Give Your PC a Monitor Makeover

Whether you are crunching figures at a front office job or crouched over a blood and gore video game in some deep recess of your room, there is the right kind of screen available to suit your needs.

Monitors are one segment where you are truly spoilt for choice.

Be it a 15-inch, 17-inch or 19-inch CRT monitor* or a sleeker range of LCD screens*, there is a wide range to fit your budget. Hardware Software Articles: http://www.hardwaresoftwarearticles.com/archive/index.php/

*Size and resolution*

There are two aspects you must consider when selecting a monitor: physical size and resolution.

Screen size is the diagonal screen measurement, usually in inches. For instance, a computer monitor display might be 14 inches wide and 11 inches tall. This same screen has a diagonal measurement of 19 inches, which is the screen size.

Monitors also have an aspect ratio.

This is the ratio between the horizontal dimension and the vertical dimension (horizontal dimension divided by vertical dimension). Common monitor aspect ratios are 4:3 (1.3333) and 5:4 (1.25). Basics: http://www.hardwaresoftwarearticles.com/archive/index.php/f-2.html

A 4:3 aspect ratio means the picture is 4 units wide for every three units of height.

Wide screen monitors are easier on the eye (and much more expensive).

The higher the resolution, the greater the ability to render more detail. If you work with graphics or enjoy graphic-intensive games, you will need a monitor with higher resolution.

With most currently available models being flat screened, the difference is in the size and picture quality. A resolution of 1024 x 768 is a good one for most users.

*CRT monitors*

If you've decided to get a new CRT, make sure it has a sufficiently high refresh rate. This refers to how often the screen is redrawn per second. With low refresh rates you can get screen flicker and eyestrain. Virus: http://www.hardwaresoftwarearticles.com/archive/index.php/f-14.html

Aim for a rate of 75 Hz for a monitor up to 17 inches in size and 85 Hz for any larger monitor.

Another consideration for CRTs is dot pitch. The smaller the dot pitch, the sharper the image. Opt for a dot pitch of 0.26 mm or smaller.

CRTs function very well at multiple resolutions, can display detailed graphics and can be viewed comfortably from wider angles.

*LCD screens*

One of the primary disadvantages of LCDs when compared to CRTs is their limited viewing angle. When viewing a LCD straight on, it looks great. But the screen will appear washed-out if you move your head over to the side and look at it from a wider angle.

Also, LCDs are optimised to perform at a single resolution. Low-end LCDs have viewing angles of only 100 degrees, which won't give everyone crowded round your desk a clear view.

For a standard 15-inch LCD, try to get a 140 degree viewing angle. Increase that by 20-40 degrees when shopping for an 18-inch LCD.

The brightness of LCD monitors is an important factor. LCD monitors have several backlights that provide illumination. The backlights in a LCD are good for 10,000 to 50,000 hours of operation. Ensure that the backlights come with at least a one-year warranty. Messenger: http://www.hardwaresoftwarearticles.com/archive/index.php/f-7.html

*Making a choice*

LCD screens generally cause lesser strain to eyes than CRT monitors.

CRTs have better graphics, but they tend to occupy five times as much space.

If you are a gaming freak, then a CRT is a better option as it is best for any graphic interface.

If you want the sleek look, an LCD is meant for you. It is widely used in banks and treasury and trading rooms.

SL Chess Games with 2-4 Kids - Free Classroom Lesson

The whole class can make the figures/players with paper clay and chess boards with paper squares or ink. Paper clay is cheap and dries in a few days and then kids can paint it.

The game of chess is old and like the deck of 52 playing cards goes back to feudal times and the competitive wars between monarchs.

This game motivates the kids. I especially like four children playing (2 on each team) as the team members talk strategy and bicker in English so much. They can be very ammusing. The teacher acts as both English coach, peace and rule keeper and can be the 4th player if only 3 children are present.

KIDS LEARN:

1. Clay, modeling, drying, painting, etc. King, queen, bishop, knight (or horse), rook (castle is better) and pawn (peasant foot-soldier). Kids also learn check, checkmate, strategy and many small sentences of direction (Take the castle. Ah, you killed by bishop! etc.).

