What is oral sex?

Oral sex involves giving or receiving oral stimulation (i.e. sucking or licking) to the genitalia. Fellatio (also known as a 'blow job') is the term used to describe oral sex given to a man. Cunnilingus is the term which describes oral sex given to a woman.

Is oral sex common practice?

Many studies have shown that oral sex is practiced by men and women of all ages, both gay and straight. It is a very common practice and may be performed on its own, or before or after sexual intercourse.

Is oral sex safe?

A number of studies have demonstrated that oral sex is not necessarily safe sex. Both giving and receiving oral sex can lead to the transmission of sexually transmitted infections or sexually transmitted diseases (also known as STIs or STDs).

Which STDs are transmitted via oral sex?

The most common STD transmitted via oral sex is herpes. There are two main types of herpes simplex virus (HSV): HSV type 1 and HSV type 2. HSV type 1 usually causes cold sores around the mouth, while HSV type 2 generally causes genital herpes sores. However, oral sex can sometimes cause HSV type 1 around the mouth to be transmitted to the genital area causing genital sores in the other person. This process can also work in reverse, with HSV-2 transmitted from the genitals to the mouth of the other person during oral sex, though this is rare.

The human papillomavirus that causes genital warts can very occasionally be transmitted through oral sex, causing warts to appear around or inside the mouth in anyone who has given oral sex to an infected person.
Gonorrhoea has been shown to infect the throat of some people who have given oral sex to an infected person. This infection can then be passed on from the throat to the genitals of any future partners. The body will almost always naturally clear the throat of the bacteria that cause gonorrhoea within three months, although infections in the genital tract will usually require antibiotics to cure.Chlamydia can also infect the throat in a similar way, although this is less common. Both infections may result in a sore throat, although many people will remain asymptomatic and unaware they are infected.

Syphilis may be passed on during oral sex if a person’s mouth comes into contact with an open sore or a skin rash caused by the infection.
Gastrointestinal infections and parasites may be passed on during oral contact with the anus.

The Hepatitis A virus is also contained in human faeces, and may be passed on during anal-oral sex.
Hepatitis B is contained in sexual fluids and blood and may be transmitted during oral sex in a similar way to HIV (see below).
Hepatitis C is generally only contained in blood, and will only be transmitted if there is blood present during oral sex.

Can HIV be transmitted during oral sex?

HIV can pose a small risk for both the active (person giving the oral stimulation) and receptive (person receiving oral stimulation) partner.
Transmission from an HIV positive receptive partner to an HIV negative active partner may occur when the active partner gets sexual fluid (semen or vaginal fluid) or blood (from menstruation or a wound somewhere in the genital or anal region) into a cut, sore, ulcer or area of inflammation somewhere in their mouth or throat. The linings of the mouth and throat are very resistant to viral infections such as HIV, so infection is unlikely if they are healthy.
Transmission from an HIV positive active partner to an HIV negative receptive partner is generally believed to be less common. This is because HIV is normally only present in saliva in very low levels that are not sufficient to cause infection. The only risk in this scenario would be from bleeding wounds or gums in the HIV positive person’s mouth or on their lips, which may transfer blood onto the mucous membranes of the other person’s genitals or anus, or into any cuts or sores they may have. Hepatitis C can also be transmitted this way.

What is the risk of HIV transmission via oral sex?

The risk of HIV transmission from an infected partner through oral sex is much smaller than the risk of HIV transmission from anal or vaginal sex. Because of this, measuring the exact risk of HIV transmission as a result of oral sex is very difficult. In addition, since most sexually active individuals practice oral sex in addition to other forms of sex (such as vaginal and/or anal sex) when transmission occurs, it is difficult to determine whether or not it occurred as a result of oral sex or other more risky sexual activities. Finally, several co-factors can increase the risk of HIV transmission through oral sex, including oral ulcers and wounds, bleeding gums, genital sores, genital or oral piercings, and the presence of other STDs.

When scientists describe the risk of transmitting an infectious disease, like HIV, the term "theoretical risk" is often used. Very simply, "theoretical risk" means that passing an infection from one person to another is possible, even though there may not yet be any actual documented cases. "Theoretical risk" is not the same as likelihood. In other words, stating that HIV infection is "theoretically possible" does not necessarily mean it is likely to happen - only that it might. Documented risk, on the other hand, is used to describe transmission that has actually occurred, been investigated, and documented in the scientific literature.

Various scientific studies have been performed around the world to try and document and study instances of HIV transmission through oral sex. A programme in San Francisco studied 198 people, nearly all gay or bisexual men. The subjects stated that they had only had oral sex for a year, from six months preceding the six-month study to its end. 20 per cent of the study participants (39 people) reported performing oral sex on partners they knew to be HIV positive. 35 of those did not use a condom and 16 reported swallowing semen. No one became HIV positive during the study, although the small number of participants performing oral sex on HIV positive partners meant the researchers could only say that there was a less than 2.8 per cent chance of infection through oral sex over a year.¹ In 2000, a different San Francisco study of gay men who had recently acquired HIV infection found that 7.8 per cent of these infections were attributed to oral sex.² However, the results of the study have since been called into question due to the reliability of the participants' data.

In June 2002, a study conducted amongst 135 HIV negative Spanish heterosexuals, who were in a sexual relationship with a person who was HIV positive, reported that over 19,000 instances of unprotected oral sex had not led to any cases of HIV transmission.³ The study also looked at contributing factors that could affect the potential transmission of HIV through oral sex. They monitored viral load and asked questions such as whether ejaculation in the mouth occurred and how good oral health was. Amongst HIV positive men, 34 per cent had ejaculated into the mouths of their partners. Viral load levels were available for 60 people in the study, 10 per cent of whom had levels over 10,000 copies. Nearly 16 per cent of the HIV positive people had CD4 counts below 200. The study, conducted over a ten year period between 1990 and 2000, adds to the growing number of studies which suggest varying levels of risk of HIV transmission from oral sex when compared to anal or vaginal intercourse.

At the 4th International Oral AIDS Conference held in South Africa, the risk of transmission through oral sex was estimated to be approximately 0.04 per cent per contact.⁴ This percentage figure is a lot lower than the two American figures, because this figure is a risk per contact percentage, whereas the other figures are percentage risks over much longer time periods. Oral sex is still regarded as a low-risk sexual activity in terms of HIV transmission, but only when more work is done will we be clearer as to the risks of oral sex.

Are there any individual documented cases of HIV transmission during oral sex?

While it is very difficult to ever know how HIV transmission occurred, according to a factsheet on oral sex produced by the CDC in 2000⁵, there have been a few documented cases of transmission during oral sex. These have occurred in both receptive and active partners during fellatio, cunnilingus and anilingus.

How do I protect myself and my partner during oral sex?

The already low risk of becoming infected with HIV from oral sex can be reduced still further by using condoms. Flavoured condoms are available for those who don’t like the taste of latex or spermicide. For cunnilingus or anilingus, plastic food wrap, a condom cut open, or a dental dam (a thin square of latex) can serve as a physical barrier to prevent transmission of HIV and many other STDs.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been an avid motorcycle enthusiast and dirt bike rider. I got my first dirt bike when I was about ten years old, and after a lot of spills, scraped hands and knees and more wipe-outs than I can remember, I finally learned how to tame the beast and ride with confidence. My beginner style isn’t one I would ever recommend to anyone learning to ride; I tended to be reckless and fearless, but as a ten year old – and then later as a teenager – the last thing I ever thought about was being cautious and careful. My entire family rode motorcycles, but I was the only one who dug the dirt bike scene. While everyone else had street bikes, I was always on the look-out for the next big hill to conquer, the next gritty dirt path, the next mud pile to maneuver.

