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The Basics of SEO - Some FAQs

2009-08-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

by: Glenn Murray

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a foreign field to a lot of people. Rarely does a day go by when I don't get asked a few questions on the subject. So I've decided to post this FAQ article in the hopes that it will help people understand the basics, and make them a little more comfortable with the whole domain.

Q: Why are search engines important to me?

A: 85% of all website traffic is driven by search engines. The only online activity more popular than search is email. 79.2% of US users don't go to page 2 of search results. 42% of users click on the no.1 result. For the under-40 age-group, the Internet will become the most used media in the next 2-3 years.

Q: How do search engines decide on their rankings?

A: IMPORTANT: You cannot pay a search engine in return for a high ranking in the natural results. You can only get a high ranking if your content is seen as relevant by the search engines.
Search engines identify relevant content for their search results by sending out ¡¥spiders¡¦ or ¡¥robots¡¦ which ¡¥crawl¡¦ (analyze) your site and ¡¥index¡¦ (record) its details. Complex algorithms are then employed to determine whether your site is useful and should be included in the search engine¡¦s search results.

Q: Can't I just pay for a high ranking?

A: No. The biggest concern for search engine companies like Google and Yahoo is finding content that will bring them more traffic (and thus more advertising revenue). In other words, their results must be relevant. Relevant results makes for a good search engine; irrelevant results makes for a short-lived search engine.

Most search engines these days return two types of results whenever you click Search:

„X Natural/Organic ¡V The ¡¥real¡¦ search results. The results that most users are looking for and which take up most of the window. For most searches, the search engine displays a long list of links to sites with content which is related to the word you searched for. These results are ranked according to how relevant and important they are.
„X Paid ¡V Pure advertising. This is how the search engines make their money. Advertisers pay the search engines to display their ad whenever someone searches for a word which is related to their product or service. These ads look similar to the natural search results, but are normally labeled ¡§Sponsored Links¡¨, and normally take up a smaller portion of the window.

Q: How do I get a high ranking?

A: There are four main steps:
Step 1 - Use the right words on your website
Step 2 - Get lots of relevant sites to link to yours
Step 3 - Use the right words in those links
Step 4 - Have lots of content on your site & add more regularly

Q: What is search engine optimization (SEO)?

A: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the art of creating a website which is search engine-friendly. This means:
„X using the right words in your copy
„X using the right words in your HTML code
„X structuring your site properly
„X designing your site properly

For more information on these 4 elements, download our free 'SEO Secrets' eBook from divinewrite.com/seosecrets.htm.

Many people use SEO to also describe the other ingredient in a high ranking, 'Link Popularity'.

Q: What is link popularity?

A: Think of the search engines as a big election. All the websites in the world are candidates. The links to your website are votes. The more votes (links) a candidate (website) has, the more important it is, and the higher its ranking. Link popularity is all about how many links you have, and how you can get more.
Links to your site tell the search engines how important your site is. They assume that if it¡¦s important enough for a lot of other sites to link to, it¡¦s important enough for them to display at the top of the rankings. Links are the single most important factor in ranking. Generally speaking, the more links you have to your site from other sites, the better your ranking.

Q: Are some links better than others?

A: Yes! The ideal kind of links are those that:
„X come from relevant sites (sites which use the same keywords);
„X come from important sites (have a high ranking);
„X include your keyword as part of the visible link text;
„X include varying link text (not the same link text each time); and
„X come from a page that links to few other sites.

When a search engine sees a link which satisfies most or all of these conditions, it says, ¡§Hey, this site must be credible and important, because others in the same industry are pointing to it.¡¨

Q: How do I get lots of links back to my site?

A: There are many possible ways to generate links. Some are dubious (like auto-generation software, and sites set up by webmasters simply to host links to their other sites) and I won¡¦t be discussing them here. Others, like those discussed below, are legitimate.
„X Add your site to DMOZ & Yahoo Directories (and other free directories)
„X Check where your competitors¡¦ links are coming from
„X Article PR - Write and submit articles for Internet publication
„X Swap links
„X Partner websites
„X Pay for links

For more information on these methods, download our free 'SEO Secrets' eBook from divinewrite.com/seosecrets.htm.

Q: What do you think is the best way to get lots of links?

A: Article PR. Write helpful articles and let other webmasters publish them for free in exchange for a link in the byline. With article PR, you don't have to pay for the link, you determine the content of the page containing the link, you determine the link text, and the link is more or less permanent. A single article can be reprinted hundreds of times, and each time is another link back to your site!
For more information, read divinewrite.com/seoarticles.htm or visit ArticlePR.com.

Q: How do I write a good article PR piece?

A: See divinewrite.com/seoarticles.htm.

Q: How do I get a high ranking using free reprint content?

A: See divinewrite.com/Top_Ranking_Free.htm.

Q: How long does it take to get a high search engine ranking?

A: A long time! It¡¦s impossible to say how much time you¡¦ll need to spend generating links, but you can be sure it¡¦ll be a while no matter which method of link generation you use. You just have to keep at it until you have achieved a high ranking. Even then, you¡¦ll still need to dedicate some ongoing time to the task, otherwise your ranking will drop.

Q: What is the Google Sandbox, and is it real?

A: The Google Sandbox theory suggest that whenever Google detects a new website, it withholds its rightful ranking for a period while it determines whether your site is a genuine, credible, long term site. It does this to discourage the creation of SPAM websites (sites which serve no useful purpose other than to boost the ranking of some other site).

There is a lot of anecdotal evidence supporting the theory, but there is also a lot discounting it. No one has categorically proven its existence.

Q: What is the Google Dampening Link Filter, and is it real?

A: The Google Dampening Link Filter theory suggests that if Google detects a sudden increase (i.e. many hundreds or thousands) in the number of links back to your site, it may sandbox them for a period (or in fact penalize you by lowering your ranking or blacklisting your site altogether).

There is a lot of anecdotal evidence supporting the theory, but there is also a lot discounting it. No one has categorically proven its existence.

Q: What SEO companies should I be wary of?

A: Be wary of SEO companies that promise or guarantee results in a given timeframe, especially if they won't expand on their methods for generating links back to your site.

Q: What tools can you recommend?

A: There are many very useful tools to help with your SEO. The following are just selection. All tools are free unless otherwise indicated.
„X Backlink checker - http://www.webuildpages.com/neat-o/
„X Backlinks by IP address - http://www.webuildpages.com/cclass/index.php
„X Link Popularity Tool - http://www.marketleap.com/publinkpop/
„X Number of links required to rank - http://www.iblcheck.com/
„X Google Alert - http://www.google.com/alerts?hl=en
„X Google Sitemaps - http://www.google.com/webmasters/sitemaps
„X Google Sitemap Generator - http://johannesmueller.com/gs/
„X Google Toolbar - http://toolbar.google.com/
„X Indexed Pages - http://www.webuildpages.com/cache/cachetoolpublic.pl
„X Keyword Analysis (Nichebot) - http://www.nichebot.com/
„X Keyword Analysis (Overture) - http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/
„X Keyword Analysis (WordTracker - Paid) - http://www.wordtracker.com/
„X Keyword Difficulty - http://www.seomoz.org/tools/keyword-difficulty-tool.php
„X Keyword Identifier - http://www.googlerankings.com/ultimate_seo_tool.php
„X Keyword Density Measurement (Simple) - http://www.live-keyword-analysis.com/
„X Keyword Density Measurement (Complex) - http://www.gorank.com/analyze.php
„X Plagiarized Copy Search - http://www.copyscape.com/
„X Traffic Rank - http://www.alexa.com/
„X Search Engine Rank - http://www.marketleap.com/publinkpop/
„X SEO Report - http://www.urltrends.com/
„X Top 10 sites for a keyword by no of backlinks and age - http://www.webuildpages.com/seo-tools/whoischeck-bykeys.pl
„X Top 10 sites for a keyword - http://www.webuildpages.com/cool-seo-tool/
„X Spider Simulator - http://tools.summitmedia.co.uk/spider/

Q: I'm confused about all the terms used in SEO, can you help?

A: See divinewrite.com/seo_glossary.htm.

Q: What is keyword analysis?

A: The first thing you need to do when you begin chasing a good search engine ranking is decide which words you want to rank well for. This is called performing a keyword analysis. Keyword analysis involves a bit of research and a good knowledge of your business and the benefits you offer your customers.
For more information, download our free 'SEO Secrets' eBook from divinewrite.com/seosecrets.htm.

Q: Do I need to submit my site to the search engines?

A: Theoretically, no. But I wouldn't risk not doing it - especially as it's free. As soon as you register your domain name, submit it to Google! Even if you haven¡¦t built your site, or thought about your content, submit your domain name to Google. In fact, even if you haven¡¦t fully articulated your business plan and marketing plan, submit your domain name to Google.

For more information, download our free 'SEO Secrets' eBook from divinewrite.com/seosecrets.htm.

Q: Should I submit my site to the search engines more than once?

A: No need. Although some of the search engines allow you to do this, there's really no need.

Q: What are directories and should I submit my site to them?

A: Directories are websites (or web pages) which simply list lots of website and give a quick description of the website. Some are free and some require you to pay for a listing. Free directories are useful because you get a free link. However, the links aren't worth that much. Paid directories can be good if they're relevant, but they can cost a lot in the long term, so choose wisely.

One essential directories for any website is the DMOZ Open Directory Project.

About the author:
* Glenn Murray is a website copywriter, SEO copywriter, and article submission and article PR specialist. He owns article submission service Article PR and copywriting studio Divine Write. He can be contacted on Sydney +612 4334 6222 or at glenn@divinewrite.com Visit http://www.DivineWrite.comor http://www.ArticlePR.comfor further details, more FREE articles, or to download

5 Steps to Get Top 10 Website Search Engine Rank

2009-08-13T20:36:00.000-07:00

by: David Wang

1. Step One: Select right keyword for web SEO Optimization.
You must choose your keywords carefully. This is the most important step of the SEO. Wrong or ineffective keywords mean invalid keyword optimization. You should find popular keywords and phrases related to your business, then know search popularity and competition number of every keywords. The keywords with more popularity and less competition will be your targeted keyword phrases.

Resources:

Best Promotion Keywords - http://www.websitepromotionsoft.com/bestpromotionkeyword.html
Overture - http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/
Google - https://adwords.google.com/select/main?cmd=KeywordSandbox

2. Step Two: Optimize your website ranking factors.

Once you have finished keyword analysis and selected specified keywords, you should optimize your web site to improve search engine position. The important ranking factors including website title tags, description tags, meta keyword tags, heading text, link url, link text, image alt, comment and web page body text.

Every keyword frequency, weight, size, prominence
and proximity all affect the ranking. You should optimize all these factors carefully. The top 10 ranking website content and ranking factors will give your more help.

