Computers and Technology

Computers are often just thrown in a dump

With technology advancing by leaps and bounds, older technology is becoming obsolete extremely fast. Most of the time, outdated equipment, including computers and their various peripherals, are just discarded or thrown away in a dump. It's important that computer recycling become a part of our initiative, just like recycling done at home.

Many hazardous elements such as mercury are released when there are leaks in computer parts. This causes a hazard to the environment and isn't beneficial for humans either. Most of the computer equipment purchased becomes obsolete after 5 years.

Even after various upgrades, companies and individuals need to buy new computer parts. Many times, it's best to buy new computer equipment rather than to continue using the old equipment.

Old computers can be recycled in many ways, rather than simply be thrown or dumped in land fills. Many corporations and small home offices have old computers that are lying in their store rooms for want of a better disposal method.

With a little bit of tweaking, older computers can still be made to work. These obsolete computers may just have hard disks with less storage space or slower processing speeds. The latter can often be corrected by adding additional RAM memory.

Government programs for recycling

There are many government programs now operational in US for recycling of computers and computer parts. The government has enacted specific laws that deal with disposing of electronic waste include computers. It's important that people check the relevant laws for disposal and recycling of unwanted computers.

There are many agencies that are listed under county offices as 'waste management programs' or 'computer recycling'. These groups are charged with the safe disposal and recycling of computer equipment. These agencies will collect the computers for recycling for a small fee or at no cost depending upon the parts contained in the computers.

Recycling programs run by manufacturers

Manufacturers of laptops, printers, scanners, copiers etc. also have recycling programs. A few who do include: Sony, HP Compaq, Dell, Apple, and Toshiba.

These companies take in old and obsolete computers in exchange for credit or discounts given on new purchases. Be sure to check all the regulations and the details before you choose to use their recycling programs.

Donating the old stuff

There are many charities and organizations that will happily accept old computers. You can also find nearby charities that may be in need of old computers. Charities that promote children and youth education may need the computers that are old but still functional as training tools. If you think that the computers can be of help and that the charity shall benefit, why not donate them rather than throwing them away.

Conclusion

Many charities may also have their own rules regarding the types of computer that they can accept. Of course no one is apt to accept computers that are 10 or more years old. Also, don't donate inoperative computers or peripherals to the charity. It serves no purpose, as they will be unusable.

Computer recycling is one of the best ways in which to provide a safer environment for our future generations and also to meet the needs of charities. Let us all be conscious about the waste that we generate.

Computers are mechanical devices that allow you to create, store and even manipulate your data later on. It is the most important part in our daily life today and that is why it is in the greatest demand. Computers find its uses in every field and discipline. As such more and more people are looking forward to have a computer of their own. New computers are arriving and the one that is with you, the used computer, is becoming outdated.

You are feeling the urge to replace your used computer. It is obvious. Because if you have purchased your computer a year or two years back then your computer may be lacking in the unique features that have been invented in the span of these two years. Computer is such an aspect which is renewing every day.

A huge number of researchers are in the quest of inventing new aspects of computers. The mission behind it is to make the lives better and easier. To make your life easier means to make your work easier. As computers are the basic needs of every person, you may want that your computer may portray all the latest features. So, your used computer can also give you the best.

The issue of replacing your used computer might be bothering you. You need not. There are many exchange offers provided by many companies. You need to go with your used computers and you will be handed over the latest version computers with all the newest features. You need to pay only reasonably for it. This cost is too meager for the return that you will receive. If you do not want to go for an exchange offer, then you can opt for something else.

To enhance the necessary assets of your life, you need to regulate the liabilities. Here your liability is your used computer. You need to update your used computers. With the invention of latest version of computers, the requirement of these aspects has been in grand command. It would not be a wise decision to throw out your used computer only because some innovations in computers have made it old-fashioned.

You can even renovate your used computer with the new computer parts. You can upgrade it with new software downloads. You can replace your used computer with another used one. This will cost you less than the newer ones. There are many used computer markets where you can get used computers in a proper and well performing condition. For more information on used computers you can go through the reviews on used computers, which provide all the information you would like to know.

Even a used computer can sometimes perform better than a new one. It is because; with operating systems and software of older versions they have more free space to store and access documents and media files. Moreover, they also have easy operability and versatility. One thing to remember about the used computers is that whether it is compatible with the various newer versions of software and operating system or not. If compatibility is found to be fine with then there is no problem with the used computers.

Computer Security is a branch of technology known as information security as applied to computers. Information security means protecting information and information systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction. The objective of computer security varies and can include protection of information from theft or corruption, or the preservation of availability, as defined in the security policy.

Technological and managerial procedures applied to computer systems to ensure the availability, integrity and confidentiality of information managed by the computer system

Computer security imposes requirements on computers that are different from most system requirements because they often take the form of constraints on what computers are not supposed to do.

Typical approaches to improving computer security can include the following:

o Physically limit access to computers to only those who will not compromise security.
o Hardware mechanisms that impose rules on computer programs, thus avoiding depending on computer programs for computer security.
o Operating system mechanisms that impose rules on programs to avoid trusting computer programs.
o Programming strategies to make computer programs dependable and resist subversion.

Computer Security has three Layers:

o Hacking
o Cracking
o Phreaking

Hacking:

Unauthorized use or attempts to circumvent or bypass the security mechanisms of an information system or network.

Computer hacking always involves some degree of infringement on the privacy of others or damage to computer-based property such as files, web pages or software. The impact of computer hacking varies from simply being simply invasive and annoying to illegal.

Cracking:

The act of breaking into a computer system.
Software Cracking is the modification of software to remove protection methods: copy prevention, trial/demo version, serial number, hardware key, CD check or software annoyances like nag screens and adware.

The most common software crack is the modification of an application's binary to cause or prevent a specific key branch in the program's execution.

Phreaking:

The art and science of cracking the phone network.

Security by design:

The technologies of computer security are based on logic. There is no universal standard notion of what secure behavior is. "Security" is a concept that is unique to each situation. Security is extraneous to the function of a computer application, rather than ancillary to it, thus security necessarily imposes restrictions on the application's behavior.

There are several approaches to security in computing; sometimes a combination of approaches is valid:

1. Trust all the software to abide by a security policy but the software is not trustworthy (this is computer insecurity).

2. Trust all the software to abide by a security policy and the software is validated as trustworthy (by tedious branch and path analysis for example).

3. Trust no software but enforce a security policy with mechanisms that are not trustworthy (again this is computer insecurity).

4. Trust no software but enforce a security policy with trustworthy mechanisms.

12 tips for computer security:

1. Update / patch ALL your software every now and then!

2. Check / adjust ALL your settings so they are safe, since they ARENT by default!

3. Use firewall, like ZoneAlarm to control what goes in and out from your computer!

4. Use good passwords: at least 13marks long, containing both letters and numbers. Remember to change your password every few months atleast and dont ever use the same password in two places!

5. Get a good antivirus program: NOD32, F-Secure or Norton Antivirus and keep it updated!

6. Don't open or execute files that you are not 100% sure are absolutely safe nomatter where or how you get them.

7. Wipe your historyfiles (like cookies, internet history and temporary files, etc.), logs and personal files, with specific wiping program (like Eraser) instead of just deleting them.

8. Use encryption to enhance your privacy! Use encrypted email (like Hushmail or Ziplip), www-surfing and encrypt sensitive files on your computer (PGP).

9. When you are finished using some internet-based service like email, sign out of it rather than just closing your browser! Also, when you leave your computer, make sure that none of such programs or connections are left open that someone could abuse. In WindowsNT/2k/XP, press Windowskey+L to lock the workstation.

10. Don't use public computers for anything you need to type in your logins, they usually have Trojan horses that capture your passwords.

11. Make backups and store them in safe place! Easiest way to do a total-backup is to make an "Image" of your harddrive or partition and store it on safe location, but floppies will usually be just fine for storing documents, etc.

12. Install and Use a Hardware Firewal

Laptops or notebook computers are being built upon technology that is advancing at a rapid speed. While they are getting smaller and smaller, they are considered costly products because there is a limit to how low prices can drop where the technology to build them is improving all the time and hi tech research and development costs money.

Generally, the improvement in laptops have been targeted at narrowing the gaps between what laptops can do and what its closest cousin, the desktop computer can do. In fact, the bulk of developments in laptop technology has been concentrated on not only narrowing the gap between the performance of laptops and the desktop computers, but in some cases it has been to develop laptops that have functions and capacities that far exceed those of desktop computers.

This has led to a newer trend among computer users. Many are opting for laptops rather than the desktop computers as laptops fall in price, narrowing the price difference between a cheaper desktop computer and a laptop.

Together in this fast developing technology, the desktop computer is also trying to find its place in competing with laptops. It is no wonder that we see most desktop computers also shrinking in terms of size for its newer models, with the concept that their smaller footprints will present the same if not better computing power and saving of space and less heat generated.

