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Don’t you find it annoying that whenever you are in a middle of research or online surfing, the connection suddenly stops? If you’ve experienced that a number of times, perhaps the problem might lie with the cable modem. And what you can do perform a few tweaks on the cable modem in order to optimize its operation.

Say the cable modem on your computer gets disconnected after a few minutes, then here’s a cable modem tweak that can help you address the issue. One reason this thing happens in your computer is that this is Windows XP-related. On the Windows XP, there is an option that allows the computer to turn off the USB device in order to save on power. Now what you can do is to disable this option. Just click on the start button and highlight the My Computer icon and select the option that says properties. A window will then appear with the system properties. Navigate the window by clicking on the hardware tab and press the device manager button. Expand the serial bus controllers and double click on the USB root hub. You’ll now see the Power Management tab and uncheck the ‘allow the computer to turn off the device to save power’. If the computer displays a number of USB root hub, then make sure that you repeat the same steps for that same number of hubs. Often a cable modem that disconnects after a few hours can be remedied by performing these two steps. One cable modem tweak that is possible is by disabling the hibernation. You can right click on the desktop and click the screen saver tab. You’ll notice the power button of the display properties dialog. Click that one. Another dialog box will appear and you’ll be shown the hibernate tab. Use this box to uncheck the box beside the enable hibernation. Another good step is to disable the Windows Messenger. On the start button, select run and input the words gpedit.msc. Proceed to the Computer Configuration then select the Administrative Templates, then straight to Windows Components and on to Windows Messenger. Don’t run the messenger, just go to the properties and check the box near it to enable.

Another thing that computer users can do is to configure the modem delay time. This is true usually to Motorola and Rockwell modems. And this issue always happens right after the user has installed the Windows 2000 drivers on the XP Pro. In order to address the problem, here’s a little tweak that you can do. But as a precaution, make sure that you back up your registry even if there will be no problems. Again, click on the run and type the words ‘regedit’. Then you have to select the HKEY current user/remote access/profile/”your isp”. Then you to need to change the value of the disconnect idle time from 14 to zero. Following these simple steps can address the issue of internet disconnection every few hours. For a specific cable modem tweak, then a talk with the technical representative of the company can bring results.

Atomic clocks have been with us for over fifty years now and most people have heard of them and know they are very accurate, but how accurate are they and why do we need such accurate clocks?

Atomic clocks are used by many of us even if we are not aware of it. The time they tell is relayed around the world and picked up by time servers using the protocol NTP to synchronise networks, they are vital for lots of technologies, such as global satellite navigation, and TV signal timings.

Before the development of the atomic clock the most precise timekeeping devices were electronic clocks which would lose a second or two every week. These had largely replaced mechanical clocks which were less accurate still.

Mankind has always had a fascination for keeping track of the time but knowing the precise time has never been too important. A second or even a minute’s difference does not affect our day-to-day lives.

However, as technology has advanced the need for more precise timekeeping has increased. Satellites that have to be navigated and communicate with the Earth from hundred, thousands and even millions of miles away require exact timing. Light and therefore radio waves can travel 300,000 km every second so slight inaccuracies in time can have massive differences.

The first accurate atomic clock was built y Britain’s National Physical Laboratory in 1955 by Dr Louis Essen who based his clock around the oscillation of the caesium -133 atom. The idea was actually first conceived as far back as 1879 when Lord Kelvin proposed that time-keeping based on how atoms behaved would be a better way to count time intervals than anything else.

The first generation of atomic clocks (also known as caesium oscillators) used the frequency of this atom which oscillates 9,192,631,770 times every second. Essen’s model was accurate to a second every 300 years but developments of the caesium oscillator mean they can now achieve accuracies of one second every 80 million years.

Yet as technologies get more advanced, scientists strive to make better and more accurate clocks. Rubidium standard clocks offer no better accuracy than caesium models but are smaller and cost less (caesium oscillators are generally only to be found in large-scale physics laboratories).

Clocks using just a single atom have been developed that offer even more accuracy. A clock based on a single mercury atom has achieved accuracies of one second in 400 million years and it is expected that a new type of strontium clock that uses light will go even better.

The future for atomic clocks is ever increasing accuracy combined with scaling down the size and cost of them. The American National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have unveiled a chip-sized atomic clock that boasts millisecond accuracy.

Atomic clocks are now part and parcel of our lives without the time signals they transmit to the world that are picked up by NTP servers modern communication from Internet shopping and GPS and technological advances such as satellite navigation would become impossible.

