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Having made calls using VoIP without issue for for ages I was baffled as to why out of nowhere I had been having lots of issues. Sound quality has reduced and latency issues have become markedly noticeable. Users on VoIP online forums in the US and other countries, such as France and Mexico, have been noting similar issues since last year. For a while Voice over IP might seem like a good deal for the average person, more established interests in the telecoms industry see it differently - and are doing something about it.

Consultation

Well aware of what has happened elsewhere the United Kingdom telecoms regulator Ofcom took the unusual step in February of announcing that it will look at the growing VoIP industry and report next month on whether new laws are necessary to protect it. The consultation document says: “VoIP service providers have expressed concern that their ability to provide a reliable service may be impacted by internet access providers (ISPs) selectively degrading or blocking their VoIP traffic.”

Ofcom says it has no evidence this is happening in the UK; only about 000 customers use it. But the prediction is for that to go up by 4m in the next six months.

And VoIP barring takes place in other countries, more often than not those where there is still only a single incumbent telecoms company. In Saudi Arabia, for instance national carrier Saudi Telecom is using software from US supplier Narus to block all Voice over IP phone calls.

Telcos in the United States as well as other countries are hesitant to have their bandwidth used by traffic from which they earn no revenue and have been challenged over similar alleged incidents of VoIP blocking. Barring VoIP traffic is a challenge but not illegal and barring precise kinds of internet traffic is going up.

The European based VoIP giant Skype who are now owned by the pre-eminent auction site eBay has been particularly controversial. Skype is used by over 75m people. But not everyone wants Skype on their network.

Skype is considered by a lot of people to pose a potential security threat because it creates an encrypted channel out of the network and forms supernodes that sit on it and set up VoIP calls. There is big debate about how much bandwidth such supernodes eat up. There have been claims that in supernode mode, Skype could possibly saturate a 100 Mbps line.

Just a time ago it looked like powerful laptops were only being produced by a few niche brands and were built to spec, not produced in big numbers. For the manufacturer they were highly profitable even though not selling in many quantities. I am pretty certain people would have liked to have owned one but could not actually justify it. Basically they were the best laptop computers available for purchase. Regardless of whether that was true I think the prices were so high that we would buy laptop computers that were not as powerful instead. I believe things are already different though and will continue to because the larger companies are all getting into the market.

They know there is revenue to be taken here. They could command the sector. With laptop computers becoming like consumer electronics this is an excellent profit stream for them. Also they know they can induce prospects to buy laptop computers like these more easily than small resellers. Small companies definitely have an uphill battle now. Now prospects will have increased options it makes it challenging for the small resellers. Purchasers will additionally gather a lot more peace of mind when paying a larger amount of cash.

The companies latest notebook computers are getting a large amount of awards as being the best laptop computers from the magazines. I guess that small resellers could still have a chance. I don’t believe people will prefer to have a similar specification like everyone else in this form of market. These kinds of prospects generally are well educated in the technology and would compare spec for spec. Sometimes the specifications mean a lot a more than the style for these sort of purchasers.

All of this is really good from the consumer’s standpoint. Eventually high end equipment for your money will be the result of this change. Who is to predict what will happen. I am in fact not sure anymore. New systems are always being launched and these latest systems usually ask for high prices. It’s hard to know what will take place now that the established brands have become involved in making gaming laptops.

Check out http://www.rizeon.com/gaming_laptops/page.php because they are giving a couple of extremely good laptop computers for the money.

Notebooks seem to be the current in thing this year. Taiwan, which is the chief manufacturing country of laptops is having trouble with the demand at the moment. Whatever happens in the market place this demand for laptop computers only seems to be going up. New products are popping up all the time that litterally create new sectors in the laptop computer business.

More consumers are purchasing laptops for gaming these days. If you’re a gamer with a limited budget the good thing is that you can get a gaming laptop a lot cheaper now because the expected life is declining. Gaming laptops are no longer laughed at by serious game players because they are actually fairly good. Some of the annoyances like heat and noise still exist to an extent but barely in the mainstream notebooks. The cases are also pretty sleek. Ok so there remains a difference in performance no matter how advanced gaming laptops have become but that should always remain. Could gaming laptops ever get razor thin? I think this is a niche to observe.

Speaking of gaming laptops, the greater alternatives are attainable when they are custom built. With tier 1 companies you typically don’t have an idea what they fit into the notebook computer. It just provides the end user added flexibility when it all boils down. Premade notebook computers are targeted at consumers who have like minded needs and that may not be you right? A custom made notebooks fixes. Manufacturers who provide custom laptops typically give a more personalised and local support as well. This is also an additional big selling factor.

