System Running Slowly Means Your Desktop PC May Need More Memory

Working with your desktop PC is an adventure all in itself. Setting it up is easy. The parts consist of a CPU, monitor, keyboard, and a mouse. You can select from a high tower or choose a small form model, while the tower generally sits on the floor the small form is placed on the desk.

The desktop PC is stationary and is set up in a specific location. It is used regularly and is known as a personal computer. They come in various styles ranging in size from small to large. There is also something called the all in one and it is made just as the name infers.

There are basic computers that are great for simple tasks like Internet browsing, and online shopping. They are used by many who check e-mail or perform offline functions such as working with word documents, or playing built in games.

There are many things to consider in buying a computer. Laptops are a good choice for business executives and students. Their ability to be mobile makes them practical for use as files can be accessed wherever you go. For those less mobile a better choice is a desktop PC as it has better upgrade potential.

If speed is what you are looking for there are five top PC's to consider such as the Cyber-power Gamer Xtreme XT-K, it delivers stellar graphics and performance. Then there is the Micro Express Micro-Flex 92B, the Poly-well Poly X4800, the Gateway FX6800-05, and the XI MTower PCle Centurion.

These computers all boast the latest technology, and provide superior performance. Another thing that you will want to consider is the processing potential of the PC. If it is only for basic use any processor will suffice. If you are looking for more power in a processor take a look at Intel. Intel's core 2 duo chip is leading the market over AMD.

A brain without memory is unthinkable. And so is the same for a computer, which is like a brain. Make sure that the computer you choose is equipped with enough memory for the functionality that it is expected to perform. If need be memory can always be updated.

Working with your desktop PC is something that you will never tire of. New technology keeps applications exciting and informative. There are many things you can do with your computer and many sites on the web to see.

Why You Need to Download a Correct Driver

A correct driver is indispensable for your hardware device. Some people may ask, since the drivers are so important, and I have never installed one for my computer before, well then where do these drivers in my computer come from? Or whether the drivers have been installed properly? You don't need to worry about such problems, because the drivers have already been set up before you get the computer. Though you have not experienced this installing process, it does not mean a system can work regularly without drivers.

However, what if you want to add new hardware into your computer? Thanks to the plug-and-play function and the large Software driver database in the Windows XP system, with their help Windows can automatically find out and install a compatible driver for each of most devices.

Though present operating systems would have a great deal of drivers came with them, actually, these drivers just basically ensure the normal use of your devices. Since these devices come from different vendors, they have their own characteristics and minor differences respectively, so it is impossible to let a device play in its peak performance only relying on the Windows built-in driver. To give a simple example, Counter-Striker is a game beloved by many people, and all fans know that a quality mouse can help to target their goals accurately, but after getting an expensive mouse, they begin to complain that their game play has little improvement. As a matter of fact, usually the problem is not in your costly mouse, it's just because you simply insert the new mouse into the machine and then Windows system automatically installs a compatible driver for it, though the mouse can work normally, its true potential has totally limited by this automatically installed Windows driver. As long as you find out the latest driver released by the mouse manufacture, you are able to really wake up your mouse's potential. When you enter your Counter-Striker again, do you get the feeling that you are far more proficient at this game now?

Such a small mouse driver could have so great changes, so you can see how important a correct driver is for your computer.

Download a driver update tool to locate, install as well as update all the correct drivers automatically for your computer and avoid numerous troubles!

Is More Functions Really Better? Multifunction Printer Vs Just Printer - Advantages and Disadvantages

Gone are the days when there were different devices for office work. It was a headache to use scanner for scanning things, separate printer for printing work, photocopier for making Xerox of original documents, and Fax machine for receiving fax. Thus, need was felt to get rid of wires and to manage all things efficiently. Multi function printers evolved as an answer to this need.

A Multi function printer can be defined as an office machine having the functionality of many devices in one device. A single device caters to all needs of printing, scanning, fax, and copy. From the time multi function printers came into existence, there is praise as well as criticism for them.

Advantages of multifunction printers

• Multifunction printers occupy less space when compared to space occupied by individual devices. At home or in small offices, you don't have much space to put individual components. Thus, multi function printers are only option left with you.

• These printers cater to the need of small business (SOHO).

• They provide centralized document management.

• Multifunction printers minimize the number of power plug-ins required. The reason for this being number of wires reduces drastically in case of multifunction printers which saves power and hence proves cost-effective. While in case of individual devices, you need a separate power socket for each device.

• They are cheaper when compared to the total price of individual components they encompasses.

Disadvantages of multifunction printers

• Multifunction printers lack the efficiency and the quality which individual devices can provide. The main reason behind this is as everything is packed into one thing, quality and efficiency has to be sacrificed.

• Multifunction printers are not targeted for large business and can't deliver the quality and precision which a large business seeks.

• They lack robustness. If a fault develops in a multifunction printer you have no idea where it occurred. Moreover, all the functions cease to occur. Till the time problem is resolved, you can't do any printing, scanning, copying, or fax.

• They are not in favor of multi tasking. Consider a situation where you are printing a long batch of prints and you need to receive or send some urgent fax. For this to occur, either you need to wait for the current job to get over or have to halt the current job.

Multi function printers vs Normal Printers! Which are better?

If you are at home or owning a small business having space problems with you, multi function printers are your answer. But if you are running a large business where accuracy, precision, and precision matters; you should go with normal printers.

Even though the hard disk is not the most important part of computer, you still need to pay close attention to maintain it. If it goes wrong, you cannot do any operation to files any more. So in this article, I will tell you How to use your hard disk in order to reduce bad tracks.

If you want to protect disks, the proper way is to protect it in advance rather than learn how to remove those bad tracks when the problem has happened. This is the correct way to expand the its usage.

First of all, you cannot turn off computer abruptly when the hard disk is still working.

Generally, working disks are in the high speed running. If the electric power is closed down during using computer, it probably leads to furious attrition between disk head and drive surface and mangle it. Therefore, you should avoid abrupt computer shutdown as possible as you can. When closing down computer, you have to pay attention to whether disk indicator is on or not. Only after it turns off completely and finishes read-write operations, can you turn computer power off.

Secondly, you should keep dust away from hard disk.

Dust does great harm to disks. In the dusty environment, it is vulnerable for disk to absorb the dusty granule in the air. And such rubbish will influence the heat radiation and make temperature in the circuit increase greatly. Besides, dust can absorb water and erode electric circuitry in the disk internal part to result in problems without rhyme and reason. Therefore, you must keep environment clean and reduce the humidity and dust in the air. It is a must for you not to open hard disk by hand. Otherwise, dust in the air can enter into your hard disk to damage disk surface or disk head when it performs reading or writing.

