Getting used to a new operating system is always hard, but there are many little tips and tricks that you can learn along the way to make the transition much easier.

One of the tools available in Windows that I use all the time is the Menu Bar. This is the bar across the top of most program windows that includes items like; File, Edit, View, Tools, Insert, Help, etc. The “Tools” menu is especially helpful when I want to change the settings for a program or window.

Let me give you a quick example:

When I am hunting for a file, it is not always visible with the default windows settings, so I have to be able to view hidden files. To turn these hidden files on, I click on “Tools” in the menu bar, then click on “Folder Options” and then click on the “View” tab in the folder options window. On the View page, I can quickly scroll down and click on “Show hidden files and folders”, then I click the “OK” button to save my changes. Once I have followed these steps, it is much easier to find the file that I am hunting for, especially if it is a hidden system file. Once I have found my file, I can quickly go back and follow the steps above to turn off the hidden files by clicking on “Do not show hidden files or folders”.

In Windows Vista, the menu bar is not visible in most windows. I find the loss of these menu bars very frustrating because I am always changing settings using those menus. If you are reading this article on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows Vista, check it out; click on “Start”, then click on “Documents” you will see the contents of your documents folder, but unless you have turned on the menu bars, you will not see them. I cannot tell you how many times I was stumped by the absence of these menu bars when I first started using Windows Vista computers!

Today, however, I have good news for you! If you are working on a computer that is running Vista, and you need to make a change or two that you know you used to be able to find in the menu bar, you can make the menu bar temporarily visible in Vista just by tapping the “Alt” key on your keyboard!

If you are using Vista, try it now by following these steps;

1. Open a window by clicking on the “Start” orb (new name for the round buttons in Vista and Office 2007″ and then click on “Documents” in the right hand side of the start menu.

2. Your documents window will open. You will notice that there is no menu bar showing though.

3. Now, tap the “Alt” key on your keyboard just once. The menu bar will appear near the top of the window. It will stay visible until you use it, or until you tap the “Alt” key again.

I can’t begin to tell you how much time this little trick has saved me when I am using or working on computers!


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When I first started in computers, one of the most confusing things that I ran across was how to set up a home network. The differences between hubs, routers, Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) and cabling were a mystery to me. But after much trial and error and built-up experience I managed to figure things out and some of that information I will share with you now.

There are two basic types of networks that I’m going to talk about in this article first being the infamous ICS or Internet Connection Sharing. ICS is usually implemented by connecting multiple computers through the hub to a single computer. Let’s say we have three computers, Computer A, Computer B and Computer C. Computer A has enjoyed a high speed Internet connection and after a while, Computer B and C want to get in on the action! In order to implement ICS, we would have to connect Computers B and C to a hub.

A hub is basically a switch that allows any computer hooked up to it to communicate with any other computer hooked up to the hub. So with all three computers hooked up to it, we would set the network up on the computers to use ICS. Computers B and C would be told that they’re going to connect to the Internet through another computer that has a high-speed Internet connection. While Computer A would be configured to enjoy its high-speed connection as it did before.

Like this, Computers B and C would enjoy a relatively fast connection to the Internet as would Computer A. The problem here starts when all three computers are accessing the Internet at the same time. Computers B and C would enjoy a relatively fast connection to the Internet while Computer A would suffer some moderate slowdowns because it not only has to handle its own traffic but the traffic of the other two computers as well. The user on Computer A is going to get quite upset if Computers B and C decide to download files at the same time. Because downloading a file is such a data intensive process, demanding large amounts of data be transferred from the Internet as fast as possible, Computers A may suffer some severe speed problems because of the demand being put on it from the other two computers.

Unfortunately because of the fact that the hub does not have built-in firewall or any other such software that can protect the computers behind the hub Computers A must also be running Windows firewall in the background which provides an additional performance hit.

So although the ICS is the cheapest way to go, it is definitely not the speediest way to go. In fact, to be honest, I would only follow this route if the users of Computers B and C had something against the user of Computer A and want to get even!

The second type of setup that I’m going to talk about it is the router based set up. Nice thing about the router is that most routers are very intelligent. They have built-in firewalls, parental controls, can block sites or even allow users to have access to your network from the outside if they know the proper passwords and/or ports to connect through. No additional software is required that might add a performance hit and all three computers get configured the same way.