2. Teach and ask the kids about the roles/duties of each segment of society. Where are the women and children and grandparents?

3. Tell them this is a rigid rule-bound game. Real life is not played by rules. Some people use poison or marriage, alliances and ninja and traps to reach their goals. Some flee their kingdoms or get help from overseas. Sometimes plague breaks out. Life has random events.

4. Show them the moves of each class of warrior/player. Often the best way to show the moves is to dive in and play. Kids catch on quickly especially when the teacher starts killing/taking their main players. Stress helps them learn.

5. Emphasize the power of each player. Example: "The queen is very powerful. She can go anywhere, in any direction and sweep across the board, but only the Knight can jump over others. The pawn is a poor peasant/farmer, a foot soldier. He is fed poorly, can't move quickly, has little of no armour, poor weapons, no horse and is easily killed.

6. I show kids my own main strategy, which is to move a pawn and get the queen out quickly across the board (with the bishops) and to attack, attach, attack. Kids soon see that this often works well.

7. I show the kids that chess can be played solo, by changing seats, or by turning the board around (no ESL learning in this, however), and with an internet partner (little ESL value). I also show them some variations we sometimes play: A. Lead with castles (not the queen). B. Lead with bishops. C. Remove both queens.

Kids need to be monitored so they use English and not their native language. Enjoy!

Cheat For CityVille Or Quit Playing?

All through the Cityville forums people are up in arms about the recent changes that Zynga has imposed on the players by putting caps on certain values which makes the game more difficult to play. Many people are deciding to quit playing Cityville even though they were previously enjoying the social game tremendously. Some folks are angry because Zynga is rewarding those who can play everyday with bonuses that cannot be achieved by the part-time players, unless they use a cheat for CityVille. Zynga's aim seems to be to reward player loyalty, so they spend more time and real money, adding to Zynga's bottom line.

Zynga's Unpopular Changes:

Previous energy inventories are unaffected, but future stockpiling of energy in your inventory is now capped at 15 per each type of battery, and a stipulation of when you cannot use your battery energy. Advanced players are affected the most and many have already quit playing the game for this reason. However, new players are always struggling for energy, and they should check out the cheat for CityVille that teaches how to obtain more energy.

Zoning permits are now capped at 60, while gold plating, marble, building grants, city seals and ribbons are all capped at 25. For any and all of these items, you cannot continue to stock additional inventory until you are under the cap. Again, it affects advanced players the most.

Zynga has made many changes along the way, yet still has not completely addressed some of the shortcomings of lags and crashes while playing.

Zynga's Good Changes:

Some recently welcomed changes include being able to rename your city and businesses, adding a non-secular wedding hall and updating the train system. Many people have argued over the non-secular part of this community building, but it appears that Zynga is trying to remain politically correct, and not reveal each players religious preference.

And some potential changes may include a Mall, big changes for Franchises, and the biggest of all: a bridge over the Southeast river for further expansion.

What is the next step?

Players love competition, and they want to be on top of the game, so these people will learn to apply the cheat for CityVille. Others will react just as they did previously to other Zynga games like Mafia Wars, FrontierVille, Cafe World and FarmVille; they will move on to the next latest and greatest game when they are no longer satisfied. Zynga's new RewardVille adds crime rings and poker games to the farms and cities. Or, maybe they will move away from Zynga altogether, and begin building on Emerald Isle in Ireland Town.

On the other hand, if you want to start or continue building your empire in CityVille, the following cheat for CityVille will help you get started in the right direction for accumulating coins, energy and XP:

1. In the very beginning, save at least 3 trees to cut down for bonuses when requested.

2. With the move tool, move the initial barn back away from the street to make room for more new houses or businesses.

3. Place sidewalks in the busy business district of your city.

4. Place your decorations near businesses to improve the business bonus payouts. The added secret is that you can move these decorations around to maximize your payout bonuses.

Beauty Therapy Exam Papers - Questions for Exam Success

Beauty Therapy exam papers are most commonly multiple choice papers. The student has four possible answers to choose from per question and they are allowed to pick only one. As a result there is no room for error.

