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Apple Computers And Cheap Lcd Monitors

The computer revolution has reshaped our industries, our services and even our lives. The role Apple computers played and even play now is not second to that of any other manufacturer. The firm, after an initial struggle, has rose to unbelievable heights in recent years and commands a healthy share in the personal computer market.

When you talk of quality products in the information technology, the first name that may pass through your mind would be the Apple Mac series. They are beauties with equal quantity of brains. They are delicate, but strong in functions. They are exquisitely designed, but made for a purpose. With lesser number of software installed, they can perform your jobs faster than cluttered PCs. Apple prefers that you install only the required software and applications. The operating system is also more manageable and does not require registration.

A curious fact about Apple laptops is that they are designed in unusual soft colors while the entire industry are rooting for serious looking black and white colored ones. This added fun to functionality. They are also much versatile. While Mac computers can be run on windows too, other PCs cannot work on Mac Operating System. The use of dual operating systems aids in running more applications than others.

The laptops churned out by Apple are well known for their beauty. The second hand value of these computers is better than others too. But the most likeable feature of Mac series is that you need not change it every two years as in the case of others, because of its futuristic design and amalgamation of applications. They are designed with forethought and purpose.

Apple desktops match their smaller but smarter laptop counterparts in functionality and style. They are perfect options for offices and workstations. However, it is the lightweight, thin and exquisitely carved laptops that almost always hog the limelight.

LCD monitors are the toast of the masses these days. The days of the reliable, hardy, but bulky and harmful CRT screens are gone and the sleek, light weight and less space consuming LCD screens have taken their place. Performance and display quality is also far more superior to CRT monitors. In the course of time, LCD monitors have become impressively cheaper too.

Prices of LCD monitors vary according to the size, resolution, brand name and after sales service. Going for the cheapest with the least features and customer friendliness is not advisable. You have to scout around a little through internet stores and company websites in order to gain a clear real picture and then place your order. Intex, Acer and ViewSonic are renowned manufacturers of reliable and less expensive LCD monitors. You have to be sure about your requirements too. Otherwise you may end up buying a LCD monitor too large or too small to suit your need and available workspace.
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Key Comparisons of Linux vs. Windows Servers

For someone who is fairly new to web hosting
, choosing the platform you are going to use for your server can be a difficult and even mind-boggling decision. Although there are several obscure choices still available, the most widely used Operating Systems (OSs) are the enterprise, or server, versions of Linux and Windows.
There seems to be a limitless source of information regarding hosting, but it seems that the waters have been muddied by many authors’ self-important personal opinions. This has resulted in some of the issues becoming rather unclear to intermediate users. Some technology bloggers have put quite a few hours, even years, into research on the subject, only to conclude that it really does not matter what server you decide to use. They claim that you should just make sure to choose a really good web host, instead of worrying about the type of server software they are running.
Are they right? Does it matter what kind of server hosts your site? Why? What is the difference between the two OSs, anyway?
Cost considerations
Microsoft manufactures and owns the rights to the entire Windows OS, from the recently retired XP to various flavors of Vista. Linux, on the other hand, is “open source” software and is usually free. What that means is that it can be more costly to install and run a Windows server, but this really would not affect you unless you are setting up the server personally – and if your eyes are glued to this article then it’s a safe assumption that you are not doing so.
What this article will do for you is give you the rundown on how to make the right decision about the web-hosting server you choose. The costs inherent in running a server do not always affect the price of the hosting package as you might suspect. The fact that a single Windows server would be more costly to set up and run doesn’t apply to a web-hosting firm that has installed several dozen or more. Getting the Window hosting package is usually a bit more expensive than the Linux hosting package, but not so much that you should disqualify it on price alone.
Make no assumptions
Individuals often assume that just because their PC operates on Windows, they should purchase a Windows hosting package. Not necessarily. Gaining access to your web account will usually be done through FTP or a control panel, and all servers support these methods. The most important difference in administrative site access is that some FTP commands are a bit different in Linux than in Windows and, of course, the FTP programs will usually be created for only one or the other.
Think about how you intend to put the server to use. Make your decision based on those facts. The web features that will run just fine on both platforms include PHP and the e-mail protocols, IMAP and POP. On the other hand, using ASP, Frontpage, the .Net environment, Access, Windows Streaming Media or other Microsoft technologies will likely require a Windows host. Linux offers only limited support, or none at all, when it comes to these technologies, meaning your “workaround cost” will be quite high and may lack the features you need.
Stability and growth
Different server platforms’ reliability and stability records have been raised in many discussions, some rather contentious. The focus of many anti-MS rants has been that Windows is not a secure environment and is only popular because it is the OS for the majority of home-based PCs. As the most commonly used system, Windows has flaws and people tend to spend a lot of time looking for them, as well as exploiting them for harm.
However, Linux may just be the most common server type out there and, surprisingly, the success rate for hackers has been higher than expected, although not as high as for Windows. After all is said and done, the platforms and their security boil down to systems administration and server company management. If security is the main focus for you, then be sure to take the time to investigate the company that is hosting your site. Make sure that they have a reputation that is corroborated by other companies, not just their own marketing materials. This way you will have fewer worries about the server you are using.
Too close to call?
When it comes to the performance of the two servers, there is not a huge difference. Linux has been known to perform faster than Windows on some “cookie cutter” hosts that install Windows in its default, “all in one” package. Linux distributors, using an open-source application with more flexibility, can implement “extensible” packages with greater customizability. In normal situations, the performance of the two is comparable, but if system functionality is most important to you, this may have an impact on your final decision. Which direction that will send you depends on what you wish to compare, as the OSs do have some different strengths and weaknesses.
It is arguably a better use of your time to look for a good host rather than a good server model or OS. Linux and Windows developers are always working on ways to improve both systems. At this point they seem to be roughly equivalent when it comes to the security, features and reliability expected by the average home and small business user. This is not likely to change for some time. You must base your decision on the factors most important to you and your business, and in this neck-and-neck horse race, a clear winner is impossible to call. Eventually you will just have to saddle up with one or the other, and hit the track.
Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

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How to Buy Your Mac Laptop

A Mac laptop is an extremely attractive option for anyone looking for their own way to transport files, music and applications in a stylish design. These laptops from Apple are now even faster than ever, featuring Intel Core 2 Duo processors as well as high levels of RAM as standard in all models. However, they can also come with a big price tag that many of us cannot afford. But there is one way around this - buy reconditioned.

A reconditioned, sometimes known as refurbished, laptop means that the computer has been purchased in the past and used by someone else for a maximum of three months (though often less). For some reason the customer has returned the laptop to the store, which leaves the store unable to resell the product as new. Laptop stores will then return the laptop to its manufacturer, in this case Apple, where they will make sure it is in perfect sellable 'as new' condition. This is what you are getting when you buy a reconditioned laptop.

