Hello folks! How have you been? I hope in a good shape. It’s been a long time since we met, right? More than year I guess since I written the last post (excluding the guest posts that I am merely copy-pasting here!) Well, I know it’s a shame on my part and I should be writing more often. So, here I am today again to bring you some of coolest shortcuts in Windows that you never know are present (well, some of you might actually know, if you are a geek like me ) So, without further ado, here they are!

 Just Call me “Temp”

Windows has certain folders which gets special treatment. These are the folders which basically sits inside the Windows or Winnt folder on your installation drive, depending on whether it’s client or server Windows OS respectively. So special are these folders (and so frequently needed by application and developers alike) that Windows team doesn’t want you to waste time typing complete path to get to the folder. You can just type the folder name in the Run dialog and Windows will automatically take you to the correct folder. For example, if you wanted to navigate to the C:\\Windows\\Logs folder, you can just type “Logs” (without quotes) in the Run dialog box and C:\\Windows\\Logs folder will be correctly displayed to you. Same is true for any folder inside C:\\Windows folder. In case the folder name contains spaces, just enclose the entire folder name in double quotes and you are good. For example, to open Offline Web Pages folder, just type “Offline Web Pages” (including quotes) in the Run window. Isn’t that fun?

 Share On Fire

Let’s assume you are working on the network share drive which has ridiculously long and weird path.  Now, your boss comes to you and asks you the network share path as he wants to connect to the share too. How in the world are you going to get the network path from that drive? By hovering over the drive and typing path in notepad? or furiously going through the 19th century documentation to get the path? Relax. There is a simpler way. Just type in the below command in the command window and press enter: C:|> net share and you will be presented with the output something like this:

Since my computer is not on network, it just shows default shares whereas in case of network PC, you will see list of each share name along with fully qualified network path. Easy like a breeze, isn’t it?

Copy That Dialog

You are using some third-party application which does some pretty fancy financial calculations but instead of giving the output as a text file or some sort of disk storage, some nerd who developed it thought it is cool to just show a message box. Now you are stuck with a message box and you want to save those fancy numbers in excel so that you can do your own mumbo-jumbo on them. But you can’t, can you? Yes, of course you can!

While you are on message box, press the good old Ctrl+C to copy the message box text and paste it wherever you want using Ctrl+P. Tada! and you thought Copy-Paste was just for lazies?

Intelligent Command Window

If you are from era of DOS/Unix like me where commands were the dinosaurs that ruled the brainy IT world, you wouldn’t complain much about cryptic commands, terse switches and almost non-existent documentation of how that command works. But for the rest, it’s complicated! Whether long path names are supported? do they need to be enclosed in quotation marks? How to copy path to command window? Does command window supports drag-n-drop??

Don’t fret! Microsoft hasn’t got the reputation for user-friendliness just like that. We have a solution and that is, bit of intellisense.

How does it work? Simple. You don’t have to type the whole folder name, just enter a few characters and press TAB key and whoops! The characters will automatically expand to the first matching folder name. If there are multiple folders matching the characters and you are not on your desired folder yet, just keep pressing TAB until you hit the desired folder. Secondly, if the folder name contains spaces, the folder name will automatically be enclosed in quotation marks. So you don’t have to worry about it. This not only works for folder but sub-folders as well, so you can get the complete working path typed in within seconds. Nice, isn’t it? and by the way, you can drag-n-drop file/folder to command window to copy its path to the command prompt

Edit-Friendly Command Window

How many times you typed in long commands in command window which you copied from some freaky ugly looking DOS website and wished you could just copy and paste it in the command window? Well, as a matter of fact, you can!

How? Very simple. When you open a command window, click on the left-hand windows menu and select Edit option and click on Paste. That’s it! Other way round is possible too. From the same menu, you can use Mark option to select the text from command window and then press Enter key to copy it.

If you are frequent user of this like me, you can change the command window defaults so that you don’t have to do it every time. From the top-left windows menu, click on Defaults. In the Defaults dialog box, tick the Quick Edit Mode from Edit options on the Options tab.

Now whenever you open the command window, you can start with copy and paste right away! Windows is fun, isn’t it?