Resources:
Web Optimization Angel - http://www.websitepromotionsoft.com/weboptimizationangel.html
WebPositionGold - http://www.webposition.com/d2.pl?r=TBI-55EC&FN=download.htm

3. Step Three: Submit url to search engines directories.

After search engine optimization page design, Submiting all your web sites to Google, Yahoo, MSN, DMOZ and the other major engines. Manual free submit url is recommend. At
http://www.websitepromotionsoft.com/submit-url-free.html you can find top 588 search engine list with homepage, submit url address, alexa rank, google page rank, google inbound links and google including site pages.

Resources:
search engine PageRank order list - http://www.websitepromotionsoft.com/search-engine-list-page-rank.html

4 .Step Four: Link Exchange and Manager.

Link popularity is the total number of websites that link to your web site, and is an extremely important method of improving your site's relevancy and position as many engines are using
this information as a ranking criterion. Both the quantity and quality of link popularity is important. The best links are "relevant" links from web pages related to your keyword or topic.

Resources:
External Link Promotion - http://www.websitepromotionsoft.com/external-link-promotion.html

5. Step Five: Monitoring and ReOptimizing.

Often checking your website search engine position of your targeted keywords, if not satisfied with optimization ranking results, you should do more SEO to achieve higher search engines ranking position.

Resources:
Agent Web Ranking - http://www.softwarekey.com/products/info.asp?A=31147

About the author:
David Wang: SEO Expert with 6 year experience in search engine optimization website promotion. See more seo optimization tool from http://www.1-web-site-search-engine-optimization.com/5steps-seo.html

A Review on “Power Shortcuts for Adobe Photoshop CS

2009-08-10T23:03:00.000-07:00

by: Nashville

If you want to produce outstanding and award-winning movies instantly, you can count on Adobe Photoshop CS software and its integrated web production application software. Photographers, graphic artists, web designers, and video professionals can take advantage of its indispensable features such as new design possibilities, improved file management, a more intuitive way to create for the web, and support for 16-bit images, digital camera raw data and non-square pixels. With it, you can truly create the highest quality results more efficiently than ever before. Truly, Adobe Photoshop CS is destined to become important.

According to the article “Power Shortcuts for Adobe Photoshop CS” by Michael Ninness which was posted at http://movielibrary.lynda.com, the book is a series of movie-based tutorials designed to help Photoshop users to become faster and more productive. Although the tutorials are grouped by topic, each movie is packed with timesaving tips and shortcuts and can be viewed independently. The included topics are palette shortcuts, screen mode shortcuts, navigation shortcuts, selection shortcuts, type shortcuts, dialog box shortcuts, file browser shortcuts, view shortcuts, layer shortcuts, and image adjustment shortcuts.

Power Shortcuts for Adobe Photoshop CS brings with it many new things. I absolutely don't agree with those people who say that it is difficult to learn Photoshop CS when in fact, it isn't! Tutorials, such as Power Shortcuts for Adobe Photoshop CS, can help you in the learning process. Those of you who are not afraid of experimentation especially in movie making, this is the perfect time for you to enjoy this great field and become a movie making savvy person. All you need to learn, especially if you're learning on your own, are the desire and passion to improve your digital images, the flair to experiment, and excellent tutorials to guide you along the process.

You’ll truly enjoy using Power Shortcuts for Adobe Photoshop CS because there are endless possibilities to create anything that you desire. Of course, you have to be familiar and must be fairly advanced with the Photoshop CS program – this is a big thing. And, I can only assure you of one thing – Power Shortcuts for Adobe Photoshop CS is worth every penny that you’ll spend for it. I must say that it’s one tutorial that’s worth buying.

Truly, it's hard to believe that Adobe keeps on producing these kinds of stuff to help its avid users in the completion of their art projects. Now, creating films is very much simple through Power Shortcuts for Adobe Photoshop CS. Everything about these tutorials is a plus. Definitely! With it, you can totally do loads of other things and you’ll surely love Power Shortcuts for Adobe Photoshop CS. Congratulations and more power to Michael Ninness!

About the author:
For comentaries, explanation and additional info about the article you may contact the author at http://www.mypostcardprinting.com

Use A Spam Filtering Tool To Manage Spam And Save Hours Everyday

2009-08-10T23:01:00.001-07:00

by: Balraj Dhaliwal

For most of us, changing our primary email address to get rid of spam is not really an option. This is because our email addresses are known and used by many of our contacts and may also be printed on business cards and other material. We certainly don't move to a different residence because of some junk mail in our letter boxes. Luckily, there are some very effective ways to combat spam and one such was is using a Spam filtering tool.

The particular tool that I am referring to is called MailWasher. It is a tool that I cannot do without. I've been using it for about 2 years now and my running totals shows that 72% of emails received are automatically deleted by Mailwasher. For more product information on Mailwasher, please visit: www.BSDRegister.com/products/mailwasher

Mailwasher is a piece of software that works at the source i.e. it connects directly to your inbox on the server and takes care of emails there. This is very different to using email filters in your email software for example Outlook or Thunderbird. The major difference is that Mailwasher wipes out emails on the email server so that you never have to download them. Having a filter in Outlook would mean that the email has to first be downloaded onto your computer and then examined and dealt with accordingly. For those messages spreading viruses, this could well pose a threat.

Mailwasher is easy to setup and takes a few minutes. There is a 30-day free trial of the software so that you can have ample time to decide if it is working for you. Initially, I started setting up my own spam filters and was having some success, but then I stumbled upon a link on the company's website that pointed to a link where an avid user was offering his filters for free. I downloaded those and installed them and have never look back. The amount of spam that was identified started to steadily increase until the 72% level that it is at today. This means that on average, 3 of every 10 eamils I receive are legitimate and are allowed through by Mailwasher. The rest are deleted at the source and I don't have to spend time downloading them. This is a big deal if you are using dialup access to the Internet.

There are many controls within the software. You can specify emails be deleted automatically without your knowledge or you could have the program mark them for deletion but let you glance at them just in case. This is useful initially until you get a good feel for it. There are many other options that fall in between these. The good thing is that they are all on one screen.

There is a concept of a blacklist and a whitelist. You can import all of your address book from Outlook with a couple of clicks and from other email programs as well. These go into what is called a whitelist. Mailwasher will allow all emails through that are on the whitelist. It will mark or automatically delete all those that are on the blacklist. Adding or removing someone from either list is a very simple point and click exercise.

Mailwasher also allows the setting up of legitimate filters. These are methods of specifying an email as legitimate. For example, if you identify all emails coming from your company domain name as being legitimate, then all messages from your coworkers will be allowed through without you having to specify each person. This is achieved using a wildcard setting such as "*@youworkdomain.com". This can also be used to blacklist an entire domain such that all messages are immediately marked for deletion or automatically deleted depending on your settings.

MailWasher is an independent program and does not interfere with your email software. It sits in the system tray and does its work diligently. In my case, it checks my inbox every 10 minutes and does a cleanout. I have my email software setup to only retrieve messages when I instruct it to so that MailWasher has the most opportunity to do it's work.

Mailwasher also has more advanced controls, one of them being something known as "Origin of Spam". There are servers on the internet which list known spam addresses. When you receive a message from one of these addresses, it is automatically marked as spam and deleted without your filters even being invoked. This is a remarkable system and comes free with MailWasher. A whopping 14% of emails that I get are identified in this manner and automatically deleted.

MailWasher is an indispensable tool in my email arsenal. If spam is a problem for you, it could do likewise for you. Download your free trial today and use it for 30 days. If you like it, you only pay $37 which in my book is a small price to pay for so much time saved everyday.

About the author:
Balraj Dhaliwal is an Internet Consultant for BSD Register, a well respected and liked domain and hosting provider because of its no nonsense simple approach to getting things done. Visit BSD Register at http://www.BSDRegister.com

What Spam Blocker is Best For You

2009-08-10T22:52:00.000-07:00

by: Niall Roche

With the number of spam filtering solutions increasing each week it's getting tougher for consumers to make informed choices in their purchases.

There are 3 basic types of spam blocker:

1. Integrated
2. Standalone
3. Online

We'll look at each type of spam filter and at the end you should be able to decide what spam filter is right for you.

Integrated spam filters

This type of spam filtering software is the most common. Once installed it sits "on top" of your existing email software and installs a new set of buttons into your email software. In future when you collect
email you'll see options for marking email as Spam, marking the email as Not Spam, Bounce the email back to sender, etc. The description and position of these buttons varies from one product to the next but their purpose remains the same.

Most integrated spam filters automatically place suspected junk email into a separate folder on your PC for you to review or
delete later on.

The newer integrated spam filters are also "intelligent". They can basically learn the difference between what is
spam and what is not and delete the junk email you don't want.

The most popular integrated spam filters are:

iHate Spam
Spambully
Spam Inspector

Integrated spam filters are most popular amongst people who want a one click solution to collecting their personal email and filtering junk email at the same
time.

Advantages:
One click solution.

Disadvantages:
Software specific. Some work with Outlook and Outlook Express only.

Standalone spam filters

These are less common than their integarted counterparts but that doesn't make them any less useful. A standalone spam filter is basically a separate piece of software installed on your PC that you use to check your email for spam.

Standalone filters have the big advantage of being able to preview your email on the mail server before it's downloaded to your PC. This one single feature has the
huge benefit of allowing you to just download the email that you want as opposed to downloading all of your email, including the spam, and then sorting through it.

Using a standalone spam filter is a little more work simply because it's a separate piece of software that you have to run
before you open up your email software. Most standalone filters do allow you to configure them so that your standard email
application is opened once you've chosen what spam to filter. This suits some people and not others.

The most popular standalone spam filter is:

Mailwasher Pro

Advantages:
Doesn't rely on specific email applications to work properly.

Disadvantages:
Two step process. Load standalone filter and then your email application.

Online spam filters

There are really two types of online spam filters. One is for business use and one is for home use. A typical example of
a business type product is iHate Spam server edition where the software deletes junk email directly from the mail server before the end user even sees it. Large companies employ this type of technology.

Home users will be using Spam Arrest or similar. Spam Arrest offers an inventive solution to spam whereby any email sent to
the users account has a challenge request sent back to it which the sender must authenticate. The automatic junk email software used by spammers can't currently deal with this type of response.
Any failure to authenticate the challenge email results in the junk email being left to die in cyberspace. A user is authenticated with Spam Arrest only once for security just to make sure the software
doesn't become a nuisance.

The most popular online spam filter is:

Spam Arrest

Advantages:
Users are guaranteed to only receive the email that they want or requested.

Disadvantages:
Any techncial problems with the Spam Arrest server and you have no defense against spam.