Years later, I had a dirt bike which was stolen and it literally broke my heart – so much so that I haven’t ridden since. In the dark of night, the bike was stolen right out of our garage. The garage was locked up tight, but if someone wants something bad enough, they’ll find a way to break in and take what they want, which is exactly what happened.

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, more than 60,000 motorcycles are stolen each year; that’s one bike stolen every 8.7 minutes. If I would have locked my bike to a stationary object inside the garage, or if I would have had an alarm installed, there’s a good chance I could have prevented being a victim of motorcycle theft.

The good news is that these days, there are more options which can help prevent motorcycle snatching (alarms, tracking, etc.), so here are some simple steps that can help:

When you’re home, store and lock your bike in a secure place like a locked garage, locked shed, or gated and locked yard.

Always remove the key from the ignition and keep your front fork locked.

Garage the bike out of plain view whenever possible.

When parking in public, check on the bike frequently.

If parking outdoors, do so in well-lit, secure areas. Look for an outdoor security camera and park in its view, if possible.

Always carry your registration and insurance card with you when you ride, but keep your title at home or in another secure place.

Lock the bike to a stationary object or to another motorcycle when traveling with others.

Use high-quality locking devices.

Consider adding an audible alarm or tracking device. Systems like LoJack can help locate your bike if it’s stolen.

If you keep your bike in the garage, gated yard, shed or other storage area, consider installing a security light.

We all use many devices and equipments that run on electricity. Some of these equipments are also electronic devices. For all these to function properly they need uniform power supply. The electric supply in many countries is not uniform. Therefore to make it uniform there is a need for a device. There are many such devices available in the market today. For example UPS (Uninterrupted power supply), Voltage Stabilizer, Constant Voltage Transformer are such devices available today. What is the use of these devices. How to they work? Which of these devices is suitable for you? You will get answer to all these questions in this tutorial.

What is power conditioning?

We can never guarantee that we will get constant power supply. The power supply always has fluctuations. Spikes, Surges, Brownouts, Blackouts and Noise can damage your electrical appliances especially your computer. To prevent this from happening you need a device that does power conditioning.

What is the meaning of Spikes and Surges?

Electricity has to be uninterrupted. If the voltage is higher than the specified level then it is 'Over Voltage. If the voltage is lower than the specified level then it is 'Under Voltage'.

Both Spike and Surge come under 'Over Voltage' category. But there is a small difference between spike and surge. If there is very high voltage for an instant but comes back to normal immediately then it is called 'Spike'. This is also referred as 'Impulse'. If there is very high voltage for a slightly longer period (eg. 1/20 th of a second) then it is called 'Surge'.

What is Brownout, blackout, Sags and Line Noises?

If the voltage is dangerously reduced to very low within a short period of time then it is called 'Brownout'. This is also referred as 'Sags'. When this happens, the computers can be seriously damaged.

If the power supply is totally cut then it is called 'Blackout'. Noises can mix with electromagnetic or radio waves or any signals. This is called 'Line Noises'. This may also reduce the voltage level to very low within a short period of time.

What do you need to do Power conditioning.

There are many devices such as Surge Supressors, Spike Busters, Isolation Transformers, Servo Stabiliser, Constant Voltage Transformers or Uninterruptible Power Supply System. We can choose the most suitable power conditioning device based on the equipment we are going to use and based on the quality of our electrical power supply.

Which power conditioning device is best?

The best power conditioning device is the UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply). This is capable of handling Spikes, Surges, Brownouts, Blackouts etc.

How can UPS provide power supply when electrical supply is cut?

Many have this doubt. UPS has an internal battery. With this battery charger and an Inverter is also present in an UPS. The inverter converts the 'Direct current' supplied by the battery to 'Alternatinc current' as required by the computer. When there is electrical supply the battery charger charges the internal battery. When there is a power cut, the battery supplies DC which is converted to AC by the inverter and power is supplied to computer.

What if the battery loses its power?

When there is power cut, the required power is taken from the battery. Therefore the battery keeps losing its capacity. If the power supply comes back before the battery is fully flat then the battery charger will start recharging the drained battery.

But if the power supply doesn't come back then the battery keeps supplying until it totally drains out. When the battery drains below a certain level the UPS sounds an alarm for your to shut down your computer and turn off the power and turn off UPS.

How long can an UPS supply power when there is no power?

This depends on the backup time of your UPS. If your UPS has 30 minutes backup then your UPS can supply power for 30 minutes of the power is cut. The higher the backup time of UPS the more expensive.

What other tips for buying UPS?

The backup time of your UPS is the most important you need to consider. Other than that, you should know how many KVA (Kilo Volt Ampere) your UPS has. A computer needs atleast 0.5 KVA to function. If you are planning to connect more than one computer to a single UPS then you need to get an UPS with higher KVA.

What type of battery is used in an UPS?

UPS uses 'SMF' batteries (Sealed Maintenance Free). These type of batteries can be used for 5 to 7 years continuously.

What are the different types of UPS?

There are three types of UPS namely Online, Offline and Line Interactive. 'Offline UPS' directly supplies the electrical supply to the computer without any changes. Only if there is a power cut, the 'Offline UPS' takes over. But 'Online UPS' even if there is power supply it will always supply power from the battery and the power supply is used to continously recharge the battery. 'Interactive UPS' always supplies uniform current by using Ferroresonat Transformer.

Which UPS is cheaper?

Obviously, offline UPS is the cheapest. Online UPS is very expensive. Interactive UPS is between the offline and online.

Can I connect printer to UPS?

It depends on the UPS capacity and the type of printer. Generally laser printer should not be connected to the UPS. Other printers can be connected. But you should have a higer KVA UPS to support.

The heart of the computer is the hard disk. Operating System, Software, files created using these software, audio files, video files everything is stored in the hard disk. If the hard disk is corrupted then your computer is useless. Now a days hard disks with high capacity is available in the market. If you are considering to upgrade your hard disk or you have planned to buy a new hard disk then hear are some of the buying tips for hard disk.

1. Get hard disks with high storage capacity. You can buy 40GB, 80GB, 120GB or higher hard disks. If you are one of those who download many mp3 songs from internet to your computer or transfer photos from your digital camera or transfer video from your camcorder then it is advisable to go for more than 80GB harddisks. If you are a gaming addict and install many games from CDs then you can go for even higher capacity.
   
2. You should get a harddisk with a faster interface. For example and IDE/ATA interface is available at 100 MHz or 133 MHz speed. These hard disks are named Ultra ATA/100 and Ultra ATA/133 respectively based on the speed of their interface.
   
3. Buy a hard disk with a suitable interface. Between SCSI and IDE/ATA, SCSI interface is faster and better. But SCSI hard disks are expensive. If you buy a SCSI hard disk then you also need a SCSI host adapter.
   
4. See that the hard disk has high RPM (Rotation Per Minute). There are hard disks with 5400, 7200 and 10,000 RPM. Higher the RPM the better. 7200 RPM hard disks are OK for general home use.
   
5. Check the form factor of the hard disk. 3.5 form factor is suitable for desktop computer and d2.5 form factor is suitable for notebook computer.
   
6. Check and see that 'Seek Time' is very low. Seek time is the time taken to read and write to the hard disk. This is measured in milli seconds.
   
7. 'Access time' should be shorter.
   
8. Also check the support and warranty provided before choosing the brand.
   
9. 'Cache buffer' should be high. It is better to buy a hard disk with at least 2MB cache buffer.
   