You should defragment disk regularly.

In the hard disk, if you set or delete files continually, it can produce a pile of fragments. As those files gather too many day by day, it takes much more time to visit certain file in the future which can not only slow down visiting efficiency but also damage disk tracks. As a result, it is a must for you to defragment disk at proper intervals, no matter you use Windows defragmenting program or certain third-party tools. After defragmentation, you had better run the restoring program to fix those iffy tracks.

As all the methods mentioned above, you may find that only the defragment disk has to apply certain tool rather than protect by computer itself. In order to maintain hard disk correctly, you cannot be too careful to use computer.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Arial_Green

IP Camera Surveillance For ATMs

An IP, or Internet Camera, records surveillance video onto an Internet video server, and is now replacing the old method of storing to tape. The need to monitor ATM machines for instances of theft is obvious, and IP cameras offer the best protection from money being stolen from automatic teller machines.

The Practical Advantages of IP Cameras

Monitoring ATMs at night is where the true advantages of network cameras can be noticed. Consider that a video server system recording to tape will be required to record twelve hours of footage if the entire night is to be recorded. In the case of Internet cameras, only a few gigabytes of data would be required, rather than between six and twelve tapes for the old system. Not only this, but Internet cameras can also come equipped with motion detector technology, which will only recorded video when motion is detected on the screen. So if, for example, a smash and grab robbery occurs at an ATM, the video footage will instantly be saved, and security personnel will not have to spend time looking for the moment the robbery occurs on the tapes.

"Smash-and-grabs" are a common method for stealing money from ATMs. In fact, not just money but the entire ATM is stolen! Criminals achieve this by driving a truck or other large vehicle into the building holding the ATM, and carry the machine off with them.

Here's where another great advantage of this technology comes into play. Motion detector cameras can send an email or SMS to security personnel or police notifying them of movement taking place within the recorded area, so they will be told if there is a smash and grab robbery occurring. This will mean the correct authorities will be notified almost instantaneously of the occurrence of the robbery. Since the video is being recorded over the Internet, it could also be accessed remotely via a designated computer, so the vehicle committing the crime can be identified straight away. There's no longer a need to worry about a security officer falling asleep in his office while a robbery takes place.

Setting up the Network Camera

While these cameras are extremely helpful, they won't replace all human thought that needs to go into protecting ATMs. A person will still need to consider how to best position the camera to get a clear image of the individual or vehicle that engages in the crime, how best to achieve a shot with a full image of the face of the perpetrator or number plate of the vehicle. This could mean the difference between money being stolen and lost forever, or money returned and criminals brought to the authorities.

IP Cameras are not just convenient; they're a necessary force against those engaged in criminal acts. With the ability to maintain and access a video server remotely over the internet, become instantly notified of crime taking place, and notify authorities just as quickly, the growing popularity of internet cameras should come as no surprise.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wes_Fernley

Gamevance Removal - How to Uninstall Gamevance Ads From Your Computer

If you, or your child using your computer, has installed Gamevance - you would have noticed by now constant pop ups and (even more annoying) that your PC is running at snails pace. This unfortunately is what Gamevance does to a computer.

So what is Gamevance?

Gamevance is basically a program which provides people with free games. To be able to have access to these games, you have to install the actual software. Once you do that, you can play a variety of games for free. The problem is that for the "privilege" of playing these games for free, you have to put up with the fact that someone is spying on you. Basically, this software looks at all your web-browsing behavior and websites you visit and then sends this information back to a server. The information that is gathered is then used to spam you with contextual advertising.

So if you visit sports-related websites, you might get ads for the latest Nike shoe for example. Or, if you like finance and real-estate related websites, you might get ads for Homes for Sale in Florida.

Gamevance is often mistaken as a virus. It is not. Gamevance Ads are actually adware part of a bigger family of threats known as spyware.

So what's the problem with Gamevance?

The problem is that once installed, it is extremely difficult to uninstall. If you go to the Windows Add/Remove Programs function you might be able to remove the actual file from the folder, but it always leaves remnants of the program deep inside your registry. So files such as ars.cfg, gamevance32.exe, gamevancelib32.dll, gvtl.dll, gvun.exe, and gamevance32.exe and gamevancelib32.dll - are extremely difficult to remove manually.

How to Remove Gamevance Completely

To remove all traces of Gamevance completely from your PC, you should download a good spyware remover. It will detect and remove Gamevance automatically without harming your computer. It will delete all the little hard-to-remove files stuck deep in the Windows registry.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Giselle_Sanchez

Managing Scareware

Have you ever encountered pop-ups that scared you out of your wits with a message that said your system was going to crash if you didn't click a certain link they were leading you to? Scareware has been quite common these days and no matter how serious the situation they paint about your supposed vulnerability to attack, don't believe them. They're scareware and they're meant only to scare you so you'd come running to their sites where the real danger is.

You're probably wondering how on earth those malicious software have entered your system when you don't remember even having encountered them in the past. Usually, unwanted malicious software come from downloads you always thought were innocent until those pop-ups came popping around. For example, you downloaded a virtual guitar freeware thinking that was all you were letting into your computer. Then the pop-ups begin to appear seemingly leaving you helpless and clueless as to where came from.

So what do you do with these scareware pop ups start to pester your computing experience like crazy? The best thing would be to simply close them out and never ever click where they tell you to. Closing the browser lets you terminate the whole process and though you may lose some opened tabs, you will have also avoided a situation with great potential to put your computer's security at great risk.

Some scareware management steps you can take would be to run an anti-virus scan. Usually, scareware comes with a Trojan which is known for installing other nasty codes to to snoop on a victim's information. If this doesn't solve the problem, you can try getting anti-malware or superantimalware into your system. You can actually get more ideas on how to address scareware by joining a forum where you could ask questions and people in that forum give you answers.

To prevent having to deal with scareware in the future, use a browser that has security features such as blocking ads or verifying requests. Most scareware work by manipulating your browser so that even if you were trying to access one url, you would end up being in a hacker's site where some nasty code on a vulnerable or infected browser has redirected you.

Scareware, along with other unwanted codes such as Trojans, worms, and the like are better off prevented and this can be done by installing anti-malware on your system. However, the problem also needs to be uprooted right from where it begins. You would tend to wonder how those hackers managed to get to your system, for example. While there could be many ways, one of them could be simply your having surfed the web with your IP address exposed. There might have been a time when you accidentally landed on a hacker's site and that's how they got to your system.