To hook up or router you simply plug a cable from your Internet connection into the router then plug the three computers into the router as well. When you set up your computers you tell networking software that all three will computers have direct access to the Internet. There is some setup involved with router as is usual with any complicated piece of hardware but usually it is very painless and if you follow the instructions, quite easy!

The nice thing about router set up is that once it is set, up all three computers enjoy the same speed advantages of being on a high-speed Internet. No one computer is impacted by the fact that someone else is downloading a file. In fact, all three can download a file at the same time and still enjoy impressive speed while doing so! Face it guys this is the network that you want to set up if your wife is on Computer A!

Routers tend to be a little more expensive than hubs but the advantages of having them a part your network far outweigh any price difference. So if you must go with ICS, then do so with pride! But personally, I would recommend spending the extra money to go the “router route”!

The digital generation gap is defined as the occurrence of a child who is much more computer savvy than their parent! The gap is slowly closing as those who were school age before computers became commonplace get older. However, the digital generation gap can lead to problems such as online predators, exposure to inappropriate material and identity theft. I say the best approach is the two pronged common sense combined with a quick overview of parental control settings and computer monitoring software!

When researching this article I was surprised to discover that the most basic form of prevention seems to be being overlooked! Simply being present and communicating with the younger computer savvy household member goes a long way. Never discount your presence whether you are actually engaged in the situation or not I fully suggest faking it! It stands to reason then, that computers be kept in an area of the house that is occupied and busy. For example the living room or family room verses a bedroom or basement. Intentionally walk by in a manner that you would potentially be able to see what is on the screen. I have learned from experience that peering over the youngsters shoulder might cause a less than favorable reaction. However, meandering around innocently gets the message of your potential intrusion across!

The second painfully simple and overlooked form of prevention is communication. Simply speak with your child about how they are spending their time on the computer. And be open with your child about the potential dangers of internet use. Here is where you interject your annoying suggestions and misuse of cool sayings. You may even ask for a lesson or two although, depending on the cunningness of your youngster you may not want to expose your level of technical ignorance.

This two pronged approach is intended to be run simultaneously. Therefore, while implying that you can and will snoop at any given moment you should also truly do a little research and familiarize yourself with your computer.

In all seriousness it is your responsibility to protect against online predators. This unfortunately is an all too common problem that is the downfall of the incredible information and communication system. Type in keywords such as computer monitoring software, internet monitoring software and parental controls to do some comparison shopping and purchase a reasonably priced software. Roll your sleeves up and get started! The irony here is that all the knowledge you need, in any learning style you prefer is there, waiting to be accessed. Hint: Getnetwise.org is a website with extensive safety information for kids and teens. Ask your house techi for some assistance and familiarize yourself. You will be thrilled at the feeling of empowerment you have at being able to answer any question with a few keystrokes and clicks. The amount of knowledge and speed of communication is priceless!

Although the digital generation gap is getting smaller, children are still overall more computer savvy than their parents. To avoid the potential problems of online predators, exposure to inappropriate material and identity theft it is time to brush up your communication and computer skills!


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Having enough bandwidth for your servers won’t do you any good if there isn’t enough power at your data center. Power allocation in data centers is becoming an increasing problem these days with rising oil prices and increasing power costs. In the past it was enough to simply supply equal power throughout the racks, with little or no concern for the distribution. But as times are changing, there’s a need to rethink the way the power is allocated in data centers. Costs of cooling and supplying power make it necessary to implement a new strategy for distributing power throughout the data center.

Start by Measuring

The first step in an effective energy management solution and power allocation is to start by measuring the current power consumption and needs of the data center. To do this, the data center will need to have both hardware and software components working hand-in-hand to address the following areas:

? wasted energy

? overuse of power by certain applications

? overheating

? “hot spots”

? air conditioning

Responsible Power Allocation

Once these issues are addressed, measured and monitored, the data center can create an effective plan for allocating their power usage. An effective solution should include the following components:

? Integrated Information- Data centers should start by having a consolidated view of the power requirements including those of regulating the temperature and allocating the power to all applications with the data center.

? Flexible power management- The ability to manage power within a data center is useless if it isn’t flexible. Part of responsible power management is the ability to change with changing needs. The data center should have the ability to either manually or automatically re-allocate power needs to servers or groups of servers. These changes should be based on the needs and power usages of the facility such as air conditioning, power and equipment.