What would you look out for in your quest to get the best laptop for yourself, seeing that there is so much in common between laptops and desktop computers?

Here are just three important developments that you can adopt in selecting your laptop in differentiating them between the laptop and the desktop computer.

1. The use of dual Core laptops or notebook computers

Dual core systems are considered advanced systems, with dual core chips built by Intel and AMD. Dual core systems allow for fast and heavy graphics computing, and for most purposes will meet your needs for computing speed and also for heavy gaming where realistic graphics are required. They also come with better graphics card such as the ATI Mobility Radeon X800 XT graphics card.

2.Wireless Modem and Cellular Phone Modem

With hot spots being established for wireless connectivity, and where the need to use a cell phone or mobile phone where such hot spots are not available, the feature of a cellular phone modem in a laptop will ensure you can be connected either by wireless modem or by the cellular phone modem. This is very useful for mobile computing.

3. Sufficient Battery Life

Look at the battery life provided with your laptop. As you will be moving around with the laptop, sufficient battery life of 2 hours or more will be reasonable for most cases. You really do not want to find your computing use to be interrupted abruptly when the battery runs out in the middle of an important computing session.

So when you are selecting a laptop for its ease of mobile computing, look at these three features above. Consider the use of fast chips or dual core chips in the laptop, consider the presence of wireless modem and the cellular phone modem and more importantly consider the battery life of the laptop. With these 3 key features, your mobile computing experience should be an enjoyable one.

Computer rental companies provide computers for trade shows, training seminars, and online examinations or even as a personal computer, for any length of time. The number of computers rented may range from one to thousand. Similarly, computers can be rented by individuals for home use or by companies.

There are many companies that deal with computer rentals. Most of them operate online. These companies accept requirements from their clients and provide the specified computers. Changes such as in video card and memory card, etc. are also done if needed. All companies deal with reputed brands such as Intel, Dell, Compaq, Toshiba, Apple, etc. and provide all kinds of operating systems such as Windows, Linux, etc. Computer rental companies also deliver within 24 hours if emergency needs arise.

Computer rental companies are very convenient when conducting short-term business away from office. This situation may arise when conducting presentations, seminars or trade fairs. For these events, computer rental companies provide equipment and set up the entire system. Their personnel insure that all equipment is fully functional and may even remain during the event to provide technical assistance if needed. The cost of transferring equipment is to be borne by the renter, but it definitely saves on lugging all the equipment from place to place. The computer rental company also dismantles the entire set at the end of the show.

Another advantage of computer rental companies is that you can use updated equipment each time. There is no hassle of having to upgrade your equipment, as you can just order the latest equipment. There is also no torment of annual maintenance contracts and having to foot their heavy bills. Computers on rent also make business sense and these are tax deductible.

Computer rental companies provide other computer related equipment along with their computers such as LCD projectors, plasma monitors, laptops and other audio-visual equipment.

Computers are built to be efficient, reliable machines. There are times, however, that computers crash, and result in data loss and system instability. Your computer may hang, send error messages, or worse, no longer work at all. For computer users, troubleshooting problems is a very important skill. If you know how to fix a computer, you can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars in repair jobs, professional fees, and even going so far as to buy a new one. Here's a quick guide to fixing common computer problems.

The Troubleshooting Sequence

Many computer users tend to think that the only way to fix a computer problem is to call tech support, or worse, to unplug the computer from its cables and start tinkering with the sensitive parts inside. When fixing your computer, think of yourself as a doctor; doctors will not immediately wheel a patient off to surgery for a simple cold. It's very important for you to follow the proper troubleshooting sequence to avoid causing serious harm to your computer:

* Identify the problem. While almost all computer problems are caused by improper use, errors in software and hardware configurations may also cause computer problems. Malware, spyware, and viruses can also cause serious computer problems. List all the possible causes of your computer's problem before attempting to resolve it.

* Resolve the problem. Every computer-related problem or error has at least one solution. Start with the simplest solutions first before attempting to perform complex ones, like making changes in the boot sequence or tinkering with hardware.

* Repeat. If your computer hangs or crashes for some reason, chances are that you have more problems in your computer than the problem you have already resolved. Use you operating system's utilities, along with third-party diagnosis and computer repair software, to run a thorough check on the reliability and the stability of your computer.

Reboot

Most minor computer problems, like hang-ups and stalled programs, are easily repaired by restarting the computer. Reboots abort the processing sequence and start your computer working again with a relatively clean slate. While rebooting a computer is the only solution to an operating system that hangs, or a program that refuses to close properly, it does lead to problems like data loss and fragmented data on the hard drive. It can also cause actual physical damage to the hard drive and the computer's cooling systems if you're not careful.

There are two types of reboots that you should use in specific instances:

* Soft reboot. For almost all computers, the soft reboot sequence starts when you press together the "Ctrl," "Alt," and "Delete" keys. Soft reboots are recommended for computer crashes that need to be resolved quickly. A soft reboot also puts less physical stress on your computer's moving parts.

* Hard reboot. For serious errors like Blue Screens of Death (BSOD), or if your computer does not respond to a soft reboot, you need to restart your computer through the "Restart" button. Sometimes, you may need to turn off the power switch, and turn it on to resolve the problem. A hard reboot puts added stress to your computer's moving parts, but many problems can be solved by this solution. Make sure to run disk scanning and to defragment your hard drive to ensure the safety and integrity of your data.

Start With Software, Then Proceed to Hardware

Remember that disassembling your computer is always the last resort to a computer-related problem. Most software-related computer problems can be repaired with simple troubleshooting techniques at the software level first, and does not need to proceed to a hardware-level repair job:

* Update the software. Software-related computer problems are common especially after release, and programmers release a solution called a "patch" that resolves the particular problem. Update the particular program to resolve the reliability and stability issue.

* Configure programs. Sometimes a conflict between two or more programs can cause computer problems, or you may have programs are not adequately configured to fit the specifications of your computer. You may need to reinstall programs, or reconfigure them through the Control Panel or program utility tools.

* Uninstall unnecessary software. If you have unlicensed software or a load of programs you do not use, the stability of your computer is compromised. Schedule a disk cleanup and keep programs you use frequently, and to free up hard drive space and memory allocations.

* Reformat. If software updates do not solve the problem, you may need to start over with a clean slate. As long as the hard drive is not very old, you can always reformat it. Quick formats should not be performed on hard drives when you're erasing all the data; instead, use a full format that erases and reconfigures the drive right down to the allocation tables. Make sure you have a backup of all data before reformatting your hard drive.

If you do need to tinker with hardware, be absolutely sure that the problem is hardware-related. You may have accidentally kicked the CPU to dislodge the RAM chips, or that the cooling system has failed and caused your system to overheat. Other than minor, user-serviceable repairs, all hardware repairs should only be performed by a qualified computer technician or specialist. When all else fails, you need to take your computer to a computer technician or call tech support.

Even the most advanced and expensive computers suffer from a few hang-ups every now and then. With these tips to help you repair and fix your own computer, only a few problems will ever bother you enough to get really frustrating.

It is extremely frustrating and annoying when your computer crashes. This is an all too common occurrence. Unfortunately when this happens most people do not know what to do. Here is help so what to do when your computer crashes and how to prevent it in the future.

Knowing that computer crashes are inevitable it is important save your work regularly. There is nothing worse than losing valuable data or a document you have spent time working on, because your computer crashes unexpectedly.

So what causes a crash and what can you do when your computer crashes?

The first thing you need to do when your computer crashes is to ascertain the reason behind it. This can often be difficult if the computer completely shuts down or goes to a black screen. But if you pay close attention you will be clued in to the symptoms and signs that may help you to store your data and also prevent a crash.

Be sure to resist any emotional response when your computer crashes. Some people think tapping or hitting their computer can fix the problem. Others experience rage and want to throw it out the window. Neither action will help matters.

On most occasions your computer crashes when because it gets over heated. The intense heat generated causes your computer to temporarily shut down in order to cool the system and re boot again. You need to be cautious with over-heating problems as intense heat generated can result in hardware damage or even failure needing you to replace a drive.

If your computer is stored in an area that does not get good ventilation it can over heat easily. Also, if the computer housing has a fan at the back and it gets covered with dust this will not allow air to flow properly and that can lead to over-heating.

A surge in the power supply can also cause your computer to crash as it cannot handle the excess power. In severe cases your computer may not power up at all. This can usually be avoided by using a surge protector power strip.

Software problems involving viruses or software conflicts can also be the cause of computer crashes. These are problems a computer technician is best at solving.

Another common cause for a computer crash is the one involving the registry files of your personal computer. Very few personal computer users are aware of the registry folder that sorts, stores and keeps track of all the valuable information on the software and hardware, including drive space and other programs that are essential for your computer to run smoothly.