If you want to be sure that hackers are kept at bay while you surf, you can install an IP hiding software in your computer so you can get online anonymously. Remember that computers on a network communicate through their IP addresses. If yours is hidden, then there's no way for a hacker to find a path that leads to you because you have been using a fake IP provided by your supplier, not your real IP.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brad_M_Smith

Use OpenDNS For Corporate Network Content Filtering

OpenDNS is a free domain name system (DNS) service which offers speedy, rock solid service, in addition to content filtering and phishing protection. DNS servers translate addresses (like google.com) to their corresponding IP addresses (like 74.125.67.100), which we like to call "internet phone numbers". Content filtering is the technique whereby content is blocked or allowed based on analysis of its content, rather than its source or other criteria. It is most widely used on the internet to filter email and web access.

For those that understand, just change your DNS servers (on your computer, or better yes, your router) to read 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220. For those that don't, OpenDNS has a fairly comprehensive how-to on their site. The basics are to either change your DNS settings on your local machine, or preferably on the network, usually on your router. You'll need to register on the site to enable filtering and control various settings. By default, the service only blocks phishing attempts. There are of course various restriction settings that can be customized to block multitudes of content, all the way down to politics and social networking, if necessary. You can also choose to white-list and black-list specific sites as well.

It's is important in your infrastructure to have multiple layers of security to prevent issues. OpenDNS can help filter malicious websites before users or employees ever visit them. A good firewall will also have content filtering. And an up to date version of Windows will also offer some content filtering. Three solid forms of content filtering to ensure that your network is secure.

The Fundamentals of Fiber Optic Cable Management

Fiber optic cables are used frequently for today's telecommunication network because of their high bandwidth, high reliability and relatively low cost. To maximize the network performance, a good cable fiber management system must be in place. There are four fundamental principles for a good fiber cable management system:

1. Bend radius reduction

Fiber bends beyond the specified minimum bending radius can cause signal loss or even break the fiber, causing service disruption. Today, industry standards for traditional singlemode jumpers typically specify a minimum bend radius of ten times the outside diameter of the jacketed cable or 1.5" (38 mm), whichever is greater. This new breed of flexible singlemode optical fiber has the potential to significantly reduce these minimum bend radius requirements to values as low as 0.6" (15 mm), depending on the cable configuration, without increasing attenuation.

A reduced bend radius fiber is able to withstand tighter bends within frames, panels and pathways. It also enhances the reliability of a network and reduces network down time.

2. Well defined cable routing paths

The major reason of optical fiber cable minimum bend radius violation is improper routing of fibers by fiber installation technicians. Routing paths should be clearly pre-defined and easy to follow. In fact, these paths should be designed so that the technician has no other option than to route the cables properly. If an option is given to technician, inconsistent human decision could cause improper routing, and causes bend radius violation. Well defined routing paths can standardize fiber optic installation process, and less training time is required for fiber technicians.

3. Easy access to installed optical fibers

Allowing easy access to installed fiber cable is essential for maintaining proper bend radius protection. The system should be designed to ensure that individual fibers can be installed or removed easily without negative effects on nearby fiber cable.

4. Physical protection of installed optical fibers

The management system must provide measures to physically protect fiber cables from accidental damage by technicians and equipments. Otherwise, the network reliability and performance will be adversely affected.
Optec Technology Limited is a manufacturer and supplier of fiber cable assembly products such as patch cords and structured cabling products.

Exponential Data Growth and What it Means For Business

"Information is a source of learning. But unless it is organized, processed, and available to the right people in a format for decision making, it is a burden, not a benefit." William Pollard

With the exponential growth of data collection and data storage, we are experiencing the same dilemma. The phenomenal growth of data continues to thwart the growth of storage; IT budgets are increasing at a 60% rate of expansion according to Dave Reinsel, program director, at Storage Research. As businesses, leaders, and entrepreneurs we are all collecting and storing a lot of data. Some information is stored for ease of work, so that people can access work anytime and from anywhere. Some data like email is stored for legal reasons. Some data storage is for accessibility of use, as in databases with customer contact information. We also store contracts, policies, and procedures online, in the name of saving trees. When in reality the energy used to store data can be the real issue in question.

What does this mean for the businesses?

Many see the growth as being out of control. Rethinking what is important and how to package that information is causing many organizations, to consider other ways of doing business. Policies and procedures are being thought through, by people who never considered the implications of prior decisions. Will any of the new solutions have an impact on convenience? Will workers still be able to work from home, having access to what they will need to be productive?

The real impact to business could be enormous in both costs and effectiveness of running a business. Setting a priority is something that should be looked at now in preparation for the future. Making time-lines for acquisitions of equipment, budgeting for projects, and reallocation of existing capacity are issues that companies will need to address.

What does it mean for the environment?

More technology companies are talking about green solutions. More scalable way to transmit information is being created every day. The world has become smaller because of the many ways we are able to communicate with each other, but saving those resources have to start now. Data centers will be smaller, but capable of managing more because of the dynamic infrastructures that will be in place.

What does this mean for the consumer?

For the everyday consumer, they probably will benefit from better service. As companies increase their understanding of issues facing them the solutions will be readily available to the common consumer of usage. It will be something like the solutions offered the regular users of the basic email services available online. What is now taken for granted was paid services in the past. (i.e. email capacity, calendars, and ease of use)

Some added costs will be incurred when ISP companies start differentiating packages to the public based on consumer usage. Not having an understanding of the implications may initially cause poor service or perceived poor service when consumers opt for the cheaper packages, not understanding when they have their homes networked and everyone is using the computers that services will be slow and laborious.

What does it do to how business is done?

There is some good news coming from the studies. In looking at ways to control cost of storage growths in large scale environments studies have been commissioned by the industry to help them see the big picture. Mike Karp, EMA senior Analyst shared his data on customer experiences following data software replacements; 1) reductions will be seen in administrative overhead, when looking at troubleshooting, 2) reductions in protection failure rates from 30% down to 5%, 3)reductions in time to restore data.

Companies are going to have to start looking at data growth issues now. They are going to have to ask some serious questions about their data management and data storage initiatives, the customers they serve, and the real needs of how they want to do business. Going back to William Pollard's quote, if the information is not used to help find solutions to the dilemma it is useless. Data growth is a problem and it is going to take everyone to help find a solution that can allow us to continue to move forward.