These are some of the tricks I learned over a period of time with experience. What are your hacks to work swiftly in Windows? Post them in the comments below and if you liked this article, please spread word about it by sharing. Keep geeking!

[image courtesy: bewiki]

Many of us dream of location-dependent careers that allow us to work anywhere and at any time we like. Making passive income with the Internet has become a way for many people to do just that. Unfortunately, you can’t just expect to start a blog, start typing away, and wait for the ad offers to roll in. However, there are a lot of ways that you can make money with your blog and by blogging for others. Here is a look at a few of the ways you can earn a side income through blogging:

Google AdSense/Chitika

These programs display contextual ads on your site and pays you for the number of clicks or number of impressions that come from your site. In the beginning, you will likely not see big dividends. However, as your blog gains readers and builds traffic, you can easily start to make a significant income from this source.

Text Link Ads

These are ads that are hyperlinked to certain words in your text. For instance, perhaps the word “shampoo” is hyperlinked to an ad for a new hair care product, or perhaps the word “hiking” is hyperlinked to an for new athletic shoes. These links are sold for a set amount, rather than being paid by the click or impression.

Amazon Associates/Affiliate Programs

Amazon is one of the more popular affiliate programs available, but there are several. You earn a fixed amount of sales from traffic that your blog sends to these programs. These are especially lucrative around the holidays or other gift-giving occasions.

Direct Ad Sales

Blogs have become the new newspaper in many ways, and advertisers that would have spent money with print media are changing their focus to online media. Be prepared to justify your rates based on the number of unique visitors and page views you average per week, month or year.

Sell an e-Book

Don’t give away all your content for free! Create some “premium” content that can be compiled in a useful e-book. You can then sell the book on your site. The more useful and niche specific your book, the higher your sales are likely to be. Just like with your blog, you have to think about what you have to offer that is unique when determining the topic and the focus for your e-book.

Paid Blogging

Once you have an established blog, there are many opportunities for finding paid blogging work – and these can often send links back to your blog, driving traffic. Sometimes, these assignments can be guest posts on other blogs, and sometimes, they can be sponsored posts on your own blog. Some popular paid blogging sites include:

• http://www.payu2blog.com/ – Pay U 2 Blog
• http://PayPerPost.com – Pay Per Post
• http:// Bloggerwave.com – Bloggerwave
• http:// Smorty.com – Smorty
• http:// ReviewMe.com – Review Me
• http:// LoudLaunch.com – Loud Launch
• http:// Blogitive.com – Blogitive
• http://BloggingAds.com – Blogging Ads

You can also browse the popular job boards at ProBlogger.

Blogs are the best way for budding entrepreneurs to start their own business. They are the perfect way to build either a side income or to generate a substantial primary source of income. These are just some of the more popular ways that many bloggers use their blogs to make money, but there are many, many more opportunities!

This guest post was written by Alexis Bonari who is currently a resident blogger at College Scholarships, where recently she’s been writing on how to consolidate student loans to save money as well as researching how adults can acquire continuing education loans. Whenever she gets some free time, she enjoys doing yoga, cooking for fun, and practicing the art of coupon clipping.

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Until recently, Linux/Unix was considered OS of the geeks. However, with GUI and more desktop Linux distributions, things have simplified on both Linux and Unix. Still you can geek out with Unix/Linux using its terminal. Just follow the steps below to master the terminal.

1. Never used Linux!

Get Ubuntu CD available for free download online or you can get it free with most Computer Magazines. Other *nix clones available for free are FreeBSD, OpenSolaris, CentOS, Fedora, Mint, Debian, Ubuntu’s flavors Kubuntu, ubuntu netbook edition, etc. Most run directly from CD and you may not need to install it.

2. Get the console mode on Linux

Press Ctrl+Alt+F2 to F6 to go to console mode also known as terminal or command line mode as against GUI mode. Use this mode when you want to geek off. Press Ctrl+Alt+F1 or F7 (default for most *nix) to revert to GUI mode. In GUI you can try ‘terminal’, ‘console’, ‘xterm’, etc till you are comfortable. If you are a Mac fan then you can use ‘terminal’ too on iPod, iPhone and Mac. It’s Unix underneath! Windows™ also has a command line mode too, but the commands are quite different and lack the effectiveness of *nix commands. Still it is worth learning windows commands, formerly known as DOS commands.

