First Steps to Making your Wireless Broadband Internet Secure

We all know just how useful it can be to enjoy the freedom and convenience of wireless broadband internet, but alongside all of the positive aspects of this, there can also be things to watch out for. The main issue with many wireless networks is that they’re often not secure, which means that all and sundry can hop on and tap into your broadband.

Known as piggybacking, this can slow down your high-speed supply and also allow people to download unsuitable content via your account, which is not ideal by anybody's standards. However, while many of us are now finding out how easy it is to prevent this, there are still many people who have not bothered to secure their networks and, considering it can be done quite easily, it seems amazing that this happens.

Get secure

The first and best way to lock down your high-speed broadband account is to ensure that your Wi-Fi network has been encrypted. This is a way of effectively securing it from the outside world and thereby allowing only authorised users to tap into it. All home wireless routers can be setup in this fashion and you’ll find it well documented in the instruction manual, just in case you’ve never bothered to look before now.

Aim to get yourself secured using the standards WPA or WPA2 as these are seen as the best forms of security compared to the less effective WEP method. You’ll need to come up with a really good password for maximum protection when you do this – the steps to doing it should be in the instruction manual or can be found online if you search for the router that you’re using at the present time.

Use the internet to get some tips on choosing a secure password too, rather than going for the same one that you use on all of your other accounts. That’s a really bad habit, but people still tend to do it on a regular basis.

Software options

Remember too that for added protection your router may well have a firewall, but it’s also a good idea to get an additional third-party firewall software option too. This sort of thing is very cheap to buy but can help you add an additional layer of protection to your wireless internet setup and give additional confidence to you if you’re feeling susceptible to external attacks.

There are some free downloads available for this kind of software, but as always you get what you pay for, so it’s also a good idea to investigate the software that you have to pay for as a more complete package. Either way, you’ll certainly be able to feel more confident about how secure your wireless broadband setup is once you’ve gone through and implemented these procedures.

It my take a couple of hours in order to get yourself sorted, but that’s much better than finding some months down the line that your broadband has been used by some unknown, while you have to sit and suffer with a poorly performing connection.

Guest post provided by Rob Clymo, from Broadband Genie, the online consumer portal where you can click for latest laptop offers and find information on wireless broadband options.

Which is Better - the Galaxy tab or Ipad2?

The launching of Apple’s iPad has placed netbooks on the back burner. Its success has prompted its competitors to release their own versions of the tablet. In answer to the iPad 2, Samsung launched the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Consumers are now turning to tablets as they are more portable and lightweight compared to netbooks. But in the race to find the best tablet we ask ourselves which is better, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 or the iPad 2?

Ipad 2 and Galaxy Tab 10.1 have many similarities. Both have a 10 inch screen and look similar to each other. They allow access to various social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. You can browse the web, check your email and schedule appointments on your calendar. There are loads of free games that you can download and install and both tablets have online resources such as dictionaries, Wikipedia and Google maps.

Flexibility

The iPad 2 has many great features. It is portable, lightweight and less prone to software mishaps. Viruses are often not a problem because of the regular updates that Apple has. However, if you like flexibility then Android would be better for you.

Price

When it comes to price both are also at par. They each cost around $500.  However since the iPad 2 was released first it commands a bigger market share that the Galaxy Tab. In terms of performance, iPad is fast, smooth and convenient. But it is very rigid. If you want more control over your tablet, the Galaxy Tab offers more freedom.

Screen Apps

iPad 2 can hold 25 folders or apps per screen. Five are found on the system tray. The Galaxy Tab, on the other hand, can hold 35 app icons but it doesn’t have a folder icon option. It maintains the arrangement of the icon tray when you switch the orientation between portrait and landscape.

Battery Life

In terms of battery life, iPad 2 outlasts the Galaxy Tab by about 35 %. With normal use the iPad 2 can last for about 10 hours while the Galaxy Tab can last for 5-6 hours. On tip to preserve battery life for both tablets is to decrease the brightness so that it consumes less power.

So which is better, the iPad 2 or the Galaxy Tab? The answer is it depends upon your preference.

Amy C. is an interior decoration aficionado and online marketer.  Aside from being an avid reader, she also likes testing and trying new home and office decorating themes.  In addition to being an interior decoration hobbyist, she enjoys designing accent tables and candle lanterns.