The Google Power Meter - Letting You See What You Really Need to See

No matter how eco-conscious or eco-oblivious a person may be, there comes a time when they have to stop and think about how much electricity they are using in their homes. Google has come up with a great way to help save electricity and money.

From the ninety-eight year old refrigerator (give or take a decade) to the four computers that are currently running without a user in front of them, to the television that is one for the apparent amusement of the golden retriever, you know that a lot of electricity is not only being used, but being wasted as well.

The hard, cold proof of that may be in your mailbox at this very second, looming like a poisonous spider, making you quiver in fear. When it comes to the point that the family is drawing straws to see who has to get the electric bill it is time for some major changes to come about.

Most people will get the bill, freak out and vow that changes will be made. Those changes will be enforced for a week, maybe two and then old habits will start creeping back because there is no real tangible incentive in place to keep them on the straight and narrow. However, that is all about to change.

What if you could have a tool that tells you exactly how much electricity is being used in near to real time and the estimated cost of that use? What if you could watch your usage drop on days when you use common sense and then skyrocket on the days that you do not? And what if that tool could be set to tell you when your energy is nearing or exceeding certain limits? You would pay for such a tool, wouldn't you? What if the added bonus was that the tool was free?

Google offers the Google PowerMeter, a free electricity monitoring tool that lets you see exactly how much energy is being used in your home and can help you find ways to reduce waste and reduce your energy bill at the same time. The meter will receive its information from the utility company's smart meter or in home energy management devices and then display the information in chart form on iGoogle (your personalized homepage) so that you can track overall usage, as well as see what appliances or rooms use the most electricity and make the necessary adjustments.

Optimize Your PC by Stopping JavaScript Errors in Their Tracks

JavaScript is a "scripting program," which allows people to make scripts of how their website is going to work. When JavaScript errors happens, it can throw off everything. Understanding how computers work can be a tricky business with all of the computer lingo and whatnot. When people construct their own websites, they use JavaScript to help them do it. JavaScript enables certain website functions such as drop down menus and the like. JavaScript errors can be caused by little things such as a corrupt or broken files. If your registry isn't working correctly, it can cause a series of problems for you and your computer.

How to Stop Alert Messages
A JavaScript error is the most common error on the internet because JavaScript is used by millions of people. But these errors can become troublesome, overwhelming, and annoying when they keep alerting you about the same thing. One way that you can stop these alerts from popping up all over the place is to simply turn off the alerts.

For Internet Explorer users follow these steps:

1. Select the "Tools" tab at the top of the browser
2. Click "Internet Options" at the end of the list
3. Select the "Advanced" tab
4. Check the box to "Disable Script Bugging"

This will end the messages but remember, it won't end the error. You must take certain steps to find out the cause and to find a solution.

Clean Up Your PC by Cleaning Up Your Drive
Everywhere you go on the internet is saved in temporary files that your web browser stores. If these files are not cleared out, they can buildup and become corrupt or broken.

To remove these files complete the following:
1. Click "Start"
2. Open "My Computer"
3. Right click on the C: or D: drive
4. Select "Properties"
5. Select "General"
6. And Click "Disk Cleanup"

This will generate a list of files that can be discarded to prevent them from becoming corrupt or broken.

A Clean Registry is Key to a Healthy PC
Your computer's registry is what keeps your computer going. It is the the brain of your computer. When there is something off in the brain, the outcome is negative. By making sure your registry is up and running, your PC will last a long time. A registry cleaner is the best solution to fixing errors.

JavaScript errors can slow down your PC, cause unwanted and unexpected freeze ups, system crashes, and serious damage to your drive. By making sure that your registry is running fully and is fully functional, you can optimize your PC and keep JavaScript Errors form popping up.

Optimize-Your-PC can provide you with advanced registry cleaning technology. It will scan, diagnose, and keep your PC safe from JavaScript errors, leaving you with nothing but a highly-optimized PC

Computer Shutdown Problems and Application Shutdown Problems - FAQ's

Q: My computer cannot shut down anymore. It seems to hang upon shut down and stays in "shutting down" mode forever. What can I do to prevent these computer shutdown problems?

A: Computer shutdown problems are usually caused by running programs which have not been canceled properly. There are usually some tasks running in the computer that the user has not detected before shutdown. Or, the system is trying to shut down all programs properly, but it takes much longer than necessary because the computer is running on low memory or very old hardware. Increasing RAM size and hard disk sizes are usually solutions which can significantly improve and speed up shutdown time.

If the computer restarts instead of shutting down completely, it is often a sign of system failure. Experts recommend solving this dilemma by unchecking "Automatically Restart" in My Computer> Properties> Advanced> Startup and Recovery> Settings> Failure. A temporary problem such as leaving the PC idle may have caused this, but if restart upon shutdown happens quite frequently, repair of the operating system might be necessary. Computer shutdown problems should not be left unsolved completely because it can lead to more serious hardware or software failure in the future.

Q: I cannot shutdown certain applications properly. What can be causing my application shutdown problems?

A: There are many things which can factor into application shutdown problems, from errors in the operating system, to the application itself, as well as old or not optimized hardware which cause the computer to freeze while performing application shutdown. If the application is performing a big task that uses up a lot of memory, it can cause the application to freeze abruptly. Using the task manager (pressing ctrl+alt+delete) selecting the running application, and clicking "end task" usually resolves the problem. If it does not, the computer has to be restarted. To prevent applications from failing to shut down properly, never open too many applications all at once. Check as well for updates to your application as these updates usually remove bugs or help improve performance. Be concerned if application shutdown problems start happening more frequently. This could be a sign of more serious computer problems.

You've Got Spyware - Now What

If your computer has been infected with spyware and malware then you're probably wondering what to do. Obviously your priorities have shifted from keeping it out of your system, to getting it out of your system. This can be a very hard thing to do depending on the severity of your infection. Fortunately there are many things you can do to take care of your problem.

The main threat that spyware poses once it has entered your system is mainly dependant on how long it has remained undetected. Good protection programs and active scanners will notify you if something gets through almost immediately. However less advanced programs might not detect anything until you run a scan. This means the program could be sitting on your machine spying on you for several weeks.

The longer it has to spy on you, the better chance it has at stealing your identity. Although by itself it is harmless it simply scans your visited sites, keystrokes, and looks for alpha numeric codes resembling social security numbers, credit card numbers, and passwords. At predetermined dates it will send out the information it's gathered back to its creators who then go through it and steal your identity. This has been the topic of much debate in the business community to whether it's illegal or not.

