Computers and Technology

What Can You Do To Bring Your Storage Management System Up To Date?

2011-11-09T08:35:00.000-08:00

The management of all electronic data is a task that can be particularly difficult for an organization of any size to undertake.

As technology develops and organizations expand, there is an almost continual growing need for an organization to have in place a suitable storage management system that can meet their needs, as the result of developing technology and growing organizations means a storage management system implemented even 12 or 18 months ago isn't likely to be able to meet all of the requirements of the organization today.

It is understandably a worrying concern for many organizations, as without an effective storage management system, vital data could not only be lost, but permanently deleted, something which could have a substantially detrimental effect on all aspects of business.

While there are numerous storage management systems available, all of which promote various different services, it's not a matter of simply choosing the system that is newest or the cheapest, but the one which provides the most suitable array of features for your individual needs should be looked at first and foremost.

And the first point you need to determine is exactly what features you require.

For instance, asset management is a particularly attractive feature, as it can help IT managers tremendously when it comes to tracking all of an organization's IT / technology related assets, from software licenses through to maintenance contracts.

An event tracking system is also a feature that very often receives substantial praise. Although they will vary between systems, the basic premise of an event tracking system is that they allow for IT managers to easily view the health of their storage management environments, very often alerting them and providing specific information to as and when an error has taken - or could potentially take - place.

Similarly, automated recovery tracking is something that while not wide spread in terms of its use at present, due to it being a new feature available to many service management systems, is of particular interest, as it can reduce both costs and resources substantially, by automating the testing of data recovery processes on a continuous basis.

What your organization requires in terms of a storage management system will largely depend upon your individual requirements. However, there are certain aspects and features of systems that all organizations can look for in a storage management system to ensure that it remains as up-to-date as possible - and the features mentioned here are just the start.

Predatar V6.5 is a full automation app for TSM that allows for all organizations to benefit from numerous storage tracking and management services, as well as the ability to completely automate several storage processes.

How Much Of A Handle Do You Really Have On Your IT Infrastructure?

2011-11-09T08:33:00.000-08:00

Almost every organization around the world with at least a hand a handful of employees is likely to have an IT infrastructure of some type.

There are always going to be organizations who don't have a reliance upon IT to operate, but generally speaking, the vast majority of offices you see in your local town or city will have an IT infrastructure in place and at least one person dedicated to ensuring that it is maintained and everything runs smoothly.

The issue that a lot of organizations have with IT infrastructures - or the person(s) within the organization whose role it is to maintain and oversee the infrastructure - is that they simply don't have the handle on the infrastructure that they'd like.

They have a grip on it and ensure that it ticks over, but there are plenty of organizations who - knowingly or unknowingly - don't have the handle on the infrastructure to ensure that they - and the organization as a whole - can take as much as possible from infrastructure.

For instance, as part of an IT infrastructure's routine management and maintenance process, regular backups should be made of all data stored within the system.

And although you're likely to be backing up your organization's system regularly, do you know what would happen if there was an error backing up? What about the implications if everything went awry, no backups were made and you lost all of your organization's data?

Sure, the last backup could be restored, but if your organization updates and creates thousands of new items each and every day, the results could be devastating.

What's important to understand here is that those organizations who appear to have a true handle on their IT infrastructure most probably do - but it's not without help.

And for many, that help comes in the way of dedicated software.

When you're managing an IT infrastructure for any organization, it's important that you have sufficient resources to be able to do so effectively and one of the best ways to ensure this is to utilize as many different apps and processes as possible.

Whether an automated process is running that provides you with detailed reports on your IT infrastructure's health at any point in time or you're seeing live information on where minor problems have occurred within the system so that you can stop them snowballing, IT infrastructures are designed to make the users' lives easier. It's therefore imperative you are using as much as IT technology as possible to make your life managing the system as easy as possible, too.

Predatar V6.5 is a full automation app for TSM that allows for all organizations to benefit from numerous storage tracking and management services, as well as the ability to completely automate several storage processes.

Accessing Resources Of Advanced Communication Technology To Expand Business Potential

2011-11-09T08:31:00.000-08:00

Technology often represents a resource that many businesses rely upon, in order to expand the opportunities of communication, while also enhancing associated resources to expand the potential of driving more sales. If taking advantage of the most recent advancements in technology is something that appeals to your businesses interests, identify the possibilities that exist with advanced communication resources to expand your businesses success. Almost any business can benefit from the technological communication advancements that have been made with resources, such as video conferencing, digital signage, and projector technology.

Video Conference Technology

When looking into the opportunities of expanding communication, one of the greatest resources that a company can rely upon is found with the utilization of video conferencing. When you are able to conduct face-to-face meetings with individuals across the street, on the other side of the nation, or the other side of the world, you will be able to save a tremendous amount of money on transportation and build a trusting relationship with your business partners or potential consumers. In addition to the opportunities of reducing your travel expenses, you will also be able to remain in regular contact with these individuals, to expand your businesses potential for improving efficiency, as well as increasing the possibility of a stronger business relations ship thereby generating increased sales.

Digital Signage Technology

When looking into the unique possibilities that exist with communicating with your consumers, the utilization of digital signage can be highly effective. By placing the signage in your waiting lobby, within your stores, or at a location where your goods are provided, the use of the signage will help to provide information that can prove highly beneficial to your consumer base. This is a highly affordable opportunity to the alternative of hiring an individual to provide this information to random consumers on your company's behalf.

Projection Technology

Projector technology represents a high quality resource that many companies can rely upon when looking to enhance a business presentation, training, as well as communication possibilities. The utilization of this technology is far superior to other mediums, such as pamphlets, because it allows for high-quality interaction to occur between the presenter and the individuals partaking in the activity. Simple utilization of a projection unit and a projector screen, allows for any company to take advantage of this advanced technology to enhance its internal and external communications.

When your company makes an investment into any of these unique technological advancements, it will significantly benefit from the improvements that are available with communication. To discover more on the possibilities that are available to any company seeking to embrace these resources, take advantage of the incredible selections that are available with video conferencing, digital signage, and projector technology.

When your company makes an investment into any of these unique technological advancements, it will significantly benefit from the improvements that are available with communication. To discover more on the possibilities that are available to any company seeking to embrace these resources, take advantage of the incredible selections that are available with video conferencing, digital signage, and projector technology by visiting www.visionext.com.au

How To Support Your Schools

2011-11-09T08:27:00.000-08:00

Most people that you meet in the world are good meaning people. There are some exceptions mind you, but most people are generally good and want to help out others. Take the area of education for example. Most people want to be able to support and help out in the education of our nations children but they just don't know how. We hope to off some advice in this particular article.

One of the easiest ways to help out your local school system is to just volunteer. Call up a local school and tell them that you are available to help out. With the cutback in funding schools are always looking for ways to get things done. You might be working in the cafeteria to help to serve up nutritional food to students. You might be able to help out with the coaching or the school team if you happen to be athletic in some form or fashion. If you happen to be good academically there are always students who need to be tutored to help get their grades up. The end of the matter is that there are plenty of things to do at your local school....you just need to contact the school and find out how you can help.

If you are "web savvy" you might go onto the internet and join a few education forums. There are a number of educational type forums out there that specifically deal with educational issues. Offer your services to investigate and write articles about the education of our children. Who knows who you might reach and motivate with your words.

Here's another way in which you can help out that most people are not aware of. Are you familiar with the NCEducationLottery? It was set up specifically to help out in the area of education. We are happy to relay that 100% of the net proceeds of the North Carolina Education Lottery goes to educational related expenses. In other words to help reduce class size in the early grades, help out with academic pre-kindergarten programs, construct new schools and provide scholarships for college and university students who need them the most.

These are just a few ideas to get you started but if you stop to think about it we are sure that you will come up with many others. The key is that you have the desire to help out. With that attitude you cannot fail, and your schools will appreciate you immensely.

For more information please visit our website: http://www.iHaveDiscovered.com

Different Types of Engineering Degrees and The Job Outlook For Graduate Engineers

2011-11-09T08:25:00.000-08:00

The government Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011, lists 17 different types of engineering degrees and the job outlook for graduate engineers.

