1.28.2008

Catch Your Favorite DVD Films Everywhere With Your Portable Devices

If you want to copy a DVD to your iPod, you will need special software, which will perform the conversion for you. Most such programs perform the conversion in two steps � first they download the DVD to your computer and then they upload it to your iPod via iTunes. Alternatively, you can buy a DVD to iPod conversion utility and thus make your life a bit easier. When you are looking for a one-step converter, the most important things to bear in mind are the conversion speed and the quality of the video and audio. If you are a newbie, you may also want to get a converter, which is easier to use, so in this case the one-step converter might not be your best choice because it is more complicated than the two-step converters.

If you want to copy your DVDs to Zune, the choice of available programs is really big. Besides, converting DVDs to Zune is pretty straightforward and all you need to do is to follow the step-by-step instructions. But the fact that there are many programs to choose from is hardly comforting when you have no idea about the criteria for choosing such a program.

Probably the first thing you should do is make a list of your requirements. After that, use Google to find a couple of high-quality programs, which can copy an entire DVD to Zune. If you are lucky, you will quickly find sites with comparisons of the various converter programs. Such comparisons are very useful because they compare several programs feature by feature and you can quickly see which program is best for you.

If you are new to computers, the one-step converters from DVD to iPod are not the best thing to start with. These one-step converters usually have a lot of files and folders, which is pretty confusing even for more experienced users. This is a good reason to start with an easier converter, so that you can convert your DVD movies without worries. Also, iTunes must be already on your computer because this way you will transfer the DVD to the iPod with less effort. After you have downloaded the DVD, add them to your library and choose which items you want to transfer.

You can even drag and drop the subtitles where you want and select the audio track and also lot more features. There is software, which enables you to download movies from DVD to ipods that is self-explanatory and can be done with few clicks of your mouse. By this way you can copy your favourite DVD to your ipod and watch them wherever and whenever you want. You don�t have to be an expert to download these movies because there are only few easy steps to follow and with just one or two clicks you have your favourite DVD copied to your ipod.

When you copy DVDs to iPod, you can also select the video crop mode and the size. Usually several crop modes and sizes are supported. If you have problems with the conversion process and you can�t cope on your own, one option you always have is to contact the support team of the company you have purchased the conversion program from.

Read More..

1.24.2008

Approaches to Backup from Copyright Protected DVD Movies

DVDs are the largest sized storage devices in the optical storage media. They are cheap and abundantly available at every corner store worth its name. The invention of DVD readers and writers has really increased DVD demand. The question in all users mind is how to copy a copyrighted DVD. The material in the DVD is copyright protected. The pleasure of copying the files goes beyond merely copying it. It is the thrill of taking up the challenge of something difficult. This is the driving force behind most such efforts.

Copyrighting of DVDs is done largely these days to block any kind of malpractice being done. The information stored inside it would be pretty important and should be secured and for this the copyrighting is done. The term copyrighting means, the information present in the DVD cannot be copied from it to another CD or DVD.

The files can be easily copied form the copy protected DVDs by using special software. This software is called �DVD Ripping� software. As the name suggests, it literally �rips� the files out of the DVD thus getting through best protection options. Several of such software is available over the net, free or otherwise.

If you are thorough with the basic aspects of computer, you can do it yourself. The only need is the selected software needed for ripping out the information. You can depend on the search engines to get the best software which is available for getting what you need from a copyrighted DVD.

Nero Six was the first software which I came across after searching on the internet. It was pretty easy to install and it was pretty useful and easily handled when it came to normal data. On the other hand, while doing the same with copyrighted DVD, it showed a message stating that the DVD is copyrighted and could not be copied. This made me search again on the internet for another solution for copying.

The next software which I came across was Any DVD which claimed the same of copying from copyrighted DVD. I thought this would also produce the same message as the earlier one. But here I was very lucky as I go the work done with this software. The program was pretty simple, easily downloadable, and comfortable to work and the steps were demonstrated in detail.

My message is simple- where there is a will there is a way. If you want to learn how to copy copyrighted DVD, go searching, or bookmark this forum for the latest updates every week. A little enterprise is all you need to find out how to copy a copyrighted DVD.

Read More..