3. Understand directory structure

type – cd /
‘/’ is the top level directory also known as the root of filesystem or root directory. This is the most confused thing during Linux installation.
type – ls
You see
/bin – system binaries
/dev – Device files go in this directory
/home – similar to my documents of individual users in windows and has configurations specific to each user
/root – root user’s home directory. Adminstrator in *nix systems is known as root.
/usr – user accessible libraries, binaries, documentation
/mnt – mount points for devices are located here. Recent systems mount devices under /media.
/sbin – administration tools
/opt – user installed applications
/boot – files and configurations for booting linux
/var – files varing in size lie here. eg. log files, printer spool, etc.
/tmp – temporary files here
/lib – system library files reside here.
/etc – Most configuration files go here. Most of *nix strength lies within these configuration files.
/proc – this directory has running system information which is automatically generated by system
/usr/src – Source code of linux kernel & other packages
This is just a guide. But what goes in which directory changes from *nix to *nix and also sometimes vary in different version of same *nix.

type – cd ~
The ’tilde’ is a shortcut to your home directory.

4. Simple commands to master console:

Note : All commands and filenames under *nix are case-sensitive.

i. ls : to get directory list. Use ls -l | more – detailed directory list one page at a time. try – ls -lA. Use ‘ls’ to check results of all commands mentioned below.
ii. touch <filename> : create empty file or changes access time of existing file. Try touch linuxGeek.txt
iii. echo : print a line on terminal. Use echo ‘How R U?’. Try echo ‘How R U’> linuxGeek.txt Also try echo ‘How R U’ >> linuxGeek.txt
iv. cat <filename> : to see contents of text files. use cat linuxGeek.txt – read one screen full at a time. Try cat linuxGeek.txt -n
v. rm <filename> : delete a file. try rm -v linuxGeek.txt
vi. pwd : know your present working directory
vii. cd <directory> : to go to directory (known as ‘folder’ in Gui parlance). use cd .. – previous directory. try cd ~
viii. mkdir <directory> : create new directory. try mkdir tmp1 tmp1. Use ls to see results.
ix. rmdir <directory> : delete a directory. Try rmdir tmp1 tmp2
x. su <username> : Switch User. While logged in as a user you can login as another user (We know it as fast user switching available in Windows since WinXp) and use the system as another user. Try su (does not work in Ubuntu by default. It prefers ‘sudo’ to ‘su’)
xi. mount <partition> <directory>: mount (map in Windows parlance) physical or virtual or network drive to existing directory. use umount <mounted directory> to unmount.
xii. sudo <command>: Run a command with root (administrative) privileges. sudo mount -a
xiii. exit : to logout of system

Q.What can you do with these simple commands?
A.These are the most powerful and useful tool you can have. Among other things, it can be used for
a. Recovering your windows/linux installation
b. Data backup/recovery
c. Deleting virus. Yes! Linux is immune to windows viruses and you can just delete it and its gone. Beware, though linux is itself immune to windows viruses, it can spread virus on connected devices and windows computer. There are known Linux viruses but they are very few and do not affect the system very easily.

5. Other interesting commands

i. cal : prints calendar. Try cal 2011
ii. date : shows current date and time. As root/admin can also use it to set date & time
iii. time <command> : Shows execution time of a command. try time cal 05 2011
iv. file <filename> : Tells you the type of file – binary, ascii, directory, etc among other details
v. type <command> : Shows location of a command. Use type date. Try type su. Also try type sudo
vi. bc : binary calculator. You can have all functions of a scientific calculator and it also has programming ability. Use quit to close the calculator.