These engineers develop solutions for the technical problems of industry by applying principles of science and mathematics. They are the link between consumers and scientific discoveries.

Aerospace engineers work with and often specialize in commercial or military aircraft, spacecraft, or missiles and rockets. They develop new technologies for guidance and control systems or structural design. They also work with production methods. Aerospace engineers will see about average growth in employment over the next 10 years.

Agricultural engineers design agricultural equipment and machinery. They also work with soil and water conservation, crop production and the processing and sales of agricultural products. Agricultural
engineers should have average or a little better employment growth.

Biomedical engineers will also need a background in mechanical or electronics engineering besides specialized biomedical training. They develop systems and products to solve health problems. Their
work ranges from prostheses to medical information systems. They design devices that are used in medical procedures and imaging systems. Employment growth of biomedical engineers over the next 10 years is expected to be 72 percent, much faster than the average.

Chemical engineers solve problems concerning the production and use of chemicals and chemical products. They design processes and equipment for chemical manufacturing. They work with industry in
the use of chemicals and the safety of workers and the environment. Growth in employment of chemical engineers is expected to decline to 2% over the next 10 years.

Civil engineers are needed to design and supervise construction of buildings, transportation systems, and water and sewage systems. They have to keep up with government regulations. Construction design has to take earthquakes and hurricanes and other hazards into account.

Civil engineers are expected to have much faster than average employment growth, 24 percent in 10 years.

Computer hardware engineers design and test any of the hardware components of computers. They're responsible for the manufacturing and installing of computers and computer related equipment.
Computer hardware engineers can expect slow growth in employment, 2% over the next decade.

Electrical engineers design, test, and supervise manufacturing of electrical equipment. This equipment includes lighting and wiring, electric motors, communications systems, and power generation.
They also design electrical systems of aircraft and automobiles. Employment growth for computer hardware engineers is expected to be only 4% over the next 10 years, slower than average.

Electrical engineers design and supervise the manufacture of many kinds of electrical equipment. Electrical engineers will have an employment growth of only 2% over 10 years.

Electronics engineers specialize in technologies such as global positioning systems (GPS), communications systems, control systems, and portable music players. Electronics engineers will have little
or no employment change in the next decade.

Environmental engineers develop solutions to environmental problems. They work with pollution control of air and water. They develop solutions for waste disposal and encourage recycling. They manage hazardous waste, garbage disposal, and waste water treatment. They protect wildlife and the environment. Environmental engineers will have a much faster than average growth of 31% over 10 years.

Health and safety engineers use chemical, mechanical, and systems engineering to prevent possible harm to property and people. They use specialized knowledge to prevent dangers from fires and toxic chemicals. They work with industry to anticipate hazardous products and manufacturing conditions. Health and safety engineers, excluding mining safety, will have average employment growth.

Industrial engineers coordinate materials, machines, energy, and people to make a product or perhaps provide a service. They control quality, efficiency, and productivity. They decide plant locations
and design distribution systems. Industrial engineers will have faster than the average employment growth of 14% over 10 years.

Marine engineers and naval architects design, construct, and maintain ships and boats, and marine equipment. They aren't involved in operation. Marine engineers and naval architects will have slower than average employment growth of 6%.

Materials engineers develop the materials used in manufacturing products. The products may be plastics, metals or ceramics. These engineers create new materials and processes to meet the needs of industry. Materials engineers will have about average growth of about 9%.

Mechanical engineers research and develop tools, machines and engines. They work on machines that produce power and machines that use power. And they design tools that other engineers need in their work. Mechanical engineers will have employment growth of 6% over the next 10 years, slower than average.

Mining and geological engineers and mining safety engineers work with anything concerning mining operations. They find deposits, design and construct mines, and transport the ore. They're
responsible for safety and environmental issues. Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers, will have faster than average growth of 15% over 10 years.

Nuclear engineers work with nuclear energy to generate power and with radioactive materials used in equipment to diagnose and treat medical problems. They ensure the safe handling and disposal of
radioactive materials. Employment growth for Nuclear engineers is expected to be about average, 11% over 10 years.

Petroleum engineers develop drilling and recovery methods to extract oil and gas from deposits. They work with geologists to determine drilling methods. They design processes and equipment to recover as much as possible of the gas and oil at the lowest cost. Petroleum engineers will have employment growth of 18% over the next 10 years, faster than average employment growth.

Considering the different types of engineering degrees and the job outlook for graduate engineers, job opportunities are expected to be about average in the next 10 years with some specialties seeing more growth than others.

Sylvia Buetow is a retired teacher, writer, author.
She supports online education and the idea of continuing education.

Never Forget Your Classmates With School Leavers Hoodies

2011-11-09T08:23:00.000-08:00

Finishing school is one of the most exciting and proud moments of a person's life. For many, it signifies the end of adolescent life and the beginning of an adult future. The one downside to this momentous occasion is that upon graduation, those students and friends you have grown closest to over the years will spread far and wide. Some might travel abroad on their gap year, exploring new lands and cultures. Other will begin working in nearby towns, expanding their social networks with new colleagues. Still others venture off to University, where they continue their academic life. It can be difficult to keep your friendship alive, so it is a great idea to have something to signify the memories made at school. A school Leavers hoodie is the perfect way to remember the great times had at school, as well as help create your identity in the years to come.

Why Choose a Leavers Hoodie

School Leavers hoodies are the perfect way to show your friends, family and neighbours that you have finished school, and that you had a successful time. It is a way to be proud of your accomplishments, as well as a way to let your friends know that you value the relationships with them, and they won't quickly be forgotten.

Creating a Hoodie Design

A hoodie generally has a design on both the front and back of the item. Often the front design has the name of the school or the crest and badge of the institution. The back can include any one of a number of designs. A very popular choice is to have the year of graduation, such as 12, 13, etc. The numbers can be made up of all the students' names in fine print. This is a great way to see yourself as a part of something important! You can find your own name and those of your closest friends. Instead of the graduating year as the feature, you can also have columns of names or another variation without the students' names - sometimes best for very large graduation classes.

Personalization

A fun way to make the Leavers hoodie your own is by adding on a nickname to the back of the product. Above where all the graduates are listed, you can have your own first name, last name or nickname printed in large letters. Your classmates can see it years from now and instantly recall who you were in school. Personalised school Leavers hoodies can also set you apart from the many friends who will likely be wearing a similar hoodie in the months and years to come.

Wearable Pride

While some graduation keepsakes like a diploma or a class ring are great ways to signify graduation and some pride in your school, they are not items that can be worn around all the time or easily recognized. A school Leavers hoodie can be worn any time, with no preparation, and lets everyone around you know that you not only finished school, but you have pride in your school and your fellow classmates.

Find out more about School Leavers hoodies.

Gender and Education

2011-11-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

Here in the United States we live in a country where families do not have to worry about the sex of their child. Except for some societal norms our children are created equal in most areas of our country. Everyone can vote, work, and even run for office. However, not all countries are lucky like us. There are some countries that hold different sexes to a higher degree than others. What does this do the psychological state of a child? Even though we do not enforce any rule against the different genders pursuing their dream, do we have societal occurrences that pin one gender against the other? This article takes a brief look into how our education system differs for the different sexes. Is there a difference? If there is, why is there one?

It is often debated whether or not our educational system offers the same opportunities to both genders in our country. Currently, we are seeing that more women pursue a higher education and are continuing to earn higher degrees. What is the reason for this occurrence? If this is a true development, why are men still earning more than women on average? Women earn more secondary degrees including; associates, bachelors, and masters. Yet men earn more doctoral degrees than women.

It is shown that women in the United States dominate men in writing abilities, but then fall short in math and science. Why are these trends continuing to happen this way? The notion of the hidden curriculum suggests that women are discriminated against in the education system. It believes that teachers provide special privileges to boys and as a result they become more social and learn more. However, if this notion is true, then why are more than 50% of higher education degrees going to females? If we do pay more to males in the formative years, where does the disconnect begin and when do women start surpassing males?

