How To Appeal To Different Personalities

Introduction

We all think differently. We read different books, listen to different music, and have different opinions on things.

Yet with our websites, we often develop the voice, copy, and style with what we want and how we do things. What about the customer? Chances are, the customer wont feel and do things the same way you do. The site must be client-centric and visitor-focused.

Keep the customer in mind and construct a website that leads the customer to buy your product or service. Your copy and design will grab the attention of the right visitors and get them to act.

So, when the customer hits your site with the obvious question of whats in it for me? Youll grab their attention if youve constructed a website that considers their wants and speaks in their voice. Youve got to know what the customer wants to hear, and how they need to hear it to make the sale.

But, you say, Im me. How can I write copy or talk in a way which appeals to another person voice and style? The answer is to understand your customer and speak to them personally. It can be a little like dealing with Jekyll and Hyde, but once youve get the knack of it youll find that split personalities are easier to handle than you think!

Personality types

Take the following different personality types:

An easy going likes a personal approach. They will ask the question Why is your product the best? To satisfy the easy going person, provide reassurance and opinions. These personalities are humanistic in nature so testimonials and such appeal to them and may help them move through the conversion process.

An analytical person is all business and detail oriented. They are disciplined, and will ask you How does your product differ from others? For analytical people, provide evidence. A simple paragraph explaining your products will not suffice, you need to give this personality type in-depth information about your process, details about your products/services, etc.

A spontaneous person likes brief, to-the-point answers! The expressive person will ask What are the benefits and how can this (product/service) help me? For this person, you need to display the points, give them the reason to buy your products or services, and help them convert right away by placing call to actions throughout your copy.

An assertive person is powerful and strategic. They will want to know What can your product do for me and why is it the best? This personality is competitive in nature and always wants the best, wants to know why its the best, and wants to see the advantages of your service/product over the rest. For this include person comparisons, assurances, and satisfaction guarantees.

The method

You mean I have to write different copy to suit all these different personalities? Dont panic, not at all. With careful thought, you can combine the approaches and come away with something for everyone. Take a look.

At INVESP, our approach is customized to meet your objectives and concerns. Your results are guaranteed. Explore our methodology to discover how hundreds of clients have been satisfied. Our solutions include:

Traffic builder designed to drive more online visitors to yoru site.

Optimized conversion solution designed to lead users through the conversion process.

Community builder designed to keep your traffic coming back to your site for more.

Different types of people will all find something here they like.

Easy going, humanistic personalities will identify with the hundreds of clients.

Those that are analytical will identify with methodology and most likely click on that link.

The spontaneous will explore like the list of solutions and their immediate benefits.

Assertive/competitive people will like the guaranteed results and satisfaction guaranteed.

Something for everyone, pretty easy concept. However, before imploring this technique, you must identify who your clients are. The majority of your clients may be analytical and spontaneous in nature, so you would have to try to appeal to them mostly. Identify with your customer and they are more likely to complete the sale, so start appealing to their personal side. Remember, the site must be constructed for them, not you.

Ayat Shukairy leads the creative team at http://invesp.com INVESP consulting. She works closely with clients to drive traffic to their sites, http://invesp.com/cs increase website conversion rates, and establish customer loyalty.Berty Blog5084
Bertina Blog31746

The e-Learning and Blogs to Empower Bitrix Site Manager

Users of Bitrix Site Manager can now enjoy the two new modules: e-Learning and Blogs.

With the e-Learning module, the new powerful tool of Bitrix Site Manager, you can create training courses that can also be used to examine and certify specialists. Users not only can take a course but also verify their knowledge by passing self-check tests. The certification of specialists can be done by the number of scores obtained during examination. For each user, the system maintains a gradebook in fact, a record containing the number of scores obtained. The training courses can be exported and imported via the special standard formats: IMS Content Package and IMS QTI.

More about the e-Learning module:
http://www.bitrixsoft.com/sitemanager/modules/learning.php

The Blogs module enables site users to keep diaries, create communities, give their views on the urgent subjects. This module is the fully functional network journal engine featuring blog and message access permission assignment; creation of unlimited number of blogs and communities; insert images in messages; view friends page. Each blog has a calendar allowing to view messages for a certain day. Users can also subscribe for new messages of any blog.

More about the Blogs module:
http://www.bitrixsoft.com/sitemanager/modules/blogs.php

The strategy of Bitrix Inc. is to equip Bitrix Site Manager with absolutely all functions that a common web project may require.

All modules are tested for all possible vulnerabilities and are secure against attacks of any kind. The final test has endorsed the highest level of security of all modules of the system.

The e-Learning and Blogs modules are the part of the Professional and Enterprise editions of Bitrix Site Manager. The Edition Comparison chart clearly describes distinctions between the system editions.

You can survey all of the available system modules and features here:
http://www.bitrixsoft.com/sitemanager/modules/index.php

To check all the system features in action please visit Bitrix Site Manager Virtual Lab:
http://www.demo.bitrixsoft.com

You can also download the Trial Version which can be evaluated for 30 days for free:
http://bitrixsoft.com/download

Bitrix Inc. specializes in developing content management systems and portal solutions for managing Web projects and multifunctional information systems for maintaining commercial activities on the Internet.Bunny Blog2424
Annaliese Blog97520

The World At War: Protecting Your Overseas Holdings

Once upon a time, many years ago, the traditional wisdom was that war was good for business. In todays increasingly global economy, however, this saying is for the most part outdated and downright fool hearty. Particularly if you have -- or are considering -- expanding your business overseas, or have extensive holdings in foreign companies either through investments or direct partnerships, the current conflicts going on all over the world and in the Middle East in particular have the potential to negatively impact your profits, if they havent already done so. Regardless of who is right or wrong in the various wars going on around the globe or where you personally stand on the issues behind them it is impossible to ignore their potential impact on your ability to profit from your international business ventures. Even if you have no holdings or business anywhere near a war zone, the potential for negative impact is still very real.

There really is no way to completely insulate your overseas business or investments from the negative impacts caused by war any more than you can completely protect your own home from the damage that can be caused by a flood or a hurricane. The simple fact is that as you have no control over geopolitical events and conflicts, you are in many ways at their mercy. However, by identifying those things that can be potentially damaging to your business and taking steps to guard against them, it is possible to significantly limit your damage, and decrease your business exposure.

A quick trip to the local gas station will show you perhaps the most readily visible impact these wars are having. In the United States, as we all know, gas prices have risen dramatically in the last 12 months but the increases you see at your local gas station are nothing compared to the increases that have been seen in some parts of Europe, Asia and Australia. In Europe in particular where petrol has traditionally been more expensive than it is in the United States the effects are particularly ominous. Substantially higher gas and with winter just around the corner heating costs means less disposable income in the hands of the citizens which, in turn, will very likely mean a slowing in some segments of the economy. True, the same can certainly be said for the US economy as well, but it is important to remember that the United States has a higher per capita income than most European nations, and so the economic impact of higher oil prices will, in all likelihood, hit them harder. While quality generally has always and in the long run probably will always be more important to the average European customer than price, in the short term price is very likely to become a major issue in many of the European markets. Remaining aware of and updated on general consumer buying trends in the specific nations you are doing business in is a critical indicator for what direction you may be required to take your business in that country.

Another impact the wars around the globe can have on your business revolves around the political climate that exists in the country where you are doing business or have invested. As a quick look at CNN will likely point out, all the world does not share the United States views on international matters particularly wars. Particularly in Asia, South America, and some parts of Eastern Europe it is important to keep a close eye on the stands that the various governments are taking on the various wars, and remain very aware of any dramatic growth in anti-American Governmental sentiment. While certainly large segments of the governments of the European Union nations agree with US policies, it is also important to make certain that you understand how the people in the nations you are doing business in feel as this is quite likely to be the same way that your partners there feel. Any major shift in feelings about the US as a whole by the population of a nation where you are doing business can dramatically effect the way you will need to conduct your business there.

As I write this article, all carry on luggage and liquids have been banned on all domestic and European flights from the United States, and Airline security stands at an unprecedented level of high alert. In the United States, it is suggested that you arrive at the airport four hours early for any overseas flight. The days when your travel time overseas could be combined with productive work time via your laptop and satellite internet connection are over for now and, while these restrictions are sure to be removed at some point, they will almost equally surely come back again. The simple fact is, international travel is becoming increasingly time consuming, inconvenient, unproductive and, in some cases, dangerous. Sad to say terrorism and the threat of terrorist attacks particularly on Americans abroad is a very real concern. Where it was once both practical and economical and even a perk to have your senior people travel to overseas operations, this is no longer always the case. Time, money, and peace of mind can be saved by either installing or upgrading computer networking platforms with your overseas offices and/or partners so that the majority of your business with them can take place via the internet. In the future, there is every reason to believe that the occasional trip to Rome, or London, or Paris will go back to being a perk for your top performers. However, until the world situation stabilizes again, in most cases your peoples productive time can be better used at home rather than sitting for hours in an airport or on a plane.