10. Check and see whether the hard disk comes with 'Quiet Drive Technology' and 'Shock Protection' features. These features fill increase the life of the hard disk.
    
11. If you are price sensitive then buy the IDE interface hard disks. If price is not an issue then it is better to get a hard disk with SCSI.
    
12. 'Data buffer size' should be at least 2MB.

Some tips on maintaining your computer

1. If you install or remove the hard disk, never touch the PCB portion of the hard disk
   
2. When you fix the hard disk to your computer, use all the screws provided and secure it tightly. Do not use long screws.
   
3. When your computer is ON, do not move or shake your computer. If you need to move then shut down your computer before moving.
   
4. Do not OFF and ON your computer frequently. It is Ok to keep your computer ON for long hours. Shut down only if you are not going to use it for a long time.
   
5. If you do not have a UPS, buy UPS immediately.
   
6. If you suspect that your hard disk is faulty, then do not open it yourself, call your support engineer.

When you ask someone about their computer configuration, they will normally tell you about the CPU speed, RAM memory size, Hard disk size etc. What most computer users do not care much about is the Motherboard. Most don't even know what is a motherboard.

The heart of the computer is the Motherboard. Motherboard is as important to a computer as a foundation is important for a building. Even though you have high capacity hardware for the computer, if the motherboard is not efficient, then those hardware will also not function to their full capacity.

Therefore when you buy a computer or when you upgrade your computer it becomes very important that you get a correct motherboard. Here are the buying tips for a motherboard:

1. It is important to know, how much speed of CPU the motherboard can support. For example if you are going to buy a CPU of 2.4 GHz speed then you should buy a motherboard that supports at least 3.06 GHz speed. The reason is, if you want to upgrade later, then you can just upgrade your CPU and reuse the existing motherboard. Therefore try to buy a motherboard that supports greater speed than your CPU speed.
2. Take note of the CPU socket in the motherboard. The socket depends on the CPU. Socket 462 and Socket 478 are some examples.
3. The chipset which controls all the hardware is very important. SIS, VIA, INTEL are some of the companies that manufacture chipsets. Intel 845E, VIA, KM 266 are some of the popular chipsets.
4. Another important thing to note is to check how much RAM memory can be inserted into motherboard. Even if you are going to buy a smaller RAM size, make sure you have free slots for inserting RAM for later upgrade if needed. There are motherboards that can take upto 4GM RAM. Also see which type of RAM is supported. For instance there are SDR RAM and DDR RAM. Some costlier motherboards support both SDR and DDR RAM.
5. In many motherboards the video cards are integrated. This is referred to as 'Integrated Video' or 'Onboard Video'. If you buy a motherboard with this integrated video card then you do not have to buy another video card. So you can play games using these cards. However some higher end games and some software like CAD cannot be used with this video card. Therefore, if you are a game addict or you use video a lot, then make sure that your motherboard comes with a AGP slot, so that in future if you need a more powerful video card then you can buy and insert it here.
6. Many motherboards also come with integrated sound cards. If you buy a motherboard with 'Integrated bchannel' audio then you can save cost on buying another sound card.
7. You can also save cost by buying motherboards with Ethernet, USB 2.0 and FireWire integrated, so that you don't need to buy them separately.
8. Some motherboards also come with RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Devices) support. If you are buying a server then you should go for this. If you are a home user then normally it is not necessary.
9. Motherboards that support bluetooth are available. If you use many wireless devices then you should go for bluetooth supported motherboards.
10. The number of PCI slots also vary in different motherboards. The number of PCI slots vary from 2 to 6. It is better to buy a motherboard with more PCI slots so that you can insert any external devices as and when required.
11. The Font Side Bus (FSB) speed of motherboard ranges from 133MHz to 533MHz. It is obvious that the FSM speed should be high. The motherboard Chipset should be able to handle your CPU speed and the FSB speed of your motherboard. This is called Form Factor. Now, Micro ATX form factor is quire popular.
12. Also note that there should be adequate space around the CPU. This will enable more air flow to the CPU while functioning. If required buy an additional fan.
13. Check that your motherboard comes with the User manual, Driver CDs, Required connection cables etc.
14. The price of the motherboard usually ranges between $60 to $300. You can choose a cheaper motherboard with more features.
15. Some of the popular motherboard manufacturers are Krypton, Asus, Msi, Mercury, Gigabyte and Intel. Choose the one with long warranty period. 

Motherboard buying tips, Motherboard buying tips.  What is a motherboard and what are its features. How to buy motherboard. What is a good motherboard.

Everyday there are many new application software launched. Most of these new applications do not run on old computers. The minimum requirements for most applications are not suitable for old computers. Therefore many, either upgrade the computers or buy a new computer. It is good to upgrade and switch to the latest computer. But then the question arises, what to do with the old computer? Some take the old boxes from their store rooms and put the old computer and store it. Some just don't know what to do with the old computer.

If you are one of those who doesn't know what to do with your old computer, here are some tips to make use of your old computer.

1. Sell your old computer
   
   Your friends, your neighbours, inform everyone you know that you have an old computer to sell. There may be someone who wants to get a computer very cheap. Even if they offer to buy at very very low price, just sell it to them. Remember that old computers do not have much commercial value. It is better than stocking it in your store room for no reason.
   
2. Remove parts and sell
   
   Remove each computer part separately and try to sell individual parts. Some may be looking for just one part of the computer like keyboard, mouse, hard drive, video card or network card. Or try the Yahoo auction website. You can list your computer there and wait for people to bid.
   
3. Donate your old computer free.
   
   Many schools, community centers or even someone poor whom you know may need your computer. Even some voluntary organisations may accept your donation of your old computer.
   
4. Learn about computer hardware
   
   What is a motherboard? what are the components? How to remove and fix hard disk? Where is the RAM in the computer? Which is the power connector? Which is the data connector for harddisks and floppy disks. How to fix them?
   
   If you need to know the answers of these questions then use your old computer to learn about the computer hardware. Open it and learn them.
   
5. Create a computer network
   
   You can connect your old computer to your new computer and create a computer network. You just need two network cards and cables. You can then enjoy the network's benefits. You can use a single internet connection in two computers. You can play Multiplayer Games. You can install the games in these two computers and you can play a two player game with your fried. Isn't it better to play against a person rather than the computer?
   
6. Install Linux and try it
   
   Linux is a free operating system. You can install and try linux in your old computer.

Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM) are essential computer memory. Virtual Memory and Cache are other terms we often hear related to computer memory.

What is RAM?

As the name suggests, Random Access Memory can find and access the data randomly. Sequential access is the opposite of Random access. In Sequential access, to retrieve the data that is stored in the middle, all the data from the beginning has to be read sequentially until the searched data is found. So it takes time. Where as in RAM, the data can be directly jumped to the middle if necessary without having to read the data sequentially. So the reading is faster. In computers and printers RAM is used. In fact, RAM is the most important memory in computers and printers.

Types of RAM.

Dynamic RAM and Static RAM (SRAM) or two types of RAM. Of these, Dynamic RAM is cheaper and commonly used. Static RAM is very fast. A dynamic RAM has to be refreshed many thousand times in a second. Static RAM does not have to be refreshed.

RAM is a volatile memory. Hence, when there is a power cut, all the data in the RAM memory is lost. RAM is always referred to as the Main Memory. RAM is a READ / WRITE Memory.

All the programs and data that we use in computers have to be first transfered to RAM from hard disk before it can be used. Therefore the higher the RAM size the faster is your computer.

What is ROM - Read Only Memory

ROM also uses Random Access method to read data. The only difference is that the data written to a ROM memory can only be read. You can write to it.