Registry database is perhaps the most frequently used as well as the most important part of the "Windows" operating system. It is also the biggest cause of most computer errors and computer crashes. This is because "Windows" requires accessing the registry database for everything.

Hundreds of registry files are opened edited or in use every time that Windows perform any task on your computer. That sometimes creates confusion leading to improper saving of such files. As a result these files often get damaged or even corrupted. So the Windows find it difficult to read such files which slows down your personal computer and leads in error message or a total computer crash.

The way to prevent registry computer crashes is the use of a registry cleaning device on a regular basis, and defragmenting your computer once in a while. Once you download a good registry cleaning device and schedule it to clean your computer at least once a week, your computer will run more efficiently with fewer error messages and not crash as often.

This article will walk you through the choices you need to make and provide guidance for what to choose.

In order to answer this question properly, you need to decide what type of user you are and what special needs you may have. Additionally, you need to determine how much you want to spend and whether you would consider buying a used or refurbished computer.

General Guidelines

As a general rule, my opinion is that one should get the most computer that they can afford without getting the actual top of the line.

Computer technology changes rapidly and today's super fast and capable computer rapidly becomes outdated. Unless you are interested in swapping your computer frequently, getting a very capable current computer should hold you for at least a few years.

The very top of the line computer demands a premium in price that is generally not worth it and one level below has at least 95% of the capability of the top.

If your budget doesn't allow for this solution, you need to be aware of the tradeoffs in various choices that you will have to make.

Computer type selection

You should first decide if you want a laptop or desktop computer. I've discussed the issues at length in my article entitled Desktop or Laptop? The main question is if you have the need to be mobile even though your computer will cost more and possibly have less capability.

Depending on one's finances, you may opt for used computer or for a blowout special. Great savings can be achieved by taking this route.

However, used computers present support challenges and the risk of early breakdown. Low priced bargain computers may be limited in ultimate capability and need to be carefully evaluated. I hope to discuss these options in greater detail in a future article.

Heavy duty 3D gaming is a whole new world and generally pushes current computer technology to the limits with top of the line powerful and expensive units and is out of the scope of this article.

Component choices

1. Processor

If money is not a pressing issue, single core computers should not be purchased. Dual core processors are more powerful and, for most users, any dual core processor based computer should suffice for standard activities such as word processing, email, browsing the web, watching DVD's, doing one's finances and the vast majority of other tasks.

If you need to do heavy database querying, complicated mathematical computations and number crunching or heavy encryption, you should get one of the higher end processors.

2. Operating system

Assuming a Windows PC, the choices are between XP and Vista. Vista Service Pack 1 (a set of fixes to the known problems of the operating system) has not yet been officially released and the first service pack usually makes a big difference. My opinion is that if there is a choice, Vista should be avoided until SP1 is officially released.

If you are very familiar with XP and don't want to struggle with learning a new operating system or you have a program that is not supported on Vista yet, XP can do everything you need and you can request it worry free if your vendor allows for this option.

If you select Vista, at a minimum you should not get Vista Home Basic but rather select Vista Home Premium. For maximum OS power, Vista Ultimate should be chosen. The detailed options for Vista are outlined in my article Which Vista should I Use?

3. Monitor

A 17 inch monitor is probably the smallest that you should settle for. You can select larger ones if you so desire. Some monitors come with built in speakers if that suits your needs. If you want your computer to double as an entertainment center, you should consider purchasing a high definition or plasma monitor. Dell has an excellent summary of their choices here

Dell Monitor Link

4. Memory

The most crucial factor in terms of computer performance is the amount of memory. When you buy computer memory, a minimum of a gigabyte of high speed memory should be selected to support today's demanding operating systems and programs. 2 gigabytes would be even better.

If one is engaged in heavy duty graphics such as CAD (Computer Aided Design) or 3D gaming, or if one is doing heavy database access or number crunching, even more memory should be added.

5. Hard Drive Size

Major manufacturers are offering drives with 250 Gigabytes of storage on their lowest end computers. This should be more than enough for most users.

6. CD and DVD burner

Drives that read and write to CDs and DVDs are cheap and you should specify read and write for both. Don't accept CD read/write and DVD read only.

Blue Ray and HD DVD disks can hold up to 50 gigabytes but the drives needed to use them are much more expensive than standard DVD drives. Standard DVD drives will run around $50 while Blue Ray will cost around $600.

7. Video card

The type of card that you get depends on the type of activities that you are planning;

1. Basic user - word processing, internet browsing, email and DVD movies

The basic level card will suffice for this. It should have at least 128MB. 2 representative cards are the Nvidia 7300GT and ATI 1300XT.

2. Vista Aero User or light gaming, rich media, and general entertainment

This capability requires mid level graphics power and a card with at least 256 MB of its own internal memory should be purchased. A sample card would be ATI HD2600XT

3. Edit and view photographs in brilliant color

A mid level card should be used for this. One example is the NVidia 8600GT, All cards from this level and up should have at least 256 MB.

4. Playback HD quality content

The card should have HDMI outputs to attach to external displays. 2 possibilities are Nvidia 8600gt or ATI HD2600XT.

5. 3D accelerated games in high definition player, CAD (Computer Aided Design), video editing or high level graphic design

3D gaming makes the greatest demands on the computer's video systems and the sky is the limit here. In general, the highest level card that your system will accept will provide the most satisfying experience.

The detailed options for each of these levels of activity are described in my article Video Cards Demystified.

8. Sound and Speakers

The standard sound card offered by most manufacturers is fine. If you have special requirements, the major dealers describe the advantages of the various upgrade offerings.

Speakers project the sound of your computer. Better speakers provide subwoofers and different levels of surround sound.

9. Keyboard and mouse

Connected or wireless versions are offered. Be sure to get an optical mouse. They are much more reliable than a trackball mouse.

10. Media reader

These are usually listed as 15 in 1 or 13 in 1 card or media reader. This device allows you to directly get data off of a number of devices such as digital cameras, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and others.

11. Modem

If you want to send or receive faxes or connect to the internet via a phone line where high speed internet may not be available, you will need a modem.

12. Wireless network

If you plan to connect to a wireless network, you will need a wireless network card in your computer. Standard network cards are built in.

Best of luck with your purchase.

Definition Of A Survivable Computer System

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A computer system, which may be made up of multiple individual systems and components, designed to provide mission critical services must be able to perform in a consistent and timely manner under various operating conditions. It must be able to meet its goals and objectives whether it is in a state of normal operation or under some sort of stress or in a hostile environment. A discussion on survivable computer systems can be a very complex and far reaching one. However, in this article we will touch on just a few of the basics.

Computer Security And Survivable Computer Systems

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Survivable computer systems and computer security are in many ways related but at a low-level very much different. For instance, the hardening of a particular system to be resistant against intelligent attacks may be a component of a survivable computer system. It does not address the ability of a computer system to fulfill its purpose when it is impacted by an event such as a deliberate attack, natural disaster or accident, or general failure. A survivable computer system must be able to adapt, perform its primary critical functions even if in a hostile environment, even if various components of the computer system are incapacitated. In some cases, even if the entire "primary" system has been destroyed.

As an example; a system designed to provide real-time critical information regarding analysis of specialized medications ceases to function for a few hours because of wide spread loss of communication. However, it maintains the validity of the data when communication is restored and systems come back online. This computer system could be considered to have survived under conditions outside of its control.

On the other hand, the same system fails to provide continuous access to information under normal circumstances or operating environment, because of a localized failure, may not be judged to have fulfilled its purpose or met its objective.

Fault Tolerant And Highly Availability Computer Systems

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Many computer systems are designed with fault tolerant components so they continue to operate when key portions of the system fail. For instance; multiple power supplies, redundant disk drives or arrays, even multiple processors and system boards that can continue to function even if its peer component is destroyed or fails. The probability of all components designed to be redundant failing at one time may be quite low. However, a malicious entity that knows how the redundant components are configured may be able to engineer critical failures across the board rendering the fault tolerant components ineffective.

High availability also plays a role in a survivable computer system. However this design component may not maintain computer system survivability during certain events such as various forms of malicious attack . An example of this might be a critical web service that has been duplicated, say across multiple machines, to allow continuous functionality if one or more the individual web servers was to fail. The problem is that many implementations of high availability use the same components and methodology on all of the individual systems. If an intelligent attack or malicious event takes place and is directed at a specific set of vulnerabilities on one of the individual systems, it is reasonable to assume the remaining computer systems that participate in the highly available implementation are also susceptible to the same or similar vulnerabilities. A certain degree of variance must be achieved in how all systems participate in the highly available implementation.