H.264 or MPEG-4 Part 10 (Advanced Video Coding) is an industry standard for video compression, this is the process of converting digital video into a format that can achieve very high data compression. So far Motion JPEG and MPEG-4 part 2 are the compression standards that are widely used in surveillance industry. With the use of H.264 video compression codec, surveillance industry could see a drastic change in the way CCTV systems are used. With the use of H.264 video compression codec surveillance equipment could see itself taking a major leap in terms of usage of storage space, better image quality and transmission of video.

Video compression codec H.264 involves encoding and decoding processes. The video encoder performs the process of encoding and transforming the video to H.264 bit stream and in turn the decoder decodes the bit stream and delivers the original content. If you are interested in complete process of how H.264 works please visit the resources listed below. The whole process is very accurate and reduces storage space by more than 50% without compromising on the image quality when compared to Motion JPEG and MPEG-4 Part 2. It also delivers same quality if not better images per bit rate when compared to MotionJPEG/MPEG-4 Part 2.

By using the video encoders which support H.264, an analog system can be integrated into more efficient and powerful IP based video surveillance system. This enables the system to deliver better image quality with higher resolutions, frame rates and multiple streaming capabilities, decreased bandwidth and storage requirements. Video analytical applications can be used with the converted video increasing effective usage and management of large-scale video systems such as big shopping malls etc. The use of H.264 modeled systems will have a greater advantage in surveillance industry in the near future and will encourage the use of Megapixel cameras whose biggest challenges are requirement of large storage space and huge usage of network bandwidth.

Soccer wallpaper is becoming a trend in terms of adding a new look to computers nowadays. It is generally used with personal desktop computers or laptops. These wallpapers come in different designs and variations. It is either designed with photos of the best soccer players, different soccer teams, and different soccer teams with fans and some also include emblems or logos of the most popular soccer teams and leagues in the world of soccer. It also comes in different sizes depending on the resolution of your screen. Resolution varies from 800×600, 1204×768 and 1204×800.

These wallpapers are designed by graphics artist or some from hobbyist. They design wallpapers with unique variations to add a more artistic look. Some even make collage type designs and some are made simply containing on photos.

Soccer wallpapers are mostly commonly seen on computers of soccer fans all around the world. These wallpapers are also used by soccer players themselves. Wallpapers are available for downloads in the internet in many websites today. It can be downloaded freely anytime you like.

As wallpapers are increasingly popular for daily computing needs, a wide variety of more modern look has been designed. Trendy colors with addition of eye candy designs are included. Some desktop enhancement software includes soccer design wallpapers as a package.

With a lot of image editing software such as Photoshop which are available in the market, even ordinary people design their own personal wallpaper with their names and photos included with their choice of soccer team.

If you are a Mac owner and computer user the most common pop up blocker is Safari. This software, by a large market share, is the most popular and brand name choice for Mac users and machines. This pop up blocker is highly rated by consumers and gets great reviews by the experts. In 2007 they designed Safari for Windows. It will be interesting to see if this popular software package for Mac owners catches on with Windows owners.

Safari is easy to operate and install. It is part of the browser, which is very common for pop up blockers, and has a pull down menu. You simply can click the blocker on to enable it and you can also click if off to disable the blocker. The Windows version will do the same thing for your personal computer. If will protect your computer from spyware and adware as well. It will also stop pop ups from appearing on your desktop as your visit and work from web sites. This is the most important feature of the Safari pop up blocker.

Most computer owners and users want and need a pop up blocker. No user wants to be bothered by those nasty pop ups with advertising hitting your desktop from all different angles. The other important feature is that it will track and destroy spyware and adware from entering your computer system. Your personal identity is at risk with both spyware and adware. These types of programs also slow down the performance of your computer and can take up space on your hard drive. It is a wise decision to prevent this by installing security software for your computer which normally includes a pop up blocker.

It is a worthwhile investment to purchase Safari for your Mac computer. It does a great job in helping your computer system to stay “clean and safe”. You will be satisfied with its features and technology. Safari will even send you updates as they continue to improve the software. You can investigate and read all about Safari on the internet and from the Mac site as well. Talk to other owners and hear what they have to say about the protection that is offered by Safari. Most owners are happy with their purchase.

The Safari pop up blocker is the name you want for your Mac machine. It has a stellar reputation and is regarded as effective and safe. If you want to keep those pop up ads away from your desktop then consider the Safari pop up blocker for your Mac computer.