When revising for Beauty Therapy exams it is advisable to use multiple choice revision questions. This enables the student to become familiar with the layout of the exam paper which better prepares them for their exams.

Some of the areas included in Beauty Therapy include; - Facial Treatments - Hair Removal Techniques - Make Up - Manicure & Pedicure - Body Massage

Because of the amount of information that needs to be covered, a large set of revision questions is needed to prepare for exam success. Some examples include:

01. Glycerine is best used for; a) Young skin b) Dry skin - Answer c) Oily skin d) Sensitive skin

02. What muscle opens the upper eyelid? a) Levator palpebrae - Answer b) Masseter c) Orbicularis oculi d) Sternocleidomastoid

03. What is the outer layer of the hair called? a) Medulla b) Follicle c) Cortex d) Cuticle - Answer

04. The wrist bones are known as; a) Phalanges b) Metacarpals c) Tarsals d) Carpals - Answer

It cannot be over emphasized that using revision multiple choice questions is absolutely essential for your exam success. The saying 'Practice Makes Perfect' is so true here. You need to consistently revise your questions, take a number daily and learn them. Test yourself often, this is important. When you have spent a week revising, give yourself an exam.

How Much Do I Need to Ride to Train For Mountain Biking?

How much more do I need to ride my bike? 

This is by far one of the most common questions from people who are starting a strength and conditioning program for mountain biking. I understand their concern since the best way to improve on your bike is to actually ride your bike - or is it? Do you really need much more saddle time than what you are currently putting in?   While I could be wrong, the more I get into this the more I think that most mountain bikers "ride" enough already. If you are getting 2-3 rides per week and/ or logging 3-5 hours on the trail then this may be plenty of riding for the average mountain biker. To really increase your overall trail endurance you need something that trail time is not going to give you.   Here is how you might look at training for mountain biking - use strength, mobility, power, anaerobic endurance and technical skills training to sharpen the tools you need on the trail and then use your riding time to learn how to apply those improved tools to your riding. This requires a paradigm shift to fully understand - you really don't get better at riding the trail by actually riding your bike.   You get better at riding the trail by improving the raw physical attributes/ skills you need and then applying them to the trail. When you ride you are simply fulfilling the potential that you currently have.   Sure, riding can be used as a training tool, but it is a very limited training tool. You can only address a few performance components with it. Things like strength, power and mobility are critical to overall endurance and trail skills but they do not get used enough on the trail to really improve them.   This is why you should consider including strength and conditioning in your program if you want to really maximize your performance on the trail. You simply don't get enough volume and/ or intensity to really increase strength and power and riding actually subtracts from your overall mobility.   Since strength and power are critical to redline climbing and sprinting efforts you will never get the overall endurance you seek by just riding your bike. Since mobility is critical to proper position for execution of trail skills you will never develop the "flow" you seek by just riding your bike. If you do not address these facts with your training program then you are leaving a lot of performance potential on the table.   This also means that you do not necessarily need to put in more volume based riding, or rides where you are simply going out to log some more miles/ hours. If you are already logging 3-5 hours per week on the trail then look to use your extra training time to address the true weak links in your chain. Then use your current trail to time learn how to apply your increased potential.   In my experience this is the real way to increase your endurance and skills on the trail. Remember that more training time is not better, better use of your training and riding time is. If you only have 2-4 hours per week to devote to training then you may want to consider if adding in more saddle time is really the best use of that time. Perhaps getting stronger, more powerful and more mobile are really what you need to enjoy riding even more.

Paint Boxing is Useful For House Painting

One of the best things to do for house painting is to consider boxing the paints that one gets. Paint boxing can work to make sure that the color of the paint that will be used in a room will be consistent in its nature. The process that will be required for paint boxing is easy to handle.

The first part of the paint boxing process is to consider the amount of paint that one is going to need. A person will need to measure one's painting area to get an idea of how much paint will be needed for the job. This can be done to see that a person will have no more and no less of what one needs.

The next thing to do is to get all of the paint cans for the job at once. This will be needed so that the boxing process can be successful.