Some argue that this gender gap would be solved if we went to same gender class room styles. They say that this would get rid of the hidden curriculum notion because all of the students within the classroom would then have the same equal chance to get help or participate. However, would this add further to societal gender notions?

We know that this phenomenon is a problem in teaching the children, but how does this translate to those who try learning online. Typically they do not have face time with their professors, so how can you truly guess one's gender? In a day where there are examples of unisex names, how can you assume that you are teaching a girl or a boy? Therefore, wouldn't there be less bias if someone were to attend an online school to further their education. The students are forced to excel at their work without having the face to face communication and feedback with their teachers. If this thought it would then become more about those who have the initiative to ask for help and participate, rather than if a particular gender is doing it. Will we ever see a decrease in the gender gap?

Cassandra Picard,
Online Education

How to Study for a Comprehensive Final Exam

2011-11-09T08:09:00.000-08:00

One of the great difficulties between high school and college is the prevalence of comprehensive final exams. In high school, most courses test primarily on the material that has been covered since the previous test. In college, suddenly students are expected to know material that has been covered since day 1. By the time that the final exam rolls around, this could mean material that was covered almost six months earlier. For students where learning new information often seems to force out old information to make room (just kidding), the comprehensive final often serves as a bit of a culture shock. Luckily, there are some tips that can be followed in order to best assure that students can make this adjustment and excel in their collegiate careers.

* Proper Note Taking: It sounds cliché, but there really is no substitute for good note taking in college. This means more than just taking a lot of notes. Anybody who knows shorthand can write down everything that the professor states, but that does not mean that they will have a good list of notes to work off of. In fact, this would lead to information overload and the student would never be able to filter out the important information that they need to focus on. A great way to ensure that notes are organized in a manner of importance is to take them in outline format. Outlines allow the student to organize their notes into grouped topics. The important matters of the class discussions are shifted farther to the left in the notes while the details are located more to the right.

* Regular Reviews: The worst thing that a student can do for a class with a comprehensive final examination is to wait until right before the final before reviewing the notes dealing with earlier topics. At some point, 'out of sight, out of mind' factors in and the student will never be able to recall all the important details throughout the semester based solely on their previous notes. However, this is easily countered by reviewing previous topics throughout the entire semester. This does not mean that the student needs to study everything every night. But rather, they should make sure that they have gone through all their notes on more of a weekly basis. They will likely find that even if they do not study every detail, the details will still stay fresh in their mind thanks to simply keeping the information in the short term memory queue.

* Do Not Panic: It sounds daunting, but at the end of the day, the comprehensive final is still just another test. It is likely going to be in a similar format to the tests taken earlier in the year - and if it differs greatly, the professor will almost always lay out those differences. In fact, many students often find comprehensive finals to be easier than sectional exams. This is because there is so much material to be tested on that the test givers may focus primarily on the most important and most easily recalled material. Meanwhile, typical exams may dig deeper into the details and harder to find items since there is less overall material to be tested on. It is also not uncommon for comprehensive finals to regurgitate test questions from previous exams that the student has already taken. At the end of the day, it is important for the student to keep to what works for him or her. Incorporate the items above into their previously successful studying habits and they will find the final exam to be no sweat.

Relevant Topics:
Final Exam is also often referred to as a shelf exam (as Described at AUA)
Information on College Rankings

A Few Of The Florida CNA Certification Requirements You Should Know

2011-11-09T08:07:00.000-08:00

Completing the Florida CNA certification requirements can be done quickly. A stable work history, no criminal background and passing state testing is all that is needed. A high school diploma or GED may also be required. This is usually needed to apply for training. Some things are acceptable in a criminal history but if it involves abuse the candidate will not qualify.

People who have been certified in another state may not have to be re-certified. Their must submit their fingerprints and pass a background check. Florida offers reciprocity with other states for nursing assistants. The state will look at the file with the national registry to be sure there are no serious infractions.

A nursing assistant handles the daily care of patients. Typically, a registered nurse will be the one to supervise the assistant. The CNA helps patients to complete what is often taken for granted. A patient may need assistance with cleaning themselves, dressing, eating, going to the bathroom or walking.

The importance of their work cannot be overstated. It is very stressful for a family to have to provide that level of care, especially if they have young children at the same time. It is an adjustment for the person who needs the care as well. Someone who is trained in handling the family and the patient with compassion is very necessary.

There are schools available to get started. In Florida there is a minimum requirement of 120 hours of training necessary. The state has a list of approved schools. Choosing one of them to attend gives a student a better chance for success in state testing. The class can be a few weeks or a few months. The longer the training, the more time there is to absorb and practice what is being taught.

Whatever school is chosen, it will need to also offer clinical experience. This will usually mean spending a certain amount of hours working in a medical facility. There will be an experienced CNA to work with each day and guide the student in the proper handling of patients. The class instructor will also be there to supervise and answer questions. The student will need to comply with all facility rules and be identified as a student.

The state will accept a candidate for testing that has not gone to school. They will have a total of three tries to pass both parts of the exam. If they do not pass, they will then be required to go to a training program. There is a challenge form on the state website that can be filled out to see if testing is possible without training. Fees for testing still apply.

The Florida CNA certification requirements are not difficult to comply with. It is the perfect career for a person that has compassion for those who are unable to help themselves. They will not find the work humiliating or degrading but be proud to offer assistance. Upon passing the testing, the student will receive their certificate via mail and a card to carry in their wallet stating they are certified.

Go to CNA Certification today and read more about CNA certification in Florida.

Disneyland Memories

2011-11-09T08:04:00.000-08:00

"The thing will get more beautiful year after year. And it will get better as I find out what the public likes; I can't do that with a picture it's finished and unchangeable before I find out whether the public likes it or not." - Walt Disney on Disneyland.

Walt Disney found different reasons to build his seventeen million dollar Magic Kingdom in Anaheim in 1955. The idea had originally stemmed from his dissatisfaction with Los Angeles amusement parks in the late 1930s. While his two young daughters would ride the merry-go-round Walt would look at the tawdry surroundings and wonder why the place couldn't be better. Also he was receiving letters from people who wished to take tours of the Disney Studio- what would they see, guys bent over drawing boards? Walt had flirted with the idea of a small park across the street from the studio, and then put it aside bowing to opposition from the city of Burbank, plus financial setbacks largely due to the initial failures of Pinocchio, Fantasia and Bambi. On a personal note in 1948 Walt built his own personal miniature railroad in his backyard. The one-eighth scale Carolwood Pacific was a fun hobby that allowed Walt to escape business pressures, but his wife Lillian wasn't thrilled with her grown husband spending long days riding on a choo choo train through her begonias. Disneyland would eventually provide him with a bigger train to ride in without the spousal disapproval. But perhaps most important to Walt, Disneyland gave him a unique opportunity for a never-ending project.

For a perfectionist like Walt Disney filmmaking was often a frustrating experience. Even when one Walt's pictures did well he sometimes lamented that they could have been better if he hadn't faced a deadline or had a chance for a do over. After the short cartoon The Three Little Pigs (1933) became an enormous hit Walt had been pressured by bankers and distributers into making sequels, which had not been nearly as successful. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) had made eight million dollars at a time when movies cost 25 cents for adults and a dime for kids, yet Walt fretted about a scene where the prince seemed to shimmy and years later complained about not being able to improve on it. Other features that Walt personally loved such as So Dear to My Heart (1946) and Pollyanna (1960) did not do well at the box office. Walt had taken a shot at an ongoing task with Fantasia in 1940, the multi-segmented classical music cartoon could have theoretically, if Disney had his way, played forever with new sequences replacing others every few months. But Fantasia bombed at the box office in it's first release and plunged Walt into debt. As Walt's enthusiasm for pictures diminished, the idea of Disneyland took on a greater allure.