Next gen laptops do seem like a tantalising proposition. Basic ultra mobiles are the in trend. Plenty of comparable devices have already come out at an ashtonishing speed. Consumers would like to see big screen ultra portables if that sounds right. If we overlook processing power I’m sure we’d witness those versions of laptops today. Consumer trends imply that gaming laptops will get increasingly thinner in the next couple of years. I really can’t guess what to expect aside from those ideas spoken of. Some company designing a product to be unique in a saturated market.

In my opinion Rizeon have the best laptop computers in terms of value for money.

A common problem with hard drives is the error message “MISSING OPERATING SYSTEM.”

Typically what this means is that critical data is missing or damaged in two possible locations. The first is the Master Boot Record (MBR). This data area contains error messages and pointer information that specifies the location of the second critical data area, the Volume Boot Record (VBR). The VBR contains the operating system specific data for the format of that particular partition on the drive. If either of these two critical data areas is damaged, by a virus, controller failure, etc., then the drive will not be accessible through the operating system.

The normal response to this error message is to boot to a floppy disk and to re-partition the drive (probably using FDISK) and thereby totally removing any possibility for recovery of the data on that drive, except by dedicated data recovery software or a data recovery facility. If applicable, the following technique will help save time, money, and frustration.

The first step to data recovery (covered in great detail in the first article of this series) is to verify the location of the existing partition information. For the purposes of this article, it will be assumed that the FAT structure and the root directory are intact, there is only one partition, and that only the MBR and the VBR were damaged. Using Micro-Scope, enter the Fixed Disk Editor menu and select the fixed disk that is being repaired. Using the Find menu option, locate all the sectors that contain the string “55 AA” (see Step Four of the first article in this series), and then verify that the FAT structures are intact (see Step Seven). Note on a scratch paper the values (in Cylinder, Head, Sector format) where this string appears. These values will be used later in the reconstruction process.

Rebuilding the MBR

Using the Fixed Disk Editor in Micro-Scope, locate and read Cylinder 0, Head 0, Sector 1. This should be the location of the corrupt Master Boot Record. Press “M” to modify the sector and enter 0’s for the entire sector, effectively wiping all the data from this sector. Press ESC, then “W” to write the data, and “Y” to confirm the write operation. Then exit the Fixed Disk Editor and select the Rebuild Master Boot Record menu option. Press “Y” to confirm this operation. The fixed drive now has a completely corruption-free MBR available for use during the reconstruction of the VBR.

Rebuilding the VBR

There is a simple method for rebuilding the VBR. Copy the data from a like fixed disk or a similar-sized fixed disk with the identical operating system (the versions must be the same.) There are two approaches for obtaining this data. The first is to install the second drive in the system, reboot Micro-Scope, and copy the sectors directly from the “healthy” drive to the drive being reconstructed. The second method is to copy the sectors from the “healthy” drive to a floppy diskette and transfer that diskette to the machine containing the drive being reconstructed. The data can be copied to any sector on the floppy disk. Just note where this data is stored on the floppy disk so that it may be easily retrieved when copying it back to the drive being reconstructed. In either case, the VBR is located at Cylinder 0, Head 1, Sector 1 on the “healthy” drive. Copy this data to the same location on the damaged drive. Exit the Fixed Disk Editor.

The drive now has a clean MBR and VBR, and with a few modifications to the values stored in these data areas, the drive will be fully reconstructed.

Access the VBR in the Partition Editor. Some of the values in this area will remain the same. These are: Bytes Per Sector, Reserved Sectors, Number of Copies of FAT, Max # of Root Dir. Entries, Media Description Byte, and Volume Boot Signature. Sectors Per Cluster may or may not need to be changed. Put the cursor over this value and press F1 for a formula that will help determine the proper value. Use this same F1 procedure for determining the Total Number of Sectors. This value should be the same as the value for Number of Sectors in the partition table.

The Sectors per FAT value equals the number of sectors from the beginning of the first FAT to the beginning of the second FAT (as described in the first article in this series.) The values for Sectors per Track and Number of Hidden Sectors should be identical to the values in the MBR. The Number of Heads is either the same as the value in the MBR or the same as the value of the Number of Heads in the partition table plus one (refer to the first article in the series for more information on this topic.) After completing this information, the drive should either be bootable or accessible via a bootable diskette. If this is not the case, e-mail the Technical Support department for further verification of the problem.