The main reason for this is that many corporations and businesses use spyware on their machines to monitor employees. This is needed to make sure their employees aren't trying to scam them, or slack off on the job. While this is fine in the business world, it can be used to hurt people in their homes. If you have been infected the first steps you should take are aggressive ones.

First you want to update and run all of your antispyware and antivirus programs. If you don't have any there are many legitimate free programs on the net. You can identify them by the number of reviews, and recommendations from other users. After installing and scanning you will most likely find the files that are infected.

After finding the files make sure to delete and heal them. Next you want to run some kind of cleaner to get rid of junk files and file fragments. Finally you should run a registry cleaner to handle any additional damage that the fight may have caused. Finally just to be safe you should call your bank and credit card companies and ask them to keep an eye out for any suspicious charges.

This is essential to keeping your credit in good shape. The last thing you want is for a random charge for a boat to pop up on your account. It's important to take preventative measures even in the event that nothing is wrong. Better safe than sorry when it comes to your credit and identity information.

When fighting off spyware it's important to be vigilant in all things. Make sure to have protection spyware virus removal programs to keep it out in the first place and scanning programs to go after it in the event it makes it inside. After you've run your scans and cleaned your computer it's a good idea to run them again. Then you want to notify your bank to watch for charges.

Disk Defragment - Useful Tips For You About Defragmentation

Disks serve as storage for your computer. It restores all the files of computer and the system can read and write them from the disks in return. And every time when the disks are going to be occupied excessively, the computer will remind you kind-hearted that disk space is low.

However, such notification can be annoying sometimes, since the always popping up prompt may disturb you a lot. The less disk space is, the more notifications are. Therefore, you can take some measures to forbid system reminding you disturbingly.

It is no doubt that if you have put a large number of files in the disk and there is less and less space in it, the computer will remind you tirelessly and you have to bear it patiently. Well, here is a method to help you forbid such notification.

That is you can close down such notification by revising registry.

First of all, click "Start"-"Run", type "regedit" in the dialog box and then click "OK". In the "Registry Editor", find the entry of "HKEY/CURRENT USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Policies/Explorer" in the left column, and find the key value of "No Low Disk Space Checks" in the right.

If this exists, you can change the value from 0 to 1, since "0" is the default value. Double-click the key and change it in the "Edit String" dialog box.

But if there is no such value, you can add a new one by choosing "New/ DWORD Value" in the Edit menu and type "No Low Disk Space Checks" in it and then press "Enter". You should make sure that there is not any blank among all the words. This should be a long variable name. Then, double-click the new key and also revise the value into "1". At last, click "OK", exit "Registry Editor" and restart your computer. You may find that the disturbing notification has disappeared completely.

Since you have closed down the low disk space notification, it is a must for you to defragment disk regularly in order to free up disk space. No matter you prohibit such notification or not, the disk fragments can not disappear automatically. Therefore, if you want to keep your computer in a good state, you should remove disk fragments on time.

3 Reasons Why a Notebook is Better Than a Desktop Computer

A lot of us grew up when the only kind of computer on the market was the desktop. Laptops or notebooks were massive, bulky, and under-performing "toys" that hardly anyone ever used.

How things have changed! Today, notebooks are fast, powerful, and can match a desktop computer when it comes to performance.

If you are still undecided if you should buy a notebook or a desktop, these are three reasons why choosing the former over the latter makes sense:

1. Portability

This is one thing that a desktop simply cannot match a notebook in: portability! You can't move a desktop around. Once set up, you have to use it in a fixed place. A notebook, on the other hand, can be taken anywhere. Like to work while sipping a coffee at Starbucks? No problem! Just pick up your laptop and head out! Maybe you want to show your friends this new video you downloaded recently, or maybe you have a presentation that you want to show your co-workers. In either case, the portability that a notebook offers is simply invaluable.

2. Display/Screen Quality

All laptops have an LCD screen, while with desktops, you have the option of choosing from a LCD or a bulky CRT monitor. The former, in case of desktops, can be quite expensive. Therefore, when it comes to screen quality, it is hard to match a notebook - LCD screens are simply many, many times better looking (not to mention, easier on your eyes) than the bulky CRT monitors you see on so many desktop computers.

3. Light Weight

I am tempted to club this under portability, but the sheer weight of a laptop deserves a separate point. Older laptops tended to be bulky and heavy, weighing as much as 5-8 Kgs. Newer laptops, on the other hand, are slim and weigh very little. This makes them so easy to carry around, even inside your house. Maybe you want to work while lying on the bed, or sitting in front of the TV. You can't do it with a desktop, but the lower weight of the newer laptops makes them ideal for doing so.

Inexpensive Laptop Computers

Laptops these days are becoming incredibly expensive. However there are some laptops that have great quality for a fraction of the cost of some very expensive laptops. The Acer Aspire One AOD150-1165 is an inexpensive laptop that has very high performance and other features that make it a great buy. This Acer Aspire One has a smooth sleek design, provides you with outstanding performance, and is very portable. Wherever you are in the world, this laptop will always provide you access to everything you need.

The Acer Aspire One has a 10.1 inch screen that is crystal clear. The screen is smooth and it provides you with a great view of everything on your laptop from photos to movies to the internet. The smaller screen size also contributes to the laptops light weight. This laptop computer only weighs around 3 pounds which makes it extremely portable. This is beneficial to business travelers who constantly need to have their laptops with them at all times. The small size of the laptop is also helpful for travelers especially those who take airplanes to many locations. The computer is not bulky and hard to carry around and it can be easily set on the pull out tables they have on airplanes.

The Acer Aspire One also contributes a smooth and sleek blue design to this laptop. The LCD screen is crystal clear and simply beautiful. You can easily view everything on your laptop in great high definition quality. There is also a webcam integrated into the screen. This allows you to video chat with people whenever you want. The webcam shows clear and smooth images of others, and the brightness levels are always high even in the darkest locations so you can always see the other person clearly. The audio quality of this laptop is superb and you can easily hear people during a video chat. The laptop also has a feature that eliminates background noise so you can hear and understand the person as if they were sitting right in front of you. The speakers on this laptop are of very high quality so listening to music just got a whole lot better.

The Acer Aspire One also provides this product with a 160 GB hard drive. This is a huge amount of space and you can store many things without worrying about taking up too much space. This computer can easily hold all of your music, photos, and movies and still have a ton of space leftover. With multiple USB ports you can have multiple devices plugged in to your computer at once with no problems. This eliminates the annoyance of having to unplug something to plug something else in.