Walt spent many sleepless nights trying to figure out how to raise the money for Disneyland. His wife and business partner brother Roy were against the idea from the start. Lillian wondered why did he want to build an amusement park when they were so dirty, Walt's reply that his would not be did not curb her unease. She stressed even more when he mortgaged their house, borrowed against his life insurance policy and was still way short of what he needed. Roy Disney had no initial liking for the carnival business; the Walt Disney Company was still struggling to get out of debt after losing the European market during World War II. Hits such as Cinderella (1950) were offset by flops like Alice in Wonderland a year later. But the always-innovative Walt turned his fortunes around with the decision to get into television, a medium that most of the moguls in Hollywood hated and feared. ABC, who in the early 1950s was a distant third to CBS and NBC, was anxious for Disney to develop original programming. In return the fledging network provided the loan guarantees to build the park, Roy and Lillian changed their minds and got on board, and "Uncle Walt" overcame his initial camera shyness to become a beloved TV star when he hosted the hit show Disneyland, later known as The Wonderful World of Disney.

For twenty years Walt employed two writers of whom it was said had never come up with a good idea. When asked why, Walt explained that every time they made a suggestion then he knew what not to do. He used a similar line of thinking towards Disneyland. Unlike other parks, Disneyland would only have one entrance so everyone would have the shared experience of walking through Main Street U.S.A, representing an idealized version of Walt's often-hard childhood in Marceline, Missouri. Rather than have the traditional all-the-rides-on-one-side design which Walt felt led to unnecessary human traffic jams, Disneyland had a central hub surrounded by four distinct themed lands allowing the paying guests to move from scene to scene like they themselves were in a movie. Located in car-dominated Southern California, Disneyland would provide boats, trains, rafts, horse drawn carriages, and later rockets and flying saucers. Instead of the usual bumper car ride kids could simulate freeway driving with Autopia. During construction one of the Disney Imaginers told Walt that what he asked was too difficult. Walt replied." We set our sights high. That is why we accomplish so many things. Now go back and try again."

Despite the deadline pressures and alarming costs Walt had a ball designing Disneyland. Constantly the fifty-three-year-old heavy smoker would crouch down so he could look at the buildings through the eyes of a child. He decided Sleeping Beauty's Castle would look friendly, unlike like some of the intimidating structures he'd seen in Europe where he had driven an ambulance for the Red Cross during World War I. Walt personally drew out the sketches for Tom Sawyer's Island and was insistent that Disneyland have no visible power lines, water towers or administration buildings. Disdainful of other Coney Island style amusement parks Walt pooh-poohed the idea of hiring people with experience, choosing instead to go younger with an enthusiastic staff that would learn from their mistakes. Walt loved testing out the dark storytelling rides of Fantasyland: Snow White's Scary Adventures, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and the gravity defying Peter Pan's Flight, the latter by most accounts was his personal favorite attraction (Conversely Peter Pan (1953) was not a movie Disney particulary cared for; Walt felt that the title character was hard to root for and almost as mean as his adversary Captain Hook).

Had Disneyland been a movie, it may have been pulled out of theaters after a short run. On opening day, July 17, 1955, ten thousand invitation-only tickets were sent out. They were easy to forge and over three times as many people showed up. A man stood on the side of the park with a ladder and charged five dollars to climb over the fence until the police caught him. Just a few days before, there had been a plumbers' strike. Walt chose to sacrifice the drinking fountains so that the bathrooms worked; several of his guests passed out due to the heat, which went up at one point to 101 degrees. Pepsi Cola sponsored the event; many of the enraged thirsty patrons assumed the water shortage was a cynical attempt to sell soda. The asphalt on Main Street was not dry; women who walked on it wearing high-heeled shoes got stuck and sunk. The restaurants and concession stands ran out of food early. A gas leak shut down Fantasyland. Tomorrowland, which Walt originally had a difficult time conceptualizing, was covered with balloons and pennants and could not absorb any of the crowd. Nearly half the rides broke down. As the afternoon wore on, fights broke out between the ride operators and customers. Disney himself had been busy running around his 160-acre Magic Kingdom filming a TV show and wasn't aware of all the mishaps until he read about them in the newspaper the next day. He immediately returned to Disneyland to fix things.

Over time Walt found out what worked and what didn't. Mule rides were discontinued because of several biting incidents. A circus was aborted after a trapeze artist lost her top in midair while performing, camels kept spitting into the crowd, a lama got loose and ran down Main Street scattering customers, and nearly every performance was poorly attended. (Before the park opened zookeepers had warned a very disappointed Walt that he couldn't have live animals on The African Queen inspired Jungle Cruise ride because they'd never behave consistently.) Tomorrowland came together by 1959 with the Monorail and Submarine Voyage. And there were endless opportunities for Walt to exploit his interests. He was fascinated reading about the Columbia, the first American ship to circumnavigate the globe and built a near perfect replica for the already busy park waterway The Rivers of America. Walt and Lillian were world travelers; on a trip to Switzerland they had been impressed by the breathtaking beauty of the most famous mountain in the Alps which leading to the development of the Matterhorn Bobsleds ride in 1959. The couple enjoyed buying antiques in the French Quarter, which inspired the 1966 creation of New Orleans Square (Walt had many great qualities but tact was not one of them. When the mayor of New Orleans came to visit the cartoon maker at Disneyland, he remarked that New Orleans Square looked just like the real thing. "Actually, it's cleaner," Disney said.) In the late 1950s, the Disneys heard a story from a tour guide on a boat cruise about buccaneers hiding treasure near Cuba, which may have sparked the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in 1967, an attraction that took so long to create Walt sadly didn't live to see it completed.

Disney never tired of walking through Disneyland trying to fix things. Often in a hurry, the TV icon would occasionally disappoint a fan by not taking the time to sign an autograph. But whether adding a few minutes on a ride, lavishing extra money on a parade, or putting fancy furniture in a medium priced restaurant, Walt always tried to put himself in the mind of his patrons when he made changes to the park. The crowds kept coming, he was finally able to pay off his debts by 1961 and Walt's attempts to improve Disneyland continued for the rest of his life.

Author Stephen Schochet is a professional tour guide in Hollywood who years ago began collecting little-known, humorous anecdotes to tell to his customers. His new book Hollywood Stories: Short, Entertaining Anecdotes About the Stars and Legends of the Movies! Contains a timeless treasure trove of colorful vignettes featuring an amazing all-star cast of icons including John Wayne, Charlie Chaplin, Walt Disney, Jack Nicholson, Johnny Depp, Shirley Temple, Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, Errol Flynn, and many others both past and contemporary. Tim Sika, host of the radio show Celluloid Dreams on KSJS in San Jose has called Stephen, "The best storyteller about Hollywood we have ever heard." Available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or wherever books are sold. For more information go to http://www.hollywoodstories.com

The Quick and Easy Home Networking DIY

2011-10-26T10:41:00.000-07:00

Anyone in IT can tell you that the most common question they get from friends and family and 'non-geeks' are about networking. Even in today's age of plug-and-play technology, home networks can be confusing.

Fear not, intrepid computer neophyte. It's a lot easier to set up than you might believe.

The first thing you need to know is what you want your network to be capable of. Are you just going to share Internet between two or more computers? Maybe a printer too? Are your computers capable of wireless connections or will they need wired ones?

- Wireless Router

Most likely you'll want a mix of wired and wireless. That means a wireless router, which you can buy at any office store or electronics outlet. They aren't too expensive, though the more functionality you want, the more you'll pay. For most home networks, a simple wireless router in the $40 price range is probably sufficient.

This router will be the 'hub' or base for your network. To it, all of the wires from different things connecting will come. It's also where the wireless send-receive action will happen.

- Incoming Internet

No matter how your Internet arrives at your home, it's likely coming into a modem of some kind. Cable, DSL (phone), or wireless connections often are received centrally at a small box that has an input and an output. The output will be in CAT 5 (network cable) and your router will have a clearly marked 'In' line for it to plug into.

Once these two are connected, your Internet is ready for sharing.

- Computers

Most every computer sold today either has wireless connectivity (built-in WiFi) or a network communications card with an accessible plug for your network cable. Desktops are usually ready for wired network connections while notebooks and laptops will usually have WiFi and often a cable plug as well.

Plug these devices into the router as you see fit. If you're using Windows or an Apple OS, you will likely have a connection wizard pop up automatically to make the required connections for you. If you're using Linux, you will need to run the networking application that's built into your particular desktop to establish a connection - often this is also automatic.