What's The Difference Between An Attack, Failure, And Accident?
How Do These Differences Impact A Survivable Computer System

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In many cases when I am discussing the security of systems with customers, the question of business continuity and disaster recovery come up. Most companies that provide a service that they deem critical just know the system needs to be operational in a consistent manner. However, there is typically little discussion about the various events or scenarios surrounding this and that can lead to great disappointment in the future when what the customer thought was a "survivable computer system" does not meet their expectations. Some of the items I like to bring up during these conversations is what their computer systems goal and objective is, what specifically does continuous operation mean to them, and specifically what constitutes an attack, failure, or accident that can cause loss of operation or failure to meet objectives.

A failure may be defined as a localized event that impacts the operation of a system and its ability to deliver services or meet its objectives. An example might be the failure of one or more critical or non-critical functions that effect the performance or overall operation of the system. Say, the failure of a module of code that causes a cascading event that prevents redundant modules from performing properly. Or, a localize hardware failure that incapacitates the computer system.

An accident is typically an event that is outside the control of the system and administrators of a local / private system. An example of this would be natural disasters such as hurricanes, if you live in south Florida like I do, or floods, or wide spread loss of power because the utility provider cut the wrong power lines during an upgrade to the grid. About two years ago, a client of mine who provides web based document management services could not deliver revenue generating services to their customers because a telecommunications engineer cut through a major phone trunk six blocks away from their office. They lost phone and data services for nearly a week.

An now we come to "attack". We all know accidents will happen, we know that everything fails at one time or another, and typically we can speculate on how these things will happen. An attack, executed by an intelligent, experienced individual or group can be very hard to predict. There are many well known and documented forms of attacks. The problem is intelligence and human imagination continuously advance the form of malicious attacks and can seriously threaten even the most advanced designed survivable computer systems. An accident or failure does not have the ability to think out of the box or realize that a highly available design is flawed because all participants use the same design. The probability that an attack might occur, and succeed may be quite low, but the impact may be devastating.

Conclusion

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One of the reasons I wrote this article was to illustrate that it's not all about prevention. Although prevention is a big part of survivable computer system design, a critical computer system must be able to meet its objectives even when operating under hostile or stressful circumstances. Or if the steps taking for prevention ultimately prove inadequate. It may be impossible to think of all the various events that can impact a critical computer system but it is possible to reasonably define the possibilities.

The subject of survivable computer systems is actually one of complexity and ever evolving technology. This article has only touched on a few of the basic aspects of computer system survivability. I intend on continuing this article to delve deeper into the subject of survivable computer systems.

You may reprint or publish this article free of charge as long as the bylines are included.

As owner of a computer repair service center it is quite common to see customers who are contemplating simply buying a new computer as opposed to repairing their existing computer. Many of these customers tend to believe that a $300-400 computer that they've seen in an advertisement from one of the big box stores may be the answer to their problem and eliminate their need for service. While it is true that there are some models of new computers that are sold in the $300-400 range the initial purchase price is only one factor to consider when buying a computer. More important than the purchase price is what's know as the Total Cost of Ownership, or TCO. Determining the TCO of a computer involves adding together the purchase price as well as all of the incremental costs associated with owning it to determine the true cost of the computer to its owner over the life of the machine. Determining the TCO of a computer involves adding together the following:

1. The initial purchase price of the computer
2. The cost of service, maintenance and repair work over the life of the computer
3. The cost of lost productivity during any times that the computer was out of service
4. How many years the computer can be expected to last for

As you might expect, it is common for computers with very low initial purchase prices to have among the highest Total Cost of Ownership. Accounting people at big firms have understood this for many years which is why you will never see a Fortune 500 company using any of the models of discount computers that you will see on the shelf at Best Buy, Circuit City or any of the other big box stores. Almost every manufacturer (Dell, HP, etc.) offers two separate lines of computers. One line is referred to as their "Business" class computers and the other is the "Home" line of computers. The primary difference between the two is that the business line of computers are built for people who understand TCO. The initial cost of a business computer will always be higher than the "home" line even though the CPU speed, memory and hard drive size may be the same, but you will be getting a computer that is built with better parts: not necessarily faster, but less likely to break down and more economical to service if it does break.

The home lines of computers are built based on an entirely different measurement-- mainly that having a broken computer isn't going to cost you anything. This unfortunately for an uninformed consumer is often not the case; especially once the computer is out of warranty which on new computers is generally only one year. For the do-it-yourself type of computer user who has a good backup system, doesn't rely on the computer for important business functions and is able to perform their own repairs, the home model computers sold at the big box stores are often a worthwhile option. For everyone else you may benefit from buying a business class machine. You can find purchasing prices and options for business class computers on the websites of any of the major manufacturers, or by contacting your local computer repair service center. Many computer service centers will also have off-lease or refurbished business model computers to choose from as well.

The 50 plus crowd within the United States didn't grow up using computers at school or within the work environment because in our early years the desktop computer and laptops didn't in all actuality exist within the consumer marketplace. We have cell phones now that are smaller than the size of a cinder block and computers no longer require more square footage than a five room home. Yes, time has progressed and I'm proud to say the fifty plus crowd my children seem to think are 10 days older than dirt; managed to adapt to the modern day technical advances as well.

Computer use by our aging population revealed in 2004 that 46% of those aged between 59 to 68 now use and enjoy Internet access at home. Just over 76% of those within the ages of 50 and 58 use computers as a direct result of computers being a common place necessity and requirement to function or perform our jobs within the modern day work environment. However, it must be noted using a work computer and having to keep it optimized and safeguarded is usually the task of the resident wiz kid or a dedicated technical type (IT) staff. So what happens when the home PC slows, crashes or is somehow compromised?

As I see there are a number of emergence repair tactics that can be implemented. First and foremost is the panic call to our children to come over and troubleshoot the situation. After all, they have been using computers since first grade and that pretty much makes them an expert right? Once you discover their ability to social network and post videos on Utube doesn't speed up the computer the second option is; to research and find registry repair, spyware, adware and about 100 other software solutions that have incremental probabilities of resolution. Last but not least the computer can be drug into a service facility or a technician home visit can be scheduled that will ultimately cost as much as a 2d mortgage home loan. Well, none of that has any source of good old fashioned stubbornness and common sense. As I also see it ' there is always a solution in the face of any and all problems.

I remember that conversation at the plant where something sounding a lot like a termination threat motivated me to actually start touching a computer keyboard way back when. I still remember a series of training classes that I attended that were moderated by a technician that today wouldn't be allowed to have friends in his car let alone use a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle. Seems to me he still had spit behind his ears. But, putting all that behind, he did a really great job of teaching all of us how to get around those old computer operating systems proficiently. We were ready to tackle Donkey Kong, Pong and any Atari game in existence buried in the home closet. That being a monumental achievement I like many others actually bought a home computer. I used it a lot and as all things being put into use, the computer slowed to a crawl.

I'm lucky because somewhere in the process of aging I found time to attend a technical trade institute where despite the fact my classmates thought I was a professor; I along side of them learned to build a computer from the ground up. Some of the residual training included troubleshooting the system and a resulting ability to keep it and my personal and financial information safeguarded from intruders that come in the form of hackers, worms, Trojans, viruses, adware, etc., etc. I learned to do a mass of little things to keep it (the computer) optimized as well and these series of events; are things we all need to learn to do.

Most people are clueless when it comes to debugging, defragging, defusing this that or whatever it takes to keep the home computer operating efficiently. But, the simple fact of the matter is the tiny little things necessary to keep the home computer optimized isn't difficult at all. I'm not into a lot of physical activity anymore as age made me realize; the only thing that doesn't hurt in the morning when I get out of bed is the eyelids. I don't jog any longer and as far as I'm concerned; that animal the wife drug home 180 years ago - can give itself a walk.

I'm more into keeping the mind fit and dedicate myself into contemplating important things such as how many fish I'm going to drag home from the lake, if the dog is going to find its way home, how many Emails I'll be sending or receiving and most importantly; why it is the TV volume is set at 24 and somehow comes on in the morning set somewhere around 38 or higher. I still don't know who formats TV movies to specifically fit my television set and why anyone would want to take a prescription drug after listening to all the accompanying warnings the commercials render.

As you have guessed I'm not into massive physical activity and as such will not be taking the time to come over to your house to show you how to optimize your home computer. The tech boys at work are out bar hopping looking for their future wife and I know by now, your home computer is getting slower than a piss ant missing 3 or 4 legs down it's right side. (I'm not an anthropologist). Anyway in between Emails, articles, electronic newspapers somewhere in the midst of my avid Internet surfing (which sounds physical) I actually discovered the solution to your home computer woes. I discovered (as you have) you didn't need to buy all that fix-it software above and beyond the antivirus stuff. All you need is a series of home videos that take you by the hand and teach you how to expertly optimize that little computer operating system with an hours worth of effort. Your computer will be up and running as if it was just plugged in today!

Can antivirus software save my computer or laptop from a costly repair?

Antivirus software aims to do just what it says on the tin; by protecting your computer from all the malicious malware out there lurking on the web.

Computer viruses come in many forms, and these malicious programs don't have to been downloaded and manually run in the way you may have thought.