Since RAM is volatile, the data is erased when the computer shuts down or power is cut, but ROM is non volatile. Therefore the data in ROM is always there even when there is no power.

All the computers have a ROM. The most essential programs that are required to start the computer are stored in this ROM memory.

Calculators, Laser Printers use ROM.

PROM - Programmable Read Only Memory - is a part of ROM memory. When manufactured the PROM is empty. Then data is written to it using a special device.

EPROM - Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory - is a type of ROM that can be erased using Ultra Violet rays and then re prorammed with different data or programs.

EEPROM - Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory - is a type of ROM that can be erased by using current.

What is Virtual Memory?

A part of the hard disk can be used as a Virtual Memory. Generally the size of the virtual memory in a computer is 2 or 2.5 times greater than the RAM memory size in that computer.

Assume you are starting an application. But there are already many programs started previously that is occupying the RAM space. And the remaining space in RAM is not sufficient to use the new application that you are starting. Then the virtual memory is used. Now the Operating System comes into play. It decides which are the applications that are not currently used and then moves them from the RAM memory to the Virtual memory in Hard Disk. Therefore the RAM is now free and the new application can occupy the space and be started.

If the program that is moved to the virtual memory is used again then the Operating System brings that application back from virtual memory to the RAM and some other idle application is moved to the virtual memory.

Therefore the virtual memory is also referred to as Swap memory.

What is Cache ? A part of the main memory (RAM) can be used as Cache or it can be separate chip.

The commands that are often used, or data often used will be kept in this static RAM. This static RAM is called Cache memory.

But there are also Cache memory that comes independently from RAM. Level 1 (L1) and Level 2 (L2) are types of cache memory. The cache integrated inside the microprocessor is categorised as L1 cache. For example Pentium Processor comes with 16KB cache. This is SRAM.

The cache between the Microprocessor and the RAM is L2 Cache. This is also SRAM category.

In order to increase the speed and performance of your computer, buying a new computer is not the only solution. You can upgrade your existing computer. It is not very expensive to upgrade computer. You can upgrade selected parts. Here let us see some tips for upgrading your old computer to speed up your computer and increase performance.

Upgrade the BIOS

BIOS - Basic Input Output System - is a software in your computer. BIOS determines how to communicate with the basic hardware installed in your computer such as Memory, Drives, Display, CPU, Keyboard etc.

After you bought your computer new devices may have been introduced in the market. Security may have been enhanced. There may have been Patches for detecting and rectifying system errors. If you upgrade your BIOS you can get all these.

Go to your Motherboard manufacturer's websites and see if you can upgrade your BIOS. There are also third party BIOS providers. You can buy and upgrade your BIOS software for your old computer.

You can Use Overclock

If the speed of your CPU is not sufficient then you can increase the speed of CPU using Overclock. See your 'User Manual' of your motherboard and see if there is an Overclock upgrade facility.

You can do Overclock by changing the jumper settings in your motherboard. You can search for manuals on how to do this from internet.

But if you do Overclocking the CPU will be overheated very fast. Hence the CPU may get worn out soon. If you do not want to take the risk then do not do overclocking. If the warranty period of your computer is not over then do not do overclocking. Because some comapnies do not give warranty if they come to know that you used overclocking.

Use a new hard disk to Boot.

If you already have a hard disk and it is almost full then you can buy a new hard disk. In which case, you should change your new hard disk as C: drive and your old hard drive as drive D:.

You can make the new drive as Master

The use of Video projector in Offices, Companies and Universities are getting more and more popular. The projector which is also referred to as the 'LCD Projector' and 'VGA Projector' are getting cheaper and cheaper.

Projectors are used to show important programs and presentations. Teachers like projectors as projectors are very useful in teaching. Easy to carry portable projectors are also available in the market.

Here are the buying tips for choosing a good projector

1. There are two types of projectors based on the technology they use. The 'Liquid Crystal Display' (LCD) and the 'Digital Light Processing' (DLP) based projectors. The LCD projectors are very cheap compared to the DLP projectors
   
2. The weight of the LCD projector is very high compared to the weight of the DLP projectors. Therefore those want to carry the projectors easily then you should buy a DLP projector.
   
3. If the size of the projector is small then there will be minimum connections available in the projector. Therefore if you go for more features and do not care about the size then you should choose a bigger projector.
   
4. If you want to be able to connect VCR, VCD or camcorder to the projector then you should check whether these connectors ara available.
   
5. You should check the light brightness of the projector. This is measured in lumens. Different projectors have 1000, 1500, 2000 or 3000 lumens. If you are going to use the projector in a small room then 1000 to 1500 lumens is enough. If you are planning to use your projector in big halls, auditoriums then choose the 3000 or higher lumens projector.
   
6. Also remember that the resolution is very important. If you need sharp and clear pictures then you should choose the projector with high resolution. Projectors are available at 800x600, 1024x728, 1280x1024 resolutions. The price of the projector will increase with the increase in resolution. Also note that the computer monitor's resolution and the projector's resolution should match when you give presentations.
   
7. Also check the contrast ratio of the projector. The ratio should be high for example between 400:1 projector and 2000:1 projector the latter is better.
   
8. See if the VGA, SVideo, Composite Video connectors are available. Similarly check if the 'Audio In' connector is available.
   
9. Check the 'tilt mechanism' provided in the projector. This is used to tilt your projector, upwards or downwards based on your requirement. Usually the projector will rest on four screws which are adjustable. Some brands come with two screws behind and one screw in the center front. You can adjust these screws to adjust the projection to fit the screen.
   
10. Check the life of the 'bulb' in the projector. Check the price of the bulb in case you need to change it.
    
11. See the menu options provided in the projector and whether it is easy to operate using the remote control and whether it is easy to connect to the computer.
    
12. See if the laser pointer comes with the remote control or given separately. The laser pointer with the remote control is better.
    
13. See if the projector can be locked using a password. This is very useful if you do not want unauthorized use.
    
14. Also check if there is a 'control panel lock'. This will prevent the use of projectors without the remote control. So only those who have the remote at hand can operate it.

Those who frequently travel abroad or to other cities use notebooks a lot. While traveling in trains and planes they will work using their notebooks without wasting time.

While at home and office, notebooks use AC power. While in Trains and Planes notebooks depend on the DC power supplied by the battery.

During a 12 hours journey if you would like to use the notebook at least for 6 hours then your notebook's battery should last for at least six hours. During journey if you follow the tips given below you can extend the battery life of notebook computers. Your journey will be successful.

Follow these tips to extend your your notebook battery's life

1. Power off the monitor and the hard disk.
   
   When you are using the computer, if you have to leave the computer to attend to something else then you can power off the monitor and hard disk during that time. This will increase the battery's life. You can make the Windows Operating System carry out this job automatically.
   
   Open the control panel and click on 'Power Options'. In the new dialog box select the 'Power Schemes'. In the 'Running on batteries' section change the time provided in the 'Turn off monitor' and 'Turn of hard disks' to a shorter time. Generally you don't have to change the default settings in the Os. But you can change it if you want it.
   
2. Enable Hibernation
   
   In Windows XP there is a Hibernation feature. Many use the 'Stand by' option instead of hibernation. There is a difference between hibernation and standby. When you are not using the computer you can use both of them. But if you choose hibernation then all your work will be backed up and then the computer will be fully shut down. The battery power will be saved. In stand by mode the battery power is still being used by the computer.
   
   As given in the previous heading, in the 'Power Options properties' dialog box click on the 'Hibernate' tab and select the 'Enable Hibernation' check box.
   