Now you've seen what spam filtering options are available to you just ask yourself which one suits you most. If you're still not sure drop by www.spam-site.com and check out our product reviews - we have something for everyone.

About the author:
This article was provided courtesy of Spam-Site.com which reviews and tests spam blockers for the business and end user.

A Brief Intro To VoIP

2009-08-10T22:51:00.000-07:00

by: Mark Dodd

If you have an ear open to new computer technologies, you are sure to have heard about VoIP. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is an emerging set of applications which allows you to make telephone calls over the Internet. It is already starting to replace existing telephone networks, with some people and businesses opting to cancel their traditional phone line and use VoIP instead.

VoIP was originally developed to provide voice communication between computer users in different locations. Although it still has this application, it has been further developed into a telephone network in its own right. People using VoIP can call any telephone anywhere in the world and can receive calls on telephone sets connected to the Internet or Local Area Network (LAN).

Background

It all started back in 1995 when Israeli computer enthusiasts made the first computer to computer voice connection. In the same year this technology was developed into a software package called Internet Phone Software. All that was needed to talk to another computer user was a modem, sound card, speakers, and a microphone.

The software digitized and compressed the audio signal before sending it over the Internet in data packets. These voice connections could only occur between computers which had the software installed. The sound quality was very poor -- nowhere near the quality of standard telephone connections.

The technology continued to be developed and by 1998 gateways had been established to allow PC-to-phone connections. Later that same year phone-to-phone connections that used the Internet for voice transmission were set in place. These phone-to-phone connections still required a computer to initiate the call, but once the connection was established, the callers could use a regular phone set.

VoIP Today

There are currently many VoIP services available for residential and commercial use. Some of these still rely on PC-to-PC connections but may offer other services such as PC-to-phone and phone-to-phone.

Internet phones are available that plug into the sound card or USB port of a computer. These phones may have number pads and ringers that allow you to use them the same as traditional telephones. The computer can be bypassed completely by connecting a phone directly to a broadband modem (either DSL or cable).

How Does It Work?

The first step in using VoIP is converting your voice into digital data. This is done by 'sampling' your voice -- dividing the analog sound signal into discrete steps that can be assigned a number value. Once your voice is digitized, the data can be compressed.

This compressed digital data is split up into 'packets' of about 1500 bytes that can be transferred over the Internet. As well as the voice data, the packets contain information about their origin, their destination, and a timestamp that allows them to be reconstructed in the correct order. Once they arrive at their destination, they are reassembled and converted from digital back into analog so that the receiving party can hear your voice.

In order for voice data to be transmitted without noticeable delays, a broadband Internet connection is necessary. Many households and businesses are already using broadband (either DSL or cable) so adding VoIP is relatively simple.

About the author:
Mark is a technology consultant in the great Orlando area. His blog can be read online at http://www.voipblogonline.com

Domain Registration: Why You Need Private Whois Service

2009-08-10T22:25:00.000-07:00

by: Stanley Spencer

Privacy is the control of one’s own personal information, control over what others know about one, and control over how others may use or exploit the personal information. Policies and practices for protecting privacy aim towards minimizing the collection of personally identifiable information. Therefore, the basis of privacy is anonymity, where no personally identifiable information is collected. Making compulsory, the disclosure of personally identifiable information, as under current WhoIs policies for domain registration, cause privacy to be undermined

For free speech, privacy is critical. For instance, if people are forced to disclose their identity, they are reluctant to fully express their ideas on account of fear of persecution.

The protection of anonymity further enhances the one-to-many characteristics of the Internet through which an individual's speech can reach a global audience.

Privacy and data protection laws may apply to domain registrars' WhoIs services and registrars' participation in thick registry WhoIs services in various countries, particularly in the European Union's member states.

Current ICANN regulations require that the Private contact information (WhoIs Info) of each domain registration be included in a publicly accessible Database.

The WhoIs database is the collection of information gathered by a domain name registrar from domain name registrants.

The purpose for which the WhoIs system is accessed includes:

1. To find out whether a specific domain name is unregistered and currently available
2. To identify the person or organization responsible for a domain registration or website on the Internet
3. To support technical operations of Internet Service Providers or network administrators, including assistance in tracing sources of Spam or denial of service attacks
4. To collect names and contact information for the purpose of marketing
5. To aid government law enforcement, other than intellectual property

When a WhoIs search is conducted, the information that is currently available about the domain name registrant leads to the name and address of the domain name owner.

However, when a domain name is registered, the personal contact information such as name, address, email address, and even phone number might be made freely available.

The domain registrant would not know who collected his/her WhoIs data, the reason for which the information was collected, and how the collector is likely to use the information

This implies that the private information is displayed and made available to whoever wants to see it, at any point of time.

Now it is possible to protect one’s private WhoIs information by switching the "public" domain registration to a "private" unlisted registration through a private whois service.

A private whois service protects the private information and shields against its misuse. Hence, one is protected against:
- Spam,
- Identity Theft,
- Data Mining,
- Name Hijackers,
- Etc.

It works in a similar way to having one’s phone umber "unlisted" and it prevents people from gaining access to one’s address, phone number and other such private information.

A private whois service works by:
- Protecting the private information
- Relaying important communication
- Providing greater control

Protecting the Private Information

This implies that the private contact information is not exposed and is held confidentially, and protected by the Domain Privacy Protection Service. Instead of the individual’s contact information, their contact information is displayed to provide with the highest level of protection against spammers and identity theft.

Relaying Important Communication

Without a private whois service, those involved in spamming can obtain email addresses through harvesting and then use these for sending spam mails and redistribution to marketing firms. The email addresses can stay on record with various spammers and marketing firms for several years. With a private whois service, the visible email address is constantly changing, so it will change within a specific period of time and the previous address will not work for the spammer. The Domain Privacy Protection Service secures and maintains the real email address on record so that important information regarding the domain is received.

Providing Greater Control

The individual or organization subscribing to the private whois service retains full legal ownership and control over the domain registration. It is possible to sell, renew, transfer and change settings to the domain name just the same as otherwise. The domain control panel provides real-time access to easily manage the domain name.

About the author:
Copyright © Active-Domain.com's Domain Registration (http://www.active-domain.com) Service. This article may be freely reprinted provided this resource box remains intact, and an active link is made to us at http://www.active-domain.com

Broadband Review

2009-08-10T03:38:00.000-07:00

by: Robert Michael

The Uses Of Broadband

Broadband is a high-speed Internet connection that provides a large bandwidth. It is considered a very quick connection. It is an "always-on" type of connection and can transmit data at a much faster rate than your usual dialup connection. Broadband also has the added advantage of not tying up your phone line, which means you can use the both the Internet and telephone at the same time. Broadband can be provided from a variety of sources, including over the top of your phone line as in ADSL or on dedicated line such as Cable or ISDN.

Typically, low-band Internet access is running up to 56kbps using a dial-up modem. Mid-band Internet is described as dialup access that operates at 64kbps or 128kbps. Standard broadband starts at 512kbps, which is about five times faster than dial-up service. Broadband is also available at 1mbps, 1.5mbps and 2.2mbps. There are companies that offer broadband at 4mbps and 8mbps. The maximum possible for cable is around 26mbps and 24mbps for ADSL. These speeds are not sold commercially because the cost to upgrade the telephone lines to be able to transmit data at these speeds is very high.

Downloading and streaming music and video is very quick with broadband. There are a lot of websites now that are designed especially for broadband users. They have intense integrated graphics, flash and video. Broadband is also popular for online gaming. Game consoles like Xbox and PS2 have broadband support included. You can then subscribe to different types of gaming packages from your current ISP, which makes it possible to play Xbox and PS2 games live with other gamers over the Internet. Actually, online PC gaming has been going on since the Internet came into use, but in the past it was difficult to do. Slow and jerky response from your computer made it hard to play, and you always had to keep an eye on the time. Now, with the faster speeds of broadband, it has become much easier and is quickly gaining in popularity. Some games are now being released that require an Internet connection to play.

The growing popularity of broadband has made it necessary for most providers to put a maximum limit on the amount of music, video and other data you can download. This limit can vary greatly, from as low as 1 GB up to 30 GB. Extreme users can get unlimited downloads if they wish. However, exceeding your ISP's download limit usually results in having a limited connection or no connection at all.

One of the possible futures of broadband is Internet Television. The current bandwidth, which is the amount of data you can send and receive, is not wide enough to provide an image that is of comparable quality to that of your standard television. The ever- increasing broadband speeds will make Internet Television a reality. Since you can currently download clips from the shows, music videos and other content you like, it will soon be possible to do it legally in real time. Another use of broadband is online telephony. This is software that allows you to use your computer as a telephone and talk to people from anywhere without any extra cost. It is becoming commonplace, and has a higher quality or recording than a traditional telephone line. With the increase in the speeds of broadband, it may soon replace your television and telephone, and will find its way into every home. The success of broadband is making the Internet a great resource that's easy to use and fun to access for a variety of needs.

About the author:
Robert Michael is the owner of Best Broadband Review which is a great place to find Broadband Links, Resources and Articles. For more information go to: http://www.bestbroadbandreview.co.uk

5 Sure-Fire Tips for Buying a New Computer

2009-08-10T03:33:00.000-07:00

by: John Lenaghan

So you're thinking of buying a new computer...

Where do you start? There are so many brands and models of computers available, and it can all be a little overwhelming when you start to look around.

How do you decide what type of computer you need? And perhaps more importantly, how do you decide what the best value is?

I have sold computers professionally for almost 20 years, and there are certain "tricks of the trade" that most computer stores and salespeople use. Knowing these secrets can make your decision easier and will help you buy the right computer for your needs.

1. Buy What You Need, Maybe a Little More

One of the most important things you can do when buying a new computer is make a list of the things that you will be using it for. There are so many different models - with different capabilities - that you can easily buy more, or less, than you really need if you don't.

If this is your first computer, this can be a little tougher. Until you've used a computer, it's hard to know exactly what you might want to do with it beyond the obvious, like connecting to the internet.

Regardless, you should think about some of the things you might want to do. Some possibilities include:

- Connect to the internet
- Play games
- Digital photography
- Digital video
- Type documents
- Accounting
- Design websites
- Programming
- Digital scrapbooking
- Geneology

Some of these things need more power than others. For example, connecting to the internet really doesn't need a lot of power. Even the most basic computer available will probably work just fine.

Digital video and many games need a lot more power. If you don't get a fast enough computer with enough memory, you'll be disappointed with the performance.

Knowing what you're going to be using your computer for will help your salesperson, whether they're on the phone, the internet or standing in front of you, recommend the best system for your needs.

As a general rule you're always better off buying more power than you need rather than less, but buying too much can be a waste of money.

2. Warranty Considerations

Computer warranties are one of the most confusing and obscure parts of your purchase. Most manufacturers have cut back on their customer service to the point where poor service has become a given.