There is nothing good about war, but history has taught us that wars always end and the current conflicts raging around the globe will end as well. They can best be viewed from a business standpoint at any rate as a tragic inconvenience that needs to be analyzed, and then dealt with. By watching how trends change on a weekly if not day by day basis in the nations you are doing business with, as well having a finger on the pulse of the feelings of both the governments and the people of these areas, you will have the information you need to make informed decisions and limit your business exposure. You do not have the ability to change the various geopolitical paradigms that account for wars, but you do have the ability to protect your business from the damage that those wars can cause!

Steve McLaughlin is available for consultation and can be contacted directly by Email: smclaughlin@gmi.lu or Phone: 352-26364921. Additional information is located on his website: http://www.gmi.lu.Annaliese Blog97520
Celestyn Blog28207

Considerations For Buying A Home Treadmill

Throughout the years, the quest to achieve a healthier body, mind and spirit has extended to the kind of exercise equipment you use. Why drag yourself to the local gym for a workout when you can bring the same convenience and results of Ballys or Golds Gym to the comforts of your own home? A treadmill makes a great addition to a household, one that the entire family can get use from. It not only gets the heart pumping, tones and strengthens the body, but also is a great tool for weight loss.

Different Types of Treadmills

There are several different kinds of treadmills to choose from on the market. Numerous brands and manufacturers are available, providing a wide range of convenient features for your treadmill experience. There are also a variety of price tags that allows almost anyone, regardless of budget to save up for a home treadmill. Some used treadmill options can cost about $50, while a newer inexpensive model may cost between $85-$100. The higher-end treadmill brands (often loaded with advanced features) cost well over $1000.

While a commercial treadmill is mostly used for doctor offices and heavy-duty gyms, it often has a motor with higher power capacity than a treadmill marketed for home use. Commercial treadmills also weigh a considerable amount more than a home treadmill and are not created for easy storage. Many home treadmill options can fold so they do not take up as much space in a house setting.

Sometimes the reason why you want a treadmill will influence a purchase. If you plan on doing a lot of intense running or cross training, you may want to select a treadmill with higher speed options. Usually, frequent runners choose a treadmill that can reach speeds of 10mph. There are treadmill models that also offer an incline feature. An 8% to 10% incline is suggested for those looking to get into better shape.

Would you rather have a manual or a motorized treadmill? Manual treadmill selections are light and dont cost as much. Easy storage is also a plus with this option. The friction from your feet upon a running belt turns the rollers of the machine. The more popular motorized treadmill option provides a better overall workout. This is because consumers can adjust the speed of the belt to encourage walking, jogging or running. This is usually accomplished through the tap of a digital control pad.

What To Look For In a Treadmill Purchase

Over the years, treadmill choices have evolved into an all-inclusive health monitoring system, featuring some of the latest technology regarding exercise equipment. Depending on your budget and exercise needs, you may test for the following features: durability, ease of use, adequate foot rails, nice-sized belt, cushioned handrails, quality of motor, easily understandable control pad, present and customizable workout programs. Many treadmill options also offer convenient extras, such as trays, stands and holder for water bottles or sweat towels.

Health Benefits

Besides lowering cholesterol levels, increasing heart health, toning muscles, improving circulation and maintaining weight, the treadmill also boosts the immune system to better fight off infection and germs. Pregnant women can get the exercise they need through a slow walk. Senior citizens can increase bone mass and muscles through several different treadmill workouts. A home treadmill can also help with in-home therapies and rehabbing body parts.

Treadmill Maintenance

To ensure the shelf life of your treadmill, you should keep your machine dirt- and dust-free. A treadmill should be wiped clean of dirt once a week with the help of a damp cloth. Consumers should vacuum the dirt and dust that tends to accumulate between the frame and the belt. Make it a practice to adjust and align the treadmill belt. If a fuse has blown, make sure a proper replacement is used. Oil squeaky treadmill parts for optimal performance. If you keep up on the maintenance of your treadmill and you will have an efficient machine that will stand the test of time.

Jon Arnold is a computer engineer who maintains many websites to pass along his knowledge, experience, information, and findings. You can read more about Home Treadmills at his web site at http://www.treadmill-insider.com/.Ashli Blog48834
Alyse Blog33665

How To Help Your Kids Do Algebra

"Mom, I just can't do Algebra."

Of course you'd love to help. But 'Algebra'?

It's a bit outside of a parent's Job Description isn't it?

The good news is you CAN help.

And you don't have to be mathematically minded, either.

All you need is some patience, a little creativity, and being able to see the world through your child's eyes.

Imagine being led into an Egyptian temple, being shown a wall full of weird-looking hieroglyphics, and being asked to translate them.

That's how Algebra feels to some kids.

Your mission is to help your kid understand why we're using hieroglyphics. And then how to use them to solve simple problems.

Here's how you do that:

*** PHASE 1: Get used to the language ***

Algebra uses abbreviations.

It's therefore vital your child is comfortable using abbreviations in daily life.

Explain what abbreviations are and how they're used.

For example, the name Frederick is abbreviated to Fred.

The United States is often abbreviated to the USA or even just the US.

And US states are also abbreviated. New York becomes NY, New Jersey becomes NJ.

Once the basic theory is understood, start introducing abbreviations around the home. There are many ways of doing this. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

~~ Throw a party ~~

Use abbreviations to build up a guest list of invitees.

Bill becomes B.

Marcy becomes M.

And if there's a Jim and a John, use J1 and J2. Or Ji and Jo. Or use surnames to get JW and JS.

~~ Try some home cooking ~~

Teach your child how to make pancakes and give them the recipe as a formula:

2f + 2e + m + s

Where: f=flour, m=milk, s=sugar, e=eggs.

(Okay, I'm no chef, but you get the idea.)

~~ Design a 'healthy eating' schedule ~~

Yes, a little home algebra can even help your family eat more healthily.

Create abbreviations for oranges, apples, bananas, broccoli, celery, etc.

Then plan out your weekly schedule:

Mon: o + a + ba + 2br
Tue: 2ce + p + o + a
Wed: m + 2o
etc.

Once your schedule is drawn up, ask your kid to add up how many of each item you need to buy at the grocery store.

You'd never have guessed a shopping list could make such great algebra training, but it does.

When your child is comfortable with the basic language of Algebra, it's time to move on to the next stage:

*** PHASE 2: Solve some problems ***

Much of Algebra involves finding an unknown value, also known as the "x factor".

The best way to develop problem-solving skills in kids is by playing simple games and puzzles.

Here are two particularly useful games for developing the algebra mind.

~~ "Dollars & Dimes" ~~

The idea is to give your child a formula, and they tell you the amount of money.

So you say something like:

"2d plus n plus i".

This means two dollars plus a nickel plus a dime.

(Notice how the letter 'i' has ingeniously been used to represent a dIme. This is because the letter 'd' has already been reserved for the Dollar.)

The answer should be "Two dollars and fifteen cents."

Play this a few times using several combinations of notes and coins.

You can also tell your child an amount of money, and ask them to give you the formula.

So if you say, "Four dollars and five cents",your child replies: "4d plus 5c".

Ideally they should give you the answer using the least amount of coins possible. So for "fifteen cents", they should say "n + i" or "i + n". Not "15c"!

~~ "Think of a Number" ~~

This is a classic you can play anywhere. Try it on long car journeys.

The objective is to guess the mystery number.

You say: "I've thought of a number, added 3 to it, and the result is 7. What is my number?"

Make the questions as easy as possible to start with. As your child gains confidence, make the questions are little harder.

At some point, say you're going to call the mystery number 'x'. Then ask the question in equation form.

Now don't panic. It's simple.

Suppose your question is: "What number plus 3 makes 17?"

You call the mystery number 'x'. And so your equation is:

x + 3 = 17

You ask your child "if x plus three is seventeen, what's x?"

You can also reverse roles and ask them to give you some puzzles. Most kids enjoy this. And it trains them to think more creatively about algebra too.

*** Summary ***

Just a few subtle changes in the way your child thinks can have profound effects on their results in the math class.

Don't overload your child. Go in very small steps with lots of similar examples to give practice and confidence.

Even the smallest thing may be a stumbling block. Like understanding that 'x' means '1x' (the '1' is not usually written down).

Give lots of praise and reward to create and reinforce the 'feel good' factor.

As in any kind of teaching, it's better to ask lots of questions rather than keep telling someone something.

Take enough little leaps and at some point your kid will experience the "Aha!" moment when the whole algebra thing suddenly clicks into place.

Kenneth Williams is author of Fun With Algebra at http://FunWithAlgebra.comBerenice Blog71207
Becky Blog79667

How Does Exercise Biking Help You To Maintain Good Health?

So you're thinking of purchasing an exercise bike? Good for you! Have you found the perfect spot for it in your home? First, you must know your options. Exercise bikes have changed with the times and now you can choose from more than just an upright. There are semi recumbent and recumbent bikes as well.

It's always a good idea to read about others experiences with the type of bike you've chosen, in exercise magazines or on the internet. Family and friends are always good reliable sources of information too. Why not talk with a personal trainer and ask their advice? When reading through exercise bike reviews, take into consideration they are typically rated according to their various functions, their overall construction and performance.