3. Change the BIOS setting
   
   Electricity related settings can also be determined in the BIOS settings. If there is a difference between the time you have given in Windows and the time you have given in BIOS then the time given in the BIOS will override the time given in the windows. Therefore make changes accordingly to make these two settings same.
   
4. Decrease the screen brightness
   
   When you use the notebook in battery reduce the screen's brightness. This will extend battery's life.
   
5. Remove unwanted hardware from your notebook
   
   Whether you use or not, all the hardware connected to the computer will consume power. You can use the mouse pad provided in the notebook instead of an external mouse.
   
6. Disable unused devices
   
   Disable unused devices such as Wi-Fi, Infrared while not in use. You can disable them either through appropriate menu options or by right clicking the system tray icons in the task bar.
   
   Also disable Anti-virus software, scheduler, Instant messaging etc. This will increase battery life. After your journey you can enable them again.
   
7. Do not run unwanted applications
   
   During journey you may use VCD, DVD etc to view movies. This will consume lot of battery power. So use them wisely.

Flash memory cards are used in Notebook computers, Digital cameras, Music players, PDAs and Car Stereos. Since these flash memories are cheap and the storage capacity ranges from 8MB to 1GB many people are buying these cards.

There are many types of flash memory cards. There are also USB drives and external hard disks in the market. So before you buy any cards you should first find out whether it is suitable for your notebook or computer. In this article we shall discuss about flash memory cards.

Difference between normal memory and flash memory

In an ordinary memory chip there are many cells. Each cell has either 0 or 1 state. When this cell is charged, its state will change. Which means if it was 1 then it will change to 0 and if it was 0 it will change to 1.

Remove the charge from the memory chip and the cells in the chip will forget their states. It will no longer retain its state.

But a flash memory is different. Even if the power is disconnected from the flash memory chip the cells in flash memory will still remember and retain its last state. This is the speciality of the Flash memory.

Thats why flash memory is better than the normal memory. But even flash memory has its disadvantages. The speed of a flash memory is too slow. Generally the speed of flash memory is 1Mbps. But flash memory with double or triple this speed are also available. The price of flash memory is more expensive than normal memory.

Types of flash memory

1. Smart Media
   
   Smart Media cards were first introduced at 2.7" size and at a thickness of a playing card. Since it could be easily bent the possibility of getting spoiled is high. Smart Media cards can be used in digital cameras and music players. If you want to use this in your computer you need to buy a PC card adapter. The smart media card with 1.8" length, 1.5" breadth and 0.06" thickness are not widely in use.
   
2. Compact Flash
   
   Compact Flash cards are used in Digital cameras, notebooks, PDAs, Music players and car stereos. Compact Flash cards are available with 4GB storage capacity and 1.4" length, 1.7" breadth and 0.2" thickness. Research is being done to increase the storage capacity of compact flash cards to 16GB.
   
3. Memory stick
   
   Many companies are now manufacturing memory sticks. There are many types of memory sticks which are used in digital cameras, notebooks, PDAs, music players and car stereos. Some even get confused between Memory stick, Memory stick duo, Memory stick & select, Memory stick pro. The size of each of these types of memory sticks are different. The storage capacity also differs 128MB, 256MB, 1GB, 2GB and 4GB.
   
4. Secure digital
   
   As though the confusion in memory stick is not enough secure digital type of flash memory are also available. Secure digital flash memory cards can also be used in digital camera, notebooks, PDAs, Music players and car stereos. All popular brands manufacture secure digital cards. Computer experts predict that secure digital cards have very good future. The secure digital cards are very small in size. The size of usual Secure Digital cards (SD card) is 1.2x0.9x0.07.
   
   More recently MiniSD cards are available which are even smaller in size (0.8x0.8x0.5). The storage size is 256MB or 512MB.
   
5. XDPicture cards
   
   Fuji and Olympus cameras use XDPicture cards in their digital cameras. The size of XDPicture cards is 1.0x0.8x0.5. The storage capacity of XDPicture cards are 512MB or 1GB.

Is it possible to store 2GB to 4GB of data in a device half the size of your pen? If you asked this question a few years back the answer is NO. But now it is very much possible. These are called USB drives or THUMB drives.

Those drives like pen drive or thumb drive that can be inserted to your USB (Universal Serial Bus) port in your computer is an USB drive.

Floppy drives and hard drives are secured to your computer using screws. Therefore they are permanently fixed to your computer. To disconnect and install it in another computer is not an easy task. Moreover these drives need power cables and data cables separately to function. But an USB drive is entirely different.

It is very easy to use an USB drive. You just have to insert the USB drive into your computer's USB port. You need not open the computer's cabinet for this. There is not data cable or power cable in USB drives.

As soon as you insert the USB drive into your USB port you can start using it. You need not install any software to use this. Reason: The newer Operating Systems such as Windows XP and most of the linux distros know how to detect these USB drives automatically. Immediately the OS will mount the USB drive to your computer and assign a drive letter such as E: or F: and will be available in your usual file explorer such as windows explorer.

If your Operating System is old (such as Windows 98) then you may have to install the appropriate driver software for your USB drive. The driver comes in the CD together with the drive or you can download the driver from the manufacturer's website.

What is bootable USB drive?

Just like the bootable floppy disk or a bootable CD you can also boot the computer using a bootable USB drive. But your computer's BIOS should support this facility.

Buying tips for USB drive (Thumb drive, pen drive, jump drive etc)

1. Storage size of USB drive
   
   USB drives are also called as Pen drive, Thumb drive, Jump drive, Key chain drive etc. These drives come in various storage capacities. USB drives are available from 16MB to 4.4GB.
   
2. Speed of USB drives
   
   Currently the USB2.0 is the standard widely in use. The speed of USB 2.0 is 480 MBPS. You may think that USB 2.0 based USB drives will have this 480 Mbps speed. But in reality there are three types of speed in USB drives.
   
   They are Low speed, Full speed and High speed. Low speed refers to a mere 1.5 Mbps speed. Do not get misled by the 'Full speed' term. Full Speed USB drives have 12 Mbps speed. Only 'High speed' or 'hispeed' USB drives have 480Mbps speed. Remember to buy USB drives that are faster to read and write.
   
   So do not just see whether it is USB 2.0 but also see the speed.
   
3. Write Protected USB drives
   
   See if the USB drive has a write protect switch. Because if you do not want to accidentally delete the files or do not want to accidentally write to it then this switch will be useful.

Nowadays digital cameras are replacing conventional film cameras. It is true that many people prefer to buy digital cameras then normal cameras. There are many reasons for this change. With digital cameras there is no need to keep the film safe. No need to wait to see the photos until the whole film roll is finished. No need to bring to a studio to print. The advantages of buying a digital camera are many. So many want to buy digital cameras.

But what are the different types of digital cameras? How much is its price? Which digital camera to choose? And many such questions are common while buying digital cameras.

Here are the buying tips for choosing a digital camera. The price ranges from $120 to $700. So based on your budget and your requirements you should choose the various features in a digital camera.

• Compared to digital cameras with CMOS sensors, digital cameras with CCD sensor is better. The CCD sensor cameras are smaller in size and produce a better quality.
  
• The resolution should be high. 640x480, 1024x768, 768x1280, 1024x2048 are some of the resolutions in digital cameras.
  
• The camera memory should also be high. If you need greater clarity the digital camera's internal memory should be high. Generally 2, 8 or 16MB internal memory camera's are available. So choose a higher one.
  
• See the interface of the digital camera to a computer. Both USB interface and Parallel ports are available. But a USB interface camera is better because of the speed and easy to use features.
  
• A camera with Viewfinder is good. Using this you can view the picture other than from the LCD.
  