- Printers

Sharing printers is generally pretty easy. The printer usually connects to one of the computers on the network. By designating it as 'shared', it can be shared with other computers quickly. Sometimes you'll be prompted to download and install driver software on each computer, but today's more modern printers are often stand-alone and don't require this. Some can plug into the network themselves, being computer-free.

- Other Devices

A lot of other things can share your home network now too. DVR boxes, Netflix receivers, game consoles, and more. Most of these should be able to connect to your WiFi or hard wired connection without much trouble.

- Troubleshooting

The most common problem with wireless networks is range. In the home, the actual range (versus what the manufacturer claims) is often not that far. In this case, repeaters or more routers can be used to extend the range. You can also string wires to those areas and make them plug-in spaces.

Computers can't communicate or are missing Internet connections is another problem. Most of the time, this is due to poor naming conventions for the individual systems or a problem with the workgroup's name. Make sure everything is spelled correctly and matches on all systems. Another common problem is to have IP conflicts where two systems have the same IP address. This is especially true on Windows networks where the IP is dynamically set for each system on startup. The fix for this is to give fixed IP addresses to the systems that are usually always on (such as a main desktop) and let the peripheral systems go dynamic.

File and printer sharing is another issue that often gets missed. Be sure it's verified and installed on all systems that are using the network (esp. Windows systems).

Hopefully this quick-and-dirty DIY guide helps you get your network set up quickly. In most homes, a good network can be put together for about $100 and in a couple of hours.

3D Desktop Backgrounds

2011-10-26T10:39:00.000-07:00

Desktop backgrounds for home computers can add a personal touch to any home screen. 3D wallpapers are one of the most intuitive ways in which to decorate the computer screen. This article will explain why you should download and install one onto your home computer and explore the benefits that that can bring.

The first thing to note is that although the technology now exists to be able to have a 3D monitor installed to a computer, these are still in the initial phase of the market with most people currently owning a normal 2D monitor ranging from around 14" up to around 20". This does not mean that a 3D background cannot be applied and still add a viewing pleasure to the user.

Many of the great 3D pictures that have been drawn over the years have the ability to dumbfound and baffle the viewer and they can all be downloaded to add a 3D desktop background. Possibly the most famous 3D picture that has ever been drawn is the staircase picture and this picture is one of the most popular 3D backgrounds for desktop computers. This one defies the logic of normal thinking and the concept of space. When this 3D wallpaper is applied to the home screen, it offers the user a moment whenever they can try to apply some logic to the drawing and figure out what is happening. The truth behind this 3D desktop wallpaper is that the picture is extremely clever in its design.

The most intuitive 3D desktop wallpapers require the user to have a great imagination. The very best 3D desktop backgrounds will create an illusion in the eye of the beholder. 3D backgrounds will most likely involve a host of complex lines pointing in various directions to inspire the user to try to make the ends meet and figure out how their eyes are being deceived. These types of 3D wallpaper for desktop backgrounds are a great way to keep the brain active during the day when the mind has a tendency to drift into daydreaming.

Some of the most modern and up to date computer monitors now support high definition. The ability to show HD quality images adds a completely new level to the potential for 3D wallpapers for desktop that can be displayed. Pictures and 3D desktop wallpapers can now be developed by using some highly technical software and will make a photo jump out of the screen by using the correct balance of colour and shading. These are often images of cartoons or animated animals but are at such a high quality that the 3D background will almost look real to life. Not only will this type of 3D wallpaper for desktop computer provoke happiness and a smile each time that they are viewed but will also show off the computers monitor to its full potential. 3D wallpapers are one of the best ways to show off the intensity of the colour and is a great way to start engaging in conversation when friends and family visit.

Flower Backgrounds For Desktops

2011-10-26T10:36:00.001-07:00

For every flower in the world there is a flower background for desktops. You can literally get lost in the thousands of different plants and flowers you can use to brighten up your home, work or school computer. The list is endless when it comes to the beauty of each flower available to you. Flower wallpapers can be changed frequently also, to move with the seasons or time of the year relevant to you. You may like to have a special flower to represent a loved one at a certain time of the year, choosing to have this as your flower backgrounds for a period of time, before changing the flower wallpapers again to something else fitting in with your lifestyle.

Flower backgrounds are one of the most common images used for computer desktops. As the possibilities are endless and flowers will always suit any occasion. Depending on the need for your flower wallpapers, you can choose something to represent a formal meeting or work appointment, to something funky, bright and fresh for when using the device at your leisure. All flower backgrounds will never disappoint you, plus can reflect the kind of mood you feel, or support an important occasion.

You can also be quite versatile when it comes to flower wallpapers, many modern artists and photographers have put exciting new twists on average pictures such as flowers, giving them a whole new look altogether. You can see many floral images in contrast and with amazing effects throwing them in to a whole different dimension. Just by tweaking the flower wallpapers you can make it into something out of this world. Having such a stunning piece as your background to your PC will most definitely make it a talking point of any conversation. People under estimate the beauty captured in some flower backgrounds, the way a flower is captured in its surroundings can be literally stunning to the viewer.

As many default settings for computers contain an array of flower wallpapers to choose from, there is no question about how many people will be using different types of flower backgrounds, based upon the fact of seeing these images on the settings first of all. Making the user wonder if they can top the stunning flower arrangement they have been given with something much more personal to them, with the same amount of beauty portrayed. Never the less if you do wish for a more simplistic, artistic flower backgrounds for your desktops there are also some stupendous images of singular flowers caught at mind boggling angles to show the flower in a light never seen before. These flower wallpapers can leave you wanting to obtain more and more, like a work of art you wish to show off. The best part about it is that at just a click of a button you can change the flower backgrounds to another image whenever you want to. This is the beauty of having flower wallpapers on your desktop, almost like having your own digital art gallery.

Understanding What Is Cloud Computing and Its Advantages to Businesses

2011-10-26T10:34:00.001-07:00

As per a recent survey, over 80% of key decision makers in businesses are not using cloud computing. And, around 40% of them are not aware of cloud computing. So, if you are not aware of what is cloud computing read on to learn its advantages.

It allows you to store software and files remotely, in place of storing it on a local server or hard drive. There may be several business owners who are already relying on cloud computing without even realizing. The best examples are in the form of Hotmail and Gmail, Skype, YouTube and SoundCloud. SoundCloud is a music sharing website.

If you have international operations, cloud computing is going to help you in many different ways. The major benefit is in the form of flexibility. With it, your staff will be able to access the data and files remotely. As long as you have access to the internet, the information can be accessed from home, on the go, from the office of your client and even from your Smartphone.

Another important thing you would want to know about what is cloud computing is that your staff can even work collaboratively on different documents and files even from different locations. They can view and edit documents simultaneously from various locations. It make business processes fast and convenient. For example, consider the speed with which you can setup and access your web-based email account. And, an internet connection is all that you require, whether you are using your computer or phone.

It is cheaper and brings down the labor costs. You don't have to purchase or install the software additionally as it is installed on the remote systems. In addition, you can also find several applications being offered free of cost. You don't have to pay for the vast disk space that you get. The key to understanding what is cloud computing is that you are subscribing to the software and resources, and not buying them. Thus, you would be paying for it only when you require it. This clearly means that it is flexible, as you can instantly and conveniently scale up or down the usage as per the requirement. This feature of cloud computing is going to be helpful when you have occasional peaks in demand, as in the summers or at Christmas.

Promote Your Own Personal Branding

2011-10-26T10:07:00.001-07:00

There is the old saying ‘if you want something doing, do it yourself’ If you are the quiet hardworking type, that seems to go un noticed, it might not do your career any harm to GET yourself noticed.

Whilst I’m not talking crazy stunts or bizarre behaviour in the office, here are small and effective ways you can build your own profile within your organisation, and as a job seeker, hopefully, out of it too.

This kind of visibility is important when looking for that new career move. Wouldn’t it be great if your reputation preceded you? And in a positive way! Head hunters and recruiters all agree that you have to make it happen for yourself. It’s great if you are the notable star of your office, with good things constantly being said about you. Many bosses are not so publicly effusive about their staff, however, and whilst they may appreciate your hard work, it might be down to you to shout it from the rooftops. It doesn’t have to be so brazen either, no one likes a show off, it is as simple as subtly letting your colleagues, contacts and acquaintances know how good you are at what you do.