Due to the fact that they were used in the past, reconditioned Apple laptops are not sold as new despite the fact that they will work and look just like a brand new system would. They will still have the same great features, fast processing speeds, a good memory as well as the newest upgrades and technology. But without the price tag.

The reason why reconditioned laptops are so much cheaper than new laptops is due to the fact that most people feel for some reason that their laptop should be brand new when bought, and as such it takes a lot more effort for the manufacturer to sell them on. However, for people that realize these laptops are in great shape, reconditioned laptops can provide a real bargain when it comes to getting a new machine.

A reconditioned Mac laptop will always be in great condition, due to the fact that Apple go to great lengths to ensure the quality and technology of their products. Those who refurbish the machine will always make sure it comes with everything you need, and care is always taken to ensure the laptop is completely up to scratch before they even think about putting it out for sale again.

Now that you know the facts behind refurbished Mac laptops you can start to benefit from this by picking up some real bargains. There is no doubt that you will be getting a quality machine that will have had to pas numerous tests before being sold to anyone. Reconditioned laptops are a popular choice for many who want to benefit from huge savings when buying a new laptop. They are the perfect choice for those who want portability in a computer, but don't want to fork out the money that most brands require. Simply do some research on the brand you want and find out whether your local store, or manufacturer, has any reconditioned Mac laptops on offer!


Copyright (c) 2008 Kentaro Konika
Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

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How to Configure a Simple NTP Server

NTP is a standard protocol for synchronising time on computers and network equipment. NTP allows client computers to synchronise with a reference NTP server over a computer network. The protocol was originally developed for the Linux operating system. The standard NTP distribution is a freely downloadable application supplied under the GNU public licence. This article attempts to simplify the installation and configuration of the Linux NTP server application. It describes a simple NTP installation and goes through step-by-step the configuration procedure required to provide a NTP server on a Linux machine.

The NTP software distribution can be freely download from the NTP website, ntp.org. As well as containing the NTP daemon for Linux, the distribution also contains a number of utilities and configuration scripts. These utilities and scripts aid the installation process and provide debugging facilities to trace installation problems. Many Linux operating systems install the NTP distribution by default, or at least offer it as a pre-configured RMP package.

The NTP daemon is configured using a configuration file 'ntp.conf'. A list of commands can be specified in the configuration file to indicate which servers the daemon is to synchronise to and also to specify various authentication and access control options.

The NTP daemon synchronises to an external NTP server. Often, Internet based NTP time servers are used as reference clocks. External NTP servers are specified using the 'server' command along with the IP address or domain name of the server. Multiple external time servers can be specified in the configuration file, which allows NTP to select the most appropriate server.

The NTP daemon is controlled by a series of scripts, which are used to start ('ntpd start'), stop ('ntp stop') or restart ('ntpd restart') the daemon. The NTP daemon can be queried and debugged using the 'ntpq' utility. This utility is great for debuggin problems with NTP and for obtaining status information. It provides information relating to the synchronisation status of the NTP daemon.

There are a number of security commands that can be specified in the configuration file to control access to the time server and also to provide authentication. It is very straight-forward to restrict access of the time server to a limited number of computers. This is achieved using the 'restrict' command, which is used in conjunction with the IP address or computer name of the computer to be allowed access. Multiple 'restrict' commands can be specified to restrict access to a range of computers. Authentication allows a matching set of keywords to be used on a server and client to authenticate the server. Shared keywords are specified in a 'ntp.keys' file on both the server and client computers. The keyword that are trusted and to be used for authentication purposes are then specified in the NTP daemon configuration file 'ntp.conf'.

To summarise, the NTP distribution is easy and free to obtain and easy to install, configure and debug. There is no reason why anyone with a little computer know-how cannot set up a local NTP time server for network time synchronisation.
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Why Have a VPN Account?

There are many reasons why you need to have a VPN account. Many computer users have their systems compromised mainly due to ignorance. They are simply not aware of the threats that are lurking in the cyber world, and these threats are just waiting to be unleashed. Here are some reasons why you would need to have a VPN account.

- Security for Hotspot Wireless Access Users

Wireless internet access have numerous vulnerabilities that may lure mischief makers to do harm to your system. Because hotspots are available to the general public, they are also popular locations for those looking to target unsuspecting network users. For instance, someone can just connect to the network and start sniffing out sensitive information such as user names, passwords, credit card information and so on. Having a VPN account will help prevent a sniffer from accessing sensitive information.

- Home Internet Users - Cable and DSL providers are well known for not filtering their network from exploits.

Many Internet home users on cable and DSL leave their systems unprotected. A virus can easily infect a vulnerable system without the knowledge of the computer user. With a VPN connection, intruders cannot pinpoint the exact IP (IP will be a US IP address) and therefore, exploits cannot take place successfully.

- International Internet Users - Governments would like to prevent users from enjoying the Internet, with a USA IP there are no controls.

Some Governments restrict access from certain countries because they suspect the traffic to be malicious. Unfortunately, they also block off all the other innocent surfers, who are just trying to enjoy the Internet. With a VPN connection, your IP address will appear as a US IP address. So you can continue to enjoy unlimited access on the Internet without having to worry about Government blockages.

- Easy online ordering when you travel - Many order forms on the Internet will automatically block certain countries from even ordering.

That has another side benefit - Because you are not blocked, that means you can place online orders freely. You don't have to worry about websites blocking you based on IP address.

- Bypass ISP Blocking for VOIP Applications like Skype.

Instant chat applications like Skype sometimes block users based on ISP. Again, when they do that, all members using the same ISP is affected. So if you happen to be on an ISP that is blocked, you are out of luck. However, when you are on a VPN network, you can actually bypass the blocking and have full usage of your chat applications.

- Full anonymity by hiding your real IP.

Some websites do not respect your privacy. They place cookies on your Internet browser to track your surfing activities without your permission. While most websites do that with good intentions, there are some websites that do that with ill intentions. The problem is, you can never tell. So the right thing to do, is to take precautions by connecting through a VPN. That way, you remain anonymous by hiding your real IP address.

- Unlike a proxy, you get secured connection for all programs you are using, (e.g ICQ, Email, FTP, News and anything that uses a Internet Connection)

Even if you connect to the Internet through a proxy, your connection is still not secure. Your data transmission can still be intercepted. When you use a VPN, you are assured that you are surfing using a secured connection.

When you have a VPN account, you enjoy all the above benefits. Be reminded to choose a service provider that providers reliable VPN services (at least 99% uptime) and high speed connections. This will ensure that your surfing experience remains secure, enjoyable and uninterrupted.
Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

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VPN Safe Secure Services Protection

First of all, what is VPN and why do you need VPN? You see, in today's world, security is a big concern. Thousands and even millions of dollars can be lost because of a security breach. When you have top secret or confidential information stolen, or if you have someone breaking into your computer system and deleting important information, you have a lot to lose.