Making changes to a position or shape of an object in flash animations is called “tweening.” The result should be a smooth transitioning of objects, from the first appearance to the final object. This streaming animation can be used on an entire web page or you may choose to use it as only part of an html page. The internet is full of Flash sites, Flash buttons and Flash menus that were made using the Macromedia/Adobe Flash software.

What goes hand in hand with Flash animation? It would have to be Flash text. Flash text is exactly what it sounds like. On your website you can turn plain text into text that moves and is full of colors and life. Many individuals have recently added Flash text to the rest of their “cool animations” on their pages and they claim the return traffic on their websites has risen. Flash is the industry standard software to create 2D animations.

What do Flash animations have to do with a website? Hopefully, it will catch customer’s eyes and bring them back to your site time and again. In this age of information technology everyone from your Great Aunt Sue to your first grade teacher has a website. Making your site stand out in the crowd is a tall order and that is where computer animations and art animations have a chance to shine.

At one time, networking was basically limited to who we could call or meet face to face. Beyond that was of course word of mouth, paid print and media advertising. Even then it was likely restricted to the local market, as the expense of getting a message to the next town, state or country was high.

What could you do? With the internet anything is possible, so you want your site to stand out with graphics computer animations, gif animations, Flash 2D animations and even 3D animations. Fortunately, the internet makes your business globally accessible, so you can reach out and touch millions of online viewers. These days, you can rake in dollars, yens, euros, pounds, rubles, pesos etc. because the world is the playing field.

Now that you are a little more aware of the power of the internet, check out a few computer animation programs and learn how to spice up your site with 3D animations, 2D Flash animations, animations video or gif animations. A well designed website will make a portfolio, with its limited space and time, pretty much obsolete. So, as you look outside your window in sunny California, just imagine your website being seen by potential customers in Iceland, Timbuktu or Nunavut.

The Google toolbar popup blocker is a major tool in preventing pop up advertising on your desktop. Most computer owners and users want and use a pop up blocker to destroy pop ups and keep them in check. The Google toolbar popup blocker is easy to install, understand, and use. Consumers and users are pleased with this product and give it high ratings. It is effective in stopping pop up advertising and best of all it is free to download and install.

If you are in the market for a toolbar and a pop up blocker then you should consider the Google toolbar popup blocker for your computer. It is safe, and easy to use. It has a series of pull down menus that you simply click on with your mouse. You can enable the pop up blocker and disable the pop up blocker. It also has a counter and alarm system to notify you of potential pop up ads that are trying to make their way to your desktop. You can even reset the counter at anytime and turn off the sound alarm. You get all of this and the price is right.

The Google toolbar popup blocker will even help in fighting spyware and adware. Those are programs that your computer and you can live without. You do not want spyware and adware invading your computer. These types of programs can and will slow down the performance of your system. These programs also will take up valuable space on your hard drive. The Google toolbar popup blocker just might be the perfect answer for any problem with pop ups. Most users of the Google popup blocker would agree.

You can find all the information you need on the Google Toolbar PopUp blocker on the Google web site. All the details are spelled out for the consumer so that you can feel confident if you choose to download and install the software. Google will also continue to send you updates for the toolbar and any advances in the software. All of this will cost you nothing. It is totally free. Google has a trusted reputation for its product and services. You will be able to count on the Google toolbar and pop up blocker for your own system. Do some reading and investigation. Compare the products you find and chances are you will be using the Google product.

Once you have made the decision to build a PC, you have some important decisions facing you. We will discuss what you will need and help you make these decisions, approximate cost, and the amount of time required.

Building your own PC can be a very rewarding experience. Wile it is not that complicated, it does involve making decisions.

You must decide just how you will use the PC. Is it going to be for gaming? Will you use it to edit video? Will it just be for school and surfing the internet. These are the types of decision you must be made.

What A Gaming PC Needs

A gaming PCs first priority must be a high performance graphics card. In gaming, the graphics card does most of the work. (This is also true for video editing.) The graphics chip or processor handles the processing as the game unfolds.

A gaming PC must have a CPU processor or main processor that is fast enough to support the graphics card, otherwise the game will bog down. I would recommend a high performance graphics card from either ATI Radeon or nVidia. A graphics processor on the motherboard just will not have the power to handle the load.