1.21.2008

Go Driving. Go Streaming

Long drives can pretty get on your nerves. You just can imagine driving alone and you have nothing to do. You can also imagine if you were with someone else but you just cannot seem to agree on a topic.

Good thing there is the old fashioned radio which you can turn on any time you choose to. Then, you can most especially appreciate the various music genres and styles as you go along driving to your destination which may be a long way off. At least, it would be able to sooth you and keep the pressure off of yourself.

But you see, you can even add in the fun and the entertainment of driving long distances. There is one gadget from Motorola, Inc. which allows you to enjoy mobile music while you do the drive. Yes, this one may be quite pricey compared to those Geo parts that you are so fond of buying. However, this one sure does have a lot to offer you.

Motorola calls the new mobile music gadget for vehicles the Motorola Automotive Music and Hands Free System T605. This is a car kit which you can purchase from auto dealers and other shops that offer automotive products. And what this one does is that it can actually allow you to access and play digital music as well as make your phone calls. Yes, as long as you have a car sound system which is compatible with the Motorola Automotive Music and Hands Free System T605, you might as well enjoy all of the benefits that this gadget can bring you.

Greg Estell is the corporate vice president which is the Motorola, Inc.’s MobileMe Companion Products. He did say, “The T605 is a fun way to stay connected to the people and the music you love with hands free convenience while driving. The T605 leverages Motorola’s global leadership in Bluetooth wireless technology to deliver seamless wireless entertainment and connectivity.”

If you are interested in purchasing this cool mobile and musical gadget, well, you can make sure you have your resources ready come the first half of next year. This is according to an announcement given out by the company.

Read More..

1.19.2008

Server Recovery Can Affect Business Survival

Effective server recovery can prove absolutely essential for business survival because servers are critical to business operations. Servers are continuously supporting operations by serving files, applications, transaction data and other kinds of support information and tools without which businesses and individuals would find it harder to survive.

Server Data Recovery Planning Differs From Server to Server

Businesses and departments differ in the lengths of downtimes they can tolerate. In a bank, for example, if current account information is not available, even for a short time during business hours, it can cause serious problems. On the other hand, if fixed assets information cannot be accessed for even a few days, the same bank might still be able to continue its normal operations.

Another aspect is the ease of reconstructing the data. With thousands of transactions every minute, reconstructing lost current account details is not the same as reconstructing the comparatively few fixed assets transactions.

Server recovery planning can thus opt for different alternatives for different servers. The servers serving current account transactions have to be fault-tolerant and must have immediate online access to backup data, if it becomes necessary. Fixed assets data can be backed up on offline media, which can even be stored in a distant location.

Backups Can Fail and Data Recovery Can Become Complex

Data backups can prove unreliable if they become corrupted, or contain data which has not been updated for quite a long time. In such cases, you have to either reconstruct the data or take action to recover data from the damaged media (which contains current data).

Reconstructing data from original sources is rarely a viable option except for small quantities of data. That leaves only the option of trying to recover lost data from the affected media.

Recovering Data From Servers

Servers come in a wide range of sizes and types, and work under very different platforms. Many internationally recognised companies and even individuals make servers, and each manufacturer offers different models. The servers might be working under Windows, Linux, Unix or other proprietary operating systems.

Data loss can be caused by different factors. For example data lost through deletion might be recovered rather more easily than data lost owing to a major catastrophe ( natural or manmade) which has physically damaged equipment or media.

Specialist training, experience, and tools are needed to recover data lost from any possible combination. You might be able to use data recovery software in some cases. In other cases replacing damaged components with compatible healthy components might work. In yet other cases, it might be necessary to work painstakingly analysing data streams to rebuild damaged files.

Conclusion

Server recovery, planning, and execution can prove critical to the very survival of a business. Servers are constantly serving files, applications and data to support business operations. If they are down, the operations suffer and profits are lost.

Selecting fault-tolerant systems with RAID 5 arrays for example (with its ability to cope with the loss of a drive) and implementing systematic backup procedures whilst minimizing data loss risks through appropriate training and other measures, are some of the ways you can plan for a business’ survival of a data loss catastrophe.

If data is lost or a drive / array has degraded despite all these measures, you will have to approach a server recovery specialist, who has the facilities, resources and techniques to recover as much data as possible.

Read More..