Exercise can be fun, and should be something you look forward to doing. Remember that as you choose what type of bike your purchasing, and always aim for something with a bit of comfort. Important points to consider; the height of the bike seat should be at an appropriate level to alleviate undo stress on the lower back, more accurately the groin area. This is yet another good reason to read as many reviews about the bike of your choice.

Many online stores will offer discounts and specials to their online shoppers. Reading through a review will give you a better idea of price and the upper hand when haggling with a sales person.

Reading a bike review is a good idea for so many reasons. Allow other peoples experiences guide you in making a wise purchase. Their opinions are invaluable when planning on spending a significant amount of money on something that will undoubtedly be a fixture in your home for many years to come.

Fitness centers and gyms have a variety of exercise equipment and bikes. If you decide that your not ready to make that purchase, consider a membership to your local gym, and use that extra space in your home for a new, smaller wardrobe. A benefit to using the bikes at the gym is versatility and changeability. Places that specialize in exercise equipment will likely have newer, higher end models from standard to electronic.

An exercise bike or membership to a gym is a really good investment, anyway you look at it. Riding an exercise bike for just a short time everyday, will make you look and feel better. It's a great way to loose excess weight or just to help you maintain your health. Biking is good cardiovascular exercise as well. So do your heart a favor and take a ride!

Stephen Madsen is a staff writer at http://www.fitness-digest.com and is an occasional contributor to several other websites, including http://www.backcareguide.com..Becca Blog61336
Cathee Blog75275

Olsons Fourth Bid To Represent The Tampa Schools

The Tampa schools are part of the Hillsborough County School Board, and Candy Olson has represented the south Tampa schools for 12 years. The nonpartisan District 2 covers the south Tampa schools and curves into part of southwest Hillsborough County. Olson has twice been chairman of the school board.

The 58-year-old mother of two has faced challengers only once during her three previous bids for her school board seat. This year she faces two challengers, who want to represent the south Tampa schools Logan Cobb, a 17-year-old high school senior, and Bart Birdsall, a middle school media specialist. According to the Tampa Tribune, neither challenger for the south Tampa schools has raised much capital or waged much of a campaign against Olson.

During the 12 years Olson has represented the south Tampa schools, she has seen the district grow by more than 50,000 students. It is now the nations ninth largest school district. She has helped decide hundreds of policies and personnel decisions, many of which affect the Tampa schools, and has seen the district managed by three different superintendents.

With a masters degree in business administration, Olsons pet peeve is to reduce the myriad of forms used by the district and the bureaucratic paperwork a goal that continues to elude her.

During her tenure, Olson pushed the district to develop a school choice plan to give parents more options, which was implemented in 2004. She fostered partnerships between local libraries and schools, including those in south Tampa schools area and the Natures Classroom, an outdoor classroom for science study. She has been supportive of teachers issues, speaking out or bucking popular thought, when necessary. Though she comes on strong at times, she admittedly has learned to hold her tongue from the dais, especially when someone makes (what she considers) a dumb comment to her.

Two issues are pending before the board for this school year. One is whether to add more religious holidays to the school calendar. The second, a more controversial issue, is whether to make a policy that restricts soda and unhealthy foods in schools. The district currently needs to renegotiate their PepsiCo contract; however, they would like more discussion on this issue before proceeding.

Olson believes the most important priorities for the board this year continues to be student achievement, growth and developing a plan to reach children of uninvolved parents.

Olson is a former director of finance and planning for the Drug Abuse Comprehensive Coordinating Office in Tampa and information officer for the Boston Mayors office. According to the Tribune, she has raised nearly $20,000 in reported campaign contributions and loans, mostly from lawyers, educators and current district administrators. She is endorsed by the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more information on Tampa schools visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/Florida/Tampa/index.htmlAnnetta Blog28441
Alyssa Blog59209

The HD Media Future

The HD Media future

Everyone knows that media format wars have historical significance in the world of technology. Remember the most notorious battle between the Beta max and the VHS? The winner of such battles will make millions even billions. Later we had the upgrade of tape to CD, a revolution in music. In 1980 the Philips/Sony compact disc standard was finalized and nobody has looked back for the last 26 years (until mp3's came along).

Well as ever there is a new media battle but who will win again is yet unknown. This modern forest of technological mass has produced a new insurgency: THE HIGH DEFINITION WAR. Blu-ray vs HD-DVD are two competing formats which are eventually going to replace DVD's. As you look around at your local electric retailers you can see changes happening in the broadcast world, not only are we changing from our conventional CRT screens to Flat screen but also to HD ready TV. The impact this has on our lives is not as large as black and white to colour, but nevertheless a change that will definitely be a benchmark for future media.

Why New formats?

The reason we have introduced these new formats is that your traditional DVD can hold a maximum of 9.4 GB (Dual Layer) of information. This is not enough for HD broadcast as the information required is higher, being a resolution of 1920x1080. Blu-ray discs can hold 50 GB (Dual Layer) and HD-DVD 30 GB (Dual Layer).

These new discs cannot be played on normal DVD players but on new HD media players of which examples are Samsung BDP 1000 (Blu-Ray), Sony Playstation 3 (Blu-Ray), Toshiba HDXA1 (HD-DVD). This means spending more money for better resolution.

Price

This is always important especially when new models of media come out; at first it is always expensive as supply out strips demand. The players are expensive, the cheapest being the Playstation 3 supposedly retailing at 549. Blu-Ray media also being expensive; similar to DVD's when they first came out (taking inflation into consideration), blank media costing from 11.99 to 24.99.

To play a Blu-ray Disc on a PC has brought about a price concern. The fact that you have to purchase a HDCP (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) Graphic card, along with a HD monitor, not to mention a Blu-ray Drive and media, controversially may bring about decrease in sales. This is presently being contested with new Laptops and PCs that are Blu-ray compatible, look at the New Vaio VGN-AR21S.

The HD players need to be up to scratch on price. The Toshiba HD-DVD player retailing at almost half the price of the Blu-ray Samsung player creates even more competition between the two media. This could encourage sales of HD-DVD over Blu-ray, even though it's rumoured that Toshiba will be making a loss initially.

Prices of movies doesn't seem to be as high as anticipated; a Blu-ray movie 'House of flying daggers' from amazon.com will set you back $19.95 (10.68). This may encourage sales. Movies in HD-DVD identical in price, yet Blu-ray is a larger size disc.

Upscaling

Another problem HD may face is that the new DVD players have the upscaling technology ie. DVD is played at 480p but upscalers upgrade the image to 720p or 1080i. This produces a picture which is of high quality to the untrained eye, in fact even the trained eye has difficulty distinguishing between the two. The difference is seen on a 50 inch HD projector and looking right up close. So the question is will 1080p be much different to 1080i? Will people fork out the added expense when they know that a cheaper DVD upscaler will create more or less the same effect?

Media Backup

Software and Hardware companies have invested a lot of money in subsidising HD media. Samsung, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, LG, Sony, TDK, JVC and Sharp support Blu-ray and Toshiba and Microsoft back HD-DVD. Hollywood movie studios Disney, Paramount, Warner, Sony, Eagle rock, Fox and MGM and Lions gate support Blu-ray also. None of these large companies would take such a gamble if they didn't know that this is what the consumer wants.

PlayStation 3

Sony love to bring out their own media whether its Sony Duo Sticks or Sony Mini Discs. Their hunger to dominate the consumer market has always been there and this is nothing different. The Playstation 3 will play Blu-Ray discs, still having the ability to play older media like DVDs and CDs. The success of the predecessor's PS1 and PS2 will give much anticipation to the release of this new console and is what Sony are hoping will convert people to use Blu-Ray. A Sony spokesman has predicted that Blu-Ray will dominate the HD market within 12 months.

The encouraging feature with HD-DVD is the name, everyone's ears will ring with the name and automatically assume that this is a high definition movie. Asking someone in the street what 'Blu-ray' is will bring looks of confusion, along with the fact that both will produce similar quality pictures.

Region Coding

Region coding with Blu-Ray may put people off; the fact that you may not be able to watch a new release from the states or Japan on your European locked regional player will raise eyebrows.

REGION 1 South America, North America, East Asia (except China)
REGION 2 Europe and Africa
REGION 3 China, Russia other Countries

Multiregional configurations on DVD players has encouraged sales worldwide especially with worldwide films from Bollywood, Japan (manga) and South America.

So far the HD-DVD camp has not announced region coding just yet, and if they don't then this will be very advantageous for consumers.

Future Proof

Realistically you only need about 15-20 GB for a feature length film in High definition but who would have known that DVD's could not be able to hold enough for high definition. Theoretically they can with MPEG-4 Compression. In any case media like Blu-ray will hopefully be future proof in years to come.

Conclusion

The timescale and price are the two main issues here, how quick we will universally change to HD and whether this is affordable. From a consumer point of view the necessity for HD doesn't seem imperative, after all VHS was around for 20 odd years twice that of DVD (so far). You could argue that technology is changing exponentially and that changes occur quicker.

