We use passwords every day to access our email accounts, bank accounts, Facebook and Twitter accounts and hundreds of other services. There is great temptation to use one password for all accounts and to make it short and easy to remember. However, this may have a devastating effect on our security and privacy. If you think that you have nothing to hide, think again. In most cases the passwords are cracked with malicious purposes - to use your computer to send spam, to steal money, to infect your computer, and many other. Read More

In today’s technology reliant business world, companies are becoming increasingly responsive to the need to protect and retain valuable business data. One often overlooked means of protecting against data loss and equipment damage is the utilization of quality battery backup device in addition to critical data retention and mainframe disaster recovery software implementation. While battery backup can prevent the loss of valuable data in the event of a power outage or lapse, a quality battery backup solution will furthermore protect expensive electronic equipment such as personal computers and servers from costly damage. Considering the high cost associated with data loss and equipment replacement, not just any battery backup device will suffice.

Here we examine some of the factors that should be considered in the selection of a battery backup for business or home use.
First of all, what does battery backup do? A battery backup, also referred to as an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), allows equipment to safely shut down temporarily in the event of a power outage or lapse in service, but a quality backup unit also prevents equipment damage by regulating fluctuations in the flow of electricity to the equipment. Even when electrical service is seemingly reliable and consistent, variations such as spikes and surges alter the voltage level being delivered to sensitive electronic equipment. Battery backups with an automatic voltage regulation feature are recommended due to their ability to prevent such fluctuations from harming equipment in the long term.

A battery backup must be capable of accommodating the amount of energy required to power the equipment for which it is intended without being overworked. A battery backup device must have the appropriate wattage and volt-ampere ratings to support the equipment that will be utilizing it. While a single home computer and monitor may be able to get by with a basic battery backup unit, more demanding applications such as server rooms warrant a more powerful solution. Additionally, a more advanced battery backup unit will incorporate software which performs periodic tests on the device and retains the test results.

Even when an appropriately powered, self testing battery backup device is being utilized, telecommunication equipment connected directly to a computer or server poses a hidden danger. A single lightning strike can easily travel via RJ-11 and RJ-45 cables and wreak havoc on the connected equipment. A battery backup device with RJ-11 and RJ-45 protection provides a necessary layer of defense between valuable equipment and storm related surges or lightning.

Awareness of product features and voltage ratings among various products is critical to selecting a battery backup device that is sufficient for a particular application. All battery backup solutions do not incorporate all of the features outlined herein. Other factors such as whether all or only select outlets on a unit are actually battery backed and whether a device facilitates the ability to “hot swap” a battery when needed may also be considered in the selection of a battery backup device.

When word of the iPhone first got out, it seemed as though Apple was going to take over the cell phone market, in a similar way as iPod swept over the MP3 player market. But Blackberry refused to stay behind all the brouhaha surrounding the iPhone, and so far, they have perfectly held their own against the iPhone.

What we're seeing this year is reminiscent of the old duel between PC's and Mac's, IBM vs. Macintosh, just with cell phones. We’ve got BlackBerry users and Apple enthusiasts. Who would have thought it, huh?

In 2011, we can see a resurgence of interest in the iPhone. There are many reasons why people would prefer this device over the BlackBerry, since they may feel that the BlackBerries are just too rough or coarse when it comes to user interface. However, in a business environment, the interfaces are proven, and widely used. But, we’re not likely to see Guitar Hero and Star Wars themes for BlackBerry.

So, is it fair to compare iPhones and BlackBerries?

It seems BlackBerry is winning, so far this year, given the new iPhone 4G “issue” with the signal antenna (and how Apple seems to have been handling this in a terrible way).

With the availability of the cell phone companies and models available, no two cell phones go head to head more often than these two. The iPhone and the BlackBerry are still hands-down the two most popular phones sold today. So, how do you know which one is right for you? See how each one ranks in the following categories to help you decide:

Applications – If having lots of software options on your phone is important to you, then the iPhone is your clear choice. The iPhone has over 1,000 application options available and easily trumps the BlackBerry’s very small list of programs that only include a word processor, a spreadsheet, and a PDF application. Granted, many of the iPhone applications are frivolous, like the “How Old Are You In Neanderthal Years?” calculator, or the daily horoscope update; but some are actually useful for business purposes, such as the available project management, time tracking, or financial calculator software. BlackBerry, on the other hand integrates with popular CRM solutions. Both the BlackBerry and the iPhone have software that allows you to use them as mini computers; but if you want to be able to convert your phone into a remote for your stereo, only the iPhone can do that.

