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When you set out to buy a new computer, its a pretty substantial investment, especially for the students who have worked hard to earn that money.

In most cases, I have seen people with little knowledge to shop around on their own, and get trapped by a smart salesman, who sells them what he / she wants to sell and not what you really need.

Another myth that most people get trapped by is that good “brand names” make good computers. I happen to completely disagree with this notion.

There are really three things that standout when buying a new PC :

1. What will you use your computer for

2. What are the specs of the computer

3. What value are you getting for your money

1. What will you use your computer for :

The first thing is to define as to what will you be using your computer for.This will determin the minimum specs for your computer. You could use your computer to surf the internet, write your assignments, watch videos, store images and videos, play games etc. You could be doing some or all of these things.

If you will just be surfing the internet, any modest specs PC will do. If you want to save a lot of images and videos , you probably will need a decent sized hard drive. If you are a gamer, then you will need a high end graphics card and a high resolution monitor + a good amount of memory (RAM – Random Access Memory) and a fast processor. I am not putting any specific values here, as the technology is changing so fast, that by the time you read this article, the specs will already be obsolete.

I have seen and worked with computers from the time the very first PCs came into existance. I have seen the entire history of evolution of PCs and am completely awe struck by the sheer pace at which the technology has advanced, within a few decades.

2. What are the specs of the computer :

Luckily, today even the very modest models are sufficiently powerful to handle most of the jobs of a regular user. When looking for specs the following should be checked :

Processor : (Speed and Core)

Dual core processors are actually 2 processors in a single device, so they perform much better than a single processor. Quad core processors are now becoming common too, but for a higher price. Dual core processors are powerful enough to handle even sufficiently demanding jobs (including multi-tasking). However, if you are a hard core gamer, you might consider buying a Quad core processor. Again, I will not mention any specific models here.

RAM (Random Access Memory) :

This is the place where all the programs reside when they are running. RAM is like a scratch pad where you can write the data and erase it as required. This is what really happens when you run any programs on a computer.

If you do not have enough RAM to hold all the program data, then the computer uses your hard drive as an extension of your RAM. This is called paging. At this time the computer performance slows down, as hard drive is much slower than RAM. So you want to make sure you have enough RAM to handle your work easily.

RAM chips also come in different speeds, so look for both the capacity (in GB) and speed (in MHz). RAM chips have evolved into DDR (Double Data Rate) chips. DDR3 RAMs are twice as fast as DDR2 RAMs and are not compatible with one another. So you cannot upgrade from DDR2 to DDR3 RAM. As of today, 4GB of RAM should be considered sufficient for most users.

Hard Disk Drive :

The Hard Drive capacity and speed are also two important specs to look for. Almost all new computers come with SATA ( Serial ATA) interface Hard Drives. Serial ATA has many advantages over regular or parallel ATA interface. Reduced cable bulk (80 wires ATA to 7 wires SATA) and faster and more efficient data transfer.

Today, HDD capacities normally start from 320GB, which should be sufficient for a regular user. But if you like, you can buy a 500GB or a 1TB Hard Drive. It all depends on what you need it for and the value for money you are getting.

Video card and Monitor :

Today’s PCs come equipped with sufficiently adequate video cards and monitors. However, if you are a gamer, you might consider buying a high end video card with its own processor on board and its own RAM.

Most manufacturers are now coming up with the new LED displays. LED displays are superior to LCD displays, as they consume much less power and their color and contrast ratios are much better. For resolution, look for an HD (High Definition) display.

Operating System (OS) :

As of today, Windows 7 is the standard on most new PCs. Personally, I like Windows 7 better than Vista. Vista is bulky and drains the hardware resources much more than Windows 7. Windows XP had evolved into a very stable OS, but Windows 7 takes advantage of all the new technology available on the hardware. Windows XP could only handle upto 3GB of RAM, but if you have 4GB or more RAM, Windows 7 will take full advantage of it.

Another OS, less known to normal users is LINUX. The best thing about LINUX is that its completely FREE and almost as robust as Windows 7. It comes with a full suite of free applications like Word Processor, Spread Sheet, Presentations and any other application you can think of. All these applications are compatible with its Windows couterparts. However, to work with LINUX you have to be a little tech savvy at times. LINUX is actually the UNIX OS ported to PC. Once installed, it feels quit similar to Windows. Though, you will have to get acquinted with a little different environment and application names.