As for the battle between the two media there may be compromise ahead. A UK firm has announced a solution to the media war. London-based New Medium Enterprises (NME) has developed a low-cost, multilayer DVD disc that can store Blu-ray content on one layer and HD DVD content on another. This would leave the consumer with the choice of buying either type of player to play the one disc.

The key setback I feel with the looming HD change is the cheaper alternative to a Blu-Ray player or HD-DVD player, the DVD upscaler. Do people want to get rid of those hundreds of DVDs they bought to replace them with an expensive alternative, especially when they might not even notice the difference in picture quality?

However I do feel that HD is encouraged with consoles such as the Playstation 3. Blu-ray is its main format and may revolutionise the games industry.

Jay Jeetley is a writer for the website http://www.Blu-raychoice.com, a resource for Blu-ray News, movies, forums and media.Adriena Blog789
Catherin Blog72289

What Is DSL?

DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line. It is a service that makes the use of existing copper telephone wires for delivering data services at extremely fast speed rates. It does not hamper the existing telephone line. You can surf the Internet and talk on the phone, simultaneously.

DSL offers speeds that are around 5 to 25 times higher than a typical 56Kb dial-up connection. It is an always-on type of connection. This implies that websites would load quickly, downloads would be faster, buffering of videos would be fast and smooth and the domain of Online games would be illimitable.

Based on the types of service, DSL can be can be categorized in three divisions which are ASDL, IDSL and SDSL.

ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. It offers download speed of 1.5 Mbps and upload speed of 384 K. In order to acquire a ADSL connection, your location has to be within 3 miles of your local telephone office. Also, a DSL router is needed for this type of connection.

IDSL is a ISDN Digital Subscriber Line service which requires an ISDN router. It provides a connection speed of 144 K. in this type of connection distance is not a component to be considered.

SDSL means Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line. The speeds available under this type of DSL connection depends on the distance between your location and your local telephone office. The speed of downloads and uploads can go up to 1.1 Mbps.

Advantages of DSL

No installation of new wires is required. DSL uses the present telephone line to connect to the Internet. It provides extremely fast connection. Depending on the offer, you would not even have to pay for the DSL modem installation charges, since it is provided free by some of the companies on selection of the appropriate plan. The download rate is much higher in DSL connections. Many business organizations have gained the benefits of DSL. A DSL connection is very secure.

Disadvantages of DSL

The quality of your DSL connection depends on the distance between the DSL providers office and your location. Nearer you are, the better quality connection would you get. So, consumers located far from the local DSL office may face some trouble. DSL provide high speeds for downloading stuff but upload speeds are not that good.

DSL vs Cable Modems

The services provided through a cable modem can sometimes slow down or get hanged. It depends on the number of users accessing that particular service. But, in a DSL connection there is no such problem. The speed of DSL is consistent and high. This does not allow any kind of conjunction on the network. It provides more security than the cable modem connections. The popularity of DSL has risen to new heights which has resulted in disconnections and up gradations of the cable modem connections.

Toh Poh Leng owns and operates http://www.dsl-upgrade-help.com Dsl UpgradeCally Blog39383
Asia Blog25363

Earn Your Diploma With Online High School Classes

You can complete your diploma with online high school classes. Online classes work well for those who left high school early and need to complete their education, those who want to graduate from high school early and homeschoolers who need a recognized high school diploma.

Left School Early

If you left high school early, you have probably already discovered that you really need a high school diploma. Not having one severely limits your employment possibilities. You cannot enter the military or go to college without a high school education. You're really stuck, and completing your education is the only way out.

You can earn your diploma by taking distance learning classes online. That way, you can take the classes when it's convenient to you. You take the classes by computer, and your classroom is wherever you can access a computer with internet service. You take online high school classes at your convenience and at your own pace. You can accelerate through the classes, or take as much time as you need.

Early Graduation

Most people who want to graduate early want to enroll in college. If that is your goal, e-learning will help you get graduation requirements completed on your timeline. You can accelerate through the required classes and graduate one or two years early. Your home school district may even offer free online classes that will help you graduate early.

If you are hoping to enter college after early graduation, online education allows you to explore college classes at the same time you are completing your high school classes. Even before you are formally accepted into a college, you can take classes online from accredited universities. These classes will transfer to your college after you are accepted.

Homeschoolers

The rules for homeschooling vary from state to state, but wherever you are, one of the dilemmas homeschoolers face is high school graduation. Few states recognize homeschool courses, so most states won't grant a diploma to homeschoolers. Some homeschools and homeschool organizations issue their own diplomas, but they usually aren't accepted as valid. The military, colleges and employers may refuse to accept a homeschool diploma.

Some homeschoolers take the GED to validate their education. The GED doesn't have the same acceptance as a high school diploma, though.

Online high school classes are a good option for homeschoolers. They can complete the requirements for a recognized high school diploma while homeschooling by using online learning.

Taking high school classes online is a good option for any non-traditional student. It's a good way to complete high school on your terms, in a way that fits into your lifestyle.

Dean Iggo is the webmaster of http://ContinuingStudy.com where you can find the best distance learning programs and degrees to suit your needs including online college courses.Caralie Blog34758
Brandi Blog85035

Buying A Notebook For College

Every year, before schools and college institutions begin their classes, students from around the country visit department stores and major electronics chains in an effort to get all those necessities that will allow them to complete successfully their studies. So, if you have recently been accepted to college and you are not exactly sure which your computing needs will be, buying a notebook computer is not a luxury purchase, but actually a necessity. In fact, anyone who has to cover frequent travel concerns, from college students to frequent business travelers, should possess a laptop, given the fact that it provides a mobile and light-weight computing experience for computer users around the world.

Recent research indicates that laptops are in fact used extensively as people need to own computer systems that are as mobile as they are. Buying an effective machine that can also be easy to carry around has increased considerably the laptop sales over the last decade, considering the lower manufacturer and assembly costs. Deals between hardware developers and software engineers have resulted in improved notebook systems that incorporate the ability of them being transferred easily from one place to another, as well as being able to compute much more than the main software functions, like reading and composing emails, operating spreadsheets, or using word processing applications. In fact, whether one needs to take work from one office location to another or do some work while onboard, today's laptops can accomplish almost any task.

But if you are still contemplating on whether or not you actually do need a laptop to perform your computer-related college work, it is useful to consider the vast capabilities of these travel-ready devices as well as your current needs and ability to operate them. Owning a highly portable workstation can provide you with entertainment, productivity and ease of use. Forget about long messy cords and mouse pads. Easy to navigate by just using your fingers, today's laptop models need no more than their rechargeable batteries or just an outlet to connect to their AC adapter and you are good to go.

Listening to music, playing games, watching videos, or writing a paper has never been easier. Laptop computers allow college students to manage their daily busy schedules instead of loosing time and effort. Some models offer screens that are only visible to the person that seats directly across them, eliminating the chances of one being able to visibly access your files and folders. Headphones and microphones, as used with desktop publishers are used to provide an efficient but considerate experience. Keep in mind that most of the available models come with software applications already in place making Internet browsing or working on a project a simple and easy process of starting up the machine. Finally, since laptop computers have become a mainstream device, many affordable models are offered in electronic superstores or are available to be ordered directly from the laptops manufacturers' websites.

Kadence Buchanan writes articles for http://theeducationstop.net/ - In addition, Kadence also writes articles for http://worldof-science.com/ and http://youremploymentsource.com/.Alison Blog69031
Catharine Blog74674

What Is A VoIP Phone?

In spite of the growing popularity of IP telephony, there are still many people who do not know what a VoIP phone is. What is the difference between a VoIP phone and an ordinary phone?

As far as you are concerned, probably not a lot. You can still use your own landline phone if need be, though in its simplest form there is no VoIP phone handset as such. Just a microphone and speakers will do. All you need is some software which is supplied by the provider.

You can use your normal land-line phone. Just like digital TV requires a box, either set-top or included in the set, VoIP needs a box which you can either buy yourself, or get from your VoIP provider. Once you connect your phone to the box and the box to your internet connection, you have your VoIP phone system using your own phone. Due to the connection speeds involved you have to have broadband or another high-speed internet connection.

Your telephone conversation passes through the internet in packets in the same way as any other file does. As you speak, your analogue voice signal is digitized by the VoIP software into binary form, and the digital stream broken up into small 'packets' which are sent through the internet. These packets each take their own fastest route through the internet, from computer to computer, till they reach their destination. This is the way that all files are sent through IP.

The problem with a streamed signal, such as a VoIP phone conversation, and a packet system, is that the packets do not always arrive in the correct order. This is due to the releative amount of internet traffic each packet comes up against, and the fact that they can each take different routes. Also, some packets are lost, or 'dropped'.

Modern software is becoming increasingly better at arranging packets in the correct order (often through slight time delays which allow them to be rearranged) and covering up 'dropped' packets. VoIP phone conversations are therefore more audible now than they were in the early days of VoIP phone systems.