• Optical zoom is most important. Even if it is expensive choose the camera with an optical zoom
  
• See if you can increase the camera's memory. Compact Flash card, smart media or Memory sticks can be used to increase the camera's memory. Never choose a camera in which you cannot change the camera's memory.
  
• Usually in order to print the photos, you will have to first copy the photos from digital cameras to the computer and then print it from the computer. But there are cameras which can be directly connected to the printer to print. If printing photos are your main job then choose a camera that can directly connect to a printer
  
• Some digital cameras are capable of capturing short videos. If you need this feature then see if the camera has this feature.
  
• Choose the digital camera with a fast shutter speed. If you are buying a digital camera for use in your profession then you should have a camera with very high shutter speed.
  
• See if the camera is user friendly and easy to use. See if the buttons are easy to press.
  
• See if the camera is designed such that your fingers never come in between the flash or the lens. Choose a camera that is designed based on Ergonomics.

DVD is the latest mass data storage device after floppy disk and CDs. The price of the DVD writer is also very affordable these days. Have you decided to buy a DVD writer? Then read the DVD writer buying tips below before making your choice.

The data and information we have in our computers are our treasure. That is the reason why we take all steps to secure this data. If the software installed in our computer gets corrupt or somehow doesn't function properly we can always reinstall these software. But if our data such as documents, images, videos etc are lost then our hard work will be lost. We may even lose money in certain cases. Therefore we should take all steps to keep our data safe and secure.

To backup our information file we can use the Digital Audio Tape (DAT). To use this we need to buy the required driver. But this is very expensive. Ordinary people cannot afford this. Only big firms and companies use this type of tape drives to backup their data.

When backing up in a smaller scale CDs or DVDs. Using CD Writers we can copy data into CD R or CD RW disks. But in CDs you can only store upto 650MB or 700MB of data. So the CDs are losing their popularity these days.

In a DVD you can store upto 4.7GB of data. That is why DVDs have become popular. The price of DVD writers are also very affordable. So here are some buying tips for DVD Writers.

• You can categorize DVD writers into two. The internal DVD writer that is permanently fitted inside the computer or the external DVD writer that can be carried with your anywhere you go.
  
• DVD writers also have single layer DVD writer or Dual layer DVD writer. The DVDs useds in a single layer DVD drive can store upto 4.3GB. The DVDs in a dual layer DVD drive can store upto 8.5GB. The Single layer DVD drive is cheaper than the dual layer DVD drive.
  
• See if the DVD writer supports the Mt. Rainier standard. Because if it supports Mt. Rainier then you don't require software such as In CD, Direct to Disk etc.
  
• DVD drive's buffer memory should be high. At least 8MB buffer should be there.
  
  
• Check the DVD drive supports CDR, CDRW, DVDR, DVD+R, DVD RW, DVD +RW etc.
  
• The speed of the DVD writer should be fast. This will affect the reading and writing speed.
  
• If you buy an external DVD writer then you should have USB interface or Firewire interface.

While printing using Laser printers, you need to insert pages one by one to print. Because of this, only one side of the paper can be printed at a time. But most of the times we may want to print on both sides of the paper. If you are facing with a similar need to print on both sides of the paper, then follow these tips.

First insert a paper. Carefully note, which side of the paper is being printed by the printer. After printing the first page, printer will alert saying that the paper tray is empty. Now insert the same printed paper but this time insert it the other way, so that the printer will print on the blank side of the paper. Now press on 'resume printing / continue printing' button. As soon as you insert the paper, the printer will use its sensors to sense and suck inside to start printing the second page.

But the method described above is not the best way to print on both sides of the paper. There is another easier method. When you give the 'Print' command, in the Printer dailog box, look for the 'Pages' section and type numbers '1,3,5,7....' (which is all the odd numbers). Remember to use a comma in between two numbers. In some printers you will see 'Odd Pages' option. If your printer has this option then you can just select this option instead of typing all the odd numbers in the Pages box. Now your printer will print all the odd pages of the document and start printing. Again see which side of the page is the printing page. After all the odd pages are printed, take all these printed papers and place them again in the paper tray (note that you should place them such that the printing side is correct). After you place them, again give the 'Print' command and either type all the even numbers such as '2,4,6,8...' etc or select the 'Even pages' option. Now you will get both pages of the paper printed correctly.

Note that some newer printers are more intelligent and has an option to specify that 'print both sides' of the paper. If your printer has this option then printer will print the first page and automatically the paper will be sucked in for printing the second side of the page.

Today computers have become a necessity in every home. More and more
middle income households are now owning a computer now. That is why there
are many different branded PCs at different prices. It has become a tough
decision to choose the right computer. If you do not know the different
components in the computer and their functions, it becomes even more
difficult to choose. In this article let us see the various components in
a computer to help you in your choosing the right computer for you.

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

Most of the computers have Pentium Processors. Pentium processors are very
popular CPUs. Pentium Processors are manufactured by Intel.

Other than Pentium, Intel also manufactures Celeron processors. AMD
manufactures Athlon processors.

If you want to save money then go for Celeron processors. If you want
higher performance then choose Pentium processors.

Pentium processors come in 2.6 GHz, 2.8 GHz, 3.0 GHz and above while
Celeron processors come in 950 MHz to 2.80 MHz speed.

RAM (Random Access Memory)

There are many types of RAM namely DDR and SDRAM. The type of RAM you
choose depends on the motherboard you choose and what your motherboard
supports.

Get a RAM as big as possible. 256MB of RAM is the minimum RAM required for
a decent computer. But it is recommended that you go for atleast 512MB RAM
or even higher if possible.

Motherboard

Intel, Asus and Mercury are some of the motherboard brands. Generally
computer buyers overlook on motherboards. This is wrong. A good quality
motherboard will provide an efficient and faster computer.

The Chipset of a motherboard is very important. Intel's 845 and 915G
chipsets can take in Pentium processors. Likewise nVidia's nForce 4SLI
chipset takes AMD's Athelon 64 and Athelon 64 FX processors.

Hard Disk

Harddisks with 7200RPM speed are available. Harddisks with 40GB, 80GB,
120GB storage capacity are available. 80GB harddisk capacity is suitable
for home as well as office use.

HardDisks come in two types of interfaces. EIDE or SATA among which SATA
interface is better.

Graphics Card

Graphics card is integrated inside the motherboard. Unlike before the
graphics card and the motherboard are now integrated. Intel's Extreme
Graphics, Graphics Media Accelerator 900 are popular. If you go for nVidia
motherboard then Riva TNT2 graphics card is better.

Sound Card

Like graphics card, sound cards are also integrated in the motherboard.
Many motherboards come with Ac97 Audio cards.

CD Drives

Until 2004 the sale of CDROM drives was good. All computers came with 48x
or 52x CD drives.

But sales of CD Writers took over CDROM drives in late 2004. From 2005 it
is DVD writers and the combo drives that can handle both CDs and DVDs. So
choose either combo drives that can read and write CDs and read DVDs or go
for DVD Writers.

Monitor

15" and 17" monitors are very popular. The CRT monitors occupy more space
on the table and consume more power. Where as the flat LCD panel monitors
occupy less space and consume less power. So choose a LCD monitor

KeyBoard

A simple keyboard is usually sufficient. You may also try multimedia
keyboards or Internet keyboards. But most computer users usually do not
use these additional short cut keys provided in these new keyboards.

Membrane keys or mechanical type keys are available. Of these Mechanical
keys are more durable.

Mouse

Optical mouse is better than the ordinary mouse. The ball inside the ordinary mouse tends to gather dust and therefore the optical mouse is better to use.

Others

If you are an audio buff then you can buy good speakers, earphone and head set.

