Steps to Wipe your Computer

Wiping a computer is an inevitable process that occurs from time to time and involves removing everything such as programs, its operating system and other files from the hard drive of the system.

There are two outcomes when a system is being wiped. Either the hard disk will be discarded or a fresh Window installation will take place. For the later, there are specific tools that can not only wipe the hard disk clean but also prepare it for a fresh installation.

So, here are some steps by which you wipe a computer:

Step #1: Insert the Windows CD or DVD into the drive and start your computer. After this, wait for the prompt which says ‘Press any key to boot from CD’. If there is no prompt, then enter BIOS setup and set the boot order to boot from the CD drive first.

Step #2: Now all you have to do is to wait for the Windows Setup program to ask you where to install Windows and all you have to do is pick the location, and which is usually C: Windows. Hit Next to move through the next screens, and if there is a partition on your hard disk, then choose the option to delete it.

Step #3: If there are several partitions, then ensure that you delete every one of them to wipe your drive clean. Once this is done, then it is time to create a new partition and format it accordingly to install Windows. If you are getting rid of the computer, then remove the CD before the installation part and switch off the computer.

 

LED Takes Indoor Growing to a Whole New Level

If you are considering starting up an indoor garden or already have one in place then you might have heard about LED light. LED stands for light emitting diode. As experienced indoor gardeners already have discovered there is a long list of benefits to be had by incorporating an LED grow light system for your indoor garden. If you’re using some other form of grow light it might be time to consider making the switch to LED. You might just be amazed at what it can do for your plants.

Advances in development and manufacturing has allowed for LED grow lights to be made extremely cost-effective for an indoor garden. The LED grow light can save you money right away when you compare it to an old-fashioned type of incandescent bulb. This is because the LED grow light will only use around six or nine watts of energy. A LED grow light is also going to last you a lot longer. How much longer? Try 12 to 18 years. Try getting that much mileage out of your old lighting system.

Another factor to consider is the amount of heat that is generated by an indoor grow light system. In fact it’s that heat that has caused the most problems for many indoor growers in terms of creating proper ventilation and wasting energy. With a LED grow light you’ll find that it can stay on for many hours without generating excessive amounts of heat. In fact, you can even touch the LED grow light after several hours of use and it will just merely be warm. For more practical standpoint a LED grow light system is also going to weigh less per pound than the traditional incandescent light. This will allow you to arrange your LED grow light system in a variety of configurations that suits your indoor growing environment better.

With a LED grow light you’ll be using three spectrums of light to help you grow your indoor plants. These spectrums include blue light, red light and dual light. The best time to use the blue light spectrum is when you are growing young seedlings or vegetables. Leafy plants respond best to the red light spectrum of an LED grow light. And you can switch on the dual light for plants that are in their mid-cycle so that they can benefit from both ends of the spectrum.

A properly placed LED grow light system can perfectly mimic the natural sunlight that a plant would receive during the day. Of course because you are indoors you can create your “day” at any time within a 24-hour period. This matters especially if your utility company charges lower rates for nighttime use of energy. When you combine those lower rates with the lower energy output of your LED grow light you’ll find abundant savings. Once you’ve decided on an LED grow light all you really have to think about is what you’ll be growing!

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Take Care of Your Apple Gadgets the Right Way

One of the most popular gifts to give this holiday season will definitely be anything from Apple. This includes the iPad, the iPhone or the iPod Touch. For those of you who will be experiencing the wonderful world of these devices for the first time you might want to dive in and get started using them right away. There’s nothing wrong with that but there are some helpful hints that you should be aware of to insure that your devices will be properly maintained. Even those experienced users can benefit from these helpful tips. Even something as simple as an iPod case or an iPod Touch case are often overlooked by the most experienced of users.

First and foremost, you’re going to need a computer hookup with a good Internet connection. No matter where you are when you get your iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad you’re going to need to first plug that into a computer and set up an iTunes account. This means that wherever you are for Christmas morning hopefully you have a laptop with good Wi-Fi! While it is true that with a device like the iPhone or the iPad you could start using some of the features without the computer hookup you really want to get your iTunes account up and running so you can download all those amazing apps.

The next thing you have to keep in mind is that scratches will happen. This holds true for a new car or a new iPod or iPad. No matter how much you try to protect your device the simple fact is you’re good to be carrying it into many different environments. That’s what they were designed for. But you can be smart about. For instance, don’t put your iPod or iPhone in the same pocket with your keys. You won’t have to worry too much if you have a proper iPod case or iPod Touch case depending upon your gadget but it’s better to be safe than sorry. These cases should be flexible and easy to slip on. Of course, having them look great would be another benefit!