So in order to prevent that from happening, innovative developers have come up with a solution known as VPN (Virtual Private Servers). A VPN is meant to protect your system, as well as your network from being compromised. In other words, you don't want anyone to have unauthorized access to your system or network. That will help keep your data safe as you work.

How VPN works.

Here is a brief primer on how VPN works. When you surf the Internet, you are actually on a public network. That means that if your system is not protected whatsoever, anyone with malicious intent can create all sorts of problems for you. Some of these problems include spyware, viruses, intrusion attacks, etc.

To prevent that from happening, you can install additional hardware or software. When you install new hardware that acts as an active Firewall, that may help to stop many of the attacks. Some people prefer to do it with software, and that's where VPN comes in.

VPN is short for Virtual Private Network. What happens is that you will be setting up a private tunnel that others will have difficulty locating. In other words, to the outside world, you appear as anonymous. You do this by connecting to another server, and this server acts as your connection to the public network. When you connect to the Internet this way, you are actually on a Private Network. This is a much more secure way to surf the Internet. And the solution is known as VPN.

Benefits of a VPN.

As you can imagine, there are many benefits for using a VPN. You enjoy a lot of security and privacy. For example, if you are surfing from a wireless hotspot, your user names and passwords may be sniffed by sniffers on the network. Sniffer software intercepts data transmitted over the network, and that's how your user names and passwords can be captured. But when you connect through a VPN, there is no such risk.

Also, because you are surfing in a private network, you remain anonymous. Some websites log your IP address automatically, especially those that require form submissions. When you are in a private network, your IP address cannot be tracked. This means that you get more privacy as you surf.

Is it difficult to set up a VPN? The answer is no, if you know where to look. Professional VPN service providers will be able to setup a VPN account for you. When you want to go online, simply login to your VPN account and start surfing.
Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

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Problem Being An Affiliate

By: The love Shop
Many people will generally have problems of not earning enough money by their affiliations, well I'm here to help.

If you have been doing the internet thing for some time and are thinking what's the use well good news all those hours of trial and error are leading to something.

You know in yourself when you read all those articles on making money instantly on the net that perhaps its true. That's what many of these affiliate companies rely on to get your hard earned dollar.

The Truth is there are systems that you can actually make money and not even have to worry about outlaying a cent all it will take is time.

That's right not to be to smart about it but I spent many hours combing the net to find the one system that done it all well I have.

The best thing about using this free system is IT's FREE and it's a high quality system that will make you money.

What many paid systems do is provide you the tools to succeed and leave you on you lonesome.

But what about a free system that provides everything a paid system does plus much more.

1. Manuals
2. Website Templates
3. Help
4. Design services
5. Advice

Make Money with residual

Most affiliates start with Amazon or ebay but please consider alternatives many of these offer higher returns and better support but there is marketing that can help you succeed without lifting a finger that is residual income.

That's right you want to earn forever or as long as the customer is signed up so that Every time that customer pays their monthly membership fee, you get paid. Honest! It's called residual affiliate marketing and it can be an amazing way to make money from home on your website. So if some one remains a member of a site for some time then you get a cut of there residual fees.

The best way to maximize this profit stream is to choose the best affiliates with highest income that do residual earnings.

Residual marketing can be an absolute gold mine for some web users. It doesn't happen automatically though, you'll need to make sure you link to quality products and services if you expect people to use them again and again and in fact does require some well targeted work to succeed.
So the truth is to make money online you have to do a couple things, one is choose the right program , spend each spare moment working on your site and promoting it and then make sure you update it regularly.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

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How to set up your own profitable Amazon aStore

Do you know that you can have your own online store featuring Amazon products? And you can have this store up and running in minutes.
aStore by Amazon is a new Associates product that gives you the power to create a professional online store that can be embedded within or linked to from your website in minutes and without any knowledge of HTML or any other programming skills and best of all there are no fees associated with building an aStore for your website.
aStore is a dedicated shopping area that you can set up on your website in minutes you decide which Amazon products you want to feature you can include all Amazon products or display only the categories that you choose you also have the option of creating your own custom product categories you can also customize your store's look and feel by selecting colours and design that closely match those of your existing website. aStore also allows you to offer your customers a shopping cart for multiple item purchases plus check out on Amazon is the most trusted store online
aStore allows you to inform your customers with robust product details, product reviews, product images and information from Amazon including informative product descriptions, Amazon editor product reviews, recommended products, up-to-date product information, Listmania (themed product lists from other Amazon customers).
The aStore wizard will guide you step by step through the process of setting up your aStore and generate a URL to which you can link to or embed in your website. There are 3 ways that you can embed your aStore into your website the quickest and easiest way is via a simple link from your website navigation menu to your aStore as a standalone site this option also includes a link back to your site from each one of your aStore web pages or if you wish you can embed your aStore using an inline frame or embed using a frameset these two methods of embedding your aStore will appear to your visitors as if the aStore is part of your website and enable them to shop without leaving your site.
As an Amazon associate you can create up to 100 aStores and you will earn commissions for every product that is sold to a customer that either purchases directly through your aStore or who subsequently purchases at a later date direct from Amazon.
You can receive your Amazon associates commissions by either direct deposit in to your bank account, a cheque or Amazon gift vouchers.
By: Ray Clegg
Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

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AdSense Tips For Bloggers

By: ReveNow.com
If you have joined the blogging revolution that is sweeping the net, and you think you might want to make a little revenue - or a lot of revenue - from your blogging efforts, you need AdSense tips for bloggers. Blogging has opened up an entirely new way of how non-technical people interact with the Internet, and now, anyone can publish anything about any topic - without having a website - and anyone can profit without even having a product!

Adsense for blogs make perfect sense. Google's advertising programs are designed to work with sites related to the keywords for the ads that are being presented. Each time you add content to your blog, the Google spiders gobble it up. The more you update, the more the Google spider visits your page. Ultimately, you move up in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) for the topics that you write about. You see where this is going. The higher your search ranking, the more traffic you receive, which ultimately leads to higher revenue from AdSense ads.

The beauty of blogs is their potential for rapid growth. If you become known as an expert in your area of expertise, word of mouth spreads quickly and your blog can become very popular. So it is vital that you always teach something with every blog entry. You want your readers to come back frequently and they will if they know they will learn something. Not only will your readers bookmark your blog and return often, but they will link to your blog enthusiastically as well. People in forums will refer to your blogs and discuss what they learned. Websites will link to you as a valuable resource. In short, an informative blog can grow very quickly if the information it provides is valuable.