The Push to the Cloud!!!

If you've been around the internet the last few years, you may have noticed the rising popularity of cloud computing. Sure, social sites like Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo Games and Google+ have been around for years, but many businesses have been turning to cloud computing for software solutions. Compare Google Docs to the more standard Microsoft Office. Sure, Microsoft Office still has a stranglehold on office productivity applications, but Microsoft's release of the cloud-based Office 365 earlier this year proves that cloud computing is a force to be reckoned with. According to a recent study by Microdesk, this trend will only continue in the future as companies push the limits of what the cloud is capable of.

A cloud-based software application, commonly referred to as software as a solution or SaaS, offers clients a number of advantages over traditional boxed software. First and foremost is a lower total cost. SaaS is cheaper to acquire, operate and maintain than traditional software. For example, DocRaptor is a web-based application that converts HTML to PDF documents. This SaaS application features subscription based pricing, which is a common feature for cloud-based software. Clients only pay for the services required, and may upgrade or cancel subscriptions at any time. Another key feature of cloud-based applications is easier maintenance. Because it's a service clients pay for rather than purchased software, there's no large up-front cost, no need to install it on multiple machines, and no need to maintain licenses or update software. With a cloud based application, all updates are rolled out centrally and pushed to all users simultaneously.

The internet has decentralized many things: information, entertainment, communication and productivity. With the portability of a SaaS, clients gain a greater amount of choice for workspaces, because the software can be accessed anywhere with an internet connection. However, this ease of access has raised concerns for many business owners. Security of data stored in the cloud has been an issue since the beginning, but recently some technologists' have put forward the theory that data stored in the cloud may actually be more secure than data stored on-site. If the security is done correctly, that is.

Security concerns aside, it's obvious the cloud isn't going anywhere and even more obvious that more businesses will be relying on SaaS in the future. As with every all technologies, cloud computing will grow, evolve and become ever more sophisticated. There may well come a time the cloud is the standard, and boxed software a distant memory.

Author Bio:

Tyler Moore is an SEO consultant based in Indianapolis, IN. He specializes in white-hat SEO and is interested in SEO, web design and development; cloud computing, internet marketing and technology in general.

Top 5 3D TVs Today!

3D television – the optical illusion of the XXI-st century is now an undoubted hit and has went even out of the cinema and entered into our own houses! 3D home cinema has become almost an obsession for TV lovers and it really amazes with the reality it creates. The unique experience of seeing thing into depth is incomparable for sure and it gives you the feeling that your favorite characters will really jump out of the screen and come and sit next to you on the couch. If you want to become a part of the 3D adventure of the new century, then you have to know that there are different options how to do that. However, there are 5 top ways to guarantee you and your friends that every single detail will become live in front of you in the most vivid colors.

Get the Best TV for You!

Samsung 3D Smart TV with Web Connected Apps

Incredible depth and vivid colors – this is the best solution offered by Samsung. If you want to almost feel the leaps of your favorite characters, then the Samsung 3D TV is the best choice for you! With it you will explore the wonders of 3D and be more pleased than ever. The variety of 3D TVs offered by Samsung is great and you can choose from different series to find the one that fully satisfies your expectations. For example, the latest Samsung 3D series, 8000 Series Smart TV, comes with different sizes of its display and great features. The Smart TV has web-connected applications and web browser. These features make it possible for the user to browse the web and find everything necessary to make his visual experience just perfect – from the best movie to the most interesting TV show. Samsung provides you with captivating premium-quality 2D and 3D in full HD 1080p. In a few words, Samsung guarantees you incredible 3D depth and the best 3D effects.

LG CINEMA 3D SMART TV Series – The Next Generation 3D TV

Another competitor for the prize for the most amazing 3D experience is LG. This time the TV giant presents a 3D TV with stunning high definition picture and brilliant clarity. The LG Cinema 3D Smart TV Series comes with a special remote control and much more comfortable glasses. The viewing angle is wider than that of conventional TVs.

Panasonic VIERA® 3D HDTVs

Panasonic removes any doubt that only the two specialists in technologies mentioned above can create a real 3D experience. On the contrary, Panasonic presents its VIERA® 50" Class ST30 Series Plasma HDTV with 3D, which amazes viewers with its full HD 3D capabilities and infinite panel. This series comes with improved pre-discharging and filter and ensures great 3D effects combined with clean picture. What is strange about this series and differentiates it from other 3D TVs is that although it is a great 3D TV, it has no shutter 3D glasses.