3. Value for money :

In today’s market, prices are changing continuously. Don’t rush into buying a PC. Make a list of minimum specs you need. Look around and compare prices for those specs. Do not look for brand names, they are all made somewhere in China. Buy when you see a good deal.

Hope you find this information useful when you set out to buy your next PC.

Any comments are welcome.

 

Facebook has just introduced its new feature – the Facebook Places. It is one of the best efforts from Facebook to get their rapidly expanding members linked to the real world. According to the site’s blog, Facebook is set to give answers to “Where”, as it had done for “Who” and “What” all these years.

Facebook Places like other location sharing services enables users to let their friends know where they are by using their mobile phone to “check in” to a location. The features of Facebook Places are such that it stands out prominently from other location sharing services such as Yelp and Foursquare.

Features of Facebook Places

Friends tagging ability. Now, its possible to tag friends who are with you at your location just like videos or photos.
Ability to integrate with various location apps such as Yelp and Foursquare. These two as well as Gowalla and Booyah announced at the presentation, that they will incorporate Facebook Places into their applications.
The “People Here Now” section. This feature gives users the opportunity to connect with friends at the same location and at the same time. In addition, they can connect with people who they may not know, but probably have the same interests as theirs.
User-friendly privacy settings. Facebook Place’s default privacy setting just enables friends to see the location of a user. From that point, it is easier for users to enable everybody to view location updates for just some friends.
Feature that enables information sharing about a place. With this feature, reviews become easily accessible, including information and pictures about their location from those who visited initially.
Although Facebook Places bring a couple of great innovations to the table, the biggest contribution it has made is most likely to introduce location sharing to the mainstream. It’s true that location sharing popularity has spread like wildfire over the previous year. Booyah and Foursquare membership is miniscule when compared with Facebook’s half a billion active users. As Facebook Places introduces location sharing, it opens up lots of new business opportunities for the business owners.

Significance of Facebook Places to Your Business Plans

Send coupons to Facebook users as part of your business. In essence, you can send coupons, tips or promotions to people when they check into your business.
Claim your business. Those who officially represent a business can claim it, which transforms the place to a Facebook Page. You can start posting updates from there to those who are interested in the page, get your business info updated and accomplish other things.
Interaction promotion: Users are encouraged to interact with your business Facebook Places page as you offer incentives for stuffs such as feedback, review and others.
Obtain real-time stats concerning your customers. With Facebook Places, you have a powerful tool to learn more about those that check into your business.
Loyalty is encouraged. For a long time now, businesses have been employing the reward system of sites like Foursquare to offer discounts to frequently visiting users. Although Facebook Places does not feature a gaming tool like Foursquare, you need to offer promotions to those that visit frequently.

 However, controversies also revolve around the security solution. There have been incidents of biometric face detection systems, not being able to identify correct faces. Not-so-often failures of the device to perform gave rise to debates. Reliability of the technology is under question. Many organizations protest against the use of this technology as a means of defense. But, facial recognition is a trustworthy safety measure!

A biometric face detection system works on measuring the unchangeable features of the face. The distance between the two eyes, the thickness of lips, shape of the cheek bone and other facial characteristics remain constant throughout life. This technology involves enrollment of a specific face into the database, based on the algorithm of the face. Next time, the same face appears before the system, it is recognized after comparison with other faces in the database. Modern facial recognition software employ 3D image for higher accuracy.

There is nothing perfect in the world. Complete protection does not exist! Just like everything else, this machine is prone to errors. A biometric face detection system can fail in two ways; either it identifies unfamiliar faces as genuine (false positives) or it denies identification of genuine faces (false negatives). Accurate facial recognition may be affected with lighting conditions, expressions on the face and further external factors. Possibility of false negatives and false positives cannot be ruled out.

Still, this application can be considered competitive than the conventional security solutions. Professors of computer science and technology believe that it ensures security to a large extent. An old saying in security circles, “There is no such thing as a 100 percent shield”, justifies the argument. A biometric face detection system can hinder undesirable elements most of the time. Manufacturers claim that this mechanism is nine times accurate out of ten. It is yet a new technology. There is a lot of scope for its improvement in coming years.

Face detection is in demand! Casinos may use a biometric face detection system to control cheaters, individuals with debt, criminals and troublesome players. Schools may set up a machine using this mechanism for attendance and access control. Facial recognition may also be used in hospitals, offices, highly-secured government premises. Its utilization is increasing in airports. Being easy target for terrorists, airport authorities all over the world are resorting to this biometric security device for enhanced security. Despite opposition from civil liberties group, its acceptance is rising.