1.18.2008

The Easy Way To Write An E-book

Over the last 5 years, eBooks have been selling like hot cakes. Interestingly, if you study the eBook market, you would realize that a majority of websites or even individuals who sell eBooks may not be great writers themselves.

Professional writers can be hired at very reasonable costs to write an book. There are writing mentors or coaches out there that will assist you in that part of the process if need be.

What’s important is for you to bring in a knowledge, passion, or belief in your subject. That’s what makes writing sell in the first place. Anyone can be taught how to put the words down; it’s what is being said that is important.

Alternatively, writing the book yourself, even without prior experience is certainly an option. Here are several guidelines and tips for getting started writing your next eBook .


The First Few Steps To Your First eBook


eBooks deliver complete, instantly available, expert knowledge in a single, easily handled package. Creating an eBook may not require prior experience, but it certainly requires careful planning and considerable groundwork.

You create eBooks with a focus of building an ongoing, lifelong multiple stream of income. In addition, eBooks should be created with the aim of raising your credibility and trust ratings with clients or customers.

Selling eBooks comprises of three phases:
1) Researching and developing an idea for the book
2) Writing the eBook
3) Marketing the eBook

In this we’re going to focus on how to research and find a profitable idea to write about.


Researching Topics


The Internet is primarily used to communicate, entertain, educate and research. It is thus no wonder that information-intensive eBooks are the most popular online products at present.

How do you decide on a subject for your eBook?

The simple answer is research, research, and more research.

Your main objective is to write on a subject that has long term appeal. After all, you would like to derive as much profit out of your eBook as possible. It’s necessary that your subject does not get outdated in a couple of months after you wrote it – otherwise it’s going to need continually updating.

The best way to choose a topic is to figure out what people look for. This can be done by analyzing top searches at Search Engines. Many search engines as well as other popular portals such as Search Terms keep track of the most popular searches over a period. Besides, there are many other tools such the Keyword Live Software from Analog X that monitors top search terms at major Search Engines. You could use these lists to figure out the most popular subjects.

The next step is to carefully analyze some of the most popular subjects. You can use popular keyword search tools such as WordTracker or Overture’s Search Term Tool to determine popular search terms similar or relevant to the one’s you have listed.

This will give you a much more specific and focused list to work from. However, deciding to write an eBook based on a popular search term may not be a very smart idea. The key is to establish the exact need of the people you are targeting.

There may be many eBooks that target the same subject. However, most of them would probably be devoid of some aspect of the subject. Unless your eBook fills this void, it would not be a success.

Creating the eBook without any writing experience is not difficult. With a little bit of research and learning you can create an eBook that is workable. The toughest part is to get hold of a killer idea. After all, eBooks are all about ideas — the better your idea, the higher your sales.

Read More..

1.17.2008

Enterprise Content Management Reaches Out to Employees, Suppliers, Customers, and Government

Enterprise Content Management uses Internet technologies to make information accessible from all over the world. In an age of global business, this enables employees spread across the globe to maintain effective contacts with their headquarters and also other offices located anywhere in the world.

Internet technologies are used to create an intra-business network, and Intranet, that restricts access to authorized persons. This means that worldwide accessibility is combined with security.

Business-to-Employees
Business-to-Employee - B2E - networks offer services and products to employees. It facilitates dissemination of corporate announcements and special offers to employees, as well as online requests for supplies, reporting of employee benefits and other employee-related tasks.

Business-to-Business
Business-to-Business - B2B - transactions tend to be critical for the smooth flow of business. For example, timely deliveries from raw materials suppliers are critical to avoid "stock out" stoppages of manufacturing operations.

An Enterprise Content Management system can allow a supplier to access scheduled requirements of your supply needs online. It will then be possible for the supplier to schedule their own manufacturing operations to enable timely deliveries of your requirements.

In such a situation, any variations in your manufacturing schedules will be immediately reflected in the supply schedule, and will alert the supplier to cut back or speed up deliveries.

You can also enhance your relationships with your own customers through ECM. For example, if you are a supplier of important inputs to your customer's operations, you can integrate your ECM with that of your customer to alert you about the supply needs, and any changes therein. In both supplier and customer relationships, communication can be improved in a major way through instant messaging, bulletin boards, online meetings, and other similar devices. The ability to establish immediate, direct contact and to communicate requirements with sufficient clarity will improve relationships.

