safe and secure data transfer. It also has the MarkVision print management tool by which real time proactive monitoring of the printer’s performance can be done over a simple user interface so that print costs can be managed effectively.

The IBM InfoPrint 1222 printer is a black and white model that fits into the décor of any interior. Being compact, at a weight of only 30.3 pounds (13.8 kilograms), it can be tucked away in any corner, and it is easily portable. Equipped for a optimum monthly usage of fifty thousand pages, its paper input handling capacity is 350 and 850 pages. Its standard output capacity is one hundred and seventy sheets. The printer supports PC, Unix and Mac and Adobe PPDS to PCL 6 language stimulation.  It also comes with a warranty of one year.

Last October 2 marked 170 years of Charles Darwin’s return to England after five years spent around the world collecting knowledge about flora, fauna, wildlife and genealogy. The information he gathered would form the basis of his Theory Of Evolution. Interestingly on the same day in 1985, actor Rock Hudson would die from the AIDS virus. 149 years separated two very contrasting albeit controversial events–one delving into the very origin of life while the other, a death resulting from a threat with no known cure.

1985 also saw the emergence of another kind of virus–the first computer virus. More than twenty years later, computer viruses have morphed from a laboratory test into organized crime’s new weapon of choice.

There was a time when viruses were no more than the fruits of idle hands. Some might even describe them as nothing more than hijinks by programmers out to make names for themselves. Even the naming of the viruses reflected a level of triviality, some were named for particular computer hardware brands, some for the virus programmer’s girlfriend, one was a homage to a female tennis player known better for her curves than her on-court ability, and who could ever forget the disarming “I Love You” virus? It was indeed a nuisance for users when they find out that their computer system was infected. But with a little foresight and the right tools, it was a problem that could be handled. The cost for the home user was time wasted, but in a business environment, time wasted meant money lost.

Times have indeed changed. On October 3, an article appeared on the Techweb site describing how “toolkits” are now openly available to anyone wishing to set up a website with the intent of stealing their visitors’ personal information. Toolkits, as the term itself suggests, are a package of codes that even those with little programming skills can use in setting up a rogue website. These rogue websites are programmed to secretly install codes to their visitor’s browser. These codes take advantage of unpatched computers–those that do not have security updates. The installed code can then send information to the criminal about what the visitor is typing, for example their credit card number or bank account number. Depending on what kind of attack is launched on your computer, it could even be turned into a “zombie” computer–completely under the attacker’s command.

“How do I protect myself?” you ask. Well, with a little foresight and the right tools naturally. And this applies especially to users of Microsoft Windows since it is the preferred operating system of cyber criminals because of its many weaknesses. Make sure your computer is up to date with their security patches. Install anti virus software, an entire suite (which includes anti spyware, firewall, spam blocker, etc.) if possible and see to it they are also up to date. Avoid going to “black market” websites–these include sites offer downloads of pirated software, pornography and the like.

Twenty-one years of infecting personal computers and annoying the users, yes indeed, computer viruses have come of age. But guess what? They have not even reached their prime.