Reconstructing Multiple Partition Volumes

In some cases, the drive may have been partitioned into smaller, logical partitions. If this is the case, the chance of this data being corrupt is slim, and correct Head and Sector values are readily available from these areas. To find the second partition on the drive, use the Fixed Disk Editor in Micro-Scope to view the sector containing the “55 AA” string. This sector should appear after the first VBR, so don’t confuse the two. The second MBR should start on Head 0, Sector 1 of a given cylinder. Accordingly, the second VBR will appear on Head 1, Sector 1, and the FAT on Head 1, Sector 2, etc. By adjusting the first MBR in Micro-Scope so that the value for Starting Cylinder, Head and Sector is equal to the location of the second MBR, the VBR is now accessible through the Micro-Scope partition editor. Use these values to reconstruct the second MBR. The only value that will need recalculating is the Start Absolute Sector in the second MBR.

As outlined in the first article in the series, the Start Absolute Sector is the same as the value for Ending Sector. This is not the case with a second partition. The Start Absolute Sector is the number of sectors prior to the VBR. The formula for the Start Absolute Sector is as follows: (Number of Sectors) + (the Start Absolute Sector of the previous partition) + (Sectors per Track). This formula will work for any additional logical partitions.

If, during partition reconstruction, there is something not understood, e-mail the Micro 2000 Tech Support Dept. before making changes to the drive.

Disclaimer - The Micro 2000 Tech Tip is a free service providing information only. While we use reasonable care to see that this information is correct, we do not guarantee it for accuracy, completeness or fitness for a particular purpose. Micro 2000, Inc. shall not be liable for damages of any kind in connection with the use or misuse of this information.

Micro 2000 Inc has been helping to solve the day-to-day challenges that IT departments face in order to keep their businesses operational as well as profitable for over 14 years. The company’s primary goal is to put the customer first - through feature-rich, simple-to-use IT tools that can help IT administrators manage their jobs more effectively.

For more advice and free articles be sure to visit: http://www.micro2000.co.uk

Are you looking for the meaning of life?
You work all day long, doing the right thing, caring for others, never breaking the law and generally being a pretty decent person.

At the same time everything seems to go wrong, relationships just don’t go the way you had planned, the boss has a nasty streak, petrol prices go up, you have an accident, the landlord tells you he wants you to move for no real good reason, yes, it goes on & on!

How do you turn things around?

I’m sorry but I don’t have the answer too what is the meaning of life and why there a times when nothing seems to go right for you, however, I do believe that what we think directs our focus to achieving our thoughts, so negative thought, negative result, positive thought, positive result.

This being the case, how do we then train our minds to think positive, when all around us appears to be a series of are negative events going on in our life?

To help with my own thinking, I take inspiration from those that I admire and find out more about the challenges that they have faced in their lives and how they overcame challenges and setbacks and went onto succeed.

Perhaps the answer for you lies in what has gone before us and you are meant to learn from history and those who survived against great odds, there are many examples to be found in any library or bookstore, story after story of those who have survived major challenges in their own life.

Is there a story out there for you that will give more meaning to your life and help you to overcome the obstacles facing you?

Take time out and search the shelves in the autobiography section and see if there’s a book about someone you admire and then read their story.

I’m sure in that book, you’ll find answers and clues on how you can improve your thinking and life, just start reading and when the answers jump off the page, as if they were written just for you, take action and start living a better life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Garry Munro is a successful consultant, speaker, & coach in the area of self-development.
Based in Sydney Australia he runs his own business “Minds Alike” and works with small business owners and individuals assisting them to set & achieve their goals.
You can visit his web site at http://www.mindsalike.com.au

1. PhotoCleaner Professional - So Cheap, You’ll Laugh
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Now, without the use of any additional video hardware or
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professional-grade output. Images are brought to life by
displaying emotions and lip-synching with recordings of your own
voice, imported audio files or text messages.

4. FaceFilter Studio - Exclusive 3 Day Sale
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FaceFilter Studio’s enhanced product features make digital photo
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5. InAlbum - Price Slide www.deprice.com/inalbum.htm

InAlbum is a fun and easy to use software to turn your digital
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The Internet web directory may have a wide range of categories, and be listed in many languages where it is suitable for reading in many regions of the world. Some of the Internet web directory will focus on one category, where the list of websites will focus on a particular field such as engineering soil testing, nuclear reactors, or a specific collectible plate series such as Hummel.

There are many types of websites listed in an Internet web directory, and the types will depend on how much money was paid to have it included on the search engine list of company listings, or to be at least reviewed by the search engine hosting website. If the Internet web directory web site owner wants a featured link, then they will get a premium position on the Internet search engine website listing. If they want a featured home page, then they will only be listed on the home page of the Internet search engine site.

You can use the Internet web directories for many different reasons, from cooking to do it yourself tips the directories have it all, some of this places also pride themselves on having a particular special zone with special sites.

More ahout web directories here

After an extensive search, AXH selected Encompix ERP Software.
Air-x-hemphill (AXH) combines more than 40 years of experience
and leadership in the air-cooled heat exchanger industry. This
fast-growing company went form zero to 120 employees in less
than six months, located at their corporate office in Tulsa,
Oklahoma, and their plant in Claremore, Oklahoma.