Out and About: You must make sure you get out of the office. Attending industry seminars, conferences and workshops is a great way to promote yourself to others. The inevitable questions are bound to be raised by your peers who will want to know what exactly you do for your company and what current and future plans are. You will learn to choose which away days to attend over others, for their professional ‘use’ networking with others at the same level is great, but you might want to surround yourself with higher graded decision makers, like people who occupy director jobs seats, at some point also. Use the time wisely and showcase your sparkling personality, skills and helpfulness to others. Give the impression you are the sort they would be lucky to have around.

The Write Stuff : - Let it be known that you are an ‘authority’ in your field. Journalists and writers are in constant need of articulate ‘soundbites’ from industry insiders. If you are reliable, and play to deadlines, they will keep coming back to you. Nothing says ‘reliable source’ than your name across publications and papers. People will remember, and be drawn to this. It’s like an endorsement from the press, if you like, that your opinion counts.

You may also consider contributing to your Trade magazine or company newsletter. Offer a column or an opinion piece on a relevant subject. Make sure you have something valuable and relevant to say. Editors are always looking for ways to ease their own load! It’s all about getting your name out there!

Say it Loud : - If you are confident enough, make sure you volunteer your industry knowledge and give talks anywhere there are people to listen -- in your community, at your college or in a professional capacity at work or in conferences and seminars. Have something novel to say, as well as being authoritative-- you can't tell who might be around to quote you.

Scared? Don’t be : - If being so public really isn’t your thing, you may want to assess your career motives and ambitions. Certain industries and roles have a higher level of visibility than others. If you really are not comfortable with the kind of self promotion mentioned above, you might want to take a look with what you are comfortable with and take it from there. Being at the top of the career ladder is in no small part to the art of self promotion. If you prefer a quieter life, you can always just concentrate on proving what a reliable and conscientious employee you are, traits a potential boss will always be grateful for.

Social Media Network Helping to Stay Connected

2011-10-26T10:06:00.000-07:00

The concept of a ‘social media network’ dates back 3 decades, however the revolution we have witnessed in this domain in the last decade is unparalled. Traditionally, these forums allowed people to stay connected with friends and family, and people with similar interest to share and learn. Over the years, these have progressed to becoming a good medium for professional networking as well. Further progression reveals that these sites have been a great connector to job sites, such as www.careertunity.com. Although the number of sites has mushroomed and some are more popular than others in a particular region, the top 4 social media networks worldwide always includes Facebook, Linked-In or Twitter.

We at Careertunity.com conducted a survey among active members of the site to understand their preferences and usage patterns regarding social media network. Below we present a collation of responses from 100 respondents on our site.

As the term ‘social media’ suggests, the majority of respondents (72%) engage utilise the media to network with friends and families; the next most common use of this media is to look for jobs, as stated by 63%. Another 40% keep in touch with their professional contacts through these social network sites while 23% access the latest news through this medium.

In terms time spent on social media network sites in a day varies from less than 30 minutes to some spending even 8 hours in a day, albeit small. Majority of the networkers spend 30 minutes to 4 hours in a day on an average to keep in touch with their networks and also looking for jobs.

Social networking sites are usually used by users during the evening time (5-8 p.m.) while users are at ease at home or at office, post office hours. However, 1/3rd of respondents like to network online during the day between 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Among the top social media sites, we gathered information to gauge the popularity of Facebook, Twitter and Linked-in and they were ranked on a 5-point scale. The most popular of these is Facebook (4.5) followed by Linked-in (3.5) and Twitter (3.4).

We also found out the social media network site that has helped our users to be connected to www.careertunity.com and it showed that Facebook is the biggest connector, followed by Linked-in, blog of Careertunity and Twitter. As opposed to traditional means of looking at jobs, online medium is gaining popularity in keeping job seekers abreast of job openings and is evident from the study as 77% of the respondents expressed that social network sites are good medium to know about job openings and opportunities.

Social Networking Trends

2011-10-26T10:04:00.000-07:00

Digital media trends are changing at a rapid rate. A social networking site is a place online place where users can create a profile and build a personal network that connects them to other users. These sites contain many features all rolled into one, providing avenues for both content creation and evaluation. Members share photos, thoughts, opinions and news. The sites also allow users to choose who gets to view their profiles. The number of people registering on social networking sites is growing at a rapid rate. Love it or hate it, one cannot deny that social networking is the trend of this decade. Facebook and Twitter both boasted triple-digit growth in 2009 and social networking now accounts for 11% of all time spent online (The Nielsen Company). This February, Facebook announced that its membership had grown to 400 million users worldwide. Twitter recently announced that they will soon reach 50 million tweets a day.

Over time social media has proven that it is able to bring benefits to both giant corporations and small businesses. These networks could be used for managing customer relations, advertising, marketing and sales, and even building and maintaining a brand. Most companies have social media policies in place. However, there have been concerns over loss in employee productivity and the consequences of online brand bashing. Prepare your organization well before jumping onto the social networking bandwagon. Next, identify your target audience. There is an overload of information available at the single click of a button and today's technologies are converging in a bid to offer access to maximum information using the smallest, most convenient medium possible. Social networks are beginning to integrate their content with one another. These integration systems seek to connect just about every individual with an online presence, in a bid to establish a substantial network of people.

Social networking is not a fad any longer, it is here to stay and it is essential that businesses use it to their advantage as it facilitates cost-effective marketing and allows companies to sample the target audience before launching new products or pitching new concepts to the market. Companies are viewing social networks as avenues for meeting new clients, customers and even employees. Some have gone as far as undertaking R&D based on the feedback received from users and non-users about the product or brand in question. Technological advancements have allowed companies to extend their relationships into cyberspace, reaching out to people without worrying about geographical limitations.

Social media trends ( www.careertunity.com ) are ever changing, with each transition offering interesting insights into society. Social networks are now moving towards niche networks with people having similar interests forming exclusive elitist groups. This trend though, defies the very social nature of social networking. If used in the right context, social networking can prove beneficial to all. The careless and personalized use of social networking seeks to merely make private lives public, thereby flooding the internet with layers of unwanted personal information, which could be dug up at a later stage and used against you. Other network users couldn’t care less about your toothache, but we can pull it up from the archives later to use it against you. This network of contacts has tremendous potential if only one could effectively channel it into substantial content, rather than littering cyberspace with personal information.

The Benefits of Earning a College Degree

2011-10-26T09:57:00.001-07:00

For many students and working adults, the decision to pursue a college degree can be a difficult one. The time and financial commitments involved may seem overwhelming at time, especially to someone at the beginning of their academic journey. Thankfully, there are many option available for students who wish to pursue their education but are limited by free time and resources. Online learning has revolutionized education by allowing students to attend classes whenever their schedule permits from wherever internet access is available. Federal and private loans are available for students needing to finance a portion or all of their tuition. Still, the time and effort required to make the arrangements to get into college, much less attend and graduate from an educational institution, may lead some to question the necessity of earning a degree.

In todays society, earning a college degree is essential for success in the employment market. Few positions in the workforce with upward mobility or ample advancement opportunities are available for those without an education beyond the high school level. Of course, the type of career path one chooses can greatly affect factors such as these, but overall, those who earn a college degree simply have more and better job opportunities.

Financially, earning a college degree is a wise choice. The rate of return in future earnings for every dollar a student spends on education more than makes up for the cost of earning a degree. Bachelors degree holders gain an estimated one million dollars in lifetime earnings over those who only hold a high school diploma, according to a recent report by the U.S. Census Bureau. But getting a college degree is about more than just higher earnings, and many of the benefits can have a profound impact on graduates lives.

College graduates enjoy better health, participate in more leisure activities, save a greater amount (by percentage) of their earnings, offer an improved quality of life for their children and report higher levels of personal happiness than adults with a high school diploma, according to the Institute for Higher Education Policy. Furthermore, a recent study by the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education revealed that college graduates are less prejudiced, exhibit greater rationality and are more aware of world affairs than their non-degree holding counterparts.