Try to get integrated network interface card and modem if you will be using networking or dialup internet.

Many years back, Government agencies and private organizations used photos and image Slide shows to show their new plans and accomplishments to press and others. In this old method which used a slide projector, once the slide is created you cannot make any changes or modifications to the slide content. Without the Slide projector these slides were useless. But with the invent of computers this practice has become obsolete. With Presentation software and applications such as Microsoft Power point, the slide projection method is no more in use.

There are many Presentation applications. The more popular of them are Action, Harvard Graphics, Freelance Graphics, Power Point. It is undeniable that Microsoft's PowerPoint is the most popular among them all. The term 'Slide Show' is used in these presentation software. Every screen shot that is displayed on the screen is called a Slide. After creating many such slides you can store it as a single file. This file is called the presentation file. In PowerPoint .ppt is the extension of a presentation file. You can also call a presentation file as a slide show.

Power point has a 'Auto Content Wizard' feature. If you use this wizard and select the appropriate options (eg. Projects, Personal, Sales/Marketing) the wizard will show many slide shows under these headings. If you choose any of them and answer the questions that the wizard asks then the slide show is ready within minutes.

PowerPoint gives many themes and templates. Each template has a different background and fonts. You can select your preferred theme and start creating your presentation slide show. In each slide type the appropriate content.

PowerPoint has a 'Blank Presentation' option. If you choose this you will get slides with White background. Most experienced people use this option. In this you create slides according to your design and content. If required later you can apply a theme to this slide show. When you apply a theme to a blank presentation, all the content will be automatically changed to the selected theme.

Anybody can create a presentation easily. If you have family photos, scan it and save it in your computer as images. Or transfer from your digital camera to your computer. You can create a presentation using these photos and show it to your guests and friends.

In a single slide you can many objects. For example in a slide you have inserted a photo and below the photo you have added some text to explain about the photo then you have two objects in your slide. One is the image and the other is the text. You can make these objects in a slide appear in the screen at different intervals and different styles. This is called Animation. Between two slides, if the first slide is removed and the second slide is shown, you can remove and insert slides using different styles. For example the first slide enters from the left of your screen and moves to the right and disappears and after that the second slide emerges from a single dot in the center and zooms up to occupy the entire screen. This is called 'Transition' between slides. In your slide show presentation you can create Animation and transition techniques to make your presentation interesting and rich.

For home user as well as for Office user, here is a basic PowerPoint tutorial

• First determine the objective of the presentation. For example are you introducing a new product of your company? or you presenting a project proposal? First determine this objective. Your whole presentation should follow this objective.
  
• Also determine your target viewers. For example your audience is going to be 'Engineers' and your slide show is about marketing fo your product, your presentation will be boring to your audience.
  
• Next, make a list of what images, charts, audio or video that you already have and want to include in your presentation. Then copy all these files in a single folder in your computer.
  
• Now plan your story line. What you want to say first, and what should follow, what should be your conclusion. Your slides also should follow this story line. If you say something then move to something else then again move back to the previous slides then the audience will be irritated.
  
• Then choose the right template. Do some trial and error and see many templates to decide on the final one.
  
• Do not use the same style to show a big paragraph. Use different styles and better still break it and split it into more slides.
  
• Do not overuse animations. If you do, then the audience will be distracted and their concentration will move to animation rather than your content. In all slides do not use more that two animations.
  
• In the same presentation do not use different transition styles. Use the same transition style throughout your presentation. Otherwise the audience will be distracted.
  
• Do not insert audio into every slide of your presentation. You can include audio in two most important slides of your presentation. Otherwise use a soothing background music all through your presentation.
  
• Do not use all capital letters and do not use many styles or fonts in the same slide. Try to minimise the number of fonts that you use. It is better that you use the same font throughout the slide show. Otherwise it will be very difficult to read.
  
• Now run the show and see if all the slides come out well. If all of them are readable. Go back and modify those slides that are not OK.
  
• If you need to change the order of slides then you can use the 'Slide sorter' to change the order of each slide.
  
• Finally if you are satisfied with the look of the presentation slide show then practice your presentation skills by speaking out together with the slide show atleast two or three times before the actual presentation.
  
  Good luck

MP3 format has revolutionized the audio industry. MP3 was able to produce
the same quality of audio as in the audio CDs. However the size of MP3 files were just one tenth of the actual audio file size. That is the reason why MP3 is very popular and many download MP3 songs from the internet. With MP3, the size of the audio can be reduced to one tenth of the original size without compromising the quality. Many wondered, If only video can be compressed without compromising the quality, how wonderful it would be. DivX is the answer for video lovers.

Why should video be compressed?

AVI is the most popular video format. A 3 hours movie with the clarity of 640x480 size, if saved in AVI format will occupy 20GB to 30GB. The reason is that AVI is a non compressed video format.

If just one movie requires 30GB then imagine how many video files you can store in your hard disk. That is why video needs to be compressed. Motion Picture Group released MPEG1 format which is a compressed video format. MPEG1 even after compression gave the same quality as the VCR format.

Motion Picture Expert Group then released the MPEG2 format which was even more advanced. With MPEG2, the same 3 hours movie can be compressed to 1.8GB. The latest release from Motion Picture Expert Group is the MPEG4 format. Using MPEG4 the same 3 hours movie can be compressed to a mere 650MB. Which makes it possible to store the movie in a single CD.

What is DivX?

DivX is also a video compression format. DivX compresses the video using MPEG4 format and compresses the audio using MP3 format. Therefore both audio and video is compressed in the 10:1 ratio. Therefore a file which is initially stored in a DVD can be now stored in a single VCD.

How to play DivX files?

You need to have a DivX player software to play a DivX format file. You can download this free DivX player from www.divx.com . To play DivX files you need a computer with atleast Pentium II 300 MHz, 128 MB RAM and 4MB video.

Where to download DivX files?

DivX movies are available at many websites. Most of them are illegal ones. Therefore do not just download anything that is available and get into legal issues. You will not have any problems if you download those files that are declared as free or 'No copy rights'.

If you have video files in VCDs then you can convert them to DivX format using the software 'Virtual Dub'.

You can convert your DVDs to DivX format using software such as Smartripper, Virtual Dub, XvidBit Calculator and Xvid Codec.

What software you need?

• To convert AVI to DivX, MPEG to DivX, VCD to DivX or DVD to DivX you can use the following software.
  
• Virtual Dub. You can download Virtual Dub at www.virtualdub.org and use Virtual Dub to convert video from one format to another format.
  
• DivX Codec. You can download Divx Codec from www.divx.com
  
• To convert audio to MP3 format you need MP3 encoder. Win LAME or Lame MP3 encoder software are used to convert to MP3 audio files. You can download Lame MP3 encoder from http://miti.ok.free.fr
  
• You can calculate Bitrate using xvidBit Calculator, Dvt001. You can download Dvt001 software from www.musclesoft.de
  

If you get the error: "Error Number: OX80070725 / Description: Incompatible version of the RPC setup. Setup will terminate" while trying to install a game into my windows PC then the reason for this is that OLEAut 32.dll, OLDPRO32.DLL, ASYCFILT.DLL or such files are corrupt or incompatible.

To solve this problem, goto the Windows site at

http://download.microsoft.com/download/msninvestor/patch/1.0/win98/en-us/mcrepair.exe and download the .EXE file and install. While installing, you maybe prompted whether you want to replace the old files with the new files confirm 'Yes'. After that install the game and enjoy.