Sony Creates a New 3 World

Sony also contributes to the creation of a new 3D world with its BRAVIA LCD TVs and active shutter glasses. With its innovative technology which transmits images for the left and the right eye, Sony makes it possible for its fans to enjoy the beauty and magic of the 3D world. This technology makes it possible for the user to watch a clean and absolutely realistic picture, which is, in fact, its greatest advantage.

Toshiba class 3D TV

Toshiba once again proves its great capabilities for making amazing TV configurations. Toshiba 55TL515U 55" class 3D LED TV gives you a great chance to experience a new 3D dimension of fun. For both game fans and movie lovers, this TV recreates a real 3D atmosphere.

Google+ for Google Apps: Building on the Google Apps Suite

On October 27, Google announced that it would be making Google+ available for Google Apps users.  And just over a week later Google decided to add Google+ Pages to the list of new additions to the Google Apps Suite.

When Google first opened Google+, its social networking site, to the public, Google Apps users were not included.  But that soon changed for some Google Apps users, as Google integrated the social networking site with the app suite for Google Apps for Business users and non-profits and higher education institutions using Google Apps for Education.

With the new addition, administrators can manually turn on the Google+ option and their users can start creating accounts.  Google Apps users have access to all the same tools as Google+ users with personal Google accounts do, plus a few more.

Google+ for Google Apps users can make circles, which designates specific groups of people with which users can share information, an alternative to sharing information publicly.  However, Google+ for Google Apps users also have the ability to share things with their entire organization, even if some of the members of the organization are not in any of their circles.

Users of Google+ for Google Apps also gain access to hangouts with extras, a feature that adds to the already impressive collaboration tools of Google Apps.  Through hangouts with extras, Google+ users can partake in screen sharing, collaboration in real time with Google Docs, and can participate in multi-user video chats.  These tools make meeting and working with others easier than ever.  And even though no one is in the same room, it will certainly feel like they are.

On top of all these additions, as of November 7, Google Apps organizations have access to Google+ Pages.  Any business, nonprofit, or school can create a Google+ Page for the entire organization and gain the ability to engage in conversations with followers, send messages to groups of people, and publish news and updates.

And Google+ Pages are easy to find with the Google+ Badge.  The Google+ Badge can either be a Google+ icon that links straight to an organization’s Google+ Page or a Google+ Badge that enables people to add an organization’s Google+ Page to their circles.  Both the icons and badges are made to put on an organization’s website.

Google+ for Google Apps adds even more functionality to Google Apps accounts by further improving the productivity, communication, and collaboration tools available to users.

This blog post is brought to you by Cloud Sherpas. Cloud Sherpas is a leading Google Apps cloud service provider. As a Google Apps Authorized Reseller and Google Enterprise partner, we have migrated over one million users across all major industries from legacy, on-premise messaging systems to Google Apps, helping organizations adopt cloud computing to innovate and dramatically reduce their IT expenses. Get to know our company by checking out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cloudsherpas.

Exception PCB: What are Printed Circuit Boards?

A PCB, also known as Printed Circuit Boards, is very commonly used in the Electronics industry. A PCB is used for supporting and connecting electronic components. For this purpose pathways or tracks are etched from copper sheets which are laminated on a non-conductive substrate. PCBs are also called PWBs or printed wiring board.

The advantages of PCB are that it is very economical to use and is extremely reliable. Compared to other methods of attaching electronic components like wire wrap or point to point construction, PCBs can be tedious to make the layout and the initial cost are also higher. But in large scale production, they work out much more cheaply and faster. They are faster because the production and soldering of the circuit boards can be done by pre-set equipment. The PCB quality control guidelines have been spelled out by the IPC organization which is accredited by the American National Standards Institute. The UK based eXception PCB, is one of the major suppliers of complex printed circuit boards to the aerospace and defence sector. By gaining accreditation for AS 9100, the company has added another feather in its cap. Exception PCB has boosted its credibility and capability by the accreditation and is now planning to gain approval for the medical certification for PCB manufacturing in order to strengthen their medical customers’ needs.