Computer Repair Myth. We can fall victim to a computer virus sent by other computer users we know and trust. By opening an email attachment that contain a hidden virus program, we not only infect our own computer or laptop, but once installed, this kind of virus will attempt to send itself to the other computers in your email address book.

This type email computer virus attack is prolific as infected computers will continue to send infected files until the computer is repaired and the virus removed. If we scan our email attachment before we download them to our computers and laptops we will avoid this type of computer virus infection.

The Trojans
As the name suggests, these programs masquerade as harmless files such as media player plugins, but in reality they can be some of the most damaging computer virus infections. Once we have downloaded and run a Trojan file the virus will begin collecting information about our surfing habits and our usernames and passwords. I think almost everyone can see where this computer virus problem will lead to.

The Worms
Worms are another form of virus; these can infect a pc without you having to do anything at all, plugging in a USB memory stick, connecting to the internet using a CD ROM etc... can be all that is needed to allow your PC to become infected. These can effect PC performance, prevent applications from working, and occasionally prevent your PC from booting altogether.

Often we find customers come to us with what on the face of it looks like a computer or laptop hardware fault. But once we examine the machine we find the machine is infected with a virus. Usually many viruses.

What we have covered here are just a few of the ever increasing malicious programs that continue to infect our computers. As I'm sure we have mentioned before; prevention is better than cure. One good antivirus software should keep your computer safe and allow you to avoid the computer repair shop.

When is a professional computer repair service needed?

Once your computer or laptop is infected with a computer virus you should seek professional help from the guys at your local computer and laptop repair shop.

In our experience finding one virus is just the tip of your computer problems. The removal of computer viruses is not that straight forward as some would lead us to believe.

1. Not all antivirus software scan for the same threats.
2. In addition some viruses are designed to avoid certain removal methods used by the large antivirus software programs.

To completely check and remove every virus from your computer, your machine will need to be scanned by a range of virus removal techniques and software.

Simply scanning a laptop or computer with one antivirus program and getting a clean bill of health is a sure fire way of incurring a more expensive data recovery computer repair in the future.

My computer has a virus, what can I do?

1. Disconnect the computer or laptop from the internet.

2. If the laptop is part of a computer network, disconnect this to.

3. Don't install any antivirus software. I know it's tempting, but it's pointless because you can't be sure if the scan results are true or if they have been manipulated by the virus on the computer.

4. Call your local computer repair shop. Tell them that you laptop or computer has a virus and ask them for a quote. Some of the better computer repair shops will even come and collect your laptop free of charge.

5. Once the virus has been removed and the computer repair guys have returned your machine; now install the antivirus software onto your laptop. If you try to keep it up to date, you should have may happy years surfing and you will avoid the guys at the computer repair shop.

Everyone would like to have their tasks done with ease and swift. This is the reason why computers have been invented. They make any applicable task easier and more convenient for workers. However, it is not uncommon for computer users to experience slow loading times and delayed processing of information inside the computer. Although search engines have numerous hits for keywords like "computer slow to load" and "why my computer so slow", most people are still unsuccessful on their quest to find the guidelines on how to speed up a slow computer.

When a computer is extremely slow, then it would be a no-brainer that the system is under hiatus. If the computer user is quite an expert in fixing hardware, then he can do the job. Otherwise, professional checking is advised in order to avoid further computer damages. If the problem is in the software installed, then the computer user, regardless of him/her being an expert or not, can do the process himself/herself by uninstalling the product. He/she can later on bring it back again in his/her computer system if he/she wishes to.

Moreover, there are software on the internet that speeds up the RAM of the computer. One example would be RAM Booster, which refreshes the computer's memory from certain system processes, so that the computer can take a breather and refresh itself from the technical demands of certain tasks and programs. This is very useful especially in instances when multiple programs are used at the same time.

The computer user can also bring his/her desktop or laptop to an authorized computer repair shop if in case the damage cannot be repaired by simple means. He/she also has the option to upgrade certain hardware if necessary, as long as he/she asks for additional information that might help him/her in the future, especially if in case the computer goes haywire again.

Lastly, the slowing down of a computer can also be attributed to the fact that it doesn't get enough rest. Like humans, computers also need some time to regenerate with each use. Some hardware might actually get burnt on the inside, which causes technical difficulty. Moreover, hordes of codes and bytes that an OS processes can also block the usual working routine of the whole computer, so a computer user might want to take a break for a while.

Regardless of the computer model being new or not, it is important that the user know its capabilities, especially with some programs that require a lot of the computer's resources. If he/she doesn't have any idea of what his/her computer can do, then he/she should leave that job to a computer expert.

A slow computer doesn't necessarily mean that it is also a low-end computer. Even if the computer is as technologically advanced as this brand compared to another brand, they will inevitably experience technical difficulties from regular use. The only thing that a computer user can do is to do proper procedures that can help both him/her and the computer from finishing the current task.

Figuring out how to harness this power is one of today's hottest areas of computer research. The Dedicated Notebook Computer Research Project reflects Microsoft's fundamental goal to help build digital literacy for all by improving access to technology.

Computer

The Stanford University Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics is a multi-disciplinary facility where composers and researchers work together using computer-based technology both as an artistic medium and as a research tool. The Directory of Top Computer Executives database of IT executives is available in a variety of formats to fit the individual needs. That vision will include the development and maintenance of open-source software infrastructures that are portable across a wide range of supercomputer architectures. Scientists at the University of Manchester have made a breakthrough that could pave the way for a new type of high-speed computer. If built, quantum computers would be the most powerful computers ever made, with speeds millions of times faster than the average PC for some types of calculations. This breakthrough, which results from three years research, opens the possibility of being able to create quantum gates -- a more advanced version of processors found in modern computers. "This is the start in terms of the development of a quantum computer, but now that we have shown we can do this, it gives us clear targets.

Army and the National Science Foundation is to study the feasibility of quantum computers. Researchers are looking
into the concept of quantum computers -- computers capable of performing calculations billions of times faster than any of today's silicon-based devices. "The computers we use today operate under the principles of classical physics. "Quantum computers, however, operate under the principle of quantum mechanics, which are governed by the properties of atoms and molecules. "It's really the next frontier in computer technology. "Calculations that take months for the fastest super-computer to process can be performed in seconds by a quantum computer. "Desktop computers work one step at a time, performing one task before moving on to the next, which makes for rather slow processing. Quantum computers can work on a million Calculations at once.

"A conventional digital computer's bits exist either as a zero or a one. These qubits become entangled with other qubits, which is how quantum computers get their speed. They can factor large numbers very fast, they are extremely useful in decoding and encoding information. If a quantum computer were built today, no information on the Internet would be safe. "Searching large databases can also be done in a fraction of the time it would take a conventional computer. So how long will it be before quantum computers make the most powerful desktop computers of today look like turtles. "If you consider that today's laptops and personal digital assistants are the offspring of the simple computers developed decades ago, the idea of a quantum computer very soon doesn't seem unrealistic.

I was doing a little looking around at several different computer systems. I really took an interested in the DELL XPS computer system. Dell's XPS computers starting price for the basic system is a whapping 999.00 dollars. I was totally dumb founded after looking at the components that Dell was going to put in that computer system for that kind of money it wasn't a very good deal at all.

What most people fail to realize is that if you look at the basic or standard components that are put in the computer system. That is what you get. If you want more your price tag will go up considerably. The price tag on Dell's top xps system starts at 1800. 00 dollars. That is again for the standard components that are more improved then there basic modal but still not a good value if you look at the big picture.

Just recently a friend of mine asked me if I could build him a computer system equivalent to the dell XPS 600 modal. There top XPS computer, and how much it would coast. That's when I started looking at there system because I really have no reason to look at the computers on the market because I build my own computer. Ever since the first thousand dollars I wasted on an assembly line computer that I won't go into at this time.

After looking at what was offered in the XPS 600 modal I was able to go to my computer hardware source and find competitive components or even better components then what was offered in that computer system the (XPS600). Also I was able to use some of the computer parts that were in the system that this system was going to be replaced with. I was able to come up with a considerable savings of more then 700.00 dollars.

I built this computer system for my friend who is a real on line gaming nut. He is very happy and I made 200.00 and what was left of his other system. Just to give you an idea. Here is a little bit of what I was able to put in this computer system. A duel core AMD 4600 processor, a gigabyte PCI 16 Express motherboard with sli technology, Also a 7800 256 NVIDIA pci express card along with 1 gig of hyper X DDR ram, and a plextor DVD burner. A 250 gig serial ata hard drive with 8 Meg cach, and I was even able to give him his own OEM Full version of XP Windows PRO. Not an installed version that you have to pay for if you ever need it. I put all this and a few other little extras in an Aspire X- Paider aluminum black case with a 500 watt power supply. With an open side panel and 4 led lighted fans. Really puts on a show just sitting there.