It is important to write about specific topics, and sprinkle your blog entries with specific keywords to get the best results - and the highest revenue - with your Google AdSense ads. There is a method to the madness. Start your revenue generating blog by testing the waters.

Decide what area you would like to write about and then do some keyword research. Research is easy if you use Google's keyword tools found at https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordSandbox. The keyword tools are located in your Google AdWords account. Yes, you need a free AdWords account to be successful but you don't have to fund it to use the keyword tools. Look for keywords related to your subject that are high paying. These are keywords where the bid amounts are high. Make a list of the top paying keywords, and use that list to determine what topics you will write about.

Remember, you want people to visit your blog time and time again, and build up a readership, make sure that your blog is well written and informative. Don't just target keywords for the sake of targeting keywords - the writing needs to make sense! Writing valuable content is the first step to generating traffic to your blog, and traffic is needed to profit from AdSense ads!

You are allowed to use the AdSense ad units in two different places on each page. You can accomplish this in a couple of different ways. First, you can add the AdSense ad code to the template for your blog. This is done through the control panel for your blog, and some knowledge of HTML is needed. The other option is to paste the AdSense code directly in your blog post each time you submit a new post. You can use it once at the top and once at the bottom, or once after a few paragraphs of the post, and again after a few more paragraphs.

Get that code in there however you see fit - but then pay close attention to the results so you can see what is working and what isn't. Tracking is everything if you want to make real money!

Of course, you need to advertise your blog as much as possible as well. Make sure that you provide Trackbacks to other people's blogs as often as possible, and that you visit blogs, leave comments - and leave a link for your blog as well!

Discuss this topic in the ReveNow AdSense Forums: www.revenow.com/forums/
Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

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13 Steps to Successful Blogging

By: Ant Onaf
Blogs can be a very marketable and very profitable tool if used correctly. Profiting from blogs is just a matter of grabbing the attention of an audience and not doing any actual salesmen selling. In this article you will learn the 13 most essential steps to successful blogging.

1) Where to start?
You should begin your blog with a free blog hosting service such as Journal Home. I don't say that because I'm the owner, but a free blog host is very rewarding for a new blog. Starting with a free blog hosting service allows you to begin blogging instantly without having any advance knowledge of scripts, hosting, or programming. It allows you to build an audience and buzz for your blog. It allows you to focus on your content and not the internal maintenance of the blog. The best benefit of starting with a free service, is in the case your blog doesn't become successful you do not lose any money or are you left holding the bill. The great thing about a blog is that they are organized in chronological order, your latest entry is displayed first. When your blog traffic grows greatly and you are ready to upgrade to your own domain then you can simply make your last blog entry the announcement of your "move". Simply add a last entry stating that your blog has "moved" and type the new blog URL address. Which directs visitors to your new blog site, keeping your following, without a major inconvenience to anyone. Upgrade as you need to...but only when you need to!

2) Niche
A niche is a targeted product, service, or topic. You should first decide on a product, service, or topic which interest you. Choose an area which you can enthusiastically write about on a daily basis. You can use keyword research services like Google Zeitgeist or Yahoo! Buzz Index to find popular searched topics. It does NOT matter if your topic is popular as long as there is a audience for your topic and the topic is precisely focused then your blog should be successful. Anything can be considered a niche as long as it has a target audience no matter how large or how small the audience is. A blog about your cat can be a niche or a blog about the species of the cat family can be a larger niche market, if there are people who are interested in hearing about your cat or the species of the cat family, then you have a niche...you can even choose to build your audience for a market which an audience does not exist, but first you must build your blog.

3) Update Daily (nothing less)
This step is a must and not a suggestion. Updating your blog daily not only keeps your blog more interesting to readers, but it also gives your blog fresh content on a day to day making it more appealing to search engines. Not updating your blog on an occasional holiday or one day here and there is understandable to most, but missing days at a time or weeks is unacceptable and will most likely result in your blog being unsuccessful. To keep your blog traffic and retain your visitors interest it is a must to update your blog daily with multiple entries. Though, I am seeing a growing trend of successful blogs that are not being updated daily, but they are successful and have a stable audience who continue to visit their blog daily. Regardless, these blogs are still updated weekly with multiple entries. Until you have a steady audience you should try to update your blog everyday with at least 3 or more daily entries. The best way to accomplish this is to set aside 1-2 hours a day for tending to your blog and adding new entries. It may even be wise to schedule a set time which you dedicate to your blog each day. Give yourself work hours and treat your blog as a job, what happens if you don't come to work for days or weeks...you lose money or worse you get fired! Same applies here...if you don't update your blog for days or weeks you'll lose visitors.

4) Traffic
It's no secret. You must have traffic to profit from blogs. There are numerous ways to build traffic. Paid advertising, free advertising, viral marketing, search engine marketing, RSS/XML feeds, and word-of-mouth. You should always use your blog URL address in the signature of your email, forum discussions, message boards, or any other communication media. You should submit your blog URL address to search engines and blog directories. You should submit your RSS/XML URL feed to blog ping services like Technorati, Ping-O-Matic, and Blogdigger. You should confidently share your blog with family, friends, co-workers, associates, and business professionals when it relates. Many blogs can be considered as a collection of articles, for this purpose you should submit your blog entries (those that are valuable and lengthy articles) to content syndicators like GoArticles.com or ArticleCity.com. Once submitted your articles can be picked up and published by others. The trick is to make sure you include your Blog URL address in the "About the Author" passage. What this does is create link popularity and backlinks for your blog, when someone picks up your article from the syndication then publish the article on their website the "About the Author" passage is included with each publication and the link you included is followed, crawled, and indexed by search engines. Imagine if your article is popular enough or controversial enough to produce 10,000 publications across the web. The search engines is bound to find your blog in no time with that many publications and credit you a authority on the topic, in return increasing your rank on search engines. The small effort of writing a well written article is rewarding. You should try to write at least 1 full length article every week for syndication and submit your article to at least 10 article syndicators.

5) Track Your Blog
How do you know if your blog has traffic? Just because no one is leaving comments doesn't mean your blog isn't growing. Many visitors do not leave comments but they are returning visitors. I know it sounds crazy but with blogs people are more interested in what "you" have to say! Many visitors do not comment their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd time. Some do not comment at all, but are active daily visitors.

Tracking your blog does not have to be overly sophisticated usually a simple free page counter like StatCounter.com or Active Meter will do the trick. Install (copy/paste) the code into the html of your blog template and start tracking your visitors. Its better to use a service which gives you advanced traffic analysis, such as keyword tracking information, referral information, and search engine information. Visitors, returning visitors, and unique visitors should be standard for any page counter service you choose.