Printed Circuit Boards were developed as early as in the 20th century. The invention of the printed circuit has been credited to an Austrian, Paul Eisler. Conducting layers in PCBs are made of thin copper foil. Most of the PCBs are made by patterning or etching. A layer of copper is bonded over the entire substrate and any unwanted copper is removed by applying a temporary mask. In this way only required copper traces are left intact. PCBs manufactured in large scale are used for silk screen printing and photography industries. In small scale, the PCBs are used to print on transparent film and also for use as photo mask. They are also used in laser resist ablation and in a CNC mill with a cutter. Hobbyists use it for laser printed resist on transparency film, for heat transfer with a laminator and other labour-intensive methods for vinyl fills and no washable markers.

PCBs are also used for chemical etching using ferric chloride and ammonium persulfate. The method in its simplified form is used by hobbyists for immersion etching. There are also multi-layer PCBs which have trace layers inside which are formed by bonding together individually etched boards. Drilling in a PCB is done through small diameter drill bits which are usually coated with tungsten carbide. The soldering on PCBs is done by plating with solder, tin or gold over nickel. A large variety of soldering techniques are used to attach components on to the PCB. In large scale production of PCBs, bulk wave soldering is done by machine placement.

The PCBs which may pass through extreme environments normally have a conformal coating which protects the PCB. This coating is done by spraying the components that have been soldered. The coating is known to protect the PCBs against corrosion and leakage. Since most of the PCBs are static sensitive, they are put in antistatic bags during transportation. It is important for the user to be grounded while handling these boards. There are different types of PCB construction like Cordwood construction which is known to save space used with wire ended parts in appliances where saving of space is a prerogative. The multiwire boards are an interconnected technique using insulated wires in a non-conducting plastic resin matrix. The surface mount technology used components redesigned to hold metal tabs that could be soldered to the PCB surface. Exception PCB, a company restructured from its American parent company, DDI, have been manufacturing PCBs for sectors that are wide ranging from Aerospace, Automobiles, Transportation, Oil and gas, communications, medical and marine, semiconductors and even Formula one.

How To Install OSX Lion

For users who are currently using the Snow Leopard operational system it could be worth looking into upgrading to the OSX Lion. Before doing this there are a number of factors of note that should be taken into consideration regarding IT installation.  Computers that are a few years old may not be compatible with newer operating systems due to the requirements demanded of modern packages such as the Lion. The next point of note is that it would be worth backing up all data before installation and reformatting a computer.

Checking requirements

The OSX Lion operating system will need a specific processor to install properly; any from the Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 and Xeon are all good.  Another requirement is that a minimum of 2GB Ram must be left free with an additional 4GB of spare hard disk space available also.

Back Up Your Data

 Before commencing with IT installation it is imperative to make sure all data on your hard drive is backed up. One option for doing this is using a back-up system called Time Machine; by running this it gives the user the peace of mind to not have to worry about installing a manual backup.  Failing this an alternative option is to invest in an external hard drive to store all data. It is essential to make certain that all data in every folder is backed up; this includes folders you may not necessarily think to copy including “Download” and personal “User” ones.

Downloading the OSX Lion Software

In iTunes software open the “App store” and browse for updates. Once the OSC Lion update has been found it is possible to click on this which will bring about a prompt for you to enter your details. From here it is as simple as downloading the software and then launching the upgrade once this is completed.

How To Reformat

From here the user should click on the icon marked “Desk Utility”; this will in turn open a new menu where the user can click on the hard drive. All information from the hard drive should be safely stored elsewhere as the next option the user should select is the “Erase” button. This, as could be guessed, erases all the information contained on the computer which will allow a fresh installation of a new operating system – in this case the OSX Lion.

Installing

A number of prompts should appear on screen which the user can then click through. The hard drive should be selected as the installation point for the OSX Lion and, once this is done, the next step is to press the “Next” button and simply wait for the setup to begin. Dependent on computer speed the process could take anywhere up to three quarters of an hour. Once this is complete the user will be invited to enter their username and password and then chose a wireless internet network from a pop up menu. Once this has done the computer needs to be restarted so as to run with the new system installed.  The final step, at this point is to re-upload all your previous data from either the Time Machine backup or from files stored on the external hard drive. Once these steps have been completed, no information has been lost and the computer will have a new OSX Lion operational system in place.