Computerized mechanism has many success stories to its credit. This system lead to around 500 arrests and nearly as much positive identification that didn’t result in arrests in Pinella, USA. Biometric face detection system has become a part of everyday work in the police department. Cops were able to identify football hooligan ringleaders in crowds at West Ham games with the help of this software. Government officials believe that the September 11 attacks could have been prevented, if biometric face detection system were used in airports.

Face Recognition Solution provides high quality at affordable prices. They are complete solution providers. They deal in time attendance,  and access control. ‘Quality service in time’ is their motto. Customer satisfaction is given prime importance in Face Recognition Solution. They aim to quickly capture the biometric market with best face recognition systems for personal or business use.

A Free to Air satellite receiver (abbreviated FTA receivers) refers to satellite receivers that are designed to receive unencrypted FTA satellite transmissions. Using these satellite receivers, you can legally receive TV signals without subscription. The signal is typically encoded in an MPEG-2 video and may be restricted geographically. In some places around the world, people can receive encrypted Free to Air satellite channels through the UHF and VHF band. The channels transmitted through Free to Air satellite are received by utilizing a common MPEG-2 video compatible satellite receiver. Many people use FTA to receive thousands of satellite TV channels free of charge.

The equipment needed for you to enjoy the freebies are FTA receiver (and here you have a choice between Pansat, Coolsat, Conaxsat, and many other great brand names) and a satellite dish within the specifics required by the satellite you wish to point at. However, many satellites only require a standard DTV compliant dish that can be easily found in any satellite TV or electronic store. Both C-band and K-Band dishes work just fine. If you wish to receive channels from more than one satellite, you will also need to have an antenna motor.

Once you have hold of the two pieces of hardware, you may then start with the pointing of the dish. In order to complete this, one needs to have a coaxial cable running from where the dish is and making its way to the FTA receiver which should be connected to the television. Usually this is the most difficult part. Though pointing the dish is not very difficult, many people would prefer to hire an experienced person agile enough to fix it on the roof of the house.

Once that is done, then you may go about the business of pointing the dish. You will need to go to the options of the FTA receiver and select the actual satellite that you will point at. It is also likely that you will be required to load some firmware updates. The FTA keys will need to be entered manually, and so it’s important you familiarize yourself with this process. Entering FTA keys usually involves entering the setting up screen of whichever the receiver that you own and find the key code section of the setup. But a key point to remember is that each Satellite Receiver is different and the settings may vary.

Unique New Web Service: Find, Tag, Rate and Share Similar Websites.

Amsterdam, Netherlands – Web company Camus Media recently announced the public launch of their highly anticipated web service. This unique service makes it possible to find and share websites that are similar to each other.

Founder David Galente, a well known internet entrepreneur got the idea for his service a few years ago while he was trying to find a couple of similar websites. “I soon noticed, that there’s no place on the web where you can go to find similar websites”. Extensive research has shown that the need for such a service is very high. “If you only take a look at Google’s trends tool, you’ll see that the term “sites like” gets around 250.000 hits every day” and that’s just Google.

CEO Galente believes that his new service will add a lot of value to the current web. “We have done a lot of research and we are confident that it will increase competition and make the web more transparent”. The service is based on democratic principals as the users decide which sites are related to each other and which are not. “The system also has it’s challenges”, says Galente, “We have a grotesque job with keeping the index up to date and free from spam, user input and technology are key ingredients”.

Camus Media has made some large investments for the acquisition of several domain names and the development of new technologies. “It’s much more then just a collection of links, sites are constantly monitored to check the health and content”. With more then 500.000 websites in it’s database existing techniques simply don’t suffice. “We had to create new threaded technology to check every entry in our database as fast as possible”. By making use of smart technologies, the company keeps track of DNS records, ping times and other data. This all should ensure a fresh and up to date results.

The web today is social and user input is a very important part of this service. All together we believe that it’s a great service and that it has a lot of added value. Its definitely a great SEO resource as it can help webmasters to build back links. But that’s not all, as time progresses, search engines will pick it up and see the relation between the linked sites. Not to forget, the most important reason: It’s also a huge traffic source.

The company expects to serve between 5 and 10 million pages a month by the end of the first year. This is a huge number, but we expect that target to be exceeded even sooner, simply because there’s no such service to be found anywhere on the web. All together it’s prone to succeed.