This computer system was a gaming system I put together for a friend of mine. You can build a basic computer for your basic needs, and save yourself a lot of money. If you have a computer you can use parts that are on it, and upgrade your computer for less than 300 dollars. Remember this and that is in this world you can ether get what you pay for. Or pay for what you get. The choice is yours.

Imagine a computer whose memory is exponentially larger than its apparent physical size; a computer that can manipulate an exponential set of inputs simultaneously; a computer that computes in the twilight zone of space. You would be thinking of a quantum computer. Relatively few and simple concepts from quantum mechanics are needed to make quantum computers a possibility. The subtlety has been in learning to manipulate these concepts. Is such a computer an inevitability or will it be too difficult to build?

By the strange laws of quantum mechanics, Folger, a senior editor at Discover, notes that; an electron, proton, or other subatomic particle is "in more than one place at a time," because individual particles behave like waves, these different places are different states that an atom can exist in simultaneously.

What's the big deal about quantum computing? Imagine you were in a large office building and you had to retrieve a briefcase left on a desk picked at random in one of hundreds of offices. In the same way that you would have to walk through the building, opening doors one at a time to find the briefcase, an ordinary computer has to make it way through long strings of 1's and 0's until it arrives at the answer. But what if instead of having to search by yourself, you could instantly create as many copies of yourself as there were rooms in the building all the copies could simultaneously peek in all the offices, and the one that finds the briefcase becomes the real you, the rest just disappear. - (David Freeman, discover )

David Deutsch, a physicist at Oxford University, argued that it may be possible to build an extremely powerful computer based on this peculiar reality. In 1994, Peter Shor, a mathematician at AT&T Bell Laboratories in New Jersey, proved that, in theory at least, a full-blown quantum computer could factor even the largest numbers in seconds; an accomplishment impossible for even the fastest conventional computer. An outbreak of theories and discussions of the possibility of building a quantum computer now permeates itself though out the quantum fields of technology and research.

It's roots can be traced back to 1981, when Richard Feynman noted that physicists always seem to run into computational problems when they try to simulate a system in which quantum mechanics would take place. The calculations involving the behavior of atoms, electrons, or photons, require an immense amount of time on today's computers. In 1985 in Oxford England the first description of how a quantum computer might work surfaced with David Deutsch's theories. The new device would not only be able to surpass today's computers in speed, but also could perform some logical operations that conventional ones couldn't.

This research began looking into actually constructing a device and with the go ahead and additional funding of AT&T Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey a new member of the team was added. Peter Shor made the discovery that quantum computation can greatly speed factoring of whole numbers. It's more than just a step in micro-computing technology, it could offer insights into real world applications such as cryptography.

"There is a hope at the end of the tunnel that quantum computers may one day become a reality," says Gilles Brassard of University of Montreal. Quantum Mechanics give an unexpected clarity in the description of the behavior of atoms, electrons, and photons on the microscopic levels. Although this information isn't applicable in everyday household uses it does certainly apply to every interaction of matter that we can see, the real benefits of this knowledge are just beginning to show themselves.

In our computers, circuit boards are designed so that a 1 or a 0 is represented by differing amounts of electricity, the outcome of one possibility has no effect on the other. However, a problem arises when quantum theories are introduced, the outcomes come from a single piece of hardware existing in two separate realities and these realties overlap one another affecting both outcomes at once. These problems can become one of the greatest strengths of the new computer however, if it is possible to program the outcomes in such a way so that undesirable effects cancel themselves out while the positive ones reinforce each other.

This quantum system must be able to program the equation into it, verify it's computation, and extract the results. Several possible systems have been looked at by researchers, one of which involves using electrons, atoms, or ions trapped inside of magnetic fields, intersecting lasers would then be used to excite the confined particles to the right wavelength and a second time to restore the particles to their ground state. A sequence of pulses could be used to array the particles into a pattern usable in our system of equations.

Another possibility by Seth Lloyd of MIT proposed using organic-metallic polymers (one dimensional molecules made of repeating atoms). The energy states of a given atom would be determined by it's interaction with neighboring atoms in the chain. Laser pulses could be used to send signals down the polymer chain and the two ends would create two unique energy states.

A third proposal was to replace the organic molecules with crystals in which information would be stored in the crystals in specific frequencies that could be processed with additional pulses. The atomic nuclei, spinning in either of two states (clockwise or counterclockwise) could be programmed with a tip of a atomic microscope, either "reading" it's surface or altering it, which of course would be "writing" part of information storage. "Repetitive motions of the tip, you could eventually write out any desired logic circuit, " DiVincenzo said.

This power comes at a price however, in that these states would have to remain completely isolated from everything, including a stray photon. These outside influences would accumulate, causing the system to wander off track and it could even turn around and end up going backward causing frequent mistakes. To keep this from forming new theories have arisen to overcome this. One way is to keep the computations relatively short to reduce chances of error, another would be to restore redundant copies of the info on separate machines and take the average (mode) of the answers.

This would undoubtedly give up any advantages to the quantum computer, and so AT&T Bell Laboratories have invented an error correction method in which the quantum bit of data would be encoded in one of nine quantum bits. If one of the nine were lost it would then be possible to recover the data from what information did get through. This would be the protected position that the quantum state would enter before being transmitted. Also since the states of the atoms exist in two states, if one were to be corrupted the state of the atom could be determined simply by observing the opposite end of the atom since each side contains the exact opposite polarity.

The gates that would transmit the information is what is mainly focused on by researchers today, this single quantum logic gate and it's arrangement of components to perform a particular operation. One such gate could control the switch from a 1 to a 0 and back, while another could take two bits and make the result 0 if both are the same, 1 if different.

These gates would be rows of ions held in a magnetic trap or single atoms passing through microwave cavities. This single gate could be constructed within the next year or two yet a logical computer must have the millions of gates to become practical. Tycho Sleator of NYU and Harald Weinfurter of UIA look at the quantum logic gates as simple steps towards making a quantum logic network.

These networks would be but rows of gates interacting with each other. Laser beams shining on ions cause a transition from one quantum state to another which can alter the type of collective motion possible in the array and so a specific frequencies of light could be used to control the interactions between the ions. One name given to these arrays has been named "quantum-dot arrays" in that the individual electrons would be confined to the quantum-dot structures, encoding information to perform mathematical operations from simple addition to the factoring of those whole numbers.

The "quantum-dot" structures would be built upon advances in the making of microscopic semiconductor boxes, whose walls keep the electrons confined to the small region of material, another way to control the way information is processed. Craig Lent, the main researcher of the project, base this on a unit consisting of five quantum dots, one in the center and four and at the ends of a square, electrons would be tunneled between any of the two sites.

Stringing these together would create the logic circuits that the new quantum computer would require. The distance would be sufficient to create "binary wires" made of rows of these units, flipping the state at one end causing a chain reaction to flip all the units states down along the wire, much like today's dominoes transmit inertia. Speculation on the impact of such technology has been debated and dreamed about for years.

In the arguing points, the point that it's potential harm could be that the computational speed would be able to thwart any attempts at security, especially the now NSA's data encryption standard would be useless as the algorithm would be a trivial problem to such a machine. On the latter part, this dreamed reality first appeared in the TV show Quantum Leap, where this technology becomes readily apparent when Ziggy --the parallel hybrid computer that he has designed and programmed-- is mentioned, the capabilities of a quantum computer mirror that of the show's hybrid computer.

Every day there are newer technologies being implemented in the computers to develop them in such a way that they can meet the demand of today. The computer of the past is becoming obsolete when the computers of today with uplifted features come in the market. And day by day the difference between the new and the old technology is growing. Soon, there is likely to be a gigantic disparity. What you can you do to minimize this diversity? Refurbish your computer. Let us see what refurbish actually means and how it is done?

Refurbished computer, in general, is your old computer which is embellished to look better and newer. Old is gold, so instead of going for a new PC, get a refurbished computer which will work like a new one. Assembling new parts and variety of organs to your old computer can give an image make over to your old computer. Ok, that was all for those who already posses a computer and want to have it refurbished, but there is an idea for those also, who do not have a computer. There are ready-made refurbished computers available for purchase. The best thing about the refurbished computers is that they can be purchased without straining your budget.

You can buy a refurbished computer at an unbelievably low price fixed to it new parts and organs. Whatever is the brand of your choice, you can boast of as the proud owner of a Hi-tech computer. For the best and trustworthy refurbished computers, you can check certain internet sites that give all the information you would like to have on the refurbished computers. These computers often come with mind blowing discounts and special offers which will lure you to buy and bring home one.

There are a large number of online forums which deal with refurbished computers. They also give you information about the things and aspects of refurbished computers you need to keep in mind, before you go for one. You need to take care of the manufacturer, hardware, software and other features of the computer like the memory, hard disk, and accessories like the mouse, adaptor and others. Apart from them, the pricing is also there. If you want to enjoy music, movies and videos etc then get media files stored in your re furbished computer and enjoy them.