As I said, you can use your computer microphone and speakers to make and receive conversations, but you can also get a dedicated VoIP phone if you prefer. It's all a matter of choice and does not significantly affect the services you can have.

Some of the services supplied free with VoIP phone systems are:

* Caller ID
* Call waiting
* Call forwarding
* Voicemail
* Conference calls
* Call transfer
* Group pick-up

Once you have your box, any calls you make to another VoIP are free anywhere. For calls to non-VoIP phones there is a charge, but this is generally lower than normal land-line charges.

Your phone number relates to the adaptor, so you can take this with you and use it on any computer with fast internet connection. You can also buy a VoIP phone to go with your laptop and make telephone calls anywhere at any time; just as you can with a mobile, but at a fraction of the cost, and usually free to any other IP phone. This is an excellent inexpensive solution for businesses with a network of offices all calls between them will be free throughout the world.

Another cool feature is virtual phone numbers. You can get local area numbers allocated to your regular phone number, so that if your family live in LA and you are in New York they can ring your LA local number with their landline and speak to you in New York at local rates. How cool is that!

A VoIP phone is now an attractive option for anyone, both as a cheap alternative to a mobile phone and as a complete replacement for a landline.

Copyright 2006 Peter Nisbet

Peter Nisbet is an industrial chemist with a great interest in internet file transmission and reception systems and runs many websites including http://www.data-voip-solutions.com where many aspects of VoIP services and systems are discussed.Bellanca Blog91878
Becka Blog80028

A Profitable Web 2.0 Project Developed In 24 Hours?

It took seven months to get the One Million Masterpiece charity project online. The site is complex and needed the development time, but in the last few days Ive had a yearning to see if I can still turn around a project in 24 hours. Back in the early days of the Internet boom Id sit in my bedroom and knock out html websites all night long, but almost ten years on, can it still be done in a time where profitability and interactivity are the key measures?

So, its 7am and Ive got a plan. The new pressures I face in life (work responsibilities, family etc) have been dealt with and I have a clear 24 hours ahead of me. An idea for a site has been kicking round in my head ever since I sold a site last year. This site was a very specialist software comparison site that generated referral commissions and Adsense income. It was an excellent earner and Ive wanted to recreate that success, but on a larger scale.

So last year I bought the domain http://www.shoutdown.net with the intention of building a software comparison style project. I want the site to be in the informal blog style, where the posts are product summaries (written by me), and the comments would be reviews submitted by other people. Id also throw in a rating system, and way of attaching news releases or other relevant pages to each product post, plus link related posts (for example different versions of the same software).

So the idea is there, its 7:30am and my first job is to select some mp3s to get me through to lunch. Here goes

08.00
By the time Ive chosen my music, switched off my Google desktop bar and responded to essential email its already 8am crap. So, first job is drawing out a schematic of the database that will power my site. What information do I want to keep and how will I organise it? Im having five database tables. For ease Im calling them level1, level2, level3 etc because I see them as levels of information about each software product the top being category information and the bottom being the reviews and ratings.

09:15
Took me quite a while to get the structure clear, but now Im sketching out the homepage on paper. Ive looked at a few blogs that I like and have basically copied their layout for ease. Ive also worked out the sizing of my main columns and rows and know the positions of the adverts, main blog posts and navigation. I still like to work on paper at this stage Im an artist at heart!

09:55
OK lets get on the computer. Ive fired up Paint Shop Pro and my first job is to work out a colour pallet. I want three colours, so I blob different combinations on a blank white image until I get the right combination orange, purple and grey. I then make a note of the hex codes for each colour on a post-it this will save LOADS of time later. While Im in PSP Im going to mock up a logo as I already know the size of image I need from my plan. Actually I really like the logo so it will probably be permanent.

10:21
Time to start on the site. Im using a single html page at the moment with a linked css file. Using some basic tables and css Ive laid out the top bar, the post area and two columns (one for ads and one for navigation). Im sticking to a tried and tested blog layout.

I always use Dreamweaver, but always hand code. Why use Dreamweaver then? Well, I find the preview quite accurate, but other than that I have no idea just habit.

11:38
Ive just finished the main site layout, including place holding text that will eventually be dynamic. Ive left space for some ads on the site, so Ive justed logged in to Adsense to generate the code. All I need to do is use the colours on my post-it to get them fitting in nicely. Ill also take a look round for some other nice banners in my affiliate accounts.

12:43
That took longer than planned, time for lunch

13:17
OK time to fill up my database with some data, then I can start writing the php that will populate the pages. Im going to sign up for a few software affiliate accounts and write some sample reviews on the software. At the moment I havent got time to write really good reviews, but in time I intend to fully try each title and write some good stuff (positive and negative). For now Ill be brief.

15:20
Right, lets get back to the site. Im going to sort out the navigation side bars first, and then Ill split my single page up.

16:45
This isnt working. Ive got a very limited knowledge of php so Im having trouble dynamically generating category headings and software lists dynamically. Its taking too long to sort out so for now Im going to simply print a list of all software titles in the database. Ill make up for it by also providing a list of software categories, plus a list of the most reviewed software.

16:58
Im going to split up my single html page now into a header, body, nav and footer, and use a php include to pull the pages together. In total I will only need three main template pages for the content of this site the homepage, a category page and a product page.

18:24
Ive finished the layout of the three pages, including all the code that pulls info from the database. Everythings working pretty well and Im please with the simplicity. My next job is to create an rss feed of the posts and reviews, but first I need some DINNER!

20:04
After some pasta and tv Im ready for this rss feed. Its pretty easy to create a php page that will pull the necessary code and place it in the rss 2.0 layout. Once Im done Ill just save the php file as xml and ensure that my .htaccess file remembers to parse xml files for php code.

21:36
I checked that the rss feed was valid using a standard validator. It took a little time to sort out the date formatting to be honest.

21:57
Ive been developing using Firefox to test the layout, but I just checked the site in IE and noticed the background colour was dodgy. It was a css error fixed.

22:15
OK back to content. The reviews at the moment are boring so Im going to add some images and expand them a little. Im also going to add some reviews that Ive been collecting over the last few months. The good thing about buying the domain and posting up a test website for six months is that the search engines have already crawled the site, and hopefully will help me avoid the Google sandbox.

02:30
Im absolutely knackered. Ive just spent the last few hours trying to get the navigation system working but with no luck. The problem is that Im trying to dynamically generate an information tree (apparently thats what its called after much research) but I just cant get it working. Im giving up.

04:49
OK, Ive just created a rating system which will only accept one software vote per IP address. Seems a bit buggy but I really really tired and cant be bothered to go through it again now.

So whats left to do? I need to create forms to input reviews, news and bookmarks but Im just too tired to continue. So much for 24 hours, but actually Im really pleased with the result. On the surface the site looks like any other blog, and you might question why I decided to hand code the entire thing. Well, I have some ideas for some advanced functions, but Ill only be able to implement them if I know the site inside out. Plus I just like the challenge.

I wont have time to work on the site all week, but Im already planning my next 24 hour session marketing. Ill be sure to keep you updated on that, and how the site is doing generally!

Paul Fisher is an entrepreneur whose ventures include http://theonemillionmasterpiece.com arts project, a restaurant chain and several successful websites. View his personal blog at http://www.thepaulfisherblog.blogspot.com.Alexa Blog76209
Brunhilde Blog1766

Know About Menopause - Symptoms, Treatment And Diet

Most women start to experience symptoms associated with perimenopause or menopause while they are in their thirties or forties - symptoms that may continue into their fifties and sixties. Those who don't notice menopausal symptoms either went through early menopause when they were young or are, well, dead. So, if you take a serious look at your alternatives with regard to menopause, you'll see that even though you're noticing some uncomfortable symptoms, you're actually quite fortunate. Menopause is only natural and is not at all an indication of the end of being young, sexual, energetic, healthy and beautiful. You can still have it all.

Now that you have a different perspective on the subject of menopause we can continue on and focus on menopause symptoms, treatments, lifestyle and diet to help you get through this transition with ease, confidence and overall good health. Menopause symptoms include:

Weight Gain - Often one of the first signs of menopause that women notice, weight gain is associated with declining hormone levels. It's not unusual to gain an average of about five pounds in the area of your mid-section or abdomen.

Hot Flashes - As your levels of estrogen drop, there's a good possibility that your blood vessels may expand, causing your skin temperature to rise. You'll notice a feeling of warmth moving from your chest, up toward your shoulders, neck and head. Hot flashes can occur several times each day or only occasionally. As with all menopausal symptoms, hot flashes will vary from woman to woman.

Irregular Periods - Your periods may become heavier or lighter than normal and may not be as predictable as they once were (i.e. every 28 days or so).

Irregular Sleep Patterns - You may suddenly wake up in the middle of the night soaking with sweat due to night sweats, and then have a difficult time falling back to sleep. It's also quite common for women to suddenly wake up during the night for no reason at all. No matter how you're awakened, a lack of sleep is likely to affect your mood and can also have an impact on your overall health.