? View system usages- The ability to look at how the power is being used is crucial to effectively managing it. This way the data center can make sure that all components of the center are being used efficiently before any new systems are added. Components to look at include: air conditioning, power and space requirements.

? Management of processors and resources- The ability to manage these two components allows the data center to make the most efficient use of power consumption in order to achieve the maximum efficiency in the data center.

? Proper power allocation for each server- Not all servers require the same amount of power and energy. Depending on the size, usage and bandwidth some servers require more bandwidth than others. An effective power management solution recognizes this need and has the ability to allocate more power to servers that need it and less to those that do not.

? The ability to feed energy-use information to chargeback applications- In this way, the data center has the ability to monitor which servers are using what. That is to say, which servers are using the most power, creating the most heat and requiring the most air conditioning. This way, individual servers can be held accountable for their consumption and it allows the data center to find creative ways to monitor and effectively allocate resources.

When taken as a whole, all of these components are important in order to create an effective energy solution. When a data center takes these steps to allocate their power responsibly, they not only help the daily operations of the data center, but they also help the end users as well as take responsibility for the environmental factors involved. Cost savings that come with responsible power usage are passed on to the customers. Additionally customers can feel assured that their servers will receive the amount of power that is needed, without taking away power from other servers. This is an important factor when choosing a data center to host your servers.


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The iPhone has become the latest and the hottest technological innovation when it comes to gadgetry. When it was first introduced in the market, even as a concept phone, it was already a sure hit. For one, it merged everything that those who seek for technological convenience could ask for. This is also true with the preference of all the technology buffs out there. To simply place the reason behind this phone’s hit, one will have to note that it provides for a three way service. For one, it allows the most number of media that could be played in one phone. This means that it can serve as a palmtop. Second, it provides for what the most advanced phones could do. Finally, this phone is a communication device an iPod all at the same time.

iPhone is actually the innovative idea of Apple Inc. It has partnered with a lot of carriers in order to extend the usability of the phone all over the world. With carriers like Telefonica, T-Mobile, 3, Orange, America Movil, AT&T, Rogers, SoftBank, SingTel, Swisscom, TIM, Vodaphone, Telstra and Teliasonera, the iPhone can be used anywhere in the globe. It is accessible in all of the states in the USA and the members of the Commonwealth and the United Kindgdom of Great Britain, Scotland and Northern Ireland like Australia and the likes. In other European countries like France, Germany, Austria, Holland, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Belgium, Poland, etc. the phone has their own carriers. Northern and Latin America could also make use of the phone. Countries there include Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Panama, Nicaragua, etc. Asian countries like the Philippines, Singapore, Japan, etc. have as much communication signal as the Middle Eastern and some African countries.

Other than connectivity, among the things that make the iPhone a real hit is its appearance. For one, it has a wide LCD colored screen that measures 89mm, 480 x 320 px in a ratio of 3:2. It is a compact phone with 3 general sizes for both the original and the 3G phones. These sizes are 115 mm, 61 mm and 11.6 mm for the original and 12.3 mm for the 3G. The original phone only weighs in at 135 grams while the 3G is at 133 grams.

Yet, the real catch when it comes to iPhone is its internal drive. When the usual phone could only give as much, this phone gives everything that one could possibly imagine. In saying so, one will have to start with its amazing memory capacity which runs up to 128 MB. What’s more is that even if the phone memory might prove to be lacking, there are still other storage options like its own 16 GB flash memory. Furthermore, the phone has a port that accommodates USB devices. Other features include other ports like a headphone jack, an 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi and a 2.0 + EDR Bluetooth.

True enough, the iPhone does deliver the most sophisticated and advanced communication technology one could get his/ her hands on at this present moment.

If you’ve never been the victim of a computer virus, you may think that all of the uproar over these nasty little programs is making much ado out of nothing. You may even be thinking that computer security experts and anti-virus companies are using scare tactics to sell anti-virus software. After all, the bigger the problem, the more software people buy. Today, the anti-virus business is worth several billion dollars and it shows no sign of slowing down.

So, with all of this money at risk, you are certainly justified in wondering whether computer viruses really are as big a problem as the industry says they are.

Unfortunately, the answer is that they absolutely are. If you get a virus, you could actually lose your money, your identity and your computer’s hard drive. With new viruses being developed constantly, the problem continues to grow. While many viruses are more annoying than destructive, even a “harmless” virus can use up valuable resources. The worst viruses can spread worldwide in a few days and wreak unbelievable havoc. The damage from one infamous virus can mean billions of dollars in lost business opportunities and damaged equipment.