6) Listen to Your Audience
When using the proper page counter you should begin to see how others are finding your blog and if through search engines then which keywords are being used to find your blog. If constantly your blog is being found by 1 or more keywords then focus your blog around those keywords to make it even more powerful. When writing entry titles and entries use the keywords as often as possible while keeping the blog legible and interesting.

7) Multiple blogs
Use multiple blogging accounts (free) to attract more people. This means you should have a blog with JournalHome.com and others. The more blog accounts the better (be sure to read and adhere to the Terms of Service for each site). You can copy/paste from 1 blog to all others. Having different blog accounts is like having a publication in different newspapers. This enables you to attract more visitors and this also increases the chance that 1 of your blogs will be in the search engine results for your focused keywords.

8) Short & Concise
Aside from the lengthy article a week for syndication and publication your blog entries should be short & concise (if you can help it). Sometimes there are exceptions to the rule and you have no choice but to blog lengthy entries, but try to avoid this as much as possible. You do not want your blog entries to become hours of reading. Visitors like to easily find information and skim through your entries. It is good to be detailed and provide useful information, but do not include useless information or run away sentences that veer away from your topic. Stay keyword-focused.

9) Digital Art
Try to include non-advertising graphics, pictures, photos, and art in your blog entries. Not too much. Once a week is fine. Graphics can sometimes bring your blog to life. Of course, the content of the blog is the most important aspect and you do not want to overshadow your content with graphics, but displaying graphics can add a bit of spice to the blog. Be choosy about your graphics and make sure they fit your entry topic. You should add content with the graphic, at least a caption. Original graphics, photos, pictures, and art is recommended.

10) Keep it Personal
A blog is most successful when it is kept personal. Try to include personal experiences which relates to the topic of your blog entry. Stay away from the business style of writing. Write with a more personal style and use first-person narratives. Do not write any of your entries as sales letters, instead share product reviews and personal endeavors.

11) Interact With Your Visitors
You now have the traffic you deserve. You should begin interacting with your visitors. Create a regular theme such as: "Monday Money Tip" or "Picture of the Week" which entices your readers to look forward to each week.

Give your readers advance notice about a product, service, or topic which you are going to review and then talk about later. If the President was scheduled to give a speech then in your blog you should state that you "will discuss the speech and give your opinion after the speech airs. Comments will be appreciated".

Try your best to find exclusive information that not many have. Do not disclose any confidential or secret information which is deemed illegal or can potentially get you into trouble, but try to get the scoop before everyone else does. Such as: If your blog was about Paris Hilton (the socialite) and you had a blog entry about "Paris Hilton Getting Married" then it would be interesting to your readers if you had a actual picture of Paris Hilton engagement ring. Give your best effort to dig and search the internet for exclusive information and you will possibly come up with something useful. Your readers will appreciate this and they show their appreciation through word-of-mouth referrals. Imagine how many readers will tell their friends, family, and others about information they only can find at your blog.

12) Make Money
Once your blog has gained some real momentum and your blog traffic is increasing then it is time to start thinking about turning your traffic into profit. You should use contextual advertising, like Google Adsense or Chitika. Contextual advertising is usually text links which use the content of your blog to publish targeted ads on your blog. The payout is usually based on a pay-per-click model, meaning for ever click an ad receives you are paid a small percentage of the profits. In addition to contextual advertising it is good to also use graphical advertising such as: BlogAds.com, Amazon.com, MammaMedia, or General Sponsored Advertising.

13) You're a Professional
You're a professional now! What are you still doing with that free blog hosting service? It is time to upgrade to a domain hosted solution. You need to get a web host and choose a domain name for your blog then check its availability. Select the blogging software you wish to use, such as: Squarespace.com, WordPress.org, MovableType.org, TypePad, etc. When you have your new blog domain setup and ready for traffic then it is time for you to announce your move on all your previous blog accounts. Your last entry to the blog should be a "move" announcement. The title should be "Moved" and the blog entry should state something like "I have a new home for my blog, please bookmark and follow the link: http://www.YourNewBlogDomainName.com". This way all returning visitors and new readers should not have any problem finding your new blog domain. Plus, search engines can easily index and crawl your new blog, since your old blog should already be popular with the search engines.

At the level of a professional blogger you may want to team up with 1 or more other bloggers. This will create a more interesting and more powerful blog. The old saying "two heads is better than one", more authors mean more advertising and exposure because each author will have a vested interest in the blog. The idea of a team blog is to make it profitable and rewarding for all authors, while continuing to target the blog topic and keeping the blog interesting for visitors.

Following these blogging techniques should make your blogging experience much more rewarding. There is no guarantee that your blog will become popular or a household name, but the effort should at least put you one step closer. Making money online is not an overnight experience like many may think, but making money online is definitely a foreseeable possibility. As well, growing popularity on the web is not an overnight experience, but through time, dedication, and persistence you will be rewarded with all the royalties of blogging.


To learn more about successful blogging subscribe to the Journal Home Newsletter
Author Bio
Ant Onaf is the owner and founder of www.JournalHome.com where can author your own free blogs He is an online internet marketer, web advertiser, and IT consultant. Ant Onaf has years of IT-related experience and Internet-related experience. His ingenuity, dedication, and passion for technology & internet marketing have made him a monumental icon in the World Wide Web. His blog can be visited at www.journalhome.com/AntOnaf
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Invasion of the Blogs