GE's Immelt - An Opportunity to Actually Make a Difference

2011-10-22T05:04:00.000-07:00

I read a story recently where GE's Jeff Immelt was quoted as saying about the nation, "We're not trying that hard; We haven't really tried as hard as we can to compete, educate, and sell our products around the world and I think we can do better."

Now, on the surface, this sounds reasonable; how can we sell more US products abroad, and in the process, create more jobs? But, I remain skeptical about Immelt's motives, especially considering that GE, under his leadership, and like many other large corporations, have shed thousands of jobs rather than look for creative ways to utilize displaced employees and help address the current unemployment picture.

Immelt tries to assuage the overall feeling of frustration and anger by many US citizens by saying, "It is natural to assume that people are angry and I think we have to be empathetic and understand people are not feeling great."

OK, great again, but there are probably many former GE employees who would prefer a paycheck over empathy.

Immelt does acknowledge there might be something to the notion that there's a huge discrepancy between an average worker's pay and that of CEO's by saying, "The discrepancy (the gap between the pay of CEO's and average Americans) is certainly one of the problems today, in terms of why people feel the system is unfair." But, he then downplays what most feel today by saying, "It is a symptom but it is not the problem."

It's also revealed in the article that GE expects to generate more than 60% of its revenue outside the US this year. So, why wouldn't Immelt want all of us to "try harder" to sell more products across the globe?

Finally, Immelt says, in response to criticism that he (as a republican) is working in concert with President Obama, "People need to try; I'd rather be in the arena trying than not doing what I can to help."

So, to all of this I say; how about GE trying harder to put more people back to work? For once, instead of waiting for the economy to try to miraculously recover on its own, how about Immelt and other top-level CEO's around the country stop the lip service and actually do something creative and different that might actually work? For example, I just looked at GE's profile at the Yahoo Finance site and saw that the top 5 executives listed had combined compensation of $27.5 million for 2010, or an average of $5.5 million each. At the head of the pack? Immelt who brought in roughly $7.7 million, with no stock options showing as exercised during the year.

Let's say, for example, that the 5 top execs at GE agreed to put 25% of their earnings into a pool so they could bring some employees back to work. At an average of $50,000 per employee, they could rehire 137 people. And, they could do it without spending one more dime. Now, this would mean that each of the top five execs would "only" end up taking home an average of $4.1 million, but come on; they could survive.

Now, imagine if this were to happen at the top 100 companies in the US, and assuming similar figures. Then we would see an additional 13,700 people back on the payroll instead of having to collect unemployment checks and draining the US financial system.

Before anyone gets riled up let me be clear; I'm all for hard work, ample reward and letting the market dictate the value of the work force. I started working when I was 13, I work as hard as any other guy out there and I'm always happy when my hard work pays off. But, this doesn't mean that there isn't a place for creativity from those who have blessed to be at the top of the economic food chain to help jump-start our moribund economy.

Immelt talks a lot, and maybe he thinks that his words are soothing to those who find themselves on the flip side of the economic equation. But, I can tell you from the perspective of someone who's much closer to the average man on the street than in the proverbial ivory tower, his words ring rather hollow.

NVIDIA's New Processor, Tegra 3

2011-10-22T05:01:00.001-07:00

New Processor from NVIDIA

NVIDIA has come up with a new processor based on System-On-Chip technology specially designed for smartphones tablets and other hand held devices. The new NVIDIA tegra 3 is given the codename "Kal El". NVIDIA said the processor would be quad-core in the beginning stages but they denied revealing any of the finer details of the processor. A couple of days back NVIDIA published white papers pertaining to the architecture of the processor. The papers reveal that the processor actually has a fifth core running parallel with the other four cores. The secret fifth core is called "companion core". All the five processor are ARM Cortex A9 processors and can be separately activated or deactivated based on work load. NVIDIA designed a special circuitry called Tegra 3 logic controller to do this task.

Technology in tegra 3

In the paper NVIDIA mentions that the new processor, Tegra 3 is going to work on Variable Symmetric Multiprocessing (vSMP). vSMP technology can be used for optimising the CPU in multi-threading scenario and also introduce multi-tasking functions for efficient performance and better power utilisation. The companion core ie., the fifth secret core is built transparent to the OS which means that the OS and the applications running will not be aware if the fifth core but can take advantage of it during run time.

More on companion core

The operating frequency of companion core is limited to 500MHz while all other four main cores are left to function at their full throttle of 1.5GHz. The companion core is mainly meant for less demanding applications that run in the background like animated background, twitter app, Facebook, push mail service, background apps etc. Thus the architecture leaves the four main cores to do their work at full potential for maximum results while doing system heavy tasks like gaming, video editing, image processing etc.

Test results of Tegra 3 performance

The new technology has been shown to perform more efficiently with less power consumption than Tegra 2. Results show that Tegra 3 utilises 61% less power during video play and 34% less during gaming functions. NVIDIA expects the new Tegra 3 to astonish smartphone and tablet manufacturers with its incredible performance. ZTE T98 is the first tablet which is running on NVIDIA Tegra 3 and is is produced by a Chinese company ZTE. The tablet with 7-inch screen would run android 3.2 HoneyComb.

Mobile Device Management Solutions

2011-10-22T04:59:00.000-07:00

Mobile Device Management (MDM) is the term used to describe a system or solution for managing mobile devices remotely. These mobile devices include laptop computers, smart phones, ruggedized mobile data collection devices and tablet computers.

Given technology and the increasing need for mobility, enterprises like yours need to operate efficiently outside of the four walls of a specific business location. You need to interact directly with your customers and employees whenever and wherever they are.

Mobility provides increased efficiencies and productivity. Your business gains a competitive advantage by having access to information and applications necessary to act quickly. Managing the related mobile devices allows you to protect and optimize your operation.

Leading mobile device operating systems include Blackberry, Android, iOS, Windows Mobile and Symbian.

Mobile device management solutions will typically provide some or all of the following remote capabilities:

• Distribution of software updates and patches
• Tracking of hardware and software assets
• Distribution of information and data
• Tracking software for license compliance.
• Supporting and controlling devices to troubleshoot issues
• Backing-up and restoring critical data.
• Encrypting wireless communications.
• Disabling stolen/lost devices
• Managing passwords/access security

Here's a partial list of leading MDM software solutions:

• Wavelink Avalanche ?
• Sybase Afaria ?
• Odyssey Athena ?
• Motorola Mobility Services Platform ?
• Microsoft Mobile Device Manager ?
• Tangoe ?
• Landesk Management Suite ?
• Good Cloud Sync ?
• CA Technologies ?
• Boxtone ?
• Airwatch ?

Choosing the best Mobile gadget Management software for your operational needs is essential. It's important to identify your needs (current and future) and review all software options.

Here are a few guidelines to consider before selecting your software:

1. Identify which specific applications your business and employees use or need.

2. Look for a software solution that can manage multiple operating systems without the need for additional infrastructure. Also, find a solution that offer an appropriate feature set for your critical operating systems.

3. Look for an MDM solution that integrates with your existing management platform rather than a standalone solution. This will allow you to maximize your existing IT investment.

4. Make sure the solution is able to scale to match you future growth.

5. Speak to references and, if possible, test the product before purchasing/implementing.

6. Assess the "hidden costs" associated with the solution. These can include costs associated with the initial implementation and on-going costs such as help desk, repair and troubleshooting.

It's important to note that the guidelines listed in this article are only general guidelines. Individual enterprise needs and requirements should be assessed prior to implementing any solution.

The New Concept Of Internet Ready TV

2011-10-22T04:58:00.000-07:00

World-wide-web capable TVs are just now hitting the industry and creating a name for themselves. They haven't become popular yet, but stats show that after some time people will find them much more appealing.

Considering the fact that internet ready TV is fairly new, the capacity to surf the web from your T.V isn't quite yet achievable. The majority of products limit consumers to a specific number of pages this puts restrictions on what a user can watch. Having the ability to get connected to the web with out being forced to add additional wires and cables or a Laptop or computer to do so, is really a step up in the technology world. Less is becoming more in the delivery of the digital realm on your Television.