Today most of the refurbished computers are coming with sleek and trendy panel design that gives it a new and extravagant look. Look out if your refurbished computer is compatible to the newer versions and software updates or not. If it is not so, then you need to work out on it.

Before starting working on your refurbished computer, it is advised that you format it and thus get rid of earlier existing and unnecessary files etc.

So, what are you waiting for? Its time you get a refurbished computer for yourself. So, enjoy lots of music, videos and movies on your PC and at the same time do some serious works on your computer too.

During the school year 2003 to 2004, a case study was conducted in a high school to determine (a) what problem existed on the use of school computers and (b) solutions to the problem.

The study had three objectives:

• Provide a safer and more effective environment for internet users in the school environment;
• Fulfil the school's request to provide software that provided monitoring and auditing capability, enabling more flexible internet access;
• Fulfil the school's concern regarding chat room activity on school computers;
• Remove undesired communications from the schools computers such as pornography, racism and bullying.

Test Setup

The school suspected that extensive computer misuse was taking place by a large number of their students, approximately 1600 students sharing 480 computers, but could neither prove, nor quantify, their suspicions. Detection and analytical software was installed to determine the range and extent of this misuse. The analytical element of software was configured and installed in order to:

a) Log the computer activity of each student on a per user basis.

b) Monitor and record existing traffic across the system architecture that did not comply with the school's Acceptable Use Policy.

Analysis Results

Within minutes of the first day of implementing the test, a violation icon was flashing. The test was conducted in stealth mode to prevent the users of the computers knowing that their activity was monitored. By the end of that day, more than 2000 violations had been detected. The volume of violations kept growing; to the staggering number of over 20,000 in two weeks. Consider that these violations occurred on only 480 computers within a school of 1600 students. The violations averaged GREATER than one violation per student per day. The school administrators were not prepared for this level of misuse of the school computers.

Additionally, the range and seriousness of the violations was unexpected.

· Offensive language was being used in chat rooms, e-mail, message boards, instant messaging and mobile phone text messaging.

· Students were attempting, and all too often succeeding, to access pornographic websites. This was particularly worrying, as the school accessed the Internet via filtering and blocking systems installed by the School District.

· There were descriptions of violence and examples of bullying and racism.

· Students abused the computer network in all applications, not just in accessing the Internet and email. Violations were detected in word processing files and spreadsheets.

· A culture of inappropriate use of the computer equipment was prevalent. Typing inappropriate words about teachers was commonplace.

· A significant number of violations originated outside the school, for example, via hotmail.

The school administration established an Acceptable Use Policy to govern the use of the school computers. At the end of the two week trial period they decided to publish and make known to all students and staff that the school's Acceptable Use Policy was being enforced.

At log-on, and in order to continue, every user had to confirm agreement to work within the school's Acceptable Use Policy. To allow the education of the students to continue, it was decided to show and discuss with offenders proof of their violations, rather than to take immediate disciplinary action. The software was directed to operate in active mode which prompted the software to immediately notify the user of violations and disrupt the chat room, instant messaging, email or other application that the violation occurred in. Initially students challenged the Policy and continued with their activity. However, when computers were immediately shut down when a violation occurred and students were confronted on the spot by school administrators, compliance occurred rapidly. The direct consequence of this approach was a noticeable drop in violations.

Conclusions

This test and analysis was able to identify the range and extent of the problem. Alone, it provided a broad brush method of supporting the school Acceptable Use Policy and went some way towards eliminating the misuse of computers in the school. The analytical software identified the problem and provided part of the solution. The response and enforcement element of the software provided the rest

Implementing the solution

Effective monitoring software provides the flexibility to configure different modes of operation, such as the ability to give warnings to the user, or to close the down the application in use. It allows varying modes of operation to be applied to different individuals and groups. It allows individual settings to be made for Internet access. It allows the building of individual user profiles.

In this instance, the school asked every student and their parent/guardian to sign a new Acceptable Use Policy, which included the use software to monitor for violations. Users were warned on screen when a violation had taken place and informed that a screen capture of the violation had been stored on the server. If a user continued to misuse the computer system, services for that user were suspended. This decision was not taken by the software, but by a senior member of staff. In order to regain access, the user had to approach this person to explain why they had misused the computer. Imagine the surprise and embarrassment to a student to be confronted with a screen shot of their activity on the computer and have to explain it.

Results of the Implementation

After the school instituted an Acceptable Use Policy and configured effective monitoring software to active mode, the school experienced a significant change in the usage behaviour:

• On average, there are now less than 10 violations per week;
• A significant improvement of network performance was gained by the removal of inappropriate material - at least 60%;
• Teachers spend more time teaching and less time policing children's computer activity;
• Current analysis of Internet sites visited by students shows a massive swing towards educational and technical sites. More then 80% of web sites visited are education or technical sites verses only 40% prior to the installation of the monitoring software; and
• Students are using computers well and examination results have improved significantly across the curriculum. The school has seen a 10 point increase in grades since the installation of monitoring software.

Imagine this, the students started using the computers for their school work rather than unacceptable activity and as a result their grades went up.

Conclusions

The flexibility of operation and the information provided by effective monitoring software enables the school staff to use their professional judgment in dealing with violations of the Acceptable Use Policy. Screen warnings remind students about the need to use the computer in an acceptable manner. Internal monitoring at the school has concluded that students' better use of computers has made a significant contribution to improving academic standards and that project had exceeded the school's objectives in full.

Points to Consider with Monitoring Software

· It allows full and safe access for all to the school's computer network;

· It enables enforcement of the school's Acceptable Use Policy;

· It keeps decision making in the hands of the school's teaching professionals;

· It lets teachers teach rather than police computer misuse;

· It prevents inappropriate Internet, e-mail or internally communicated material reaching students and staff;

· It provides protection to students and staff from the potential consequential liabilities derived from accessing the Internet;

· It has reduces the instances of inappropriate misuse of computers;

· It helps teachers prepare students for the working world by encouraging proper and more effective use of computers; and

· It helps raise academic standards by encouraging proper use of school computers for academic studies.

Summary

As staff and pupils grow more confident in their use of new technologies across the curriculum, the potential dangers and benefits grow in similar proportion. All computer users in school must be protected from the ever-widening range of threats. Students must be encouraged to make the most effective use of school computers for learning. Effective monitoring softwareprovides a unique, flexible and simple to use management tool that combines comprehensive protection and with a better learning environment. What was uniquely disturbing in this case study was learning that the school district had installed district level filtering software that proved to be totally ineffective. The administrators had tried to resolve the problem but were employing the wrong technologies.

Many shoppers confuse a refurbished laptop computer with inferior quality merchandise. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. In a very large number of cases, computer shoppers buying a refurbished computer can make a money saving purchases. More often than not, consumer hesitations associated with purchasing a refurbished computer are overblown. These computers are very often factory re-engineered and re-tested to the same rigorous manufacturing standards as brand new computers.

In the simplest definition, a refurbished computer is a computer that has been repaired, cleaned, and restored to its original condition. These laptops have been repaired or made as good as new. A refurbished machine almost always comes with a full warranty from the manufacturer. In fact, one of the best ways to spot a quality refurbished computer is to determine if a full warranty is offered to the potential shopper. The presence of a warranty means every aspect of the refurbished laptop computer has been brought back to the original electronic specifications.

Refurbished Notebook Computers

Refurbished notebook computers offer a very healthy, pocket pleasing cost benefit. In almost every case, the refurbished notebook computer is priced well below the cost of a brand new laptop computer. All of the major laptop computer manufacturers off their refurbished notebooks at reduced prices, when compared to the price of a brand new laptop with the same specifications. Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq, Apple, Lenovo and other laptop manufacturers offer refurbished laptop computers at their outlet locations on the web. Without a doubt, the smartest way to obtain a refurbished notebook computer is to buy it directly at the manufacturer's outlet store, or at one of their authorized vendors. The Manufactures themselves and their authorized vendors take great care to offer the buying public quality products at cheap prices because they want positive feedback after the sale from satisfied customers.

Of course, it is important for shoppers to research the refurbished, cheap laptops they are considering for purchase. While a refurbished notebook computer is, in general, a cheap laptop computer, it is usually the case that the hard drive and amount of ram cannot be upgraded at the time of purchase. A cheap laptop computer, such as a refurbished laptop from a major manufacture outlet store, is usually a "buy as is" item. This means that the individual components cannot be upgraded at the time of purchase. While a cheap laptop computer may not offer the purchaser upgrade options at the exact time of purchase, they are still great bargains because the warranty offers replacement services for the components that accompany the cheap laptop computer.