By: Meryl K. Evans
Lemmings are cute, but dumb. If you tell them to jump off a cliff, they will. Just like the people who start blogs because everyone is doing it. Guess what happens after a little while? The blogs die.
In managing a list of many Web sites, most of which are blogs, I deleted countless sites from the list because the sites and blogs no longer existed. The people ran out of steam or had no reason to start them in the first place.
How do you know when a blog is right for your business? Learn why people start blogs, how they find their niche and how blogging tools can be used for more than blogs.
Blog content is king
Some people like to read blogs, others like to read newsletters, still others like to rely on feeds and some read a few or all of them. No matter the method the information is distributed, each medium has one thing in common: content. Having a blog connects your newsletter and your business with all of these readers and delivers important content in a particular style.
I've been blogging since June 2000. If you review my early blog entries in meryl's notes, you'll notice they're more personal. When blogs first hit the scene in the late '90s, they were personal diaries and journals. Like the blog business, my blog has transformed from personal to business speak, although I still add personal notes here and there.
A few bloggers tend to talk about their work, their products and their little world. That might work for celebrities where fans want to know everything about them, but it doesn't work for the average business person. Other business people want information on how to succeed and when a blog spends time hawking products offering information of no value, few people will return. The people whose products sell well are the ones who provide valuable information. Readers already know what kind of information they're getting, so they trust that when they buy something, it will be of the same or better quality. This value must be reflected in their blog. It's much like people who only sign up for a newsletter after first seeing an example.
Who should venture where one has not blogged before?
No one wants to be a lemming (I would hope). How do you decide whether or not to set up a blog? The answer isn't black or white (what did you expect?). Ask these questions:
· Can you regularly update it -- at least five times a week?
· Do you have something to say other than just linking to others?
· Do you read other blogs or feeds?
· Can you provide information of value to others not just to yourself?
· How large is your newsletter subscriber list?
· How many unique visitors do you get on an average day, week or month?
The big decider is whether or not you can write in the blog almost daily. The people behind the high traffic blogs post multiple times a day. Though resourceful, merely linking to other sites doesn't give visitors much reason to make the effort to come to yours. Reading other blogs or feeds is a great way to learn how to carry a discussion. Find other blogs covering topics similar to yours and check them out. Disagree with their opinions? Write about it and explain your reasons. Cross-blog discussions are common, and that's where trackback comes in handy.
Trackback is a blog feature. If you decide to comment on another blog posting in your blog instead of in that blog's comments page, then you link to the conversation through the trackback link. Trackback is similar to the permalink, the permanent URL for the blog entry, but it has a different URL for copying and pasting in your blog's trackback box.
Aside from the technical aspects of operating a blog on a daily basis, subscriber list size and Web site traffic are good indicators of what kind of reaction you'll get when opening a blog. Starting from scratch with little traffic means you have a long road ahead and lots of work to do. There is no magic formula anyone can sell you for $97 to make your blog an overnight success. But with some perseverance and ingenuity, your blog can engage many prospects and clients.
Pick a niche
Considering there are numerous blogs out there, pick a niche topic when starting a blog for a better shot at attracting and keeping an audience. meryl's notes focuses on three areas: webby, geeky and wordy. In reality, this is too much. What I need to do for my readers is create three separate blog entry points, so those interested in writing, newsletters and Internet marketing get nothing but the wordy entries. Those interested in Web design get the webby stuff and the technophiles receive the geeky content.
I also manage a personal blog separate from meryl's notes. It's about cochlear implants and deafness. This could fall under the geeky category, but it's a personal blog and doesn't belong in meryl's notes. This blog is written for a different audience.
The blogging tools for both of my blogs come with syndication capabilities so those using feed readers or aggregators can read the content through the software. For an explanation of syndication and feed readers, refer to What Is This RSS, XML, RDF, and Atom Business? When sending a new issue of a newsletter, comment on it or link to it in the blog, that way the blog and feed readers will get the goods, so all three bases are covered.
Blogs in disguise use the same tools
Blogging tools aren't just for, well, blogging. Such tools are an excellent way to help you update your Web site more often than you otherwise would. I use it to manage the list of tableless Web sites. Using blogging tools is much easier than the way I managed it before, updating the HTML files by hand. Though using a blog tool, it isn't a blog. In this case, the blog tool has become a content management system (CMS).
Small business owners don't have a need for the fancy and pricey CMSes out there. They find it easier to use blogging software to manage their sites or hire someone to adapt the tool for their site. Women's Spirituality is one such site. Karen Casey may not use the blog, but she does have discussions surrounding the articles she writes.
Blogs have found a place in businesses and people are finding creative ways to use them. Some companies have a blog on the intranet for communicating project status, jeopardies and metrics. They're used for knowledge management. With information pouring in, blog tools provide a way to share, organize and process the information.
Being a follower can be good or bad. No one wants to walk off a cliff with the lemmings, but everyone wants to succeed. Best practices won't help, since the decision to blog is based on the organization's mission, needs and goals along with its target market's desires and needs. A blog about lemmings? There is one, sort of. Or maybe you'd like to start your own and talk about dumb business moves.

Author Bio
Meryl K. Evans (www.meryl.net), Content Maven, is the editor of eNewsletter Journal and Shavlik's The Remediator Security Digest. She writes columns for PC Today, InformIT, and MarketingProfs. Contact her to get content that inspires action.
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Can Gadgets Get You to Dream?

After learning about the phenomenon of lucid dreaming, everyone always has the same burning question: How can I learn to have lucid dreams? While the best method for teaching yourself how to have a lucid dream varies from person-to-person, there are a few principles that are widely accepted in the lucid dreaming community:

· Performing habitual reality checks
· Recognizing dream signs
· Improving dream recall
· Using a lucid dream machine or mechanical lucid dream aid

Using a gadget or a device to induce lucid dreaming (called an "externally induced lucid dream") is much easier than having a lucid dream on your own. While a lucid dream machine will not automatically induce a lucid dream, the use of such lucid dream devices is instrumental in most lucid dreamers' methodology.

Types of Lucid Dreaming Aids

Lucid dream aids fall into a few broad categories:

· Dream Masks
· Tone Generators
· Biofeedback Mechanisms
· Vibrating Devices
· Drugs

By far, the most reliable of these is the dream mask while the most tenuous is the use of drugs. For obvious reasons, imbibing chemicals or hormones is largely cautioned against for lucid dream induction. The potential health hazards as well as the question of whether or not someone is having a lucid dream or merely a fevered delusion rules out the use of pills for lucid dream induction.

Dream masks, on the other hand, are biologically unobtrusive and induce natural lucid dreams. Some dream masks, such as The Dream Mask by The Dream Mask LLC, couple the strengths of dream masks with other technology, such as the tone generator.

How Dream Masks Work

Dream masks work by detecting the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage in sleep and alerting your subconscious that you are dreaming. The REM cycle is the best indicator that someone is receptive to lucid dreams. On average, a person has about four or five REM cycles throughout the night. Each one is an opportunity to induce a lucid dream.

The Dream Mask does this on two fronts. When the Dream Mask detects that have entered into a receptive dream state, flashing LED lights are activated that can be seen through your eyelids. These lights mimic the natural flashes and tracers that you see while falling asleep and cue your mind to awaken and begin lucid dreaming.

LED lights can be adjusted and programmed to flash at different intervals throughout the night. In this way, the Dream Mask can be customized to bet fit the users' sleep cycle.

The Dream Mask also includes a tone generator. Like an alarm clock, the tone generator wakes up part of your mind, but allows you to keep dreaming. Some people train themselves to respond to auditory cues by becoming aware and entering a lucid dream, such that the induction happens on a completely subconscious level. Others use the Dream Masks' tone generation capabilities in conjunction with the LED lights.

Supplemental Techniques

As with any tool, you can get the most out of the Dream Mask by learning a few additional techniques. Once you are in a lucid dream induced by the Dream Mask, you'll want to retain your awareness. One way to do this is by doing a "reality check." Make a habit of asking yourself throughout the day, "Am I awake or am I dreaming?" This habit will carry over into your dreams, and by asking yourself this you will be able to retain your lucidity.