With all of this bad news, is there any good news for computer users? Take this quick risk quiz:

1. Does your computer have antivirus software installed on it?

If you can say yes, you are much less a risk than people that don’t have antivirus software. If you say no, than it is only a matter of time until you find out about viruses personally.

2. Does your computer have a firewall installed on it?

If your response is yes again, you can relax a bit. You’re doing all you can do software wise to keep your computer safe from a deadly virus. If you say no again, you are leaving your computer wide open for an attack.

Despite all of the media attention paid to antivirus software, people still have the “It can’t happen to me.” mentality. They laugh off warnings to protect their computers and say that they are working just fine. They think that because they never actually initiate a file download or send and receive files with friends, they are safe. A few months go by and suddenly they can’t get their computers to boot up forever and then when they finally do start, they plod along at a snail’s pace.

To make things worse, quite a few of these computer users who leave their computers unprotected are actually taking classes for computer related careers. They are completely at sea when they have to try to repair the damage caused by a virus filled computer. Perhaps a basic class on computer care and repair is in order!

You are probably wondering how viruses develop anyway. Hackers are the people creating these nasty bugs, right? Actually, while some hackers may decide to create computer viruses, most of them spend all of their waking hours attempting to break in to the most secure and top secret systems they can find. People who write viruses are people with an ax to grind. They want to send a wake up message or show people that they are superior to them. Today, many people are concerned that computer viruses could be used as a terrorist weapon.

If you do get a computer virus, will you lose everything on your hard drive? It actually is rare for this type of virus to spread very fast or far. Annoying viruses that stop you from starting your computer or using windows or those that mail spoof emails to your entire email address book are much more common. The hard drive is usually recoverable when the computer has one of these viruses.

What about your financial and personal information? Are viruses really likely to swipe them from the computer. Absolutely. This is a common reason that viruses are created and spread.

Is there any way to keep your computer virus free? While no anti-virus software is foolproof, installing one of these programs can provide some protection. While there are anti-virus software programs that provide better protection, any of them will help somewhat. Even free anti-virus programs are actually able to ward off at least some viruses.

After reading this information on viruses and anti-virus software, you have probably resolved to get protection for your computer right away. If so, you won’t be sorry. Dealing with viruses after you are infected is frustrating and time consuming. It is so much easier to keep a disaster from happening instead of trying to reconstruct a ton of missing data and worry about identity or financial thefts after the fact.

The concept of social networking is used in many ways today. Some consider it as total fun while others consider them precious to get into some serious relationships. Social networking is actively used for business promotion too. Whatever the use may be, Social networking websites have become a must have for every grown up human being.

The Social Networking Concept

There are thousands of Social Networking websites that are available today. However, not all of them serve the same purpose. Some of those websites are dedicated to business networking and some others entirely for school and college buddies to stay in touch. Though social networking websites differ in their mode of usage, all of them have the same concept – “active communication”. Let it be a social networking website for dating, or a social network of professional businessmen, all these websites enable people to find more contacts and also to re-kindle old relationships.

The ease of use

Almost all the social networking websites follow the same procedures. After making a free registration, you will be able to put up your own social networking profile. The profile page is the one that makes the first impression. The profile page must be the best and unique to make it highlight in the social media crowd. Social networking websites like myspace enable the users to use custom designed profile pages. There are many professional social networking web designers who can create stunning profile pages for myspace. You can also get professional help from them for setting up unique profiles.

Once the profile page is setup, it’s time to gather friends. Getting friends in a social networking website is real fun and easy. You can search for new friends wherever you wish and also connect to your old friends and rekindle the relationships. Businessmen can find more people of the same interest and share ideas and thoughts. The social networking websites are the excellent platforms for business promotion.

Creating your own social networking websites

With the increasing popularity of social networking, many professional web designers are now designing social networking websites for personal and business purposes. You can create professional social networking websites like myspace and facebook with the help of these social networking web designers. As the saying goes, “Make new friends and keep the old”, creating your own social networking website will make it easy to find your old friends. In general, social networking sites are a great way to meet new people, make friends, and connect with people from your past. You can build relationships, build a reputation, or build a business with these social networking websites.

If you are not into the world of Social Networking yet, you are missing a great part of your joyful life and successful business promotion.


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