A large paint bucket should then be gathered. This is something that can handle five gallons of paint on average. All of the cans that a person has gotten for the paint job will have to be emptied into the paint bucket. The entire contents of the bucket will then have to be mixed up.

The mixing will need to be done until the paint can be smooth and easy to handle. This is a necessity in that a good paint job will be one that is going to work with smooth paint that can apply itself onto the wall with ease.

The use of paint boxing is important. It will work to ensure that the same hue of paint is going to be used over the entire course of the room. After all, just because several paint cans are of the same color does not mean that they will all look the exact same.

Understanding Learning Disability and Dementia - Developing Effective Interventions

This book is an essential resource for all those in the care of people with learning disabilities. Diana Kerr's accessible style of writing makes this book a delight to read. In my view, anyone who reads this practical and compelling book will gain invaluable insights into the care of people with learning disabilities who go on to develop dementia. The key issues are highlighted as follows:

o Gaining a good understanding of the different types of dementias - the author highlights the most common types of dementias and outlines the symptoms associated with each type of dementia. She uses statistics to explain why and how people with learning disabilities are at an increased risk of developing dementia in a way that is easy for the reader to understand.

o Gaining a good understanding of how to develop services in order to meet the needs of people with learning disabilities who go on to develop dementia - the author challenges service providers and commissioners of care to evaluate current provisions. She gives examples of good practice which can be replicated in most care settings given adequate resources.

o The author rightly highlights that there is a 'lack of preparedness' among professionals who work with people with learning disabilities when it comes to dementia care. Diana Kerr emphasises the importance of services being 'dementia ready'. In other words staff need to be trained and environments must be suitably adapted long before a service user develops dementia.

o Another key aspect of this book is that the author addresses the emotional and information needs of family carers. Professionals who work with people with learning disabilities need to develop services that meet the needs of family carers. Diana Kerr gives very useful advice on how best to support family carers when a diagnosis of dementia is made.

o Learning Disabilities and Dementia is everyone's business. The author makes it very clear that all agencies whose services are accessed by people with learning disabilities must make it their business to have a basic understanding of learning disabilities and dementia. This book would certainly serve as a 'bible' for those professionals who do not necessarily come into contact with Learning Disabilities on a daily basis. In my view every General Practitioner (GP) practice, every ward in acute hospitals and every office in Care Management teams must have this book.

Purchasing a Cruising Yacht

Whose eyes don't light up at the thought of a shiny new boat? Just being able to purchase a new yacht is an accomplishment in itself; however, there's no sense in buying a yacht you ultimately won't be able to use-even if you can afford it. That's why it's best, before you make a purchase, to consider the yacht's type of construction as well as its rigging and available options.

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

Glass-Reinforced Plastic

Most contemporary yachts are constructed of glass-reinforced plastic (GRP), also known as glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP). GRP is a durable, strong and easily reparable material. It's only weakness? Sensitivity to osmosis. The resulting blisters can be costly to repair.

Steel

Steel is probably the strongest material used by boat builders. Steel boats have been known to run into banks or reefs with only a few scratches to show for it. Despite its strength, however, steel is susceptible to rusting; therefore, owners must make sure that all surfaces are primed and painted to avoid potential rust damage.

Aluminum

Aluminum construction is rare among cruisers; however, it's extremely popular for top quality, custom-built yachts. If you do purchase an aluminum-constructed yacht, make sure that is was built by a professional rather than an amateur builder, as poor craftsmanship can cause owners major headaches in the future.

Wood

Wood, the traditional building material for yachts, has a lot to offer in terms of style and durability. If a yacht is constructed of the right type of wood, it can last as long as one crafted of other materials, such as GRP. Maintenance costs, however, are very high with wood and, especially for those who plan to do their own painting, very time-consuming and labor intensive.

Ferro-cement

An inexpensive material, ferro-cement has been used for quite some time in yacht construction and was particularly popular in the 1970s. If the concrete hull is correctly fashioned, it can be extremely strong and durable.