Once you’ve slipped on your iPod case or iPod Touch case your device will have an extra layer of protection but that doesn’t mean it will be completely protected from all the elements. For instance you don’t want to be taking your Apple device into the bathroom during the shower. That excessive moisture buildup is not going to do it any good. The same can be said for leaving your device in a hot car with the sun blazing down. Believe it or not your iPhone actually has a temperature warning. If the device gets too hot it will actually flasher a warning sign. This doesn’t mean you need this stick it into refrigerator. Instead just get it out of the heat and let it cool down.

Your iPod case or iPod Touch case should also be shock resistant to absorb an impact if you should ever drop your device. Guess what? You’re going to drop your device! But that doesn’t mean you can’t take precautions. Top of the list of those precautions will be that iPod case or iPod Touch case.

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Get Your Mobile Application Tests Done Right

If you live around an automobile design company, you’ve probably been exposed to those strange looking concept cars being taken out for a test drive. You’ll know these are concept cars because the designers go through all kinds of tricks to wrap up the car and disguise it from spying eyes but they still have to take it out for a test to make sure it performs as designed. That’s the same philosophy behind any mobile application testing. Without utilizing proper load testing tools, that application could crash and burn right out of the gate. You only get one shot in the competitive application business and a bad review can sink your idea no matter how many hours you put into the development.

You might be new to the mobile application business with your unique idea but there are certain phases of the mobile application testing process that you can’t avoid. The first phase is typically the performance test which is combined with the stress and load test. This is where those load testing tools come into play. Load testing something like a piece of luggage is easy. You simply put it into a machine that can crush it and see which level of psi it takes to break. With mobile applications the load testing has to do with the capacity for multiple users to download the application off your servers. This is where you might begin to find the initial defects in the programming. Yes, there will be defects. The goal is to catch them in this phase of the mobile application testing before it goes live.

Load testing tools will put an application through its proverbial paces. This is not a time to cut corners even if the early results are showing there are no defects. The company running your mobile application testing should have comprehensive result reports that cover areas such as test planning, test case design, defect management, partitioning and functional decomposition to name a few areas.

As the mobile application testing kicks into high gear, all aspects of the application will be put through the ringer. This capacity testing should be targeting GUI, Transactional and Batch. The GUI or Graphic User Interface is going to be focus on how a potential user will interact with the commands and applications. This will include using those load testing tools to find out if the security, middleware and databases are all functioning within normal parameters. A Transactional application is one that has a level of interaction in terms of making purchases. That’s the heart of any successful application. Even the free applications should open portals to other business that can generate income. Finally, the batch testing covers all those miscellaneous areas where you the client might ask for specific functionality testing.

Keep in mind that a competent mobile application testing service will provide you with a top to bottom review of the results. They should also be in a position to help you manage any corrections and stick with you through the actual launching of the application to monitor the transition. A solid test can make all the difference.

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Affordable testing at any scale. SOASTA Web Performance Testing gives you everything in one package.

Adding New Equipment To Your Network Brings A Good Deal Of Responsibility

If you’re the person responsible for purchasing a new broadband router you may be a bit overwhelmed with the number of choices available to you. You must decide what are the most critical features that must be evaluated and make your choice based on these factors.

It’s no secret that the router you choose will play an important role in the network that you are responsible for, so making a safe, sober choice is of the utmost importance. You’re likely aware that one of the most critical tests that a router must pass to be added to your network is whether or not it can perform at top levels and will virtually guarantee an uninterrupted connection to the Internet. Companies of any size these days must have a direct, unbroken Internet connection that is available around the clock, and anything less is not acceptable in today’s fast-paced business environment.

You’ll of course expect your network to meet or exceed all of the demands that will be placed on it, so you must think carefully about locating the correct sort of router that will fulfill your wishes and perform at optimal levels.

Analyze whether or not the features offered on any given machine that you’re considering are options that you really need, and if they will best serve the company and its requirements for network connectivity and guaranteed service.

You’re of course looking for smooth sailing, which means untroubled Internet connectivity as well as security options that will protect the network yet permit mobile applications users to gain access to the enterprise without any difficulty.

Outlets and ports are the first parts of the router that must be examined when you’re evaluating the appropriateness of any machine. This will be critical for your traffic management needs. You’ll likely discover that most machines will have four Ethernet ports and one wide area network port. That limits you to four devices that you can connect to that router at any given time.

You could overcome this limitation with an external switch connected to an Ethernet port, which would allow you to hook up more computers to the network. The switch will provide a plethora of ports to which you can connect computers to your network, which will always come in handy.

You’ll also want to check to see if the routers you are considering include XENPAK modules, which can positively affect your network’s performance.

Check the optical transceivers that are in use to get a better picture of your network’s performance potential. Cisco SFP modules, small form-factor pluggable (SFP) modules, a compact optical transceiver typically used in gigabit Ethernet networks, can also play a role in improved network performance.

If you examine the routers you are choosing from carefully, you will begin to see advantages that will benefit your network. These factors are well worth paying attention to.