6. Know you system

i. df : know disk space usage. try df -h
ii. ps : processes currently running. Gives process Id and process name. Try ps -A|more
iii. top : real-time view of current tasks. (task manager in Windows).
iv. uname : gives OS version, name, etc. Try uname -a
v. lsusb : list available usb devices. Try lspci
vi. fdisk -l : list available drives
vii. who : all users who have logged in to your computer.
viii. whoami : Username you used for login.
ix. chmod <permission> <filename>: modify file permissions. try chmod +ugo +rwx <filename> allow user, group and others read, write and execute permission to filename. try chmod 777 <filename> to get same result. But remember you are giving all permissions to everybody on that file!
x. chown <otheruser> <filename> : change ownership of a file/directory. The creator of a file is the owner of the file. Based on file permissions as above a user may or may not be able to access a file. Do not create/change any file as ‘root’ user under home directory.

7. Working with files

i. sort <filename> : sort a file alphabetically. It does not change the contents of a file. Try sort -r <filename>.
ii. split <filename>: splits file in size of 1000 lines. Keeps original file intact. Split files are named xaa, xab, xac and so on. Try split -n 10 <filename>. Use cat x* > <filename> to join them back.
iii. locate <filename>: find a file from database created using ‘updatedb’.
iv. updatedb : creates/updates database to find files using locate.
v. cat <file1> <file2> > <file3>: concatnate file1 and file2 to create file3.
vi. grep ‘<searchword>’ <filename> : list lines matching a search-word in a file.
vii. vi <filename> (viSUAL editor not roman six) : A powerful text editor and available on all flavors of *nix. It has 2 modes command (using ‘esc’ key) and editing [using i (insert), a (append), r (replace characters)]. Use vi <filename> esc + :wq to save and quit. Refer basic vi commands to learn more.

8. Networks

i. ifconfig : shows list of network InterFaces with IP addresses and other details.
ii. route : shows routing table
iii. ping <IP address> : check whether a IP is alive and can be connected. try – ping 127.0.0.1
iv. telnet / ssh/ ftp <IP address> : connect to remote computer using respective protocols.
v. netstat : network statistic info.
vi. tracert <IP address> : Shows names of routers on each hop to destination.

9. HELP!!!

You are on a console and don’t know what a command does or how to use it. Don’t worry there’s help at hand.

• <command> –help : Shows how to use a command and its available options. Very useful tool. try it with all commands above.
• man <command>: gives detailed help (manual).
• info <command> : gives hyperlinked detailed information of the command if available.
• apropos <word> : gives list of commands with short info related to the <word> specified. try this if you don’t know/remember a command.
• cd /usr/share/local/docs: It is not separate command but the location of documentation for most packages/software available on *nix.

10. *nix Basics

So now you are a geek too. But wait! There are some important things a *nix geek must know.
i. What is kernel? What is shell?
Unix/Linux is an Operating System. A part of this OS, which interacts with the hardware and manages various functions of OS is called kernel. The other part is the shell, which interacts with this kernel and is available to users to work on. Most applications run on top of this shell. To summarize: Hardware <–> Kernel <–> shell <–> applications

ii. What is Unix? What is Linux?
Now that we now what is kernel and what is shell, we must also know how Unix and Linux are different. Simply speaking Unix is a Specification and Linux is the kernel. Not clear, right?
OS which matches POSIX specifications (now a part of SUS – Single Unix Specification) is considered Unix. It comprises both the kernel and its shell. Those that do not comply with this specification are termed Unix-like OSes.
All unix like OSes running Linux kernel are considered Linux. Unix is proprietary (exceptions include FreeBSD, OpenSolaris) and Linux is Open Source.

Some more things you must know to be a *nix geek:

iii. What is file? What is process?
iv. What are commands? What are command options?
v. What are the different types of shell available?
vi. What is shell scripting?
vii. What is a Window Manager? How is it different from GUI?

This guest post is written by Milind Lokde. Milind is a co-author of the online book ‘Attaining Nirvana’, which can be read at http://attainingnirvana.com. It is available for free download and distribution for non-commercial purposes under creative commons license. He also likes to delve into mysteries of the world and mind, which you can read on his blog at http://mindcanmatter.wordpress.com

Trying to decide between the many Android VOIP apps that are available can leave you with more questions than answers.

• How do I know which one is right?
• Do I have to pay a monthly fee?
• What are the features of the best apps on the market?