Cheap Laptop Computer

Cheap laptop computer is not to be confused with poor quality because they are a lot less expensive than their newer counterparts. On the contrary, since refurbished portable computers have been restored to their original specifications, they are simply less expensive than new machines. Now, it maybe the case that the computer which has been refurbished is an older model, but that does not mean it isn't fully functional or that it cannot be upgraded after the purchaser has taken possession of the computer. in fact, given that bigger hard drives, ram and new keyboards can be easily purchased from resellers of laptop parts, the cheap laptop computer is an excellent consideration for those on a tight budget, such as most college students or the retired person just learning how to use a computer for the first time.

The purchase of a cheap computer that will fit your computing needs does require some research and cost comparison before making the final purchase. Ordinarily, consideration before the purchase of a cheap laptop computer should be given to the type of software to be run on the computer, the amount of ram necessary to run the software smoothly and the weight of the entire laptop. However, the purchased of a cheap computer that has been refurbished to meet the original manufacture specifications can be a financially rewarding experience. For those on a budget and those buying a first computer, a cheap laptop computer that meets the users' researched requirements and comes with a standard refurbished computer warranty can be a very smart and rewarding approach for first time computer buyers.

What a lot of computer owners don't realize is how important it is to keep your computer clean. Cleaning your computer is almost all the time considered not to be a priority of any computer owner. Why? I have to believe that it's lack of knowledge. In other words not a full understanding what the fuse is all about.

A computer is a very delicate piece of equipment. The computer works hard to entertain you, and serve your bidding. While your computer is doing all this it is running or is turned on. When the computer is on, all the components inside of the computer are working causing the computer to get hot. Depending on what you are doing on your computer at any given time, will in a lot of cases depend on how hot the computer will get.

Cooling is a very important part of your computer system. If your computer gets to hot things start to happen, bad things. Things that you don't really don't want going on inside your computer. In other words computer components will brake or burnt out. This will render them useless. Meaning they will have to be replaced.

The biggest cooling threat to all computers is dust. When a computer is on the components inside the computer are electrically charged. It's the electrically charged components that attract the dust in side of your computer. What happens when you leave the dust unattended in side your computer? It will build up on the computer components, and especially the computer processor heat sink. When the dust builds up on the computer components, they can no longer breathe or circulate the much needed cooler air that allows computer components to cool down. If your computer components can not cool down they will simply break down.

You should try and get the most you can out of your computer. You can increase your chances of achieving that goal with a simple cleaning. I recommend a good cleaning at least once a month. This would also depend on your environment. The reason why I recommend cleaning the inside of the computer once a month is that it makes the cleaning job easier by decreasing the dust build up inside the computer.

The advent of computer technology has made our work and day to day lives easier; however, it has also made some other things harder - such as advancing in our chosen careers or learning and keeping up with all the new and recently produced programs, operating systems, and other software applications. The funny thing about this is, there are a lot of computer trainings and computer-based trainings to help us individuals tackle problems such as learning how to use word processors, the internet, and other software applications.

Computer based training is a method of learning not typically used in a traditional educational environment. Instead of the standard instructor teaching students any new concept, computer training involves the use of software tools and application running on computers to teach the students any new concepts and technologies.

Computer training is beneficial to students as they can learn at their own pace. Students who learn fast may be able to go ahead with all the modules for a specific course without having to wait for the rest of his fellow students. And any student who is rather slow in grasping new concepts will not be exposed to the added pressure of keeping up with the rest of his classmates as he can learn things on his own time.

There are a lot of computer training courses available. These training courses cater to different individuals from different backgrounds and fields of study. If you are an individual who wants to improve or add to your repertoire of skills, or if you want to get another job or a promotion, you may want to up your value by learning about computers through computer training courses. Here are some of the most common computer training courses that you can take:

- Microsoft Certification

You may opt to become Microsoft Certified by enrolling in Microsoft Certification Programs. This course is offered online and is focused on the range of Microsoft technologies and products.

- Computer Technician Courses

You can become an expert on computers and improve or advance your technical skills in other areas as well through computer technician courses.

- Computer Basics

The use of personal computers has become crucial to any business; and this trend does not seem to have any plans of fading any time soon. Learning to use the computer can be a great advantage in your career. Learning computer basics may be done through basic computer training courses. These courses can help you learn how to use word processing tools, software applications, the internet, web browsers, and many others.

- Web Development

The internet has become an essential part of everyday living. People conduct their businesses everyday through online transactions made on various websites. You too can learn to create websites and maybe even earn some money once you're done.

There are a lot of computer training courses you can choose from. All you really need to do is figure out what you want to accomplish and start from there. Learning about new technology shouldn't be a hard thing. Embrace it and have fun.

Our computer built from hardware and software. The hardware communicates with the software all the time, thanks to the drivers (also a program). To keep your computer with its best condition you have to maintain it from time to time. Sometimes it's not enough and you need computer repair service to do it for you, but you can always keep it fixed longer.

This article will explain how to maintain/repair your software part of your computer first. In the end I will explain how to maintain/repair your hardware part of your computer. Also, this article will explain how to work under Windows 7, not any other OS (you can do it with Windows Vista too).

Your very basic software called BIOS. This is the program that helps communicate with the hardware at startup, right before the computer starting the OS (Operating System). We recommend not updating your BIOS by yourself; it could harm your computer badly if the update won't succeed.

Step 1

For us the basic program is the second one; the OS. So, our first step is to update our Windows. Go to Start, Control Panel, System and Security, Windows Update, and click on Check for Updates. After it is finished you will see if you have any updates available for your OS. Click on Install Updates and you done!

Sometimes, after it is finish to update and restarting your computer, it has new updates. So we will repeat this step until it will show no important updates.

Step 2

Windows 7 has an Action Center. This part of windows handles Windows errors. To check if your system has any errors to be fixed, go to Start, Control Panel, System and Security, Action Center, and follow each category to View Messages, and fix them.

Step 3

Some issues caused by damaged, old or missing driver. You can find out if you have problem with your drivers under Start, Control Panel, System and Security, System, Device Manager. If you have notification icon on one or more of your hardware list go to the part manufacturer and look for its driver, download and install.

Step 4

Virus/Spyware is a program that been developed to harm your computer and sometimes your privacy too. Some of those programs can damage your computer in a way that you won't be able to fix it.

If you have viruses and/or spyware on your computer you should take this step very seriously. Even-though you have an Anti-Virus program running and up-to-date, you should be careful. You can see if your computer becomes slower, or your Windows occasionally popping up error messages, programs starting unexpectedly. You can also hear the hard drive if it is spinning constantly and making noise, or you can hear your fans working nonstop.

Download MalwareBytes or McAfee's virus removal tool. Scan your computer and delete any kind of virus. If it doesn't help you should contact computer repair services in your area to do it for you.

Step 5

We all have our computer ready to use by default from the computer manufacturer. But, are we need all these programs we got installed? Do we need the software we used to work with until now?

Programs taking space on our hard drive and makes it harder to scan when we are starting the computer or new program window. Some of the programs are starting up when Windows does, and it makes it even worse. It means you are working with more programs in the background and these programs are unused, so the computer working slower and the startup process much longer.

My advice is to uninstall these programs from our computer, unused needs to be uninstalled in this case. Go to Start, Control Panel, Programs, Programs and Features, and mark the program we want to uninstall and click uninstall.

Some of the unused programs contain toolbars and plugins.

Step 6

We are installing programs and storing files on our hard drive, but when we delete them this space will be like a hole. Next time we will install or save a file it will use this space and more space in another part of the hard drive. That is mean our files are scattered and we need to make it organized.

In Windows 7 we have the famous tool to do the job; The Disk Defragmenter. Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter. Now, choose your hard drive path and click start. This will make order in your hard drive, and your computer will run faster.

Step 7

Our computer full of unused files that are not programs. So how we do uninstall them? The answer is The Disk Cleanup by Windows. Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup. This step will clean any traces or temporary files, and also your trash files.

Until now we discussed about the software part of your computer to be repaired. Now we will discuss in the second part; the hardware.

Step 8

Our computer has its own limitation. You are working with this computer, is it enough strong to handle it? Go to Start, Control Panel, System and Security, System, Windows Experience Index. If it has low rate (the numbers are from 1.0 to 7.9) in one of the sections, you should try replacing the part that is in charge of this issue. Let's say you have low rate under Graphics, it means you can have better performance with better video card.

Step 9

Our computer speed and performance mostly depends on our memory (RAM). Try replacing your memory cards to higher capacity. My advice is to use 4GB and higher, for Windows 7. You can also try using USB Memory as a booster. ReadyBoost is a program that tells your computer to use external memory as an internal (RAM) memory.

Step 10

Try clean your computer inside out. The fans work to pull air and cool down the hardware. Our air full of dust and it gets inside the computer and blocks the air to cool the CPU, and other parts.

Open the case carefully, and vacuum the fans. If you don't know how to do it, please contact your local computer repair service and ask them to do it for you.