The Intel Atom processor speeds up the performance of this laptop and uses the battery life to the best extent. The battery life of this laptop is 5 hours and you can recharge the battery by connecting it to an outlet. The laptop has a great wireless connection and you can easily reach the internet wherever you are.

Do You Want to Save Hundreds of Dollars When You Buy a New Laptop

Buying a computer is a major investment, one that will last you for a few years at least. Today, laptops are far more popular than desktops, and if you are looking to put some money into a notebook, these four tips will help make your buying decision easier:

1. Size

Picking a laptop is all a matter of size. How heavy or light, and how bulky or large it is will decide its portability, and in effect, its range of functionality. You can't lug around a 15 pound behemoth, nor can a tiny 9 inch screen laptop be of much use to you.

Ideally, pick something that has at least a 14 inch screen. If you are willing to sacrifice portability in favor of display quality, pick a 17 inch screen laptop.

Also, note the size of the keys and the keyboard. Your finders must rest comfortably on the keyboard. The smaller laptops in the market today have too tiny keys that make typing for long hours very uncomfortable.

2. Get an External Mouse

All laptops come with a touchpad. Navigating for long hours using a touchpad, however, can be uncomfortable as well as slow. Therefore, when you are buying a laptop, make sure to buy an external mouse. It'll make working on your notebook a thousand times more productive.

3. Wi-Fi/Bluetooth

Most laptops today come with Wi-Fi. A lot of the newer models also come with Bluetooth. Ideally, you should get a laptop that has both these options, considering the amount of time one spends on the internet these days. Without Wi-Fi, you will not be able to log on to the internet from anywhere, and without Bluetooth, you will not be able to transfer files from your cell phone easily.

Although it is getting out of fashion, an infra-red port on a laptop can be quite useful. Look for a model that includes this too.

4. USB Ports

Ideally, your laptop must have at least 4 USB ports. Almost all external peripherals today use a USB port to connect to the computer, and you can use up the ports very quickly. At least 4 ports means that you can attach an external mouse, a printer, a scanner, and a thumb drive to your laptop easily.

How to Purchase a New Laptop Computer

You have decided to make a major purchase! A new computer. Congratulations! Now what? Do you know what to get? Where to get it? What to buy? Are you going to leave this decision to the Salesperson in the store? Let's get educated!

1. What is your budget? - This is the first step. How much money do you have to spend?

2. Determine your needs - What are you going to be using the computer for? I know you will be using it for internet and word processing, but once you get it home, you are going to want to do a lot more.

3. Memory - how much memory should you get? Right now, most computers come with Windows Vista, which requires a bit more than past operating systems. As of today, I would say the absolute minimum you should get is 2gb of RAM. Nothing less. More is great!

4. Storage - We don't have to worry about storage like we did a few years ago. Most computers come with a good size hard drive. Also, external hard drives are very popular. They are small, cheap and convenient for backing up, running applications, etc.

5. The convenience factor - believe it or not, you pay for this. You pay for the small screen, 3.3lb system that forces you to carry a DVD drive in the bag! If you don't carry your laptop around, you may want to go with the 15.4 inch screen and get a bag with wheels if it is too heavy.

6. Software needs - don't forget to add the extra cost if you need to purchase Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Word, Quicken, etc. Your computer does not come with Microsoft Word, and Quicken may only be a 30 day trial.

7. Warranty - depending on how long you plan on keeping your computer (keeping it long is not necessarily a good thing). You will want to have at least a 1 year warranty. Find out what you do if the screen goes bad. Sometimes it is misleading and the display is not covered under the basic warranty. Without the screen, you are in trouble!

So now that you are educated, get to the store! Happy purchasing.

USB and Its Development

One revolutionized innovation in gadget technology is the emergence of USB. USB or Universal Serial Bus is a simple device but has extraordinary function. This serial bus standard enables many different devices and peripherals to connect to a computer. The word "universal" means that the device is compatible to many functions. In its development, USB has enhanced its capability with plug and play function using its hot swapping that allows us to disconnect the device without turning off the computer or rebooting it. Furthermore, USB is very energy saving as it needs low power consumption to work. Since the first edition launched in 1996, USB has developed which now it has USB 3.0 edition, though still rarely used. The most commonly used is USB 2.0 with hi-speed rate of 480Mbit/s that was introduced in 2001. This edition allows us to transfer files of about 3.6GB per minute in its maximum speed.

Because of it effectiveness, USB has replaced many serials and parallel ports such as LPT ports and PS2 ports which used to used to connect printers and mouse. Besides these ports, many other devices have also used USB to connect them to the computer. Just mention some like keyboards, digital cameras, PDAs, cell phones, modems, sound card readers, media players, flash drives, portable optical ROM, external hard disk drives, cooler fan, joysticks, and many others. As the result, USB has allowed many devices to improve their functionality. That's why, from its first edition up to the recent edition, USB becomes a standard connectivity used in computer motherboards.

The most massive innovation affected by the presence of USB is removable storage called Flash drive or Flash disk. This removable storage is small in size (as small as a candy bar) but store huge number of files or documents. The product comes in various capacities ranging from 64MB to 64GB. Compared to the first storage device created which was as big as a refrigerator, the presence of flash disk is truly a big revolution in modern technology. Today, most of people use flash disk to store their files; personal files or business files, so that to be easily carried wherever they go. At the same time, manufactures are competing to creatively design unique USB products, including flash disks, to attract customers. So, we can find the products in the shape of animals, cartoon characters, watches, or even eyeglasses.
Technology advances rapidly beyond our imagination. Something that we think is impossible to happen can happen. We even find it overwhelmed to keep abreast the advancement of technology. It seems that the device that we bought yesterday is outdated today. Besides that, it can be possible that one day many more of our utilities are fully computerized and USB supported. As the result, we do not need to be hustle doing our home or office tasks. The development of USB has proved that what used to be complicated in the past is now simple and easy. USB technology has revolutionized the simplicity of gadget connectivity

Clustering Vs Load Balancing

Before you can talk about differences between clustering and load balancing, and there are more than a few, you've got to get the definitions straight. Clustering is often understood to mean the capability of some software to provide load balancing services, and load balancing is often used as a synonym for a hardware- or third-party-software-based solution.

In practice, clustering is usually used with application servers like IBM WebSphere, BEA WebLogic and Oracle AS (10g). Also being used in that environment are load balancing features found in Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) like BIG-IP. (For simplicity, we will talk about clustering versus ADC approaches.)

Scalability, horizontally speaking

There are hardware load balancers, of course, but there we talk about pools or farms, the server groupings where application requests get distributed. It is in the software world that the term cluster is applied to that same group.