The three most common options are onsite, carry-in or manufacturer's depot service.

Onsite service can be helpful, but think about whether you want to have to be available for a technician to come and diagnose your computer, and possibly have to come back with parts at another time.

Carry in service is a good option, but find out whether the service center is factory authorized for warranty repairs, as well as whether the technicians are all certified.

Shipping your computer to a factory service center can take a long time - sometimes a number of weeks. It also creates risk that your computer will be damaged or even lost in shipping. In some cases, the manufacturer will even replace your computer with another unit and ship it back to you, rather than repairing it. This can result in your losing any information that was on your system and having to reload all your software.

Another aspect of the warranty to find out about is technical support. Find out if the computer manufacturer offers a toll-free phone number and what the quality of service is like.

The better computer salespeople will be honest about this and tell you if a company's service leaves something to be desired. You can also do some research on the internet - most of the computer magazines like PC Magazine and PC World have annual customer service comparisons that rate the larger computer companies.

Always find out how the warranty is handled before making your decision. Even if it doesn't influence your choice, knowing what to expect if something does go wrong will save some nasty surprises down the road.

3. Can You Negotiate the Price Down?

A computer is a relatively large investment - anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Many computer buyers expect that there is a significant amount of "wiggle room" on the price.

The reality is that most computer hardware - the physical pieces like the computer, monitor and printer - is sold at very low profit margins. Often, computer systems are even sold at or below the dealer cost. When you're buying a computer, it never hurts to ask for a better deal, but don't be surprised if you only get a few dollars off, if anything.

Over the close to 20 years I've sold computers, I watched the profit margins go from over 40% to less than 5%. It's almost embarassing to offer a $20 discount on a $2500 computer system, but that could mean the difference between making and losing money on the sale.

What you can do to get the best price is to do some comparison shopping. Most computer stores offer price-matching guarantees, so if you find your computer for less at another store, most dealers will match or beat that price, even if it means they lose money.

4. How Do Computer Stores Make Any Money?

You might be wondering how these computer stores make any money if they're selling computer for so little profit.

Their money is made on add-on items. The highest profit areas in most computer stores are cables and "consumable" products such as printer ink and paper.

Printer ink is a huge money-maker for most computer stores (even more so for the printer manufacturers). Why is this? Once you've bought a printer, you're going to have to replace your ink at some point, and continue to replace it as it runs out.

Most chain computer stores and office supply stores that carry a large selection of ink cartridges make more from ink than they do from the computers themselves.

Cables also have huge markups. A cable that costs the store $2-3 will often sell for $20-30. That's ten times their cost!

If you're buying a new computer, you will likely need to buy some cables. Some items - printers, for example - don't often include the cables needed to hook them up.

Many printers also come with "starter" ink cartridges that are only half-full. You might also want to pick up some extra ink cartridges.

This is where you should be able to negotiate a better price. Don't expect the salesperson to throw them in for nothing, but they should be willing to offer you a better price. After all, if you're happy with their service, you'll probably continue to buy your ink, paper and other products from that store in the future.

5. What Software is Included?

The last secret of buying a new computer has to do with the software that is included. Most new computer systems include quite a few programs and sometimes the value of the software can be quite high.

Something to watch out for when looking at the included software is "trial versions" or "limited editions".

Many programs that are preloaded are either crippled versions that don't have all the features of the full program, or trial versions that will only run for a certain amount of time before they expire.

Computer are often sold with trial versions of the following types of software:

- antivirus
- firewall
- MS Office or other office suites
- Accounting - both business and personal

The computer manufacturers generally don't make it easy to tell whether the software on their systems are trial versions or limited versions. This is a question that you should specifically ask if you can't find the answer in their promotional information.

If you're buying a new computer with trial versions of the software, keep in mind that you will need to pay to continue using it after the trial period is over. This is an added cost that you need to consider as part of your overall budget.

These five "secrets" of buying a new computer are fairly common sense, but they are not always made clear up front. Knowing what to ask will help you in two ways. First, you can be sure you are getting the right computer for your needs.

Second, if the salesperson or company that you're dealing with explains these things to you without being asked, you'll know you're dealing with someone who is honest and upfront.

Knowing you can trust the people you're dealing with is an invaluable feature of your new computer system.

About the author:
John Lenaghan offers easy-to-understand advice at the Computer Help Squad website. Sign up for our newsletter and receive your free report "5 Critical Steps to Protecting Your Computer on the Internet" at http://www.computer-help-squad.com/5steps

Developer strikes it rich with iPhone game

2008-12-12T07:25:00.001-08:00

By Brandon Griggs
CNN

(CNN) -- With its glassy touch screen, powerful graphics, crisp sound and tilt feature, the iPhone is more than a smart phone for some users -- it's a portable entertainment system.

"Trism" developer Steve Demeter demonstrates his game via webcast to CNN.com's Nicole Lapin.

It's also become a potential gold mine for entrepreneurs who create games for the device. Just ask Steve Demeter, developer of the popular puzzle game "Trism."

A former ATM software designer for a large bank, Demeter created "Trism" in his spare time and pitched it to Apple last spring. The company made the game available for download with the July launch of its App Store, an online provider of applications for its iPods and iPhones.

Priced at $5, "Trism" earned Demeter $250,000 in profits the first two months.

"It's done phenomenal business," said Demeter, 29, who lives in the California's San Francisco Bay area. "I'm very honored that so many people would enjoy my game. I get e-mails from 50-year-old ladies who say, "I don't play games, but I love Trism.' That's the coolest thing."

It can take dozens of professional developers and millions of dollars to create a video game for a traditional console such as a PlayStation or an Xbox. But the iPhone and the App Store have helped democratize game development by opening the field to any software coder with talent and a clever idea, industry observers say.

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"A single one of these titles can be turned around for pennies by comparison in just weeks by a single hobbyist working in their off-hours," said Scott Steinberg, publisher of DigitalTrends.com and author of "Get Rich Playing Games." "The overhead and barriers to entry are so low that virtually anyone can afford to take a crack, if not several, at hitting a home run."

Demeter took his crack after attending an iPhone conference in the summer of 2007. He spent months afterward brainstorming, by himself and with friends, about how to create an original game for the device. Once he got the idea for "Trism" in February he spent another four months coding the game on nights and weekends.

The result is a puzzle game, like "Bejeweled," in which players manipulate a colorful grid of triangles. Players score points by lining up three or more like-colored triangles in a row, with an iPhone twist: The triangles rearrange themselves depending on which way the player rotates the phone.

"I did the game myself, basically. I had a buddy of mine who actually came up with the name 'Trism.' I paid him a couple of grand. But other than that it [was] just me," Demeter told CNN. "It's a very simple-to-learn, hard-to-master puzzle game. It wasn't as hard [to develop] as a 3-D, gun-and-battle kind of game. But for the one-man team that I was, it was definitely a challenge."

Demeter quit his bank job two months ago and has launched a company, Demiforce, to develop more electronic games. Now he has a salaried staff, five games in development and two coming out by Christmas, including a spinoff to "Trism" called "Trismology."

"Apple has made it so easy to put [game publishing] in the palms of developers," he said. "You just make it and then you submit it to Apple. If you have a relevant, fun game or application, I don't see any reason why it shouldn't be approved."

Developers earn 70 percent of App Store proceeds from the sale of their games, with Apple taking 30 percent.

The field is getting crowded, though. There now are more than 1,500 iPhone games available from the App Store, up from about 900 two months ago.

"It's a rich and promising vein that several independent game publishers have been able to successfully tap," said DigitalTrends' Steinberg in an e-mail interview. "However, success stories remain the exception, not the norm -- as with any gold rush, what we're presently seeing is a massive number of prospectors looking to stake their claim.

"Many of the overnight successes we've witnessed enjoyed the benefits of timing and visibility, advantages quickly being eroded due to market oversaturation," Steinberg added. "Let's put it this way: I wouldn't tell anyone to quit their day job just yet. As with any Cinderella story, chances of recreating this kind of success are few and far between."

Legal Music Download Review services

2008-11-20T07:56:00.001-08:00

what makes a legal music download site legitimate?...
In short, if you want to be completely safe from lawsuits and spyware as well as give the artists their due, you'll want to use a legal music service.

These websites offer only legitimately licensed music from established record labels and artists. Legal download services provide risk free download music and the highest quality mp3s.

Scroll down for the full article or Check out the following sites and make sure to take advantage of any or all Free Offers!

TOP LEGAL MUSIC DOWNLOAD SITES:

EMusic : Legal music download -5*****

This top legal music download site offers the best value, allows you to keep your downloads and at this time is offering a FREE MUSIC TRIAL - 50 free mp3 music downloads for 14 days. Full review

Real One Rhapsody - 5*****

With great navigation and a huge amount of music, Realone is a sure bet on finding the top billboard songs. Note: TOday you can get a Free Two Week Trail - Click here to get yours! Full review

Napster - 4****

This now-legal site has great features and an enormous catalog of music. You can also buy full ablums at a good value. Click here to check out the new Napster. Full review

Sites to download music legallybasically work the same way:

You buy a monthly subscription and then have access to stream all the songs you want from the online music catalog. You can also download a certain number of songs or purchase on a per-track basis to burn to a CD or transfer to a portable player.

With legal downloads, there are only a few restrictions, mostly regarding songs that have not been given the licensing rights from the owners who hold the publishing rights.

Also remember that "download" doesn't necessarily mean you can burn it as well. Also check to see if your choice in legal music sites are available in your country.

Most legal music services have excellent music search engines, programmed radio stations, resources for recommending similar music and unlimited tethered downloads.

The top legal music services also have catalog access to the big five labels- Universal, Warner, Sony, EMI and BMG. This accounts for all but 20% of recorded music.

It's these features that separate the legal download sites from the dumping grounds of the swap shops. They want to entice you and keep you happy. So be looking for added features with more value and options in the near future.

Most subscriptions for legal music sites are around $9.95 a month for unlimited streaming, tethered downloads, and limited burning. Permanent downloads, cd and individual track burning as well as other choices are available.

More Reviews and Ratings of Legal Music Downloads

Wippit-3***

Smaller selection of songs but with a slightly lower cost per month. Full review

iTunes-3***

From Apple, this Mac friendly music download site allows you to download purchased individual tracks. Full review .

Full Audio's Music Now-2**

Poor software and search feature, this site has an emphasis on radio. Full review

Burn It First-2**

This legal site has disappointing lack of features and faulty software. Full review
By using legal download sites, you can be assured of risk-free, quality music downloads. So use the above ratings to find a service, than download, play, have fun and SING along!

Best Download Music Sites....

2008-11-20T07:55:00.001-08:00

.TOP FIVE
Congratulations! This "best of" download music page couldn't have been complete without you!