All of these questions are valid ones and should be answered before you choose the app to use. When you make calls over VOIP you will either pay per call or sign up for a monthly plan. It is best if you know that you are using the service that is most cost effective for you.

Skype

Skype is one of the original VOIP services and is still widely used today. Since it has become available for the Android market, many people have opted to go with Skype because of name recognition. But there are other benefits to the service as well. You will receive low rates whether you choose to pay for a plan or pay as you go. You can also text anyone at any destination for less than five cents a message. Skype offers caller ID and voicemail with its service and has free instant messaging and mobile video calling.

Fring

You will instantly like the buddy list available with Fring. Not only will it sync with your address book, it will also show you who is available from services such as GoogleTalk and Yahoo. With Fring you can use WiFi, 3G and 4G to make your calls. Some calls are free of charge through their service while the rest are extremely low cost. You may even find yourself paying as low as penny per minute. Video calling and live chatting capabilities also appeal to many people who use Fring.

Truphone

With Truphone you have the option to pay as you go or take advantage of their unlimited calling plan. If you call outside of the US frequently, the unlimited plan offers you calls to 35 destinations at no charge. The monthly cost is low and you receive many other benefits as well. Low cost text messages, free calls to GoogleTalk and Skype and free IM are some of the additional features that you may like. You can even get free voicemail in case you miss an important incoming call.

Line2

You can take advantage of three different calling options when you use Line2. There is the ability to use WiFi or 3G and 4G like every other VOIP application. However, with this one you also have the choice of using the standard cellular service. In addition to this unique benefit you can make unlimited calls to the US and Canada with no charge. SMS messaging is available as well while the company offers you 24 hour support for the service. Caller ID, call waiting and even call forwarding come standard with the service. When you opt for a paid plan you will find yourself with benefits like visual voicemail and conference calling.

JaJah

JaJah is an internet based VOIP application that is available for the Android phone. With a simple download you can have access to a service that will integrate with your phone book easily. Whenever you need to make a call you will simply log in and select who you wish to call. Calling JaJah users is never charged and there is a new feature that allows you to call your Facebook friends for free as well. All of the other calls are subject to the low rates charged by JaJah regardless of the destination. There is no cost to download or use the app until you make your first call.

This article was written by Press 1 a Virtual Phone Numbers Provider and 0844 Phone Numbers Provider. For all your Phone System needs.

[Image courtesy: Drew Coffman]

Even the best bloggers out there have periods of time when they can’t quite get their blogging done, and they need to reboot. Given the nature of blogging and how it’s very fast-paced these days, even a relatively short case of blogger’s block can negatively affect the health of your blog. I’m sure everyone out there has their own set of coping strategies, so I don’t mean to prescribe a set of strategies for defeating blogger’s block. Instead, I just want to share some things that help me overcome my block; hopefully they can help you as well. And please feel free to share your own coping methods in the comments, as your methods might be even more useful than my own!

Do Administrative Tasks

The first thing you can try to do if you’re unable to blog is to turn your attention to the administrative tasks of running a blog. This way you can step away from the writing and get down to some other activity that is still useful to keeping your blog healthy. Send out emails to authors for guest posts.  Follow up with potential advertisers. Respond to comments. Check your analytics program. Redesign the template to be more user-friendly. Anything that addresses the health of your blog is still a positive activity, and it just might work to inspire you to write a new post.

Seek Unusual Sources of Inspiration

If you’re blocked, then maybe you should consider finding new and unusual sources of inspiration. In other words, maybe your block happened because you tend to write from the same sources every time you blog. If you write for a particular niche, then try to look outside of that niche for inspiration. For example, if you blog about gadgets, then look at a blog about architecture to see if you can learn any neat tricks from those bloggers regarding how they approach their subjects. Really, you’ll be surprised how well this works to recharge your brain.

Keep a Blogging Journal

Another way to avoid a block is to keep a blogging journal with you at all times. In this blogging journal you can write down ideas for your posts. You can take notes on others blogger’s posts. You can write down long-term goals or ideas you have about your blog. You can also keep this journal in other forms: you could record voice memos into your phone or video record yourself. The point is that whatever form your journal takes will allow it to be easily accessible and portable. You’ll want to always be able to record your moments of inspiration, because the constant habit of this will make it much easier for you to do your blogging seriously when you finally sit down at the computer.