Business-to-Government
Enterprise Content Management systems can also help Business to Government - B2G - transactions, particularly in the context of Government Request for Proposals - RFPs. The company can register with the concerned government departments so that it is alerted to new RFPs relevant to its business.
Not only can the company bid against the RFPs through it ECM system, but it can also make available requested information such as its financial status, technical competence and references in a more authentic manner.
The company that uses an ECM to deal with government will also find it easy to comply with regulatory requirements by having access to the latest regulations and relevant forms and rules. Online filing of reports that can be verified by the government departments online reduces the time involved.

How ECM Works
ECM works mainly through the in-house intranet and company web portals. While the Intranet provides information access and communication facilities to the company's employees, the web portal allows outsiders, such as suppliers, customers and government, access to needed information and better-quality communication facilities.

The key advantages that are provided by Enterprise Content Management systems are:
* Provides online access to information from anywhere instead of having to move paper documents back and forth
* Streamlines time-consuming business processes through collaboration across both short and long distances
* Improves security and audit trails that makes it possible to conduct business more confidently

Conclusion
Enterprise Content Management systems make it possible to improve information access and communications both in-house with employees (who might be spread worldwide) and with outside agencies such as suppliers, customers, and government. It’s even possible to integrate outside systems with the company’s own, in a secure manner, to speed up business transactions.

These lead to faster completion of transactions and streamlined business processes, which in turn lead to far-better business results.

Read More..

1.16.2008

How To Copy Television Favorites And More To DVD

Once you have the capability, learning how to copy windows media recorded TV shows to DVD is as simple as one, two, and three. But, you need to be aware of some issues you need to take care of, before making a copy.

If your house is anything like mine, you have a plethora of old VHS videos that you wish were DVD's. If you are lucky, you still have a player that will allow you to watch them on occasion. But, what happens if either the tape or the VHS player wears out? Before that happens, learn how to copy videos to DVD.

In the last few years, all the movies you like best cannot be found on VHS, if you life depended on it. You still have a VHS player, but you recently lost a tape when it got stuck in the machine and came unraveled. You know you are on borrowed time.





First, if you want to have television shows on your computer, you are going to need a tuner. If your computer does not come with one, you can purchase the hardware you need online. The tuner gives you the ability to watch and record your favorite television programs from your desktop PC or laptop.

However, even if you have a tuner, some programs are copyright protected, which means that you will only be able to see the video on the computer of the original recording. So, you will need to check and see if you have permission to make a DVD.

Do you feel you are almost through now, unfortunately not quite yet, you may still have a problem because one television program telecast takes around thirty minutes and approximately 1 GB of disk space. Since most of the CDs have about 700 MB of disc space, you might need to compress or shrink the file to fit on the portable media before you start the recording, or simply record to a DVD.

You will need DVD recording software on your computer with compatible hardware too, a DVD writer. When you have both, it is a simple matter of selecting the media file containing the recorded show and then writing it on a DVD. You can even download fee copying software from the internet. As you can see, converting your recordings to DVDs is very simple.

This allows you to carry your favorite programming anywhere, and watch it on any computer or DVD player. You could make a few DVDs of your kid�s favorite cartoons, and play them in your car, or maybe attach a portable DVD player in case your car does not have one. You would have peaceful drives, without junior asking you time and again � �Are we there yet?�

Practice makes a man perfect. So do not loose your heart if the first try is not quite what you thought it would be. Learning how to copy windows media recorded television shows to DVD may take some time and practice.

Read More..

Enterprise Content Management and Enterprise Reporting Practices

Why is a report so important? And how does reporting change under Enterprise Content Management systems? This article explores these issues.

Reports Lead to Informed Decisions and Actions

In an earlier age, it was possible to see things with your own eyes and take appropriate actions to run your business successfully. That age disappeared with the emergence of large businesses.
In a large business, many things will be going on in many different areas. It will be impossible to understand what is really going on based on personal observations alone. Analytical reports based on specific data bring out the nuances of ground realities.
For example, production levels might be going down owing to a combination of factors. Raw materials are often not available in time. Machines break down more frequently owing to poor maintenance. New, inexperienced workers have not been properly trained and produce low volumes.
In a very large plant, the harried plant manager might see just one of these factors and focus efforts on it alone. For instance, he might be more aware of machine downtimes and focus on that problem, only to find that production levels still remain low after spending a great deal of effort, time, and money on improving the maintenance practices.
Well-designed analytical reports will highlight the different reasons that led to each incidence of low production volumes, and bring out all the causative factors.
Things get far more complex when you go up to overall profitability and factors that affect it. A comprehensive system for analyzing events occurring all over the enterprise is absolutely necessary to control profitability.