Listed Below is what you chose as your all-time favorite music sites.

If you are new to Music Download Review, your music search is at an end.

Just check out the sites listed below to see what discerning people like you are using to download their favorite songs and build a music library that you have been dreaming about.

TOP FIVE Download Music Sites:

1. Free Downloads -Get Free MP3 downloads with this free trial, huge database, latest movies, ringtones, privacy protection, 100% legal software, tech help and more!

2. Feed Your ipod - Unlimited music, movies, TV shows and sports especially for your ipod to carry with you where ever you go.

3. Download Center Download, play and burn unlimited mp3's, music, movies, games and more!

4. Downloading Songs -Award Winning software program that allows you to rip, burn, download and listen to music.

5. Copy DVD -Copy Any DVD with a CD-R.

Finished with your Download Music Search?

Here's MORE of the BEST...

*Music Friends

-Everyone needs someone to share those special songs with! Find a friend or soulmate and get in on the fun. Read Karen's story.

*Best Game Place

- Get a 30 day free trial pass for all your favorite games!

*Make your own music (or other) website. - Read stories of ordinary but succesful people, like Darryl who is currently making $200-400 a day with his very first website!

*Huge selection of Posters - just enter an artist, group, celebrity or movie in the search box and off you go!

Download Free Music NOW!

2008-11-20T07:53:00.001-08:00

Don't Download Free Music from just anywhere!

First, you need to know what is involved with Free Music Downloads and where are the best sites to get them...

When you download free online music, you use a network that integrates p2p (peer-to-peer) file sharing agents. Make sure you download free mp3's with a site that doesn't use spyware or adware, has quality mp3 downloads, provides legal info, and offers tech help.

Great free music downloads can be found if you search and weed out the poor quality "dump sites". Let's take a look at some recommended free mp3 download services.

Top Free Music Downloads Sites:

1. Free Unlimited Downloads

- Try for Free - MP3 downloads, huge database, privacy protection, 100% legal software, tech help and more!

2. Top Music Download Site - Get downloads of free music with fast movie, video, and free music downloads protected MP3 music site!

3. Kazaa Lite - Popular for it's "Free Download Music" advanced Privacy Protection and SPYWARE, ADWARE-FREE unlimited MP3 downloads, videos and movies!

Essentially, for free music downloads you have the possible risks of spyware and adware installed on your computer, poor quality mp3 downloads and a slight possibility of a lawsuit from the RIAA if you illegally download copyrighted music files.

It is helpful to understand what is involved with free music networks when you download free music.

For minimal risk to get free digital music, use sites that offer privacy protection, information on how to remain legal, and provide a large selection of quality MP3's for downloading. A good free music download site will also have assistance available if needed.

Out of all the Download Free Music choices online, there are few that provide a good, quality service... However- they ARE out there and there's plenty of great free music downloads for those who want it. So have fun, search, download and don't forget to SING ALONG!

Download Mp3 Music Safely

2008-11-20T07:51:00.001-08:00

by: Anne Spencer

DON'T Download JUNK! Make sure your download mp3 music is a quality mp3 and that your music download doesn't have hidden downloads that will not only ruin your search for great music but will annoy you and invade your privacy.

Here are the four hidden downloads most free music sites install on your computer when you download mp3‘s.

1.Spyware is almost always contained in mp3 freeware and shareware downloads. The spyware gathers information and monitors the activities you perform, unbeknown to you.

2.Adware is also contained in these mp3 download networks. Your computer can and probably will be stuffed with a huge amount of intrusive advertising.

3.Pornography is very prevalent on the Internet. Be very aware that porn peddlers disguise their software as the latest free mp3 download or game demo to redirect your modem to porn sites.

4.Spoofing is when download mp3 networks are filled with fake files. For example, if you download what you think is a popular mp3 song, you will get the same ten seconds of the song over and over again.

So in your hunt to download mp3 ‘s and create your own library of music, be selective of which music download site you use. There are many to choose from but few that offer privacy protection, online service, tech help, spyware-free and adware-free downloads, as well as a large library of quality mp3’s.

Things have come a long way with regards of how we listen to our favorite music. It's as easy as a push of a button with digital music.

Knowing where to start, how you want to listen to your music and what you want to do with it, is the first step. When you download mp3 files from online music services, you need to know what they allow you to do. Some songs are just for listening to, some can be downloaded, and some can be burned to a CD or a portable music player.

A few owners of certain artists publishing rights will not grant the license rights, which means some mp3's are not available for downloading.

The majority of the time, you'll find what you're looking for because the larger download MP3 subscription music web sites have access to the catalog of the Five Big Labels – Sony, Warner, Universal, EMI, and BMG, which account for about 80% of recorded music.

So now that you have the facts on how to download mp3 ‘s, do some research for quality music download sites, take advantage of any Free Trials, download lot’s of music, turn up the volume and don’t forget to Sing Along!

AI RoboForm Web Form Filling Software Review

2008-11-17T23:57:00.001-08:00

There are a number of options for web form filling, especially if you use Firefox since there are a few different free extensions available. However, RoboForm excels in features in ease of use above all other options we have evaluated.

RoboForm offers secure (AES encryption) password management, the ability to automatically or manually (with a single click) login to web accounts, Artificial Intelligence for populating common web form fields (name, address, phone number, email address, optional billing information, etc.), and more. All of this functionality is packed into an intuitive design that makes usage quick and easy. AI RoboForm integrates automatically with Microsoft Internet Explorer, and works great with Firefox via the provided extension. Versions are also available for other platforms, such as Windows Mobile, Palm, Symbian, and Blackberry, and also comes in a version that can be run from a USB flash drive to take your logins and form filling with you to any PC (while not leaving any of the data on that PC).

Mirror's Edge Review

2008-11-14T01:24:00.001-08:00

By Kevin VanOrd,

Like its heroine, Faith, Mirror's Edge tries to hurdle some significant obstacles, but unlike Faith, it can't always make the leap. No doubt, this fascinating action platformer possesses its share of innovations, from a first-person perspective to a clean and crisp visual style, yet it looks to the past more than you may initially notice. This is a modern-day iteration of an old-fashioned platformer, in which you're meant to play and replay sequences of jumps, grabs, and slides until you get them perfect, or at least perfect enough to continue.

But unlike its ancestors, Mirror's Edge is more about speed and momentum, and when you can connect your moves in a flawless stream of silky movement, it's eminently thrilling and satisfying. Unfortunately, Mirror's Edge has a tendency to trip over its own feet, keeping you slipping and sliding blissfully along, only to have a tedious jumping puzzle or hazy objective put the brakes on. Leaderboard chasers looking to set a speedrun record will find Mirror's Edge to be pure gold. Others will give up, alienated by the inherent trial and error of the game's basic design. At the very least, there's nothing quite like it, and it deserves a cautious look by anyone who appreciates games that hew their own path.

Faith and her fellow runners discuss the finer points of antidisestablishmentarianism.

Faith is a runner, in more ways than one. In the oppressed, fictitious society of Mirror's Edge, runners are an underground network of couriers, carrying sensitive information and documents from sender to receiver. The content of these messages is never clear, nor does it matter much; rather, the story's conflict revolves around Faith's sister, a cop who is framed for the murder of a mayoral candidate promising to bring change to the totalitarian government and bring hope to the runners living on the fringe. Soon, Faith is running for a different reason: to uncover the conspiracy at the heart of the murder and clear her sister's name. The story is straightforward, but it's interesting enough to keep you involved, and though it ends with a sequel-hinting cliffhanger, it wraps things up enough to feel fulfilling nonetheless. More intriguingly, the story plays out between missions in stylish animated cutscenes, as well as scenes within the game engine itself, which also look attractive but feature a completely different art style. Both types look good, but the disparity is a little odd.

And so you run--across rooftops, through train stations, and along walls. As you run, you pick up speed and are able to string a number of moves together in rapid succession. You can slide under pipes, bound over railings, and leap across impossible-looking chasms, among other techniques. The most obvious twist in Mirror's Edge, of course, is that you do all of this from a first-person view, rather than with the typical third-person camera we've come to expect. It's an interesting spin, if not wholly new (Montezuma's Return for the PC was blazing this trail in 1998), and it has a way of immersing you as you speed toward your destination. Actions like balancing on a narrow beam, sliding under a ledge at top speed, and tumbling when you land a long jump are fun to execute and look neat, but it may also make you wonder how much fun it would be to see what Faith looks like when she pulls off these neat stunts, which isn't possible in this game.

Nevertheless, Mirror's Edge excels when you hit that snappy stride, and once you've found the best route through a particularly tricky scenario, it's exhilarating to rush through it without a care to weigh you down. But this doesn't happen the first time, or even the fifth time, you do it. You will need to experiment and hone your skills, because a simple mistake can send you plunging down onto the street below, or will at very least interrupt your stride. You're expected to play each level multiple times to learn the routes that best propel you along, which is great the 10th time around but is often an infuriating series of false starts, mistimed jumps, and full stops the first few attempts. If you need a hand, you can hold a button to activate runner vision, which turns the camera toward your destination, but it's an imprecise solution that sometimes points you toward a short-term objective and other times points you toward your long-term goal.

The early going will deliver more spills than thrills.

Another inconsistently helpful tool comes directly from the game's impressive art design. Mirror's Edge is a game of visual contrasts, in which stark white environments contrast with vivid colors. It looks beautiful and clean, and it's a great way of demonstrating both the bleakness of an authoritarian society and the unique manner in which a runner would see the world--as an array of landing points and jumping opportunities. Important ramps, doorways, ladders, and other points of interest are painted in a vibrant red, which is an important visual cue in some of the broader levels. However, this element too is delivered inconsistently; in some cases, the red hue may not fade in until you are close to the pole or vaulting point in question, and in other cases, Mirror's Edge expects you to figure things out without this visual assistance.

For a game that relies on so much forward momentum, Mirror's Edge has a way of bringing the pace to a halt. Sometimes this is because of the nature of trial-and-error gameplay: fall, die, reload checkpoint. At other times, it's because you're faced with an intricate jumping puzzle that eschews the sense of speed entirely, such as one that has you descending into the depths of the water supply system and then up again. These aren't bad, but they're not particularly engaging either; you're more likely to feel relieved when you reach your destination, rather than fulfilled. Or you'll be zooming along, only to find yourself in an elevator, reading the news crawl on the wall's electronic panel while the level apparently loads in the background. In all of these cases, you're torn from the experience and reminded that this is, after all, just a game.