Emotional Changes - Many women find that they're more irritable and moody as they approach menopause. Also, it's not uncommon to feel fatigued, have a decreased memory and experience difficulty concentrating. These symptoms may or may not be attributed to menopause. Yes, fluctuations in your hormone levels can result in some emotional changes, but it's important to factor in life events, as well - perhaps problems with your grown children or caring for an elderly parent.

While there are several symptoms of menopause, there are even more solutions to reduce or eliminate menopausal discomforts. Many women choose to make lifestyle changes that have been proven to effectively reduce the severity of symptoms associated with menopause. For instance, it's a good idea to avoid triggers that have been known to cause hot flashes, such as hot beverages, spicy foods, alcohol, hot weather and warm rooms.

Obviously, if sleep is a problem you'll want to avoid foods and beverages that contain caffeine. Also, try reading or taking a hot bath right before bed so that you're relaxed and more likely to fall into a nice sound sleep.

Eating a healthy and well balanced diet can do wonders to help ease the symptoms of menopause. Include fruits, vegetables and whole grains in your diet, and avoid saturated fats, oils and sugars. You'll want to consume approximately 1,500 milligrams of calcium, plus 400 to 800 international units of vitamin D each day. You may need supplements to reach these amounts. If necessary, discuss this with your doctor.

You'll be amazed by what a regular exercise program can do to reduce and even eliminate many menopause symptoms. If performed correctly, exercise will protect you from many conditions that are common as you get older, such as heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. Exercise and fitness will also eliminate the weight gain associated with menopause, give you more energy and reduce the occurrence of hot flashes.

I'm sure you've heard the term "hormone therapy" (HT), which can help to reduce and eliminate many symptoms experienced by women. Unfortunately, recent studies have shown that the risks of hormone therapy, which include heart attack, stroke and breast cancer, may outweigh the benefits. While these studies may have changed the course of hormone therapy, estrogen therapy remains the most effective treatment for many menopausal symptoms. If you'd like to learn more about estrogen therapy, talk with your doctor to find out if a very low dose will provide you symptom relief.

There are also several prescription drugs that have been proven to decrease the occurrence of hot flashes. These include some antidepressants related to the class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Effexor, Prozac, Sarafem, Paxil, Celaxa and Zoloft. Another drug that has been shown to reduce hot flashes is Neurontin, which is approved to treat seizures. Neurontin is also commonly used to manage chronic nerve-related pain. Additionally, Catapres, which is typically used to treat high blood pressure, may also significantly reduce the frequency of hot flashes. Of course, some of these drugs may cause side effects, which include dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, sexual dysfunction and other symptoms. If, however, your hot flashes are severe and natural remedies haven't seemed to help, discuss these options with your doctor.

Finally, it's so very important for you to understand that menopause is very natural. As you experience these symptoms remind yourself that your body is acting and reacting just as it was meant to act and react. While there may be periods of discomfort, remember that you're a healthy woman and, as such, menopause is simply inevitable. As stated earlier, this transition does not mark the end of your youth and all that comes with it. With a healthy lifestyle, this can be a very active and beautiful new beginning.

Susan Megge is the founder of http://www.40isbeautiful.com, a website designed to assist mature women as they approach and experience menopause. She is a grandmother, who started experiencing symptoms of menopause several years ago and researched various avenues to deal with these symptoms naturally.Ariana Blog67968
Belle Blog47291

Seattle Schools Participate In Washington Assessment Of Student Learning

Washington Assessment of Student Learning is Enacted for the 2006-2007 School Year

The class of 2008 in all Seattle Schools will be required to pass the 10th-grade Washington Assessment of Student Learning, this will be the way that most students will earn the Certificate of Academic Achievement, one of the four new statewide graduation requirements. The Washington Assessment of Student Learning report will indicate a students performance in reading, writing and math with science being in a separate report. Most students in the Seattle Schools will, of course, be very successful on the three sections on their first try but for those students who may have difficulty meeting the standards, there will be opportunities for them to receive assistance. These programs will help the students in the Seattle Schools achieve scores on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning while furthering there education.

Seattle Schools Establishes Programs to Aid Students on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning

The Summer College is a ground-breaking collaboration between Seattle Schools, three Seattle Community Colleges and the City of Seattle. The Summer College is designed to offer those students who need remedial help for high school students. The Summer College program will last five weeks and will be conducted on the campuses of the three community colleges. This will not only give the students the help they need but provide an early introduction to life on a college campus. Those students who have scored Level 2 or below on at least one section of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning will be eligible for the program.

A second program created by the Seattle Schools in order to offer assistants to students is the Extended Learning Summer Semester. These programs are intended to provide students with the opportunity to improve their reading, mathematics, and writing skills before retaking the Washington Assessment of Student Learning. A for credit program will offered for ninth and tenth graders during the summer at Ingraham, Franklin and West Seattle high schools. These courses will not only be offered in math and reading but also in social studies, language arts, science and health. Students will need to be referred by their high school counselor before they can participate in this program. This is a solid program but may not suit all students.

There are several other programs that are being developed by the Seattle Schools for the 2006-2007 school year. All of the high schools in the Seattle Schools system are adding some kind of student assistance to help them do their best on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning. Several high schools have added a seventh class period that will be used for help or remedial work. Tutoring sessions in math and literacy and classroom tutors have been set up at most high schools. Seattle Schools are instituting intensive instructional periods, Evening School programs, Contract Learning and the Digital Learning Commons in an effort to provide programs that appeal to students different learning styles and schedules.

Stacy Andell is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more on Seattle schools visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/Washington/Seattle/index.htmlBiddy Blog62432
Anna Diana Blog51850

Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

Its happened to me. About a year ago, someone got a hold of my bank card numbers. Fortunately, the crook made some international purchase which immediately clued me in and my bank was quick to settle the whole thing. But most people arent so lucky. Identity theft is a serious crime thats growing each year. Victims of identity theft can spend months, or even years, trying to repair a ruined credit history, which can compromise your chances of getting a new job, a bank loan, insurance or even rental housing. Follow these steps to help keep your identity safe:

Protect Your Credit Card Number When Making Purchases

Check your receipts after making a purchase with your credit or debit card. In most cases, the printed receipt hides all but the last 4 digits of your credit card account number, but some terminals still print receipts that show all 16 digits of your account number and the expiration date. If you get one of these receipts, black out the numbers entirely before throwing it away this is all the information a thief needs to make charges using your card. You're also permitted by law to hide the first 12 digits of your account number on any copies of the receipt that the seller keeps.

Its especially important to keep tabs on your receipts at restaurants. Think about it you pay for your meal and then leave the signed receipt on your table for the waiter to pick up. But in a busy restaurant, its easy for a potential thief to accidentally bump your receipt off the table (or just steal it) and get your information. If the restaurants receipt shows all of your account information, black out the first 12 digits of your credit card number before leaving the restaurant.

Do You Really Need To Give Your Social Security Number?

Be very stringent about who you give your social security number to. Youll probably need to share your number when you apply for credit or for a bank account, but sometimes a store or an organization will want to use it as an ID number, simply to identify you within their system. This is not only dangerous its illegal. The law says that social security numbers aren't to be used as ID numbers. If youre ever unsure about giving out your social security number, ask if theres an alternative there is in most cases.

Destroy Documents That Contain Sensitive Personal Information

Buy a paper shredder and use it to destroy any documents that contain credit card numbers, social security numbers, phone numbers, your date of birth and any other personal information before throwing them away. Any credit card offers should also be shredded thieves can fill out the applications and open a line of credit without you ever knowing. Dont think that throwing out these documents is enough identity thieves aren't above going through the trash to find information that can help them get credit in your name.

If The Worst Happens

If you do become a victim of identity theft, take the following steps immediately:

* Contact your credit card companies to let them know whats going on, close your accounts and ask to have new cards issued to you.

* Place a fraud alert on your file with any one of the three major credit bureaus. The other two will be notified automatically.

* File a police report. You may need it to show to creditors as proof of the crime.

* File a complaint with the FTC, which maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for their investigations.

Its not fun to think about identity theft, but in this age of technology, you cant afford not to. Identity thieves get smarter every day just think of the recent rash of companies announcing that their client databases have been hacked into, exposing personal information. Some things are out of your control, but there are some simple precautions you can take to keep your personal information secured. Keeping your identity safe may be one of the most important things you do for your financial future.

This article was published by Sarah Russell on Smart Young Money a collection of money management resources for teens and young adults. For great information on using credit, managing debt and more for young people, visit http://www.smartyoungmoney.com.Anderea Blog18683
Catlee Blog92444

Preflight for Graphic Design and Prepress, an Application or Process?

Many designers and prepress operators may think of Preflight as an application. An application that runs on files to verify files and identify potential problems. I have trained hundreds of operators in how to prepare First Time Right Postscript and PDF files. That's the first thing that I set folks straight on.

Preflight is a process. It's a process of going through every predictable problem that can happen with your printing job. If you think it's a software that you run and that's it, you are not going to be able to produce First Time Right PDF files. There are many, many things that software cannot even check for, and things unique to YOUR jobs, customers, company that are important. Things that MUST be checked to ensure success and accuracy.