If you want to read more about this error from Microsoft, you can do so at this page:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;321915

Image resizer is a power toy tool that can be downloaded from microsoft website. www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/
xppowertoys.mspx

As the name suggests, 'Image resizer' is used to resize the image files in our computer. These images can be a JPG, BMP or other image format files. Once you download this power toy tool from the above webpage and install it in your computer,

1. you can open the windows explorer and select a few image files and right click to see a menu.
2. From this menu select 'Resize pictures'
3. Then select the preferred size that you want for these selected pictures
4. Then click 'Ok' to save all these files with the size you selected.

Though this tool is very easy to use, you may still have to make some settings to tune this tool. You can only resize the pictures into four different sizes. In this, the first three sizes can be used to resize the photos or pictures in landscape format. The fourth option, 'Handheld PC' can be used only with Pocket PCs.

If you need to fine tune this tool, do not use the 'default size' option. Instead select 'Advanced' and select the 'custom option'. For both 'portrait and landscape' type of pictures select the maximum size of pixels (resolution). In both boxes use the resolution that you selected. This is the maximum size therefore do not worry that all files will be resized to this. Usually 600x800 size is suitable for sending emails and storing in websites. However if you need to print it out then select higher resolutions.

Your high resolution original pictures will be renamed and retained by Image Resizer, therefore do not worry that resizing will delete the original files.

In Windows 3.1 and Windows 3.11 versions of windows which are now obsolete there were many INI files used by the Operating System. These INI files containted details of different hardware and applications installed in the computer.

But in Windows 95, Microsoft introduced the concept of 'Registry'. In these registries, windows stored details and settings of all the hardware and applications.

All the windows versions starting from Windows 95 followed this Registry style. Windows 98, ME, NT, 2000 and XP use these registries.

In today's Windows Operating System, Registries play an important role. If due to some reason these registries get corrupted then the whole computer becomes unusable and cannot even boot the system. If you had the backup of registries then you can restore these registries and make your computer function again.

You never know when these registries get corrupted. Therefore it is a good practice to backup your registries every now and then, so that when required you can use this backup to restore your registry settings.

Registry in Windows 95/98/ME

In Windows 95 and 98, System.dat and User.dat are two important files. The reason is these two files are the registries. In Windows ME a third file namely Classes.dat was included as part of the registry.

These three files are usually located in the 'Windows' folder. So if you use Windows explorer, goto 'Windows' folder and copy these three files to another folder then the backup of registry is done.

Microsoft has provided an utility for backing up registries called ERD. In your Windows CD this utility is there.

Moreover, Windows 95,98 and ME backs up the registry on startup.

Registry in Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

Those Windows Os that are based on the NT Kernel such as Windows NT/2000/XP do not backup registry on its own. Therefore you have to backup manually if you are using one of these windows versions.

It is not an easy task to backup registry in Windows NT/2000/XP. There are many files such as Default, Sam, Security, Software and System that constitute registries. They are found in the System32/Config folder. Since these files are used by the OS, you cannot copy these files.

In Windows NT you can use Regback Regrest NTBACKUP utility to backup and restore registries.

In Windows XP you can use System Restore utility to backup and restore utilities.

In Windows NT/2000/XP chances of registry getting corrupted is very less. Maybe that is the reason why Microsoft does not provide easier methods to backup and restore registries in these versions of Windows.

http://home.t-online.de/home/lars.hederer/erunt is a free software that you can download and use to backup and restore registries in Windows NT/2000/XP. utility to backup registry and utility to restore back the registry. In Windows 2000 you can use the

When you bought the computer the engineers may have given these advise to you. Or when there was some problem in the computer and you went for repair the support engineer may have cautioned you about these tips. You may even have tried these once and then forgot about it. It becomes a MUST to keep your harddisk healthy and clean for your computer to function properly at all times. Therefore I advice you to print these tips and paste it in your computer room so that you always remember to follow these advice.

1. Virus Scan: At least every fortnightly you should scan your computer for viruses. Or atleast configure your Anti-virus software to auto scan at preset intervals. Almost all the Anti-virus software comes with this scheduled scanning feature. This is called AutoProtect. Set this feature ON. Likewise if there is a virus then what to do, do you want to delete it, if not possible to delete then quarantine it etc. You can set these options in your Anti virus software. Also remember to update the virus definition files of your Antivirus software often. Or select the 'Live Update' option so that the Antivirus software is always upto date.
   
2. Another essential software you should have is 'Adware / Spyware' removal program. Though this is not as important as the Anti virus software it is better to have a Adware Spyware removal software. Only then you will be notified of malicious spy programs that spy on your private information. ZoneAlarm is a free software that detects Adware and Spyware in your computer. So download and install this free software.
   
3. Some unwanted files occupy your harddisk space. Your computer will detect these unwanted files and delete them to free your harddisk space. For this you have to do 'Disk cleanup'. In your windows explorer select 'C' drive and right click and choose 'properties'. In the new window that opens, you will see a small pie chart which shows how much of your hard disk is currently occupied and how much is free. In this window you will see the 'Disk cleanup' button. If you click on this the Disk cleaning process will start. It will show you how much space can be freed. If you are doing this first time, you will be surprised that the unwanted files occupy so much space.
   
4. Due to curiosity you may have installed many programs and applications in your computer. Some of the applications you may have used once or twice and may have forgotten about the application. It is a good practice therefore to remove these unwanted applications from your computer every now and then. To do this, goto Start,Control Panel and click on 'Add/Remove Programs'. In the 'Add/Remove programs' window you will see a list of all the programs installed in your computer. It will also show you when was the last time you used each program. Here you can select the unwanted application and uninstall.
   
5. You can also manually look in to your 'My Documents' folder or any other folder that you frequently use to store your files and see if there is any unwanted file and delete it.
   
6. If you use 'Outlook' to view your emails then all your emails get stored in your inbox and trash folder. You can clear unwanted emails from outlook to save a lot of space.
   
7. Similarly you can also clear history from your internet explorer. Your browser keeps in history some files from each website you visit. So if you have not cleared history files from internet explorer for quite some time then it may occupy a lot of space in your harddisk. Therefore it is best to goto 'Tools,Internet options' and then 'Delete Temporary internet files' and clear history from there. You may also 'Delete cookies' and 'Delete Files'.
   
8. You may have kept shortcuts to many programs and applications in your desktop. It is a good practice to keep your desktop clean by deleting unwanted icons from desktop. Remember that deleting shortcuts does not delete the application. You should uninstall the application from 'control panel->Add remove programs'.
   
9. Also remember that just deleting files DOES NOT free space. Because windows will store all the deleted files into 'Recycle Bin'. So you have to 'Empty the recycle bin' in order to delete the files permanently and free space in your hard disk.

After using computer when you shutdown windows, you may sometimes wonder whether you can make the shut down faster. Even those who play games for 3 or 4 hours at a stretch will be impatient to wait while waiting for shutting down. Some may complain, 'my computer takes very long time to shut down'. There is way to make your shutting down time shorter.
Follow these steps to make shut down time to 5 seconds.

1. In a blank space in your desktop, right click and select 'New / Shortcut'.
2. In the 'Create shortcut' window in the 'Type the location of the item' box type shutdown and then leave a blank space and type the command as shown below.
3. If you use Windows 95/98 or ME then type c:\windows\rundll.exe\user.exe exitwindows
4. If you use Windows XP then type c:\windows\system32\shutdown.exe -s -t -05
5. The system will alert you that the system will shutdown in 5 minutes. If you want to make it longer then change the seconds as you want.
6. Now click 'Next' and type a name for your shortcut
7. Now click 'Finish'.

What you have done is, to create a shortcut for the program 'Shutdown.exe' and to execute it with your own preferences. This file is usually available at %systemroot%system32 folder.