Durability – For all intents and purposes, the BlackBerry wins in this category. The BlackBerry was actually created with business users in mind and therefore is a sturdier phone. If you have traveling sales people or remote users who need to stay connected to the office, the BlackBerry is less likely to get damaged than the iPhone. Although the iPhone has made definite strides in this area, dropping that phone on its face assures that you’ll have to get a new one.

Business Functionality – In the not too distant past, the iPhone didn’t have the business functionality of the BlackBerry. However, iPhones now integrate with Microsoft Exchange, which is one of the most common e-mail applications for small and mid-sized businesses. Both the BlackBerry and the iPhone have the ability to synchronize your contacts, calendar, and e-mail. Apple is also making attempts to ramp up the security of their iPhone; and as it stands today, the BlackBerry is the most secure of the two phones.

Of course, there are other smart-phone solutions on the market, but in the foreseeable future, this is where the battle lines are drawn.

Did you know -

The first hard drive available for the Apple II had a capacity of only 5 megabytes.

Whale oil was used in automobile transmissions as late as 1973.

The normal static electricity shock that zaps your finger when you touch a doorknob is usually between 10,000 and 30,000 volts!

The average car produces a pound of pollution every 25 miles!

If a car is travelling at 55 miles per hour it will travel 56 feet before the driver can shift his foot from the accelerator to the brake.

Nearly 50% of the world's scientists are assigned to military projects.

A “jiffy” is an actual unit of time - 1/100th of a second!

In 1895 Hampshire police handed out the first ever speeding ticket, fining a man for doing 6mph!

Approximately $25 million is spent each year on lap dances in Las Vegas.

The average 21 year old has spent 5,000 hours playing video games, has exchanged 250,000 e-mails, instant and text messages and has spent 10,000 hours on the mobile phone.

By the year 2012 there will be approximately 17 billion devices connected to the Internet.

While it took the radio 38 years, and the television a short 13 years, it took the World Wide Web only 4 years to reach 50 million users.

For the serious gamer, and laptop enthusiast, what may constitute the biggest factor to the enjoyment, is to have a system that performs optimally.

The most important factors are often considered a tie—the processor and the graphics card. When running games, you need them to run at decent speeds, so they’re not choppy and don't freeze up. Look for at least a dual core processor, with a speed of 1.8 GHz or above. You probably shouldn’t go below 1.8GHz. Even games that are a couple years old don’t run well on processors below 1.8GHz. Also, over time, computers get slower (not by themselves, there are several contributing factors). To ensure longevity go with as high a speed as you can. Also, if you can afford it, go with quad core processors.

If something is shooting at you and your images don’t render fast enough, you’ll probably be dead by the time you can even see what it is that’s shooting at you. So for this, go with a graphics card with 512 MB or even 1GB or more, of dedicated video RAM. NVIDIA and ATI CrossFire are popular choices. If you’ve got the money, check out SLI-enabled systems.

In the laptop RAM (as opposed to the dedicated video RAM), you’re going to need at least 2 GB to be able to run all the grueling tasks that most games require. For 64-bit operating systems, you want to consider a minimum of 4GB. However, you’re likely to be limited by processor speed and video RAM before laptop RAM.

Finally—the sound card. This normally wasn’t important, and you could get by with using an integrated sound card. But recently, gaming is all about high definition video AND high definition sound. In some more rare cases, games can even crash. Creative Audigy or Fatal1ty are perennial favourites because they’re not too overpriced.

Other factors to consider are hard drive speed—try to find 7200rpm systems, or even the new Solid State Drives.

Integrated Bluetooth will improve controller connectivity.

If you like playing games “on the go”, then a wireless N card will provide faster online play (as long as the source is wireless N).

A security system, such as fingerprint or even facial recognition, will improve system and data security.

The battery life is important for “on the go” playing. Nothing ruins a game like running out of juice.

Consider also factors like a card reader and a Blu-ray drive.

A big problem with a gaming laptop is cooling. They tend to heat well above average systems. Look for a user controllable, powerful, large fan. Consider an external lap desk with extra cooling fans built into it.

And last, but not least, the most recent operating system, such as Windows 7. Go with 64-bit if you can.

Happy gaming.