The company encompasses the entire spectrum of air-coolers from
initial thermal design and application through mechanical
engineering, design drafting, project management with a focus on
quality. They provide a complete line of air-cooled heat
exchangers in a wide range of sizes and models to fit virtually
every application requirement in the industry. To cope with this
explosive growth AXH needed ERP software to support their
engineer-to-order business.

Encompix (www.encompix.com) has filled the manufacturing
software requirements of Engineer-to-Order companies since 1992.
The company name reflects the commitment to developing business
application solutions that encompass the complex areas of
project-based and job-based manufacturing. Encompix provides ETO
manufacturers with a competitive advantage by improving bottom
line results.

According to TR Cutler, spokesperson for the ETO Institute
(www.etoinstitute.org), “The AXH implementation is indicative of
the type of efficiency lean manufacturing processes many ETO
manufacturers are completing to stay competitive in a global
economy.”

Encompix www.encompix.com rmeloy@encompix.com 513-733-0066

# # #

Data Loss and Business Solvency

Many companies are not able to survive a major data crash. For that reason it is critical you do everything possible to prevent significant data loss when working from a PC. There are a number of precautions you can take to limit your risk of data loss or the nee for data recovery.

Taking precautions will help establish your firm’s solvency and legitimacy. You can establish more trust and better business relationships when customers know you protect your data using tried and tested methods. The best way to protect your business data is by backing it up, whether using an outside agency, to disk or to a server.

Recovering Lost Data

Of course if despite your best precautions you find that you still face a data loss problem, its best you find a data recovery specialist to work with. Tinkering too much on your own may result in bigger problems and greater losses than you might have initially incurred. Fortunately there are plenty of data recovery specialists that have worked even under the most dire situations that often are capable of recovering most if not all of a users data in the event of a serious mishap. To ensure the best success you should shop around for a provider with a lot of experience particularly with the situation you are experiencing and one capable of providing you with substantial references. This way you’ll make sure you are charged a fair and honest price and get what you pay for.

Article by Frank Owen, visit his web site on data recovery for more information on data recovery
http://www.datarecoveryinsiders.com

The web is covered with stories regarding the benefits of professional computer certification, and most of them are backed up with salary surveys and the like. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with making more money and having better job prospects, there’s one benefit of certification that many candidates forget about.

Confidence.

You can’t pay your rent with confidence you can’t pay for gas with confidence you can’t pay for ANYTHING with confidence, right? So who cares, right?

Wrong. The confidence you build from truly earning a certification, whether it’s an MCSE, CCNA, or CCIE, cannot be purchased, borrowed, or stolen. It has to be earned.

What do I mean by “truly earned”? First, I’m referring to those little documents out there generally referred to as “braindumps”. If you buy one of these things and happen to skate by a certification exam, did you learn anything? No. Did you learn anything? No. Are you going to be effective on the job? No. As I tell my students, when you’re standing in front of a server or router that isn’t working, and all eyes are on you to troubleshoot the problem, the correct answer is not “B”. There is no multiple choice.

Secondly, I’m referring to the hope that the certification you earn was earned by taking a demanding exam.

Now, you’re probably thinking “okay, Chris has lost his mind. I should HOPE the test is demanding?”

Yes, you should. There’s nothing more useless than earning a certification that’s easy to get. There’s no feeling of pride, of achievement furthermore, if everyone else has that certification, what value does it have?

I can speak from experience on this one. Those of you relatively new to the field may never have used NT 4.0, but the MCSE NT 4.0 was the certification that ended up causing a lot of damage to the value of professional certifications. EVERYBODY had one. The tests were repetitive and far too simple, there were no simulation questions, and the exams required no real hands-on experience.

As a result, my MCSE NT 4.0 had little value. I also felt no sense of pride in achieving it.

Thankfully, exam vendors and authors seem to have learned their lesson. Cisco exams are not easy to pass, and the initial Cisco certification, the CCNA, demands hands-on knowledge and experience. Microsoft is (finally) adding simulator questions to their certification exams as well, and the MCSE exams have gotten tougher as well.

So if you should happen to fail an exam along the way to the top - and almost all of us do - just keep in mind that if the exams were not demanding, they would have no value.

After all, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage (www.thebryantadvantage.com), home of free CCNA and CCNP tutorials, The Ultimate CCNA Study Package, and Ultimate CCNP Study Packages. Video courses and training, binary and subnetting help, and corporate training are also available.

For a FREE copy of his latest e-books, “How To Pass The CCNA” or “How To Pass The CCNP”, send a request to chris@thebryantadvantage.com today !