Take a Break

Some of our worst blocks are the result of our putting too much pressure on ourselves. This is especially true of myself as a blogger. When I force myself to do too much work, or when I take on too many projects, or when I feel overwhelmed, sometimes the best thing I can do is step back from the computer, take a walk outside, or take a quick nap. Sure, it might eat up some of my deadline, but I’ve found that I feel doubly refreshed after a short break and can immediately throw myself into the work.

Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about accredited online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031 @gmail.com.

Though the Motorola Xoom is the first Honeycomb tablet flagship device, the Samsung Galaxy 8.9 looks like a good bet to give it a run for its money. The Galaxy is designed as a smaller alternative to the bulkier iPad 2 and Xoom slates. At 8.9 inches it’s larger than the previous 7 inch Galaxy, which was like a smart phone on growth hormones, yet it’s smaller than the sometimes large feeling traditional tablets. In the hand it feels just right, at about the same size as an A5 notebook.

The Xoom is currently on sale, but the Galaxy 8.9 is not available until later in the summer. Perhaps, this gives the Xoom a heads up, as it can get a comfortable position in the tablet market place before the Galaxy can even get going.

Samsung will hope the Galaxy’s dimensions will give it a distinct advantage in the handheld market, putting faith in the fact their tablet is sized ideally for long periods of holding. The Xoom is a bit of a monster compared to the Galaxy 8.9, weighing in at 730 grams to the Samsung’s 470 grams. It’s also a far thicker machine, its 12.6mm deep compared to the Galaxy which is a wafer thin 8.6mm deep.

This size difference is a plus for the Xoom as far as screen size is concerned. The Xoom’s screen is a netbook sized 10.1 inches and the Galaxy’s 8.9 inches. Both run the same 1200×800 resolution but as the Xoom’s display area is larger it’s better for watching films.

The machines are both powered by the same chip, a Tegra 2 chip, 1GHz dual-core processor. This processor is a fast piece of kit in any machine and is more than capable to do the donkey work in both these tablets.

Image by sekimure

Storage is a different story; the Samsung will come with a 16GB and a 32GB in built memory option, whereas the Xoom has 32GB’s of storage only. Both have the option of inserting up to 32GB of extra memory through the wonders of an SD card.

Dual cameras are available in both slates. The Xoom is equipped with a 5MP rear-camera capable of 720p recording and a 2MP camera for video calling. The Galaxy goes one step further with a whopping 8MP for the rear camera, that can capture 1080p video and a 2mp camera for video calling in the front. The two tablets are both set up for the Honeycomb Android 3.0 OS, so there is no difference here. The new OS allows multitasking and is seen as a huge improvement on the 2.2 Android OS as it’s created specifically for tablet usage.

Connectivity is the buzzword around tablets at the moment, with some not offering all the connections some feel is necessary. Fortunately, both the Samsung and the Motorola are well equipped. Both computers are compatible with Bluetooth, WI-Fi, 3G, and are upgradeable to 4G when it arrives. They also support Flash Player, a contentious issue in the tablet fraternity, and both have USB ports, though the Galaxy has no HDMI port.
As far as pricing is concerned the Xoom costs $599 for the Wi-Fi model whereas the Galaxy is expected to have a substantially lower price when it arrives, somewhere around the $500 mark, making it the cheaper of the two, though it has a smaller screen.

Considering which tablet to buy is a tough option, both have their pluses. Mainly it depends on whether you want portability over screen size. Though, as the only available option currently is the Xoom, it should probably win out for the moment.

This Guest post is written by Alex. Alex writes at the best android tablet, a web site dedicated to android tablets.

Whether it’s the telephone line, photocopying, stationary, or any other company resources that can be abused, there have always been – and there always will be – employees who take advantage of such things. Internet use is no exception to this. SMEs have often considered the adoption of internet monitoring software to control internet access by employees, yet some refuse to take such action as they believe it might create a sort of ‘Big Brother’ atmosphere – and no one wants their employees to feel ‘watched’.