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Internet Café Sweepstakes Consulting Firm Launches the Totem

Until recently, the only way for an internet café franchise to sell internet access time was through a standard computer. However, a leading internet café sweepstakes consulting firm is changing all that with its announcement of a new way for customers to buy internet time and receive free sweepstake entries. SweepsCoach announced last month the arrival of the Internet Kiosk Totem for the internet café business and other businesses throughout the nation.

So why is this great news for retail businesses and internet cafes? According to James Mecham, Managing Director of SweepsCoach and PromoGames, the new Totem unit offers the benefits of a web-based sweepstakes promotional platform while offering a profitable ATM-like machine that can be placed nearly anywhere, including bars, truck stops and convenience stores. This revolutionary internet sweepstakes software and unit is especially good news for the internet sweepstakes café industry, a booming $15 billion industry.

Among the firm’s large selection of Totems is the most popular model, the Aries. This four-foot tall unit features a 22-inch touch-screen monitor and prints out a ticket receipt for the customer. The unit makes it easy for customers to purchase time as well as view the sweepstakes entries. How many choose you buy? It’s up to you. Some sweepstakes parlors can open a business with just one terminal, while others have hundreds.

The Internet Café Business is Booming

We live in a social world where people like to hang out and talk with their friends.  Most people do this on their own time at their favorite hangout spots, but they also like to communicate with one another through whatever internet site they deem worthy.  So why not provide them with a place where they can do both, and hence the internet cafe business was born?

An internet café is a place, open to the public, where people can come in and use the location’s internet for a fee depending on whether they want to buy minutes, hours, days, or even weeks.  This allows those without access to the internet a safe environment to go surfing, shopping, game online, or even buy food, coffee, and cakes.  A lot these outlets are pretty well supplied with food and drinks; hence their café name.  Plus they can offer sweepstakes games and prices which one can enter simply by buying themselves a time card for their internet use to enter, which was what they were intent on doing anyway.

For those considering opening an internet café area having a sweepstakes can help increase your customer numbers with a variety of games and prizes for them to win. Many people can go on their computers at home, or bring their laptops to any local coffee shop for internet access, but with a sweepstakes internet cafe games and service, customers will be wanting to come down to spend their time at your shop rather than having to worry about their laptop getting stolen at some outdoor café in the mall.

Digital Entertainment Takes Center Stage at CES

If you love digital entertainment, you’re not alone — new technologies are changing the relationship that Americans have with media. This also means that there are more electronic peripherals than ever for people to get confused about. The iPod is pervasive technology, meaning that everyone has to have a docking station, speakers and other accessories. How do you determine which entertainment technology items are “must haves” and which ones you can live without?

One way to learn about the latest digital entertainment products is to attend the 2011 International CES Show in Las Vegas. The largest consumer electronics show in the world has made digital entertainment a major priority this year, including the debut of the new Entertainment Matters at CES program for the film, TV and digital media industry. The show will encapsulate everything from the latest high-tech USB video capture technologies for film editors to video editing software for families.

Even if you don’t know a video splitter from a mixing board, there’s something for everyone at the 2011 International CES Show. In fact, it’s a perfect chance for digital media neophytes and experts alike to learn more about the technologies that will be changing how they watch TV, films, listen to music and use the Internet.

GPS Tracking Systems Benefits Construction Industry

The construction industry heavily relies on GPS tracking systems and satellite communications for maintaining and managing important construction projects. Here is a brief look at how the Tracker 5000 Dual vehicle tracking system, a wireless communications platform, can help your company.

Combining GPRS and satellite communications into one convenient and durable unit, the T5000D is a cost-effective solution that provides real-time tracking without any breaks. Managers and other users will receive important tracking information such as when the vehicle is turned on or off, when it moves and stops moving and during five-minute intervals.  Even when the T5000D drives outside cellular coverage, the satellite mode takes over and begins reporting updates. This innovative tracking GPS system is also designed to pinpoint the device on demand, including the ability to send a location response anywhere in the satellite coverage area.

With the T5000D, companies can satisfy more clients in less time. This GPS tracking device allows companies to utilize route guidance, including turn by turn directions, traffic forecast features and other communication features. To learn more about how this product can help your company, please contact Global Tracking Communications, Inc.  

Finding a Reputable Circuit Breaker Dealer

There are many surplus circuit breaker dealers available across the country and on the Internet, making it nearly impossible to find a reputable dealer you can trust. Here is a quick check-list to help you select the best circuit breaker dealer, whether you’re searching for Zinsco or Cutler Hammer breakers.

  • Support Staff: Make sure that the company you select has an in-house support staff including a leading engineer.
  • Digital Testing: You want to ensure that the circuit breaker dealer offers state-of-the-art digital testing and can provide you with digital test reports for their products.
  • Insurance policy: You want to select a circuit breaker dealer that is backed by a multi-million dollar insurance policy.
  • In-house Products: There are many companies that don’t have a warehouse with their own products. Make sure the company you select offers products in-house that are ready to be shipped on the same day as your order.