Clustering will typically convert one instance of an application server to a master controller, then process/distribute requests to multiple instances using such industry standard algorithms as round robin, weighted round robin or least connections. Clustering is similar to load balancing in that it has horizontal scalability, a nearly transparent way to add additional instances of application servers for increased capacity or response time performance. To ensure that an instance is actually available, clustering approaches typically use an ICMP ping check or, sometimes, HTTP or TCP connection checks.

Health and transparency

For load balancing, ADCs support the same industry algorithms, but have additional, complex number-crunching processes, and check such parameters as per-server CPU and memory utilization, fastest response times, etc. ADCs also support more robust health monitoring than the simple app server clustering solutions. This means they can verify content and do passive monitoring, dispensing with even the low impact of health checks on app server instances.

For applications that require the user to interact with the same server during a session, clustering uses server affinity to get the user there. This is most common during the execution of a process like order entry, where the session is used between pages (requests) to store data needed to close a transaction, like a shopping cart.

For the same situation, ADCs use persistence. Clustering solutions are usually somewhat limited as to the variables they can use, while ADCs can not only use traditional application variables but also get other information from the application or network-based data.

More than a few clustering solutions need node-agents deployed on each instance of an application server that is clustered by a controller. It may not be a burden as far as deploying and managing it, since it is often in place, but it is still means more processes running on the servers and consuming memory and CPU resources. Of course, it also adds another possible failure point to the data path. Since ADCs need no server-side components, they remain completely transparent.

Making the choice

Some would ask, Why do the extra work of building a distributed software system and cluster server setup when you can have multiple servers fulfilling specific roles such as separate database servers, web servers, mail servers, etc. whenever necessary?

So, how do you choose? That depends on the reasons you are considering this kind of solution in the first place, and (perhaps) whether or not you have to make an additional purchase to achieve clustering capabilities for the particular application server you have. There is also the broader question of whether or not you need (or want) to provide support for multiple application server brands. Clustering, of course, is proprietary to the application server, but ADCs can provide services for any and all applications or web servers.

Clustering checklist

Pros:

*Typically available with application server's enterprise package

*Doesn't require the highest level of networking know-how

*Usually less costly than redundant ADC deployments

Cons:

*High availability not assured with clustering solutions

*Best practices deploy the cluster controller on separate hardware

*Node agents required on managed app server instances

*Clustering is "proprietary" (you can cluster only homogeneous servers)

ADC checklist

Pros:

*Provides high availability and load balancing in heterogeneous environments

*Added value of application optimization, security and acceleration

*No changes required to applications or servers where they're deployed

Cons:

*An additional piece of infrastructure in the architecture

*Generally more costly than clustering solutions

*Could require new skill set to deploy/manage

Recommendations

Get more insight into performance, configurations and case studies by reading some testing-based articles on ADCs, and testing-based reviews of server clustering. Look for case studies that mirror your own situation, as closely as possible, and talk to people who are doing what you are planning (or thinking about). Unlike government going into the car business or taking over health care, do not do something quickly just to be seen doing something. Take care with this decision.

Top Ten PHP Uses

PHP is one of the most popular open-source scripting languages. Open-source means free, so you can use PHP as often as you like without having to pay for licenses or support. It is a full-featured programming language, capable of managing very large database-driven online environments.

PHP works in conjunction with HTML. If you are already familiar with HTML, making the jump to PHP is simple, and the two languages are interchangeable on the page. PHP can add new features to your site, but the appearance will be determined by HTML.

PHP is known for interactive features such as:

1. shopping carts
2. recommend similar items to your users,
3. interactive forums
4. private messaging systems

The built in mathematical functions in PHP can help you track purchases through and hits to your website. Such functions include:

5. absolute value
6. square root
7. rounding

PHP is a server-side language. This means that PHP has access to all the information the server has, and very little access to information the client has. In fact, PHP only has access to client information that the client himself has given to the server. The fact that PHP is a server-side language makes it very useful for:

8. embedding dynamic text into static text
9. integrating databases with websites

C programs are 'pre-compiled', which in short means that they need to be re-compiled every time you switch machines. Most Internet Service Providers, or ISPs, do not provide you with a C compiler. Using PHP avoids this problem. If it works on one server, it will generally work on any other server that has it. And, most ISPs that provide server-side scripting provide PHP. So the final benefit is:

10. portability

With just a little effort to learn and use this language, PHP will increase the functionality of your site, making it more effective for both the site owner and for the customer.
PHP is also flexible in that it can be easily integrated with almost any web-related software package of note. Everything from Flash to MySQL and even the ever present Java can all be integrated to work with PHP.

How to Set Up the Multi-Media TV

This article will explain how to connect your PC to a Big Screen TV, and experience the ultimate in HD picture and HD sound, using the existing PC outputs. The set up is actually very simple, and will most likely only require an additional minimal purchase of an HDMI cable to connect the PC to the TV. The HDMI (High Definition Modular Interface) cable will carry both HD sound and picture to your TV.

Before you begin, you will need to verify that the Motherboard on your PC has an outlet to plug in a second display. Most of the newer motherboards contain both VGA and HDMI outputs on the same board. You will also need to verify that your TV has an HDMI input.

To complete the installation, first install (1) end of the HDMI cable into the HDMI output on the back of the PC. Plug the other end of the HDMI cable into the HDMI Input on the big screen TV. Then, configure your PC for using dual monitors. To configure your PC using the MS -Vista O.S., Click on the Vista Start Logo, Click on Control Panel. Click on Personalization, Click on Adjust screen resolution. You should now see the Display Settings window with the existing computer monitor (labeled 1), and a second smaller monitor (labeled 2).

Located immediately below the monitor icons, you will see the drop-down selector box with both monitors listed. By default the number (2) monitor will be the Big Screen TV. Immediately below the selector, check the (2) boxes, This is my main monitor, and extend the desktop on to this monitor. Click OK and Close the window.

Now for an example, resize your I.E. browser window, so it is about half the size of your computer screen. Grab the top of the browser window, and drag it over to the other monitor. After dragging the window, you should now see the I.E. browser window open on your other screen(TV). Now the fun part! Go to one the new free movie sites like Hulu, and now you can watch the show on your big screen TV courtesy of your PC.

Registry Cleaners - How to Use Them

If your personal computer seems to be or recently started running slower or does not load pages as fast as it once did. Then the chances are good that you will need to run a registry cleaner on your computer. If you are a person, who uses your personal computer daily then you should know that every web site you visit leaves traces on your computer. Some sites have forms of software on them that can damage your computer or gather your personal information.