Little do they know that the deployment of internet monitoring software can create a happier, safer and more respectable environment – boosting employee morale and increasing productivity. The way to understand this is by seeing the two sides of the coin:

 

Tails: The workplace without internet monitoring software

Imagine you are a hard working employee. You set your priorities and start working on those targets, only to be disrupted by the colleague sitting next to you who’s giggling as he/she watches some funny clip on YouTube. Although this annoys you, you try your best to ignore and focus. Next is the person sitting at the desk right opposite who starts talking about the latest shoes on ASOS to the colleague sitting next to him/her and you have to endure there chit chat on the latest fashion as they browse through different online shopping sites. After a short peaceful pause another colleague informs all of you about the latest event he/she just got invited to through Facebook. But the cherry on the cake is that point when everyone seems to be finally focused on their work and you suddenly start witnessing problems with bandwidth thanks to all the hogging – not to mention the times when the system crashes down and you have to halt those projects because someone was surfing through one of those offensive sites which was a treasure throve for malicious software and infected the network with malware.

This is a simple example of a daily scene employees experience at their place of work. The results of such environments vary according to the employee. Some employees might get frustrated and eventually, after seeing no action is being taken on their fellow cyberslackers, decide that if they can’t win them they might as well just join them. The more responsible employees might decide they just had enough and leave the company. Some might file a legal claim because of the offensive, racist and/or illicit websites they have seen being accessed in the workplace.

 

Heads: The workplace with internet monitoring software

Now just imagine how different the picture would be if the right internet monitoring software were applied.

1. Offensive, illegal and illicit material is instantly blocked – meaning no employee will find him/herself in any awkward situation, and also that your organization has a much smaller risk of finding itself in court.

1. Bandwidth use is controlled – therefore employees will be able to follow webinars, watch informative videos, browse work related websites and do any other web activities which can help improve their work performance, efficiently.

1. Internet access is controlled – this should put an end to cyberslacking because if administrators receive a notification saying a particular employee has been wasting time on non-work related sites for X period of time, they can send the individual a warning and if no changes are made, action is taken.  In this way, hardworking employees will not be disrupted. Also, once employees know their internet activity is being monitored, there are high chances they will work harder and avoid procrastinating on the web.

1. Less chances of malware attacks – the possibility of finding malicious software is generally greater in the case of social media sites (them being most visited and therefore most targeted by malware creators), seedy sites (such as porn sites and gaming sites), and other sites you would probably block and or control access to when using internet monitoring software. In this way the chances of the network crashing are very low and employees’ work won’t be disrupted.

That deploying internet monitoring software within organizations can lower employee morale is a misconception (subject to it being properly deployed, employees are informed and they understand the reasons why). Internet monitoring software actually heightens employee morale and improves productivity – it is when there’s absence of such an indispensable tool that the workflow starts legging behind.

This guest post was provided by Christina Goggi on behalf of GFI Software Ltd. GFI is a leading software developer that provides a single source for network administrators to address their network security, content security and messaging needs. More information: GFI Internet Monitoring Software. All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

 

Offices all over the globe have used Microsoft Office for many years as the standard office suite, but many other products offer similar features for the office that prefers a less expensive solution. Walk through these steps to find alternative software packages that will support existing office duties.

1. Software needs – Some offices require the simplest word processor and an occasional spreadsheet and can be very productive with basic software. Other professions must rely on the robust calculations and editing features offered by the most elaborate software packages on the market. Specific decisions begin with close examination of all business processes that would be supported by the software. Evaluate the business activities that require use of an office suite, and ask for input from the employees responsible for each task.

2. Existing options – After the business environment is documented, the next step is to look closely at the software that is on the market. Evaluate the longevity of the products and the probability that they will still be available in three years. Information is available from software magazines and websites that specialize in tracking the software markets. The most expensive software is not necessarily the best software solution. Some freeware and shareware software is preferred by users all over the world because of its user community and ease of use.

3. Operating system – If the computers have already been purchased for the office environment, the office suite must be compatible with the existing operating system on each computer. Some office suites can run on virtually every operating system version. Knowledge of the operating system is important prior to the purchase of the office suite because some software packages will not run on certain operating systems. User reviews are important for determining the success with which each office suite is used on each operating system.