This is what enterprise-wide systems, such as Enterprise Content Management, seek to accomplish.

Enterprise Reporting Systems

Reporting becomes far more complex as your operations expand to far-flung locations and to different product lines. You will now need to capture information from many different locations. These varied sources are quite likely to use different operating systems, file formats, software applications, and so on.

An enterprise reporting system need to integrate all the varied information, analyze and categorize it, and produce reports that are meaningful in the new global context. For example, marketing operations in the US might suffer owing to production problems in China. An enterprise-wide system must monitor emerging trends in China, and produce timely reports for marketing and other top managers.

The above example points to the need for converting raw content, such as events in China or at the Chinese factory, into meaningful business intelligence that brings out the likely impact of these events on marketing operations in the US. The Enterprise Reporting System must be designed to convert information into business intelligence.

With executives constantly on the move across global operating locations, the reports generated must also be distributed in a variety of formats suited to such devices like PDAs and mobile phones, as well as traditional workstations.

Features of Enterprise Reporting Systems

Good Enterprise Reporting Systems generate reports that produce concrete business results - such as improved cash flow, higher sales, and lower costs.

The specific system features that produce these results include:

* Designing systems and reports to provide business intelligence, and not just difficult-to-comprehend statistics
* Integrating departmental and functional applications to eliminate redundant resources and duplicate tasks
* Improving collaborative work by facilitating interactions and remote communications
* Making it easy to search and locate exactly what the users want from the vast data warehouse of the enterprise
* Delivering the information to the users' workstations and mobile devices so that it can be accessed conveniently from wherever the user happens to be

Conclusion

Enterprise Reporting Systems constitute an integral part of Enterprise Content Management systems. Good reporting systems gather all kinds of content from different sources spread across the global enterprise, and provide business intelligence for excellent decision support. The information is delivered to wherever the managers happen to be.

Read More..

1.14.2008

Server Installation and Configuration Needs Experienced Professionals

A properly configured and sufficiently powerful server installation can facilitate collaborative working, efficient communications and informed decision making. It does these by providing:


* Interfaces for discussions, document sharing and presentations

* Communication tools like emails, instant messaging, voice and video conferencing

* Access to a knowledge base of an organizations accumulating experience in running the business
.
* Processing business transactions and keeping track of changes databases and email



A server installation can be a daunting task that must be done in a carefully planned manner. It involves both hardware and software know-how and familiarity.

What is a Server?

In the context of computing, a server is an application or computer that services client computers by accepting service requests and responding to them. Thus a Web server accepts requests for Web pages from numerous computers on the Internet and responds by retrieving and sending the requested pages.

In an organizational context, servers store applications and data that can be accessed by workstation computers connected to it. Practices like enterprise computing, where information generated anywhere can be accessed by any client workstation on the enterprise network, is made possible by the use of client-server computing.

Server computers run specific server applications such as file servers, Web servers and email servers. There are also appliance servers such as routers and print servers. There are several server applications in the market such as the traditional UNIX servers, Apache Web server, Linux-based servers, Microsoft IIS Server and so on. Each of these applications needs to be installed and configured in its own way.

Server computers are typically more powerful and reliable, using faster processors, more memory and disk storage, redundant power supplies and hard drives, modular design, and so on.

Server Installation

Server installation involves not only installing a compatible set of hardware components but also configuring the installation to meet the special requirements of the organization. It can be a local installation confined to a single premises or a global installation spanning offices all over the world.

The workload on the system also affects the configuration. One single computer can run all the server applications where the load on the servers is light. Where the workload is very heavy, a single server application might require several computers. The safest option is to use one server computer per server application.

There are several other issues that need be considered while configuring a server, such as security issues, the special features of the particular operating system, and so on.