You can also learn to recognize dream signs. Dream signs are telltale indicators that you are in a dream and help you to realize that you are, in fact dreaming. These include:

· Failed electronics.
· Odd lighting.
· Disproportional objects.
· Inability to run.
· Ability to pass objects through your body.
· Altered passage or perception of time.
· Garbled letters on signs.

Many people also find it useful to repeat affirmations to themselves as they fall asleep. Saying to yourself, "I will control my dreams," or "I will dream that I am flying," over and over will keep the notion in your mind as you transfer over to the dream world.

For some people, having a lucid dream is easier when on an irregular sleep pattern. Waking up in the middle of the night and spending about 30 to 60 minutes thinking about or reading about lucid dreaming can "prime" the mind for a lucid dream. Others find that merely going to bed at a different time or skipping a night of sleep can bring about a lucid dream.

In order to consistently experience lucid dreams, it is best to combine lucid dream techniques with lucid dream machines. By covering both the psychological and mechanical fronts, you'll greatly increase your chances of inducing a lucid dream.
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Short Run Digital Printing in New York

New York is one of America’s top three most populated states and New York City takes top honor as the “Big Apple”. With the number of people and businesses in the area, a large number of them have the need for overnight short run digital printing, which is why they say you can find the best printer in New York City.

Short Run digital HP Indigo printing is a very popular form of printing that uses liquid ink digital technology to produce super high quality printing that rival’s traditional offset printing. Traditional offset printing technology, which has been around for many years requires the making a plate before any printing can take place. This step adds cost and time to the production process. In today’s fast paced world it is harder and harder for businesses to wait a week or so to get their marketing materials, brochures or other custom printed products back in their hands. Time is money as they say. Digital printing technology has become so sophisticated in recent years that now many professional printers have adopted digital printing to meet their customers’ needs for very fast turnaround on small quantities’ of flyers, business cards and other printed products. Using digital printing technology makes for a much more “green” printer. Since there are no metal plates to be made and because the “make ready” process for digital printing creates a lot less waste, digital printing is much better for the environment.


Room for Growth for Digital Printing

Technology is continuously advancing, which is why even New York City print shops are growing with the use of digital printing. The quality of digital printing is improving every year, giving more businesses the opportunities to save money on their printing needs while getting faster turnaround and higher quality. And because a digital print shop takes up a lot less space than a traditional offset printing plant it is still economical for companies like Influence Graphics to be located in the heart of a major metropolitan city like New York City. This offers print customers the convenience of working with a local print shop while still getting the highest quality of printing available.

Today, digital printing has completely revolutionized the printing industry with regards to cost and quality of the prints. From digital printing comes short run printing. We all want things to be done as quickly as possible without compromising the quality of the print and without having to pay a lot of money. With short run printing and digital printing, we no longer have to wait for several days before we can get our hands on our prints. This is now considered to be the standard in terms of digital printing.

Short run digital printing done in New York City is a trade secret, because not too many average New Yorkers are aware that digital print shops still exist in the heart of NYC. But more and more companies and businesses are starting take advantage of what short run digital printing in New York offers. Short run printing is giving the consumers the chance to place small orders at a very economical cost. Some printing jobs require orders to be in bulk to make the project cost effective. With short run digital printing, customers can place small orders. In fact, small orders can often be printed and then delivered to the client overnight.

When you need to get short run digital printing services in New York, the best print shop to visit is Influence Graphics. This print shop guarantees quality digital printing services for your business cards, company brochures, invitations, booklets, flyers, or post cards. Jobs printed at Influence Graphics are so economical and fast that you will be able to get what you need in no time at all. Trust Influence Graphics to give every project they receive the utmost attention accorded to special clients like you. Why look elsewhere for a print shop? There is no need to worry about how your print project will turn out because short run digital printing in New York is now available at Influence Graphics.
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Make Your Own Energy

Now that I've got my own windmill-driven power source, I've just got to tell everyone "why" and "how!"

Renewable Energy Solutions

Now that our world is slowly moving to the much-dreaded energy crisis, it is important that we reduce our dependency on non-renewable sources of energy. Non-renewable sources being renewable are about to get extinct. Renewable energy solutions refer to those energy solutions that can keep churning energy without exhausting the resources.

Three types of energy solutions fall into the category of renewable energy solutions: solar energy solutions, hydro energy solutions, and wind energy solutions.

Solar energy solutions: The sun's energy is the most abundant energy available on earth. Make use of this free energy. You can employ solar power solutions at home. This will not only cut down power bills but also help you contribute to a greener world. Solar power solutions comprise of solar cookers, solar heating systems, solar lighting systems, solar dryers etc.

The sun has always been a source of heat energy and light energy. With the advancement of technology, the sun's energy can be used to create other forms of energy.

The solar energy systems have many advantages apart from being cost-effective and environment-friendly. They are low on maintenance thus saving your time and effort.

Also, solar systems give you a return on investment very soon, thus making the systems free after some time. Cooking with solar energy is also considered extremely healthy. Families have started employing solar energy as a power solution at their homes.

Hydro energy solutions: The hydro energy or water energy is an effective renewable energy. One can convert the hydro energy into electrical energy to run vehicles and various electrical appliances. Hydro energy is typically generated on a large scale. It has been estimated that 90 percent of the electrical energy produced by renewable resources is produced solely by hydro power. Dams are built to help generate electricity by tapping the water power.

There have been some concerns about using this energy because it is supposed to adversely affect the water-borne flora and fauna.

Wind energy solutions: Windmills were in existence even in the years before the birth of Christ. They helped tow boats and pump water. Eventually, post-industrialization, they became a source for generating electricity.

Windmills and wind turbines have never been pass. Wind energy can help generate tonnes of megawatts of electricity. When employed at individual estates, it can help do away with conventional power sources. An excellent renewable source of energy, the wind energy will go a long way in promising a good future to generations to come.

Solar Power Solutions at Home

With energy sources depleting at a rate faster than they are being built, it is only wise that we use the abundant energy available for free - the solar energy. Apart from the easy availability, solar energy helps control environmental pollution. Most of us shy away from installing solar power solutions at home thinking them to be expensive and cumbersome. You will, however, be surprised to know how easy it is to employ these power solutions. Moreover, these will help cut down your power bills. Finally, you will be delighted to know tat you are doing your bit to save power for the future generations.

Solar cooker: A solar cooker is a cooking utensil that uses absolutely no fuel for cooking. You can cook food for up to five people in the small box. If you are thinking that using a solar cooker will reduce your chances of spreading up a varied platter on the dining table, you will be surprised to know that you can not only boil food items in the cooker but also roast and bake! The only limitation with the solar cooker is the time it takes to cook. However, given the free source of energy it uses, this is a great option for cutting down those sky-rocketing bills and saving some power.