Armed enemies further complicate matters. It's best to run right past them when possible, but their bullets have a way of bringing you to your knees as you rush around looking for the best escape route. Some foe-heavy scenarios are particularly annoying, such as a sniper-loaded sequence in the final level. You can confront the threat head-on in some cases, but it requires careful planning and excellent timing. You can perform some close-combat moves like jumpkicks and punches, but these are best when used as hit-and-run tactics; trying to engage in melees with more than one or two enemies at a time is a quick path to the most recent checkpoint. Conversely, you can disarm an enemy with a quick-time event, pressing the disarm button when your foe's weapon flashes red. If you want to hold on to it, you can fire off a few shots until the clip runs out. Faith is ultravulnerable to gunfire, however, and the gunplay is loose and unfulfilling. If you have trouble keeping things in check (it takes some split-second timing to land a pitch-perfect disarm), you can enter a limited-use slow-motion mode, which comes in handy and makes some of these action-focused moves look cool but ultimately doesn't add much to the gameplay.

If you can overlook the array of quirks long enough to find your stride, you'll want to check out the beat-your-record races and level speedruns. Both modes feature online leaderboards, and both cater to the players most likely to get the most out of Mirror's Edge. In a sense, the single-player story is simply a practice run for being a virtual show-off, yet the players repeating these levels, because they'll learn them to perfection, are also the ones likely to see Mirror's Edge at its most thrilling. But even casual players will take to the unusual controls, though the trigger-centric jumping and crouching may take some getting used to. For what it's worth, the PlayStation 3's Sixaxis and Dual Shock 3 controllers offer a slightly more comfortable experience in this regard; the clicky shoulder buttons on the Xbox 360 pad are fine but are a little less enjoyable to use.

The world of tomorrow--today!

While the visuals deserve kudos for their unusually crisp style, the audio deserves its own high praise. Sound effects like Faith's breathy heaves and plodding footsteps are authentic touches that heighten the sense of speed and tension. The voice acting is equally terrific, but it's the pulsing, driving soundtrack that impresses most. Its rhythmic flow augments Faith's most fluid runs, while subtle notes fill in the silence during downtimes. The superb musical journey culminates in a fantastic vocal track that plays during the game's final credits.

Mirror's Edge is many things: invigorating, infuriating, fulfilling, and confusing. It isn't for everybody, and it stumbles often for a game that holds velocity in such high esteem. But even with all its foibles and frustrations, it makes some impressive leaps; it just doesn't nail the landing.

Call of Duty: World at War Review

2008-11-14T01:13:00.001-08:00

By Chris Watters,

Call of Duty: World at War is a lot like its predecessor, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. In most respects, this is a good thing. The guns are tightly tuned, the tone is gritty and mature, and the action is exciting and fast-paced. It boasts the same addictive multiplayer system as Modern Warfare, and even expands the multiplayer possibilities by allowing four players to play through the campaign cooperatively. Like every game in the series before Modern Warfare, this Call of Duty takes place during World War II. World at War does an admirable job of spicing things up, but between the well-worn source material and déjà vu game mechanics, there is a pervasive familiarity to the game.

Still, though World at War lacks the freshness that made Modern Warfare such a hit, it nevertheless provides a hearty, filling meal--one that shooter fans are sure to savor.

The action is as explosive as ever.

The most salient difference between World at War and Modern Warfare is the WWII setting. In the campaign, you split time between two soldiers in two offensive theaters: the Russian push out of their homeland and into the heart of Germany, and the American struggle to wrest Pacific islands from the Japanese. Though you'll alternate between them every few levels, the campaign feels like one solid progression, thanks to the adept pacing.

Each soldier's journey begins at a low point. Weaponless and surrounded by the enemy, you get a taste of the despair many soldiers are never rescued from. Though the emotional tone eventually rises toward triumph, you never quite forget the fate you nearly met. The first few levels are a hard scrabble as you and your fellow soldiers try to gain a foothold for your country, while later levels are suffused with a sense of hard-won momentum as you fight bigger battles and push closer to your enemies' capitals. Throughout each level you are accompanied by a superior officer who sets the emotional tone through well-acted dialogue. The vengeful, spitfire Russian pumps up your adrenaline to intoxicating levels, while the grim, determined American provides a sobering influence. This grim sobriety is further enforced by the actual WWII videos, photos, and statistics presented in stylish interchapter cutscenes. The message is, by nature, a conflicted one: Though you may feel like an action hero, you are actually participating in the most horrid of human endeavors. How you ultimately feel about this message will depend on your personal disposition, but suffice to say that the elevated emotional timbre makes for an exciting campaign.

Also exciting? Bayonets and flamethrowers, the two standout new weapons in World at War. You wield both in the American campaign, using them to enthusiastically dispatch enemies in trenches and fend off the aggressive banzai raiders. These raiders snipe from the treetops, or pop out of holes and charge you with merciless determination; this aggression makes the American campaign feel uniquely tense. The Russian campaign is slightly more predictable, but it remains vigorous throughout and ends in a spectacularly satisfying way. Explosions and gunfire will cause enemies to lose limbs and copious amounts of blood, making World at War a sight more violent than Modern Warfare. Still, in between the burning, stabbing, and gibbing, there is a lot of crouching behind cover and picking off enemies with your trusty rifle. This kind of action, and most of the other weapons, will feel familiar to anyone who has played a World War II shooter before. It's a well-tuned and exciting familiarity, but it doesn't make any notable leaps.

World at War does make a leap for the Call of Duty series by offering two-player split-screen and four-player online cooperative campaign play. It's the same campaign as the single-player experience, though the number of enemies increases for every player that joins you. You can turn competitive scoring on and see who can earn the most points by killing enemies or reviving teammates, and this adds a bit of fun to the campaign and lightens to mood (it's hard to feel grim when there are point values popping up all the time). There are also special items called death cards in each level, and collecting these will allow you to enable a cheat for cooperative play (for instance, enemies die by headshots only or headshots cause enemies to explode). These add a little more spice to the pot, but the only tangible incentives are challenges. Completing these tasks (such as kill 100 enemies with pistols or take first 20 times in competitive co-op) will earn you experience points that go toward your multiplayer rank (co-op is not similarly ranked). Cooperative play is fun in its own right, but linking it to the addictive multiplayer ranking system makes it relevant in a whole different way.

Multiplayer battles are as fast and deadly as ever.

In case you missed it last year, the multiplayer system introduced in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is fantastic, and World at War has updated it to fit its WWII setting. The hook is experience points, which you gain by winning matches or completing one of the aforementioned challenges. As you earn these points, you'll rank up and earn access to new weapons, new accessories (like sights and suppressors), and new perks. Perks are special abilities that grant you a wide variety of bonuses, but you can only choose four (one of which is vehicle-specific). This introduces an engaging element of customization: Will you choose to toughen up by increasing your health and bullet damage, or will you go the stealth route and increase your sprint speed while becoming invisible to enemy recon planes? Perks are well balanced, and you have multiple save slots, which enable you to easily switch between your various pretweaked loadouts. This allows you to take full advantage of this deep, engaging system that is just as great this year as it was last year, albeit slightly less novel.

There are, of course, new maps, and the bonuses you earn for kill streaks have been updated (notably, the attack helicopter you earned after seven kills in Modern Warfare is now a pack of nasty attack dogs). There are also a few maps that support tanks, powerful additions that mix things up without being too dominant. Most of the modes remain the same, though some have received slight tweaks and Capture the Flag has returned after a hiatus from Modern Warfare. The most striking new mode is actually a cooperative game called Nazi Zombies, playable when you beat the campaign (or play with someone who has). This absurd game puts up to four players in a house that is being assaulted by the undead. Killing the fiends and repairing the barricades earns you points that you then spend to replenish ammunition, buy new guns, and unlock new areas of the house. Each subsequent wave brings tougher, faster, more numerous enemies, and the game inevitably ends in grisly death. Though the random weapon box, assorted power-ups, and skills of your teammates add some variation, each play-through is similar to the last. Still, it makes for some intense, frantic fun and provides a welcome, if slightly bizarre, change of pace.

By staying largely true to the formula that made Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare so successful, Call of Duty: World at War has ensured a proven level of technical quality, particularly in the multiplayer arena. On the other hand, one of Modern Warfare's strengths was its fresh approach, and by embracing a familiar setting and familiar mechanics, World at War achieves greatness but falls short of excellence. This is only a bad thing if you are expecting this game to top its benchmark predecessor. If, however, you are hoping for an exciting campaign, fun cooperative play, and engaging multiplayer action, then you'll find a lot to be happy about in World at War.

Recommended Firefox Extensions

2008-11-11T05:36:00.001-08:00

The smartest decision Mozilla made when building the Firefox browser was the robust extension support. The extensive collection of extensions now available are the key to its success and a prominent factor in what makes the browser great. As most of you know, extensions are browser addons that build on the functionality of the Firefox browser. It can be as simple as adding toolbar buttons, or as complex as a complete application, such as a RSS feed reader. Extensions enable Firefox to be customized to meet individual needs and preferences.

We have compiled a list of what we consider to be the best extensions for Firefox. When evaluating extensions for recommendation, not only do we consder the functionality and features of the extension, but we also test to ensure it works well with all the other extensions we recommend. This has been a lengthy evaluation in which we have taken great care to recommend high quality extensions that serve a useful purpose. The recommended extensions will also be updated on an ongoing basis. Therefore, be sure to check back for updates periodically.

Adblock Plus

Adblock Plus does an exceptional job of blocking ads and annoying content in pages. It is very customizable and can also easily eliminate any desired elements of a page on command. A complete subscription-based, automatic update solution is available for the block list, free of charge, as well as the ability to setup custom block lists. The only downside about Adblock Plus is that on occassion, it can also result in a page not displaying as designed, often ommitting necessary content. However, it is easy to either disable Adblock Plus temporarily or set it to always be disabled on certain sites only.

Download Extension

Adsense Notifier

If you operate one or more web sites, chances are that you are currently or have in the past used AdSense for web site revenue. If you’re currently using AdSense, the Adsense Notifier extension is very handy. It provides quick, convenient access to the revenue for the date range of interest. It can be set to show the revenue for the follow ranges: Today, Past 7 Days, This Month, All Time, Yesterday, Two Days Ago, Last Month, This week, Last Week, Last Business Week, and Since Last Payment.

Download Adsense Notifier

AI RoboForm

As we have mentioned before, we’re big fans of AI RoboForm. If you use RoboForm for web form filling, site logins, and/or password management, be sure to use the extension for Firefox.

Download AI RoboForm

Always Remember Password

By default, when a web site instructs the browser to never allow a password manager to retain the login information, Firefox will honor this. However, if your PC is not accessible to others, it can be very handy to have these passwords saved. This extension will enable passwords to be saved on any site, including Yahoo Mail, Hotmail, and banking sites. Note: This extension was not updated for later versions of Firefox by the author. We have modified the extension so that it will work flawlessly with the current version of Firefox.