50% of commercial printing is destined for a delay or additional costs:

Publishers and printers regularly report more than 50 percent of the digital files they receive are improperly prepared to spec. Thus, these files will need preflight & then repair to go forward. This may be done by a publisher, printer, or kicked back to the graphic designer. At stake is the budget and schedule of the print project. Now, think about that... 50% of commercial printing projects are destined for a delay in schedule or additional costs when submitted!

A graphic design project may be made for print, web, and or video. Depending on the type of media, documents must be prepared exactly to specifications based on final output media. Common file flaws include fonts not embedded or supplied, color space(CMYK vs. RGB, or inappropriate use of Pantone or specialty colors), and resolution conflicts. These are some of the many things that can be identified quickly by Preflight tools. A Preflight tool is utility software that is specially suited to help identify these file issues.

Preflight Software, helpful, required, but not a Whole Solution:

So there are tools that help. But what about things you have to identify by visual inspection? What about bleed and trim margins, placement and position, checking dates on event ads and coupon ads. What about checking every full page ad that is a repeat to be sure that the folio (page number) is deleted or updated. What about copy flow from 2 successive documents in a publication. These are all things that must be checked visually by a human. So, if you want to be a top notch designer or prepress operator, there is a list of important Preflight items that you, the human, must check. I always advise people to develop and update THEIR LIST every time a mistake is found or caught. Use the list as a checklist often enough that it becomes completely automatic to you as you prepare and process graphics files. If you get burned on a project, think of making that a part of your preflight checklist. An example or beginning preflight checklist can be found at this URL, review it and use it as a starting point.
http://prepressforum.com/preflight/job_planning.html

Preflighting Applications, Help, and History of Preflight:

I once read an article that stated Preflight Applications were invented in the 1990's. Actually, preflight applications are nothing new at all. The early layout applications like Quark Xpress, Aldus PageMaker, Adobe Photoshop, Ready Set Go, were the first preflight applications. Preflight applications were invented in the 80's, and have been improved upon and developed since. Today there is a Free Preflight Tool available called FreeFlight at the URL below, you can download the software free and get free help and support.
http://FREE-PREFLIGHT.com

There is also an online community at PREPRESSFORUM.COM that has extensive and free, user to user support. I help folks there most every day and the site is chock full of great insider tips, tricks, problems and solutions. I would encourage any designer, publisher, or printer to join and participate, teach or learn. All experience levels are welcome to post and answer questions at this site.

Examples of First Preflight Software Tools:

Example (A) PageMaker has a links palette that scanned through the document providing a report about images linked/missing, RGB/CMYK, Tiff/EPS, etc. This was a preflight results report covering the main document AND many support document files combined. Thus Pagemaker was a preflight tool that could report on files originating from other applications, like scans. It would give the user a list of confirmations and or problems identified that was to be used to repair and prepare files prior to output.

Example (B) Quark Xpress has had a usage palette, when called, it scans through the open document providing detailed reports about fonts used/missing, images used/missing/modified, image types, image colors, image paths. This was a preflight results report covering the open document AND many support document files combined. Thus Quark Xpress was a preflight tool that could report on files originating in other applications, like scans. It would give the user a list of confirmations and or problems identified that was to be used to repair and prepare files prior to output. Additionally Quark Xpress may have started collect for output, a feature mentioned in other patents from the 1990's regarding preflight software invention.

Example (C) Adobe Photoshop was used to inspect and verify images. Back in the day, a user would grab all the Tiffs and Eps placed into a job. The selected files drag & dropped onto Adobe Photoshop would automatically open and display the color space in the title bar of each file, CMYK/RGB/Grayscale etc. Thus Adobe PhotoShop was a preflight tool that could report on files originating from other applications. An operator could open the Image size palette and verify resolution before closing each document. Thus a semi-automatic preflight of graphic images was performed. So, yes, Adobe Photoshop was and still is a preflight application and a file repair application that could inspect and identify problems in files which it did not originate.

Preflighting, Today's Hottest Current Applications:

QuarkXpress 6.5, QuarkXpress 7, Adobe InDesign CS2, these applications have built in preflight function these days. Unlike all other preflight software, these are native function that is fast and effective. Best of all, they come at no additional cost to the designer, publisher, or printer. These are built into both of today's most common preflight applications.

However, there's a few very critical holes in the built in preflight of these applications. No need to worry, there's a FREE preflight application caller FreeFlight that has been recently released to address this. The application is a free download from a Quark Xtension and Adobe Plug-In developer site . FreeFlight is a must have tool that supplements the use of QuarkXpress and Adobe InDesign CS2 built in preflight. You can download and read about FreeFlight at this URL.
http://FREE-PREFLIGHT.com

"Preflighting" as a printing term came to popularity in the 1990s as printers and service bureaus ensured that problematic files would be caught and fixed before they found their way into CTF (Computer to Film) workflow. In this century the term has evolved into other variations, like post-flight, indicating when in the workflow the file is actually verified. To Preflight is proactive quality control, Postflight is reactive quality control. Preflight is good manufacturing process, Postflight is not. This may be a nice topic for later. Take my word on it and avoid Postflight workflow schemes. Real craftsmen and professionals find and fix all problems at the earliest possible point. Many of these tools below are actually post-flight oriented tools.

Preflighting, The Older Expensive Applications for the job at hand:

Markzware FlightCheck Classic: This preflight software is developed by Markzware Software. Markzware's FlightCheck Classic is a standalone application that scans, verifies and collects each job for output. Currently available as version 5.8 (6.0 was due out this fall), Although it was the gold standard for years and is still a great tool, the software is not staying current with releases of software. Example Quark Xpress 7. Markzware's FlightCheck Classic will preflight a wide range of digital file formats, including PDF documents and those created in most popular native application programs (QuarkXPress, Adobe InDesign, PageMaker, etc.). Ground Controls enable users to highlight potential problems, out of more than 150 choices, for which to search. Single-user licenses for Windows and Mac users are available for about $400. This software is no longer recommended because development does not stay current with the support of new application versions that it's users face every day like Quark Xpress 7.
http://www.markzware.com

Markzware FlightCheck Collect!: This preflight software deemed the "lite" version of Markzware's FlightCheck Classic, FlightCheck Collect! inspects for common file problems, like improperly assigned color space, missing fonts and image or resolution conflicts. Once preflighted, the application can then collect the document, including images, extensions and screen and printer fonts, for output. Markzware offers Windows and Mac versions for around $180. This software is no longer recommended because development does not stay current with the support of new application versions that it's users face every day like Quark Xpress 7.
http://www.markzware.com

Markzware HawkEye: This preflight software from Markzware is HawkEye, a preflighting tool designed specifically for designers and content creators. It runs as a plug-in to most popular desktop publishing applications like QuarkXPress, Illustrator, Acrobat, FreeHand and more. Before content is created, designers can create specifications (known as TrueFileSpecifications) for each job they plan to create. For example, an art director can choose the color schema or font set to use. If the designer mistakenly places an element into the document that doesn't meet the TrueFileSpecifications, he or she is immediately alerted to the discrepancy. Users can also choose to forbid saving or printing a file that is in a "failed" or "unfixed" state, helping to better manage revisions, versions and cut down on consumable waste. This product from Markzware was advertised and was on a seybold Hot Picks 2002 but may have been pulled or may have never made it to market, unable to confirm at Markzware's site?
http://www.markzware.com

PDF/X-1 Verifier 2.0: This preflight software developed for the DDAP (Digital Distribution of Advertising for Publication association, www.ddap.org), this application verifies the integrity of PDF/X-1a files, the professional format of choice for print advertising. This application is suited for both digital ad designers as well as file recipients like publishers, prepress suppliers and printers. It offers pass-fail results or more comprehensive preflight reports. DDAP members can purchase single-seat licenses for about $95; non-members pay about $125.
http://www.ddap.org

Apago PDF/X-1 CheckUp: This preflight software developed by Apago offers PDF/X-1 CheckUp 2.5, a plug-in to Adobe Acrobat that preflights and produces PDF/X files. It supports both ISO (International Standards Organization) PDF/X-1:2001 and PDF/X-1a:2001 standards. Mac and Windows versions are available for Acrobat 4.0.5 and 5.0, for about $250ea.
http://www.apagoinc.com

Enfocus PitStop Professional: This preflight software developed by Enfocus Software, PitStop Pro preflights and edits PDF documents. It checks for 140 potential problems and offers 70 automated correction features. After running the document through preflight, users can edit existing objects and text, or add new elements. It's also equipped to re-map color space or tag/detag images with ICC (International Color Consortium) profiles. The software comes with several common PDF profiles to select according to a file's final destination. Windows and Mac versions of PitStop Professional are available for about $550. Enfocus Pitstop is a great tool for repairing bad PDF files. However, it is not recommended as a Preflight solution. Since the PDF is the end result, to check a PDF files is really Postflight, a good preflight workflow is about making good PDF in the first place.
http://www.enfocus.com