Server installation is thus a task that requires specialized training with the particular server application and also considerable experience of likely problems that might arise with regard to disaster recovery and data recovery if the need should arise.

Conclusion

Servers are specialized applications that provide different kinds of services to the client computers connected to it. There are Web servers, file servers, email servers, etc looking at things from a functional viewpoint, and UNIX, Linux, Microsoft IIS, etc servers looking at specific products available in the market.

Server installation involves not only putting in place the hardware components of the network but also configuring the whole system to meet the requirements of the particular operating environment. It requires both specialized training in the particular operating system and a good deal of practical and technical experience in setting up networks.

Read More..

Sony’s Contributions To Driver Entertainment

Driving can be a really tiring and boring task. And when a driver gets bored, chances are that he would be finding his thoughts wandering in various directions. That could be quite dangerous especially when the road ahead is quite challenging.

So as to keep drivers safely on the road and on the side of security, Sony, one of the giants when it comes to consumer electronics, has come up with new technologies and gadgets so as to help out this group of people. One of these is the new AM/FM CD receiver for the vehicle which has been made to be Bluetooth enabled. It can be used as a mere CD player and if you choose to, you can opt to use the gadget as a device where you can get wireless streaming.

This gadget has been named by the company to be the Sony MEX-BT2500. Interestingly, this capable gadget can actually give you hours of entertainment while doing your main task which is driving. And because it is enabled to be used with Bluetooth technology, any driver with this gadget in his vehicle can make phone calls without the use of their hands.

If you have a mobile phone that makes use of Bluetooth technology, then you are off to having a grand time on the phone without having your hands leave the wheel. All you need is the Sony MEX-BT2500. In fact, the company does say that you can link up to a high of five various mobile phones to the gadget. There is also the noise cancellation feature so all your calls are going to be clear and quite crisp - as if you were talking to someone beside you.

Brennan Mullin is the director of Sony Electronics’ marketing for mobile electronics team and he is quite proud of this Sony MEX-BT2500. He, in fact, assesses the gadget by saying, “This car stereo offers more functionality for less. With Bluetooth hands-free technology and audio streaming capabilities, you can't afford not to have it in the car. This is a perfect solution so drivers can communicate on their cell phones while driving.”

Sure, accessories for your vehicle like Husky Liners do prove to be quite helpful when it comes to keeping your vehicle in topnotch shape and condition. However, gadgets and accessories like this new one from Sony is going to help the driver himself be safe and be fine when on the road.

Read More..

1.11.2008

Thieves’ll Never Know Your iPod’s In There

Your iPod could certainly be the target of those malicious eyes roaming around in public places. And if you have been the quite so unlucky chosen one, then you would certainly not be having a grand day after you do find out that your iPod has been snatched out of your sight or has been sleighted to the hands of some other person.

There are plenty of ways of keeping your iPod safe and sound and out of harm’s way. One of these would be this cute little iPod cases which adoringly look like simple tins of candy.
These cute and nifty iPod cases are actually lovingly dubbed as the iDisguise and sure enough, it does disguise your favorite musical and audio gadget so that other people would not take notice of it. Who would want to go after a tin can of mint or peppermint for that matter?

There is no clever idea behind how you would actually use the iDisguise for your iPod. If you already have got your iDisguise in your hands, just open up the tin’s opening flap and there it is - the space which would contain and keep your iPod safe. It seems like quite one of those perfect iPod Video accessories.

Two things are bothering me though about the iDisguise. I wonder if they really are that big enough to contain an iPod Video or has it been designed so that it would be just handy and dandy for an iPod Nano? It would surely not be advisable purchasing such a cool yet deceiving iPod case when you could not put your gadget right in.
And while that is one of the two questions running in my mind, another thing that seems to bother me about the iDisguise is that it seems to be made of simple tin and aluminum - just like any can. And with the iPod inside it, maybe the gadget would only get scratched up inside. It looks like there is nothing inside to keep the iPod snug and fit so that it does not move around and would not accumulate scratches on its surface.

But then again, perhaps for the quite low price that the iDisguise is being sold for, the creators of this quite ingénue iPod case are saying that you can buy the iDisguise and you also can do the thinking on how you would protect your gadget from being beat up inside the tin can. At least, you know your iPod is safe from being owned by other people.

Read More..