Download Always Remember Password ( modified version )

AutoAuth

When your password has been saved for a HTTP authentication dialog, using this extension will cause the login to occur automatically, without you have to click the OK button on the dialog.

Download AutoAuth

Copy Link Text

When you right click a link in Firefox, it shows an option called "Copy Link Location", which is very handy for copying the URL of a link. Likewise, the Copy Link Text extension adds an option called Copy Link Text. When you right click a link, and select the option, the anchor text of that link is copied to the clipboard. This is a quicker method than selecting the text and then copying, plus it works on sites that block copying normally.

Download Copy Link Text

Download Statusbar

Instead of showing a dialog for your downloads, this extension includes downloads conveniently in the Firefox statusbar. Downloads can be easily paused/resumed; double click a download to run it; right click for an option to open the containing folder; download speed display; and much more. The extension’s options also provide the ability to automatically clear files of certain extensions from the bar to keep it tidy, such as files that open automatically.

Download Extension

ErrorZilla Mod

We have not been using this extension for very long, and do not have a lot of experience with it yet, but what we have seen of it seems quite handy. When a page fails to load in Firefox, ErrorZilla Mod will show options for "Try Again," "Google Cache," "Coralize," "Wayback," "Ping," "Trace," and "Whois", which can be used to gain access to the page, even with the site down or access information about the site.

Download ErrorZilla Mod

Fireshot

The Fireshot extension makes taking a screen shot of a web page a snap. Even if entire page is not visible, Fireshot can still capture the entire page. If you prefer, it can also capture just the visible area of a page. With a single click, Fireshot can capture the page and upload, copy, mail, print, or open the file for editing (in the internal editor or an external editor of choice). The internal editor provides the ability to add shapes, pointers, text, another image, or draw on the image.

Download Fireshot

Flagfox

The Flagfox extension shows a flag icon for the country in which the current web site is hosted in the statusbar or address bar. A tooltip is provided that also offers the name of the country, in case the flag is not familiar. The extension uses an IP address database rather than relying on the top-level domain. When the flag icon is clicked, GeoTool will be loaded, which provides a location map, as well as information on the ISP, city, IP address, local time, country code, region, postal code, and more.

Download Flagfox

Google Cache Checker

The Google Cache Checker Firefox extension automatically checks visited pages to determine if the current page is Google cached. The result is immediately shown conveniently in the browser statusbar. This extension is available exclusively from Gadget Advisor.

Download Google Cache Checker

Highlander

When you click a link to a URL that’s already open in another Firefox tab, the Highlander extension will cause the already opened tab to be focused, rather than duplicating the URL in a new tab.

Download Highlander

IE View Lite

The IE View Lite extension provides a context menu item for opening the current page in IE. The extension also has the ability to enter sites that will always open in IE. It can close the tabs for pages being opened in IE automatically, and send any additional parameters to the of the page to the Internet Explorer EXE. As much as we like Firefox, every once in a while, we run into a page that will not work properly in Firefox, which makes this extension handy.

Download IE View Lite

Navigational Sounds

When this extension is enabled, Firefox will play the Windows OS start and end navigation sounds when pages start and finish loading (the "click" from IE when a page navigation begins).

Download Navigational Sounds

Nightly Tester Tools

We recommend this extension only for those who are experienced or desperate. If you’ve been using Firefox for a while and use a number of extensions, you have no doubt experienced the anguish of an extension no longer working after a Firefox update. Even worse is when the extension’s developer decides not to update it anymore. This extension can be used to force extensions to work with the new Firefox version. Most extensions will work normally with minor Firefox updates (some even work properly after major version upgrades), and you can always disable an extension again if needed. However, we do recommend being careful when using this extension, nonetheless.

Download Nightly Tester Tools

Oldbar

For those who dislike the new "AwesomeBar" introduced with Firefox 3, the oldbar extension will cause Firefox to maintain the familiar address bar from earlier versions of Firefox. The browser will still benefit from the enhanced autocomplete algorithm of Firefox 3, but with the appearance of Firefox 2.

Download Oldbar

OpenBook

The OpenBook Firefox extension provides customization for the Add Bookmark dialog, including the ability to automatically open the bookmarks tree and resize the Add Bookmark dialog.

Download OpenBook

SearchStatus

The SearchStatus extension provides extensive search-related information about visited web sites, including Google PageRank, Google Category, Alexa popularity ranking, Compete.com ranking, Alexa incoming links, Alexa related links, and backward links from Google, Yahoo, and MSN. The key information is all presented conveniently in one discreet and compact area, with the remaining data available via a right-click. The information displayed is also customizable. For example, if the Compete.com ranking is not inportant to you, it can be easily disabled, thus making more room available.

Download SearchStatus

Tab Mix Plus

Tab Mix Plus is a very robust extension that enhances Firefox’s tab browsing functionality. It provides options for controlling tab focus, link opening, many new tab display capabilities, tab clicking behavior, undo closed tabs and windows (as well as a list of previously closed tabs), advanced session management, and much more.

Download Tab Mix Plus

Text Link

The Text Link extension enables URLs that are not linked on web pages to be easily launched via a double click. Settings are also provided that enable URLs to be executed with different key and/or mouse combinations.

Download Text Link

WeatherBug

The WeatherBug extension provides quick access to local weather conditions and forecasts. Icons representing forecast are shown in the statusbar, and more information is available via tooltips for the icons. The current temperature (or other information) can also be shown directly on the statusbar. The data presented as well as its placement is highly configurable.

Download WeatherBug

Web Directory Form Filler

The Web Directory Form Filler is a web form filling extension that is similar in functionality to AI RoboForm, except that it is designed specifically for use in submitting to web directories. It is feature-rich and easy to use. The extension features title rotation, deep link support, and even deep link title rotation. The sidebar also provides exceptional submission management.

We are making this extension available free here exclusively

Western Digital WD TV External HD Media Player

2008-11-11T05:21:00.001-08:00

Western Digital has released the new WD TV external HD media player that works in conjunction with one or two external hard drives to playback video, audio, and view photos at up to full high definition quality (1080p). The device automatically sorts video, audio, and image files into corresponding categories for convenient navigation. The player’s interface presents the option of thumbnail or filename browsing. Thumbnails are extracted from movie cover art, album covers, and photos. The media library functionality can also view all media files by type in a single menu, no matter the physical location of the files.

Multimedia content can be arranged into categories such as album, artist, genre, and date. Similarly, search is provided by title, artist, genre, filename, and partial filename. For photo viewing, the WD TV supports custom slideshows with transition effects and background music, as well as zooming and panning. Video and music playback supports all the common commands you would expect, such as fast forward, rewind, pause, etc.

The WD TV offers HDMI and composite video connections. ArcSoft MediaConverter 2.5 is included with the packaging for photo, video, and audio file conversion in case file compatibility is an issue at any point. However, the WD TV player provides comprehensive format support.

Video formats supported include AVI (MPEG-4, XviD, AVC), MPEG-1/2, WMV9, MOV (MPEG-4 and H.264), MKV, and H.264. MP3, WMA, OGG, PCM WAV, AAC, FLAC, AIF/AIFF, and MKA are supported for audio. JPG, GIF, PNG, TIF/TIFF, and BMP image formats can be viewed. PLS, M3U, and WPL playlist formats are also recognized.

Aside for the player itself and the conversion software already mentioned, the packaging also includes a stand for WD My Passport hard drives (although any type of USB drive can be used), a remote control, composite AV cables, AC power adapter, and installation guide. The WD TV provides a simple, affordable solution for playback of PC video formats. Note that the WD TV does not currently offer network support/streaming functionality.

Pricing for the WD TV is expected to be around USD $125.00, and will be available through all major retailers.

Gadgets to Consider When Traveling

2008-11-11T05:12:00.001-08:00

When traveling, whether for business or leisure, it’s always important to gather the gadgets you’ll need for your trip. Some are essential, some are fun, but forgetting any of them can make for an unpleasant trip. For the sake of being obvious, we’ll assume that you don’t forget your laptop or cell phone. Here are some of the less-obvious gadgets that you may want to consider when traveling:

1) IOGEAR Portable Media Player

With the ability to store 50 DVD movies on its 120 GB hard drive, the IOGEAR Portable Media Player is quite possibly your best friend on travels. It is tiny compared to other PMPs and offers the unique ability to convert standard definition content up to 720p HD resolution. Even better, you won’t be stuck paying $9.99 per movie in hotels. This little gadget will hook into just about anything that can play movies.

2) Mobile Printers

When doing business abroad, don’t assume that you won’t need a printer when you reach your destination (or when you’re on the way). It’s always good to be prepared in the event printing is required. Trying to hook up to someone else’s printer requires drivers. Transferring files to computers that already have printer hookups results in inconvenience from the transfer as well as any security concerns. Then, there is always the potential for a printer to not be available at all. When considering mobile printers, size matters. It’s probably better to take a more compact solution and sacrifice a little speed.

3) Video Eyeware

You’re probably wondering why you will need video eyeware. When traveling, there is one thing to always keep in mind — there is always someone looking over your shoulder. This nifty little piece of technology, the EnVision Video Eyeware, gives you privacy and the ability to be completely unobtrusive to travelers around you. Before you say "but you have to connect to your laptop to play", check out. the product information. You’ll likely be surprised at its capabilities.

4) Portable GPS Navigation

Trying to rely on maps and directions when driving in unfamiliar territory can be an unnecessary burden. Many car rental companies charge a super-premium price to have a vehicle with navigation. For those who travel and rent often, a portable GPS navigation system is perfect for keeping on the right path. We have mentioned the Garmin GPSMAP 640 GPS navigation system previously. Another option, the portable GPS by Delphi, has many features and an attractive price tag. The unit allows you to input places on your itinerary to receive directions, saving time and energy during the trip that can be spent on more important things.

5) True Global Travel Plug Adapter

If you will be traveling internationally, remember that the power outlets overseas are different from one another. Gadgets also have different plugs. Having the means to power up may sound simple, but without a tool like the Travel Plug Adapter, you may end up being out of juice, out of luck, and out of time.

Regardless of where you travel or how often, having the important gadgets with you can make or break a trip. The best thing about all the gadgets mentioned is that they can all fit in one nice, neat travel bag for placement inside a suitcase or work as one of your carryon bags.

Business is all about being prepared. This information should make preparation easier and your trips a more enjoyable experience.

HDPC Smartphone and UMPC Hybrid

2008-11-11T05:06:00.001-08:00

HDPC stands for Hybrid Portable Dual Computer. The device originates from the consumer’s need for a portable device that is able to perform complex functions. When someone needs a light weight and small device that is able to perform like a desktop computer, a Smartphone could be a very attractive option.