Extensis Preflight Pro: This preflight software is developed by Extensis, Preflight Pro inspects entire folders of native application documents created in popular desktop publishing applications like QuarkXPress, Acrobat, Illustrator, PageMaker, Photoshop and FreeHand. Following preflight inspection, the software then collects the job for output. Mac version is available for about $400.
http://www.extensis.com

TIFF/IT-P1 Checker: This preflight software developed for DDAP by Congruent Development, TIFF/IT-P1 Checker is a bundle of software tools, that includes TIFF/IT-P1 Preflight. Suited for both digital ad and packaging designers, it also represents a low-cost tool for any manufacturing partner that receives a large number of TIFF/IT-P1 files. It's available in both Mac and Windows versions and costs about $100 for DDAP members, $180 for non-members.
http://www.ddap.org

Asura & Solvero: This preflight software created by OneVision Software AG, Asura eliminates frequently occurring production problems in PDF, EPS and PostScript files, with the help of hot-folder specifications. Asura preflights incoming files, while Solvero automatically repairs common problems. The system keeps a log of all changes made to a file. According to the developer, this coupled solution is most popular among newspaper publishers, which receive a wide range of digital file formats.
http://www.onevision.com

AdCheck: This preflight software developed by Total Integration, AdCheck 2.1 allows users to open and view production-image format files, including TIFF/IT, CT, HC and LW, using a standard Mac workstation. Its Show Info prompt provides detailed information about the file, including size and colors used.
http://www.totalint.com

Markzware MarkzNet: This preflight software developed by Markzware, MarkzNet is not an out-of-the-box preflighting solution. Rather, it's a blend of the company's popular FlightCheck technology with systems integration. For high-volume production environments, MarkzNet provides a Web-based portal into a company's production workflow. Customers submit files with drag-and-drop simplicity. Files are automatically inspected for flaws or conflicts with the recipient's specifications and either pass or fail. Failed files are rejected and both recipient and sender are immediately alerted to the problem. If the file passes, it's automatically forwarded to the next stage of production for a truly seamless digital workflow. This software is not recommended because it is a web based tool and has proved to be really slow and not productive to many users.
http://www.markzware.com

Preflight Online: This preflight software developed from a partnership between Extensis and WAM!NET, Preflight Online is a Web-based solution for printers and publishers that need a custom-branded solution for receiving digital files from customers and advertisers. It accepts a wide range of file formats, including EPS, native Quark and Adobe PDF, preflights them and forwards files that pass directly to the recipient's FTP server. There's a one-time admin charge, as well as a monthly subscription fee that's based on the customer's actual inspection traffic. This software is not recommended because it is a web based tool and has proved to be really slow and not productive to many users.
http://www.extensis.com http://workspace.wamnet.com

TIFF/ITeyes: This preflight software developed by Rorke Data, enables users to view the complete data in TIFF/IT-P1 files, the widely adopted accredited standard for digital ad exchange. Users can measure X-Y coordinates, as well as CMYK values. http://www.rorke.com

SpeedFlow Check: This preflight software developed by OneVision, SpeedFlow Check is one component of a suite of tools that preflights, edits and imposes PDF, EPS and PostScript files. Files that pass SpeedFlow Check inspection are saved in PostScript or PDF form (depending on the manufacturer's or publisher's workflow) and sent to a hot-folder on the server. Problems may be fixed manually in SpeedFlow Edit and electronically routed to SpeedFlow Impose for impositioning.
http://www.onevision.com

© Samuel Hargis 2006Andi Blog76348
Alyson Blog60501

A free Christmas gift from Mother Nature

Not many flowers grow in the winter, but dried flowers, grasses and seed heads can make attractive bouquets and flower arrangements, but best of all it can all be obtained freely.

Go out for a walk, maybe with your dog or a friend. Go to a park, field or overgrown area, these are the places that you will find lots of dried vegetation. I say vegetation because weed means unwanted plant, and although you are collecting what other people deem as weeds, you in fact want them.

Take a bag with you and a pair of scissors. Some stalks may be too tough to break with just your fingers. You may need gloves too in case some plants have thorns or spikes. Under no circumstances should you pick plants from other peoples gardens, unless you have asked for permission to do so.

You may find grasses of different types. Some with heads like mini foxs tails others may look more like trees.

Look out for unusual seedpods on the plants, you may be lucky enough to find a poppy seed head or a thistle. Pinecones are treasures, use craft wire or glue to attach the cone to a wood kabab skewer and then use as another specimen to add to your collection.

Sometimes flowering plants dry out and leave a structure which, once supported, flowers. These stems can look very dramatic in a dried flower arrangement.

When you get home stand all your stems in a vase. Seeds will probably drop out along it the odd bug. You may want to return these later.

Give some of your findings that frosty Christmas feel by spray painting them silver. Read the back of the tin before you begin and follow the directions for using spray paints. Don't paint all of your stems remember less is more.

Add a splash of colour to the bouquet by introducing Christmas baubles or ribbons. Glue or wire a bauble to a kebab skewer and add to the display.

To make a bow, take a length of wide ribbon and fold it back and forth a couple of times. Scrunch up one end and secure it with wire. Stick the ribbon onto a kabab stick.

To present this gift of nature as a gift, arrange the dried and painted flowers in a vase or form a bouquet secured in place with an elastic band and tie a large ribbon in a bow around the stems covering the elastic band.

S. Roberts writes for http://www.santaspostbag.co.uk a website offering Christmas information, education and tips and advice to help your Christmas be the greatest ever. Plus correspond with Santa for FREE http://www.santaspostbag.co.uk/your-letter-from-santa.phpAntonietta Blog50169
Ariana Blog2434

Choosing The Best File Recovery Solution

All file recovery solutions are not created equally. But, choosing one specific software or service company can be overwhelming from the sheer numbers available. For starters, why do some file recovery software cost as low as $29.99, while others range as much as $400? Before addressing these details, and how to choose the best file recovery solution for your situation, let's make sure your files have the best chance to be recovered.

Safety First...

If you are reading this article on the computer you are trying to recover files from, do the following steps immediately (Your computer is always running in the background, and could be overwriting the data you are trying to recover):

1. Close any important documents that are open.

2. Print this article to follow off-line.

3. Unplug your computer (Do not turn off your computer, unplug it now.).

Note: Unplugging the computer stops the computer from running all together. Turning off or shutting down your computer might make the computer go through a process that could overwrite data - your files.

What not to do...

1. Do not run the system recovery disk from the computer manufacturer. This software is designed to get your computer running again with no regard to your data. In other words, it is not designed as a file recovery solution. Just ask the manufacturer if there is a possibility that you could lose data. Yes, is always the answer.

2. Do not install file recovery software on the computer you are trying to recover files from, for this could overwrite the files you are trying to recover. You must have a secondary storage device (i.e. hard disk drive, USB device, etc.) to install the program and to recover the files.

Note to Advanced Users: Even if you are trying to recover a particular partition, and already have a separate partition to install the file recovery software on, do not do it. Since there is possible corruption within the file system at this point, you run the risk of overwritting the partition and files you are trying to recover during the installation process. Better safe than sorry. Install the program on a secondary drive.

File Recovery Software...

Which file recovery software you choose depends on what has happened:

1. Have you accidentally delete a file that you want back?

2. Have you lost a file, or found it damaged upon opening it?

3. When starting your computer, has it failed to boot to the desktop,

invoking a blue or black screen, or an error message (write that message down)?

Accidentally deleted files can usually be recovered by File Undelete software, which lucky for you is the cheapest solution at about $30 USD. If you cannot locate a file afer running the program, the file system (where the files lie) may have been altered, deleted, or damaged. This means, File Undelete software cannot work, and you should use a "complete" file recovery product.

Lost or damaged files require a "complete" file recovery software, which usually costs about $100 USD. (Professional grade recovery software which include multiple recovery functions costs as much as $400). If you cannot locate a file after running the program, or if your computer failed to boot to the desktop, you may need File Recovery Services.

File Recovery Services...

A good rule of thumb at choosing a file recovery service company is, if they develop and sell file recovery software - not just sell them, they should have reliable in-lab services (After fifteen years of developing file recovery software, and knowing who is who in the industry, I can attest to this point). Also, full-scale recovery companies only do file recovery and computer forensics. So, ask a computer related question like, can you install a network with thirty computers? Yes means hang up the phone. Remember, you always get what you pay for and nobody works for free.

In conclusion, the saying in the industry is "file recovery is not, if it will happen, but when will it (and will you be prepared)." Prevention is the best solution. So, to ensure the safety of your files in the future (not to mention the hassle of having to go this process again) consistently do the following:

1. Back-up files daily to a secondary storage device, not on the main hard disk drive where you originally saved them.

2. Defrag your computer regularly. Doing so will increase the probability of a successful recovery if you ever encounter this problem again.

3. At least once a month confirm your back-up is working properly. This is a common problem.

Ken RobertsApril Blog69830
Ariana Blog67968