Which manufacturers offer internet ready TV?

To most consumer's surprise Internet ready TV is offered by a lot of different brands. Sony, Samsung and Bravia have hopped on board with the notion, in addition to Panasonic, Sharp and LG. It's not tough to find a TV today which is offering this feature. Most TV's are aiming more towards the video on demand, YouTube aspect of things. Permitting customers to view the films they would view on their laptop or computer right from their TV sets.

However lots of content providing providers have yet to jump on board with the idea. So there are not many web sites among the viewing list. For the time being it seems, online ready TV's are more aimed towards the capability to just watch content on line rather than interacting and browsing on it.

The two most popular Internet TV's

Sony offers a 32" Web capable TV which is powered by Google. It enables users to view specific content from the web. For around $500 you can have a full powered, ready to go online tv. It comes with a handheld keyboard which allows you to not just watch TV but surf the internet when you do it

Samsung has taken a different approach which gives a new world of entertainment with regards to online capable Tv. It consists of a smart hub which enables you to go through the internet programs supplied, so there's no looking for content. It is possible to search the net with it's stand-alone web browser. Plus it comes with a video suggestion generator.

Given that this concept is fairly new, individuals are still trying to grab hold of the idea. However Internet Ready TV is a developing concept with huge possibilities and more and more brands are introducing internet TV's to their range each day.

Top 5 Reasons Why Google Will Never Fail

2011-10-22T04:56:00.001-07:00

Recently I came across an article on Internet that explained the reasons why Google would fail in the future. After reading it, it dawned to me that there is so much about Google which people are missing. So I decided to put pen to paper or more literally, fingers to keyboard, and let people know that why Google Inc. will never collapse.

Here are the top 5 reasons why Google will rule the world in the future.

5. Jack of all trades, and master of All!
Google is perhaps the only corporation that is competing and providing its services in almost every sector of the computer industry. Starting from humble beginnings of birth at a dorm-room at Stanford, Google is now providing solutions ranging from its basic Search Engine to Smartphone solutions to Social Networking and Cloud computing.

4. Chrome OS.
You can call it a browser on steroids, but you cannot deny the importance and demand of an Open Source OS that is more flexible and variable than the rigid old Windows. With its app store providing applications for almost everything, it is far easier, convenient and cheap to download and enjoy the apps you need.

3. Smart move for Smartphones.
Although Google already stepped up into the Smartphone industry with the launch of Nexus One and Nexus S, but with the biggest move ever made by purchasing Motorola Mobility for 12.5Bn $s, Google has dived right into the Smartphone industry. Android holds 43% of the market shares in Smartphone operating systems in 2011, it will rise explosively when Google starts launching Smartphones as a move to counter the iPhone fever. Android is already the world's most used Smartphone platform, powering over 190 million devices.

2. The Social Society.
After Orkut died mainly because of its privacy concerns and the launch of Facebook (which provided better privacy at that time), Google has learned a lot, which they surely exhibited in the G+. If you were expecting to see that Facebook draining completely on the next day of the launch of G+, you were very naïve, my friend. Even Facebook took years to break away users from Orkut. And Facebook might lose its member-base because of the same reasons as Orkut. Facebook has been introducing too much "reforms" in a very small extent of time, and also killing privacy of its users at many places. These new "reforms" might turn destructive against Facebook in the long run. G+ will surely emerge triumphant.

1. Surfing the Cloud.
Google might be the only one who has blurred the lines between cloud computing and desktop computing. With the launching of its powerful Chromebooks, which are being classified as a new generation of "Net-tops", Google is probably the first player to enter this promising field. Google recently bought over around 1023 of IBM patents in a broad range of areas, including SEO, relational databases, Object Oriented programming, servers, routers and fabrication and architecture of memory and Microprocessing chips. This maybe a new addition in their arsenal to fight the patent wars and can also be a hint for something huge.

Some last words for people who challenge the credibility of Google: The phrase is "Google It". 'Nuff said.

Android Home Project - Control House Lights With Android

2011-10-22T04:55:00.000-07:00

The Web search engine giant Google Inc., is more 'intruding' into a world out of the Web. The company has now prepared an energy efficient Google LED bulb that you can turn on and off with an Android smartphone or an Android touchpad. The Google bulb is proposed to save energy as least as possible. Once the control of lighting of your home comes in your hand, you can instantly manage it and save energy even a bit. Google has worked in association with Lighting Science Group to realize this amazing Android smartphone controllable LED lamp.

The intelligent Google bulb works with a computer chip, which helps you control the lighting of your home. Most of Android smartphones from companies like Samsung, HTC, Acer, LG, Sony Ericsson, and many other will be compatible with the feature. An application on your handset will help you control the lightning. You can just touch on, off or on buttons to control your bed room's bulbs now.

Does it sound great?

The Google LED bulb is also equipped with GPS system and proximity sensors. It will automatically turn off and on your room's bulbs when you get in and out of the rooms. The feature will save your time and the energy as well in a fantastic way. Even a single second's sparing of energy can be saved with the technology. Moreover, it is an LED bulb that itself consumes less energy than the CFLs.

Google LED bulb can noticeably replace all other innovative bulb controlling methods. You may remember the Clapper of 80s. It was a wonderful technology that you can just control the lights and stereo on claps. But the technology failed as it responded to your coughs and your dog's barking near to your windows. The new Google LED bulb won't have any such deficiencies, because it is made up using the most advanced technologies like proximity sensors and GPS.

In fact, Google LED bulb is part of that Android @Home project that is expected to bring several services under the control of Android smartphones and tablets. The project is also to offer a step light, security lamp and a light switch in near future. Google's decision to revolutionize home automation is a clear indication of the Web giant's plan not to confine itself in Web services only.

More home automation products are anticipated to come out of Google's labs in the coming months and years. Your Android smartphone and tablet will eventually turn as an ultimate controller of many incredible activities other than for just making calls, surfing the Web and watching films. You will be simply able to manage lightning, security, stereo and TVs of your household with your valuable Android products. We can't wait for such a world that Google is trying to realize in coming years.

New Audio Equipment for Conferences

2011-07-16T15:17:00.003-07:00

Conferences are big in many companies. Those who are constantly using such equipments, building their own set up can be an advantage. If you think your business can benefit from such investments, the rest of this article will give you just a few pointers but will be beneficial in deciding if building a new audio equipment set up for a conference should be considered.

The basic concept of a simple sound system consists of sound input devices, output devices and amplifiers.

Input Devices

These are microphones, the most popular of which are the dynamic microphones. This is a wired microphone device commonly seen in every stage performances and in musical television performances. A wireless microphone is the same as the dynamic brand but without the connecting cables. These have an FM radio transmitter device to send signals thereby also called as a radio microphone. Lavalier microphones are the hands-free devices which can be seen being used by television newscasters attached to their blouse or suit also called as lapel. Most lapels now are also wireless, making them the most convenient to be used by presenters who need to be all over the stage. CD/DVD players are both audio and video input devices.

Output Devices

Output devices are loudspeakers. The number of units to be needed will depend on the venue of the conference and the number of expected attendees. These equipments will be the bulk of the whole system. Makers of loudspeakers have come up with lightweight and small designs but maybe unsuitable for a large audience. Investing on a good number of loudspeakers can make your set up most applicable for a wide variety and volume of conferences.

Power Amplifiers

Power amplifiers are the drivers of loudspeakers. Aside from amplifying sounds, most units are also made to protect speakers from signal and thermal overloads. This eliminates the need for limiters which is commonly used to prevent signal overloads.

After acquiring the basic equipments, the next agenda is to assign technicians who can manage the whole set up. Consider putting up a group of not less than 3 people to manage the system while the event is on going. These should be trained technicians who know how to troubleshoot when a glitch arise.

For large companies, investing on a new audio equipment set up for a conference can be a good investment. Renting these types of systems always eat up a big chunk from corporate event budgets. But for small and medium-sized organizations, renting these equipments can be costly. Spending for the maintenance and putting additional people on the payroll list entails losses instead of a gain.