In addition to the graphics and the CPU chip, you must have sufficient RAM or memory to accommodate the processor load. Look at memory as your work bench, the larger the work bench, the more work can be done and in gaming, there is a lot of work to be done.

A fourth major concern would be a power supply for the system. A high performance graphics card requires a high wattage supply. My suggestion would be at least a 750 watt supply. This is not an expensive component to don’t try to save here.

A high performance gaming using the best components will cost around $2,000.

Video Editing PC

A video editing PC has many of the same needs as does a gaming PC. It must have a high performance graphics card since much of the processing load will be shunted to it. Again, nVidia or ATI Radeon is the recommendation.

An absolute must is a firewire or IEEE1394 connection. This is the means whereby you connect a camcorder to a system and transfer your captured video to the PC.

A lot of memory is a necessity. I would recommend at least 2GB with 4GB a better choice.

A fast processor is also necessary in that again, there is a lot to be done, especially if you are using chromakey.

The third requirement is disk space and plenty of it. A good rule of thumb for video is that 10 minutes of uncompressed video has a requirement for about 2GB disk space. Fortunately, disk drives have dropped significantly in price over the past two years. I currently have 1TB (terabyte) of hard drive on my system. A terabyte is a 1 followed by 12 zeros!!

A good PC suitable for video editing will run between $1200 and $1500.

PC for schoolwork

Despite what your children tell you, it is not necessary to have the all powerful PC for them to do school work. A hard drive with a capacity of about 200GB will suffice. I would recommend at least 1GB memory and suggest 2GB. The system should have at least 2 USB ports and a modem or network interface card (If you have a home network.) Many schools require assignments be submitted online and provide grading feedback via the same method.

A PC for school can be built for around $500.

Surfing The Internet

Internet surfing does not put a big demand on the PC. Of course you must have a means of connecting to the internet. Usually, this is done by a cable modem or a dialup modem. The dialup modem will require a phoneline but it does not have to be a dedicated phoneline. However, you need to keep in mind that when you are online your telephone is unavailable.

A cable modem is the faster way to connect to the internet. It does not tie up your telephone and is about 100 times as fast as dialup, depending on the provider.

A basic PC can be built for $400-$600.

Tools Required

Generally, you will not need many tools to build your PC. They are very inexpensive and readily available.

You will need a small screwdriver, or two. You should have a Phillips head screwdriver as well as a blade screwdriver.

Another tool necessary is a wrist grounding strap. Anytime you are working on the unit, you should be wearing a grounding strap. They cost about $4 and can be found at Best Buy. They are needed to ground you to the PC case to prevent static electricity from damaging the sensitive components on the graphics card or the motherboard.

The last requirement is space. I built mine on the kitchen table but I have an understanding wife and we are empty nesters. Not much space is needed but it should be where little fingers can’t get to it.

Component Acquisition

Getting the components will require research on your part. The web is an excellent resource here. You must have the following:

Case I would suggest an aluminum case for heat dissipation. My case is a Lian-Li. It has 4 fans.

Power Supply..I recommend 750 watt supply

Motherboard.. My personal choice is Intel but AMD boards are fine. Shopping wisely can save you money here. Remember your requirements(Gaming, video processing,etc.)

Memory You need to match your memory to the specifications of the motherboard. This will be in the packaging material.

Graphics Card Again, shopping wisely can save you money here. The internet is your best bet for good price. Just make sure you select a reputable seller.

You will need 1 or 2 hard drives. My personal recommendation is SeaGate drives and you should opt for 7200RPM drives.

You will also need to purchase Windows. I am partial to WinXP but that is just me. You cannot use an existing Windows disk. It will get by the Microsoft verification process.

Putting Your PC Together

This is the fun part and probably the easiest. You will need to be gentle with the installation of the motherboard into the case and the insertion of the graphics card and memory cards onto the motherboard. Again, not a difficult process. The Lian-Li case I mentioned makes assembly easier than most cases. The component chassis slides out for easy access for installation of the motherboard, graphics card, memory and the hard drive.

Now, you have identified your needs and decided what you need. Acquire your parts (after due research), get your screwdriver and wrist grounding strap and have at it. It can be done in one day but I took it very slowly.

Do all of this and prepare for a most rewarding experience. This comes when you power it up and the splash screen shows that everything is ok.

My name is Rick Blackmon and I have worked on computers since 1957. I retired from IBM after 42 years and am still active using my PC in internet marketing, and video and photo editing.

Visit my websites:

computersprintersandmonitors.com

photoandvideostore.com