4. Compatibility – For the office with an extensive library of existing files, the new office suite must be able to read the existing files. Conversion programs are important, but many features in existing files will be lost by the less advanced software components. If existing files have been created using the proprietary features within another software suite, most conversion programs will lose these special features. New files can be created, but the time to convert important documents may not be available. When the office shares documents with clients, special consideration must be given to their ability to read the files produced by the office suite of choice.

5. Budget – One of the reasons for switching to another office suite is the cost of the required software licenses. Many software packages are available for purchase in varying price ranges. The license agreements vary from individual, to small group, to unlimited licenses. Initial price may be higher for some software, but the long-term cost may be more reasonable. Avoid licenses that will expire in a year because the license renewal expense will be incurred even if new versions of the software are not provided.

6. Training requirement – Software usability varies from intuitive and simple to very complex and the training needs can cause work disruption until every employee masters certain tasks. Every software program will offer some level of training that must be evaluated for its usefulness. Individual training that can be completed online is preferred to traditional training that requires travel and time away from work. Few software companies offer traditional training because of the power of webcasts and online videos that demonstrate each software function.

7. Opinions – When reading reviews of other software users, look for forums where opinions are challenged by other points of view. Users that can write a review in a magazine without challenge from others can oversell or excoriate a software package that might work well in your office. Multiple points of view will provide balanced input that brings issues to light without blinding potential buyers with too much sales hype. Speak with other business owners and people who use the software packages in similar settings to determine their success.

8. Trial periods – Some software providers will offer trial periods for users to evaluate software prior to purchase. Take advantage of these trials and work diligently to determine the actual software features that exist in the office suite. Multiple software packages can be evaluated concurrently to shorten the evaluation period. Uninstall any software suites that will not meet the need.

Once these steps are completed, the new office suite can be installed on each computer and normal office operations can proceed. Whenever software glitches are discovered, contact the provider and work with the user community to improve the product.

This guest post was written by John Brook. He is one of the employees at a cheap office stationery supplier in the UK, and spends a lot of his time talking about computer desks and other office goods.

If you are using a solid ink printer, which is also known as ‘phase change ink’ or ‘hot melt ink’, you may know all ready that solid ink printers are actually less expensive than a laser printer on a per-page basis. And solid ink is made to last longer than any toner before it. Here are some handy tips to help you cut expenses further by making your solid ink last even longer.

1. Keep the printer in standby mode

A solid ink printer does take longer to warmer up than a Laser printer. Having the printer in standby mode reduces the warm up time. The printer is ready to utilize the ink efficiently, at a temperature called for by the manufacturer. You’ll waste less ink and time if the printer is not cold.

2. Plug into a backup power supply, not a wall plug-in

Every time the a solid ink printer loses power it will dump the ink from the print head’s holding tanks into the waste tray. It is impossible to recover the lost ink, it will be thrown out with the waste tray when it’s changed. This is a total waste of ink, and money! It may cost a little extra to buy an uninterrupted power supply (UPS), but if your electricity frequently goes down, it will be worth the investment.

3. Store your paper properly

If you store your paper in an unheated room, you’re going to be wasting ink when the paper is first used because solid ink printers work most efficiently with paper kept in a cool atmosphere.

4. Adjust the print quality settings

Are you using photo quality printing for text print out? This wastes ink – a lot! Always adjust the print quality setting to get the most efficient trade off of quality vs. toner consumption.

5. Be smart, buy a better product to start with

Some manufactures offer solid ink that does not require toner recycling because there is no toner waste. Laser toner waste is inevitable even when the cartridges are shaken endlessly to free up anything that may be left in the product. You may save a dollar at the checkout, but when your ink doesn’t perform or last as well as it could, you’re not saving money.

Saving money does not have to be labor intensive or a threat to the environment. Solid ink is environmentally friendly, nontoxic and eliminates the problem of handling dirty leaking toners for recycling. Solid ink sticks do not rub off on hands or clothing and requires very little attention from you once you observe the few simple guidelines above.

James is a writer at Cartridge Save, an online store offering cheap solid ink for Xerox Phaser printers.