Solar home lighting: A solar home lighting system converts solar energy into electrical energy for your home. This is done via cells that are charged with solar energy. So, in the night, if you wonder how the lights are on in the house, it is because of the solar energy stored in the solar cells. You can install the solar home lighting system in your house and not worry about the electricity bills anymore.

Solar heating system: Installing a solar heating system in your home helps cutting down your electricity bill along with saving the world's quickly-exhausting power. If you are worried that a solar heating system will turn your sweet home into a gadget house or that it will be an expensive investment, your concerns are misplaced. Companies providing solar power solutions for homes make it a point to install aesthetically-pleasing heating systems in your house. As per as expenditure is concerned, investing in a solar heating system is wise because you get a return on your investment within 3-4 years, giving you absolutely free service after that.

Wind Power Solutions at Home

With the world's ever-increasing demand of power being more than its supply, it is about time that we take concrete steps to save power. Apart from being conscious about the usage of power and water at home, one can employ pollution-free and cost-effective power solutions at our homes. Solar power solutions and wind power solutions are the two of the most efficient solutions that can replace the conventional power solutions employed at our homes.

These solutions can help you combat power outages, reduce your electricity bills, and also help the environment.

This article will explore the cost-effective wind power solution that you can employ at home.

Wind power solutions work best when the following conditions are met:

*You have a house or farmhouse spread over a big area. Typically, wind power solutions are employed in areas that spread over an acre.

*The average wind speed in your area is around 11 miles per hour. If you stay in a place that has little wind flow, your system will not work. Consult an expert before installing the wind power solution at home.

*You need to draw water from external sources. You can install a wind power system even when you do not need to draw water from outside. However, if you need to draw water from outside on a regular basis, a wind power system offers the best solution.

*Your house needs a lot of uninterrupted power supply. Combating those power outages is easy with the pollution-free wind power systems. You need no longer worry about a break in your work because of a power uncertainty.

A typical wind power system comprises of a tower and five blades to churn out wind energy. The length of the wind tower varies depending on the location of your house. You may need a longer tower if you are in low-wind zone; you can work with a shorter tower if you live by the beach. Using a wind generator, this wind energy can be converted into useful electrical energy to be employed at home for running various electrical appliances. You can even store the power generated for later use, making wind generators more efficient than convention power systems.

If you are confused with the wind power jargon, here's a piece of information for you. The terms, wind mills, wind turbines, and wind generators are used to refer to the same machine.

Bio Fuels -- Are They Good?

As the term suggests, bio-fuels are fuels that are formed when biological matter decomposes. The bio-fuels are mostly derived from plants. Bio-fuels exist in all the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas.

Difference between bio-fuels and fossil fuels...

Bio-fuels are different from fossil fuels in the following ways:

*Fossil fuels take a million years to build whereas bio-fuels can be made extremely fast, in a matter of days.

*Fossil fuels generate huge amounts of pollution. Bio-fuels are comparatively safer.

*Bio-fuels are renewable sources of energy unlike fossil fuels.

Different types of bio-fuels...

Bio-fuels have been categorized into four types: first generation, second generation, third generation, and fourth generation.

The first generation bio-fuels are derived from vegetable fats, starch, and sugar, which are in turn derived from food-crops. The first generation fuels are also derived from animal fats. Biogas, bio-diesel, and vegetable oil are some examples of this type of bio-fuels.

The second generation of bio-fuels is mainly derived from waste biomass, thus making it a more balanced option compared to the first-generation bio-fuels. Different kinds of alcohols and diesel generated from wood fall into the category of second generation bio-fuels.

The third generation comprises of bio-fuels derived from algae. Algae are farmed on large scales for creating these bio-fuels. The algae fuels are extremely environment-friendly as they can easily decompose into the soil without harming it.

The bio-fuels in the fourth generation are derived by a method in which micro-organisms are raised to work with carbon dioxide to generate fuel.

Advantages of bio-fuels Bio-fuels prove advantageous in the following ways:

*Bio-fuels lessen the burden on gradually-vanishing fossil fuels.

*Bio-fuels are environment-friendly. They help reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

*Bio-fuels, especially, bio-diesel prove to be very cost-effective for consumers.

Disadvantages of bio-fuels Bio-fuels are not bereft of criticism. Though beneficial for the environment, bio-fuels have its disadvantages, paradoxically in the environmental purview. Bio-fuels have received criticism for many reasons, a couple of which are stated below:

*Economists have long debated on the usefulness of first generation bio-fuels when compared to the lack of food they cause. Generating fuel from food crops makes food crops unworthy of human consumption. Some people believe that being a higher priority than fuel, food should not be farmed for making fuels but for human consumption.

*Making bio-fuels require acres of farming land, thus encroaching upon the natural habitat of plants and animals.
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Using Technology to Stay Connected

Perhaps technology is too general a term. The "internet" would be a more specific term. When the Internet was in its infancy, we could only read text in the form of static web pages or email. But that was a long time ago. The Internet rapidly maturing. There are a plethora of applications that are freely available for download. These applications allow internet users to connect with one another for free.

The birth of instant messengers and chat applications.

Those who have been surfing the Internet for the past decade or so will be familiar with instant messengers and chat applications. In the early days, the popular chat application was IRC (Internet Relayed Chat). To chat with others, we had to connect to a chat server, and join a "chat room". Once there, we could either chat with everyone else, or click on a nick and start a personal chat. Chatting in this context simply means typing messages that are relayed to the server, which it turn appear on the other party's screen. The process is almost instantaneous. It was a lot of fun to chat and make friends in IRC chat rooms.

Shortly after that, someone came up with the idea of instant chat, but without having to login to chat rooms. We saw the first instant messenger taking the world by storm - ICQ. In just a few short years, ICQ gained millions of users all over the world.

To use ICQ, you need to download a small application, which you will install onto your computer. Once installed, you will be able to add friends to your list. Of course, your friends will also need ICQ to be installed so that both of you can chat. Through this process, the popularity of ICQ continued to grow.

It wasn't long before the big players wanted a piece of the action. Soon, we saw Microsoft, AOL, and Yahoo coming up with their own instant messengers. They all work in similar ways. Google is the newest player to launch an instant chat application - Google Talk.

Google Talk stands out among all the other chat applications because it is more lightweight, and being lightweight, it is extremely fast loading. Recently, this application was updated with voice and video. In the past, instant messengers have never tread into the domain of voice and video. Google Talk is not the first to offer this capability, but it is not late to the party either. Google Talk performs voice and video calls very well compared to the competition. This means that with the application, you can call anyone in the world for free. To do so, only your PC, an Internet connection, and a copy of Google Talk are required. Of course, the other party needs the same.

Instead of just using text to stay connected, you can now use text, voice, and video. Miss anyone recently? Perhaps Google Talk can help!
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