The problem with many Smartphones is that they use a proprietary operating system. In other words, the OS that is used is different from the normal Windows OS that most computer users are familiar with. This means that applications for the Smartphone are limited, and it is rare for developers to venture into developing applications solely for the Smartphone OS, which causes consumer to consider other options.

Laptops and netbooks work like the personal desktop, but they can still be considered bulky when compared to a gadget the size of a phone. The UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC) comes very close to meeting the needs of many consumers, but it does not include phone functions.

Fortunately, Korean company MIU managed to find a way to integrate phone functions into the UMPC. They call this the HDPC, which is actually a hybrid of the Smartphone and the UMPC. The HDPC runs on the Windows operating system. This means that the consumer is able to use the HDPC to launch any applications developed for the Windows OS. In addition, the owner of the HDPC can also use it as a normal phone.

It is not uncommon to see Chinese companies bundling several key features together in one device. On top of computer and phone functions, the HDPC also has a digital TV receiver built into it. Two cameras are built into the device as well – one is for video chat (VGA) and the other is for taking photographs (3 megapixels). Obviously, the goal is to have as many functions as possible, packed into a single device to ensure consumers do not have to bring multiple devices along while on the move.

Although the HDPC device may appear rather bulky at first glance, many consumers actually welcome the multiple functions offered by the HDPC. One can use it to play music, play videos, work on Microsoft Word documents, and even watch TV. These functions have never been realized in a single device. The HDPC is a sleek looking device. One may easily mistake the HDPC for an ordinary Smartphone but on closer examination, the top half of the device can actually be flipped open to reveal a Qwerty keyboard underneath.

Enthusiasts will eventually have to weigh several factors before making a purchase. These factors include the above mentioned features, the weight, and the price. Obviously, the features and weight (at less than 400g) are looking good. So that leaves the price. It has been stated on various news sources that if the price is around the $500 range, this can be one of the most tempting gadget to acquire.

Media Port UP300x Multimedia Headset

2008-11-11T05:01:00.001-08:00

Nikon Corporation has announced the Media Port UP300x multimedia playback headset that features display, headphones, audio/video player, Wi-Fi Internet connectivity, built-in memory, and the power source all-in-one. The Media Port UP will be available initially in Japan, but it can be exported to other regions.

Major Functions Include:

The compact, all-in-one unit provides video and music enjoyment anywhere, hands-free
Media Port UP offers the same experience as viewing a 50-inch screen from a three meter distance
The system boasts a compact, lightweight display that provides a high-quality image from the use of a new adhesion double-layer diffractive optical element (DOE) lens
The UP300x includes an integrated motion sensor that enables hands-free operation, such as volume control, file selection, playback, pause, etc. via head movement
8GB of internal memory is provided (a lower-end model is also available with 4GB)
The system is designed with a high eyepoint and diopter adjustment that allows easy use for anyone, even those who wear glasses
Wi-Fi connectivity allows for web browsing as well as media content downloading through the unit
A content distribution service for the system will also be available soon for convenient download and enjoyment of desired movies and music
Windows Media content is fully supported

Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet (Portable Media Player)

2008-11-11T04:59:00.001-08:00

Building on the success of the Archos 605 WiFi, Archos has now released the new Archos 5 portable media player. The units feature a new, faster Texas Instruments central processor, a larger screen (exceptional quality), touch-screen operation, vivid colors, up to 720p resolution, plugin support (most cost extra), and more in a simple, intuitive design. The Archos 5 supports MPEG, WMV, H.264, AVI, and DivX (versions 3.11, 4, 5, and 6) video formats as well as subtitled files. Most operations are performed via the touchscreen.

Only the power button and volume controls are separated from the touchscreen operation. The Archos 5 media player has a fixed battery life, following the new trend of many current devices. Battery life measures at about 4 hours and 30 minutes during video playback, and 12 hours and 30 minutes during audio playback.

The exterior design of the Archos 5 is made of stainless steel, which provides for a very solid build quality. However, it also results in the player being highly prone to smugging and fingerprints

The new player also boasts Internet operations such as web browsing and email. streaming video is also available. While some Internet TV content appears clear and smooth, other services yield jerky, low resolution content. Of course, this is not under the control of Archos, but it is worth mentioning nonetheless so that buyers are not surprised.

The Archos 5 is compact at 5”x3”x.5”, with a weight of .55 pound for the 60GB version and 5”x3”x.75”, with a weight of .66 pound for the 120GB and 250GB versions.

Available accessories for the unit include the DVR Station, which allows customers to connect the Archos directly to a television for recording TV programs onto the device or transmitting content from the media player to the TV. GPS and Webcam accessories are also available.

Prices

Archos 5 60 GB Internet Media Tablet: $339.49
Archos 5 120 GB Internet Media Tablet: $389.49
Archos 5 250 GB Internet Media Tablet: $439.49

Flipbac Angled Viewfinder and LCD Screen Protector for Digital Cameras

2008-11-11T04:53:00.001-08:00

The Flipbac viewfinder helps customers snap angled photos from the hip, without having to kneel, or take candid portraits that include your own face. The angled viewfinder is ideal for experimenting with photography by taking photos from uncommon perspectives.

Flipbac Features:

Easy shooting from low angle or ground level positions
Take accurate pictures from unusual positions, including ground level, waist-high, or overhead
Snap candid, natural, and relaxed portraits
High quality LCD screen protector shields the camera when not in use
Viewfinder supports angles of more than 180 degrees for both landscape and portrait orientations
Compatible with most digital point-and-shoot and SLR cameras with 3" LCD screens

Pricing information has not yet been released, but should be available from the official product page soon.

Automatic Google Cache Checker Firefox Extension

2008-11-11T01:24:00.001-08:00

Many of you here are either involved with the marketing of a web site for another company or operate a web site or blog of your own. For either case, being able to immediately see if a page is cached by Google would be invaluable. That’s exactly what the Google Cache Checker extension for Firefox offers.

Gadget Advisor is proud to offer the free Google Cache Checker extension for Firefox. The extension is lightweight, and high performance, residing conveniently in the statusbar. It displays a checkmark icon if the current page is Google cached. If it is not, the extension displays a red X. This makes it very quick and convenient to see if a page is Google indexed. For example, if you’re visiting a directory to see about submitting, you can see if the page you’re going to be submitting into is indexed. Or, pages for advertising, etc.

If you would like to post about the Google Cache Checker extension, please do not host the extension file on another server. Instead, link to this page for downloading.

Download the Extension Here (original version for best performance)
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ASUS P6T Deluxe OC Palm Edition Motherboard

2008-11-11T01:18:00.001-08:00

ASUS offers another option for enthusiasts with an eye on the new Core i7 processors, the ASUS P6T Deluxe OC Palm Edition motherboard. It is marketed as a fully loaded 1366 motherboard that offers unique features not found on other competing boards. Features include a small 2.5" LCD display that provides overclocking options, three PCI express slots, and support for NVIDIA SLI multi-GPU technology. The high-end motherboard has a lot of competition, though, including the Intel DX58SO, MSI Eclipse, Foxconn Renaissance, and EVGA’s X58 SLI motherboard, as well as ASUS’ own Rampage II Extreme X58 motherboard. Enthusiasts will be interested to know how the fares when compared in terms of features, performance, and price.

The first distinct difference is the 2.5 inch LCD monitor. This is an exclusive device that can be plugged into the motherboard through any available USB port. It displays overclocking options and vital system information such as CPU temperature, fan speeds, etc. The user can easily monitor system performance, and take action should a problem arise (e.g. temperature rising to unstable/unacceptable levels). A Yahoo! Widget can also be used to access the data.

The ASUS P6T has three PCI Express 2.0 slots. The first two slots will run at x16 speed. If the second slot is set to x8 speed, the third slot can also run at x8 speed. This gives the user more flexibility for the hardware that can be used. Obviously, if you only need to use two slots (e.g. installing two graphics cards), both will run at x16 speed. In addition, a x4 speed PCI slot and two regular PCI slots are provided.

Another key feature of the ASUS P6T motherboard is the inclusion of SLI support. This is a strategic business move on the part of ASUS, since NVIDIA charges a royalty fee per motherboard sold to manufacturers that offer support for SLI. It is not supported by all manufacturers for this reason.

Memory wise, the board offers six physical slots, separated into two different colors. To achieve maximum efficiency, only three or six memory modules should be installed. If only 3 modules are installed, the same color slots should be used. In total, you can install up to 12GB of memory on the ASUS board.

Overall, the ASUS P6T compares very favorably to other options in many ways. While it doesn’t offer the four PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots or fourteen USB 2.0 ports of the Foxconn Renaissance motherboard, the ASUS P6T is an excellent option due to the extras assuming it includes all the functionality you require.

Intel Core i7 Power Efficiency, Overclocking, and More Information

2008-11-10T00:49:00.001-08:00

Intel has been well-deserving of respect in the PC hardware industry since the introduction of the first Core microarchitecture, and their new Nehalem (Core i7) processors continue the trend of high performance that Intel has established. The Core i7 processors are a significant release, especially important to those working in video editing, video encoding, and 3D rendering. The new processor line definitely strengthens Intel’s reign over AMD even on the eve of AMD’s 45nm Phenom processor debut.

The Nehalem is a very power-efficient processor. Compared to earlier models, the Core i7 CPUs offer a 10-20% decrease in power consumption, quite a substantial amount. No more than a year from now, Intel will also release the same architecture built on a 32nm, which should provide an even greater reduction in power consumption. Nehalem also has great potential for notebooks PCs.

Initially, it was rumored that Intel had restricted the Core i7 processors in such a way that they could not be overclocked effectively due to the temperature, current power draw, and TDP evaluation of TURBO mode. However, that did not turn out to be the case. This limitation can simply be disabled via a motherboard BIOS option. As for the actual overclocking, it’s a little different, but sometimes change can be a good thing. Fortunately, the Core i7 overclocks just as well as its predecessor by increasing the BCLK (bus clock) or multiplier.

Like the Phenom, Intel’s Core i7 is sectioned into “core” and “uncore” areas. The core area includes the four processor cores and their L1 and L2 caches. The uncore area contains the memory controller and shared L3 cache. The uncore runs at 2.66GHz for the Core i7-965 processor and 2.13GHz for the Core i7-940 and Core i7-920 processors.

As with the core clock, the uncore is set based on yield and performance targets. The uncore clock is governed by a basic multiplier of the BCLK (133MHz), which is 20x for the Core i7-965 and 16x for the Core i7-940 and Core i7-920. The uncore also uses a dedicated voltage (1.20V), which does not scale up/down.

Nehelam introduces many changes at once, including a static CMOS design, new power gate transistors, QPI, an integrated memory controller, Hyper Threading, and a couple other features and architectural tweaks. The only request we could ask would be 95W and 65W Nehalems to make this processor truly irresistible for everyone!