A registry cleaner is a form of software that goes through your entire computers files and folders and removes all of these unwanted types of devices or software that may have attached them selves to your computer. A cleaner also removes information that is unused from your computer. All of this extra or added information builds up and eventually makes your personal computer slow down.

The reason that the computer begins to slow down is that the memory begins to fill with files. Did you know that your computer remembers everyplace that you have visited on the web and your computer remembers each thing you have running at the time while your computer is on. This is a difficult task even for a computer and many people do not realize that this event is even happening.

Therefore, it is important for you to purchase a registry cleaner and understand how to use the registry cleaner. It is also important to know how often to use the registry cleaner on your computer or run the registry cleaner.

Most computer experts will tell you that a registry cleaner should be, used daily to rid or keep the information gathering software off you personal computer. This way your personal information as well as your personal computer remains safe.

Many personal computer users think that their computers are safe if they only use their computers for e-mail and chat or instant messengers. However, this is not the case any e-mail can have a form of dangerous software within it. The chat sites can be, invaded by this type of dangerous software as well. The instant messengers can sometimes have types of dangerous software attached to them. Please keep in mind however that every precautions taken by the developers of these sites to keep this type of dangerous software out but accidents could occur. Therefore it is important that each person who owns a personal computer be aware of this and purchase a quality registry cleaner and learns how to and when to properly use the product.

How NOT to Get Ripped Off When Buying a New Computer

Unless you are some sort of computer expert, buying a new computer can be an overwhelming experience. The range of options and the technical jargon can make anybody's head spin.

Buying a new computer shouldn't be as stressful. Most people compare it to buying a new car or even a new house in terms of the stress and anxiety it causes them. Of course, we all want to get the best deal, the best computer fitted for our needs, but with all the options at your disposal, this task is easier said than done.

If you want to save a little money when you go to buy a new computer, keep these three tips in mind:

1. Instead of popping into the first store you see and picking the first computer you set your eyes on, shop around. While it sounds obvious, you will be surprised when you see the number of people who walk into a store and instead of looking around, just buy the first thing that catches their fancy.

Looking around online is one option. This will give you a good idea of the prices you can expect in-store. There are thousands of websites dedicated to computers.

Also, instead of hitting the big stores and chains, shop around in the smaller local stores. Many times, they have better deals than the big chains.

2. Instead of paying through your nose for extras, try installing them yourself. Many computers sold at stores have a ton of extra software that you are charged for, but will probably never use other than out of curiosity. Save yourself a few bucks, go online and pick the software that you want, and install it yourself. It may sound overwhelming to a computer newbie, but trust me; it is way simpler than it sounds.

3. The store where you buy your computer from will invariably try to push you extended warranty for 2-3 years. Don't buy this if you want to save some money. More often than not, this extended warranty will never be called into action, and you will end up paying $100-300 for nothing at all. Computers go obsolete very quickly these days. By the time the extended warranty will come into effect, your computer will already be old and obsolete, and you will probably have a new pc sitting on your desk.

Keep these three tips in mind and don't get overwhelmed while shopping for your new computer. Remember, it's not rocket science, it's just a computer!

YouTube Makes Video Watching and Sharing Easy and Addictive

If you've mastered online photo sharing using a website like Picasa or through uploading to Facebook, did you know that it's equally easy to share videos over the Internet? YouTube is a website that makes online video posting accessible to virtually anyone with the ability to shoot video. Whether you want to share a video message with the world, social network friends or Grandma, YouTube has tools to make it easy and fun.

YouTube isn't just for hobbyists. It even has captured the attention of television networks and movie studios that use it to publicly post trailers or entire television shows. If you've sees a funny commercial that you want to show your coworkers, you'll probably find it on YouTube, too. And, if reruns on TV have you aimlessly channel surfing, check out original shows offered exclusively online by "Internet TV producers."

What It Is
YouTube is a free service that has grown and evolved into a powerful online community where people can watch, post and discuss videos. Anyone can visit the site and watch millions of publicly shared videos. If you want to comment about videos or share videos privately, you'll need to register as a user.

An Engaging Community
Technically, YouTube works thanks to Adobe Flash Video technology, but what really makes it work as an online service is its ability to engage users and create buzz. For starters, users can rate YouTube videos with up to five stars. Top-rated videos are more likely to be recommended to viewers or fall in the "featured" category.

On YouTube, it's incredibly easy to share your own or another's video content. You can email video links or use built-in, single-click tools for showing friends on MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Digg and other social networking sites what you've been watching-and tell them what you think about it. If you have a blog or website, YouTube provides you with the code you need to embed videos, too. No matter how you choose to share, your friends will be able to share it with their friends who will share it with their friends who will share it with their friends.You can imagine how quickly a video can "turn viral."

After watching a YouTube video, the site makes every attempt to keep you engaged by recommending other similar videos you may want to watch. You can very quickly go from watching one video to spending your whole evening on YouTube.

Your Broadcast Station
If you are ready to share your own videos, there are several options for making your debut. You can instantly record and post video using your computer's webcam, iPhone 3G-S and some newer iPods. Although it may take an extra step or two, sharing digital video taken with a Flip video camera or camcorder is still noobie-friendly as long as the video is less than 2 GB in size and 10 minutes long.

When uploading a video, it's especially important to determine if you want it to be a publicly or privately shared. Choosing the private setting means only 25 other people will be able to access your video and you will not be able to use some of YouTube's video sharing features.

If you decide to share your video with the world, be sure to add tags. Tags describe your video and will help your video appear as relevant results to searches for the words in your tag.

Your New Obsession
If you haven't already tried YouTube, hopefully this brief introduction will give you the confidence you need to start exploring and experimenting. Whether you are a video watcher, video poster or both, YouTube has plenty to keep you engaged, informed and entertained. Here are just a few ways YouTube might enhance your life.

Video Watching
See the Super Bowl commercials you missed while getting another snack.
Watch news from other states or countries and compare it to local coverage.
Look for your child's favorite shows or performances of his favorite songs.
Find a person or "channel" with content you like and subscribe so you'll be notified about their new posts.
Listen to videos. Some videos aren't videos at all but a way to post music, speeches or other audio content.


Video Posting
Record yourself reading a bedtime book to your grandchild who lives far away.
Create a video blog post so your readers can see you in action.
Send video birthday greetings to someone far away.
Share video of your child in her first performance with grandparents or other relatives.
Record sports practice and make the video available to everyone on the team.