RIGS

The most popular choice of yacht rig is the sloop, followed by the cutter and then the ketch. Although sloop rigging has a very simple design, ketch and cutter rigs are easier to manage because they split the sail plan into smaller areas. While cutter rigs can sail under a simple twin headsail with a downwind option, ketch rigs can sail under mizzens and headsails solely.

OPTIONS: ESSENTIAL OR DESIRABLE?

Yachts today feature many wonderful options, and knowing the difference between the ones you can't do without and the ones it would be nice to have will certainly impact your final bill. Before you begin shopping for a yacht, make a list of those features you consider essential, and then look for models that meet those specific requirements. Why buy a yacht filled with expensive options you don't really need when you can get one that meets your exact wishes with just a little planning?

In fact, it's best to plan your budget before you shop, as yachts can be very expensive. You may have to save up for one. If so, plan-and shop-carefully. Being a yacht owner with cash to spare is better than being one without!

Ecatalog - a Key Component of Your Ecommerce Initiative

In recent years, Internet virtually has become major driving force of economic and technological growth in many industries. It is fundamentally changing the way companies operate, do their trade and interact with each other and it is giving birth to new processes and business models that were previously unimaginable.

First type of the Internet business models that created a different business method was Business to Consumer (B2C) eCommerce. Business to Business eProcurement systems and web-based storefronts were two other models that emerged next. The eProcurement systems became widely popular instantly due to the factor that Internet-based automated buying solutions are capable of considerable reducing Maintenance, Repair and Operating expenses, which, in turn, makes direct impact on the bottom line of a company. Web-based storefront, on the other hand, provides a low-cost channel for the global marketing and sales of goods and services.

The next business model that changed the perception of doing business online was eMarketplaces. An eMarketplace is an online venue which brings together multiple buyers and sellers and makes it easier for them to communicate, collaborate and trade as members of a large community.

The fourth online business model has combined key aspects of all the above mentioned business methods and is known as Enterprise B2B Portal or Private B2B Exchange. The business world sees enormous changes across industries due to the emergence of this unique solution. Enterprise B2B Portal with supply chain management features is capable of streamlining procurement and sales processes, cutting overhead costs, increasing efficiency, while maximizing profit and helping bottom line savings for companies.

No doubt that B2B eCommerce presents enormous new business opportunities. But to realize these massive opportunities businesses must overcome some significant technical impediments. The most extreme and critical of these challenges involve creating, managing and distributing product content. All four of the above mentioned online business models face this crucial problem.

Product Content and eCatalog

Accurate and complete product content improves quality and speed of purchasing decisions by giving buyers the vital information needed. For sellers content differentiates their products and enables them to participate in multiple eMarketplaces, eProcurement systems and in their very own B2B Portal. The eMarketplaces and eProcurement systems must deliver content, with value added information such as ratings, reviews, regulatory compliances and service information to attract new users, retain the old ones and fulfill the needs of their diverse buyer and supplier communities.

Creating high quality product content is difficult because different suppliers use different descriptions, attributes and parameters to describe the same item. Managing product information becomes even more complex with the addition of value-added content such as editorial articles, service information and third party reviews.

Moreover, Buyers and Sellers have totally different approach and require different functions from a product content management solution. Buyers need a comprehensive content management system which allows them to take conclusive buying decision with minimum of effort and cost. Suppliers want a system that enables them to manage their brand, control their product descriptions, pricing, and discount policies.

The need for an advanced eCatalog

Despite its critical nature, product information management has been grossly underestimated by most of early eCommerce projects, which tend to focus on more high profile technologies, such as transaction engines and user interfaces. However, few of these B2B projects put required emphasize on the management of product content. As a result, many of them are beginning to realize that they have condoned the challenge of managing product information and that such oversights are hindering the overall effectiveness and scalability of their eCommerce initiatives. Actually, very few of eCommerce initiatives today have the right resources to support the activities required for aggregating, maintaining, and delivering high quality product content. In order to overcome this major hurdle eCommerce initiatives have to improve their ability to acquire, manage and update product content with the help of an advanced eCatalog system.

What is an eCatalog?

An eCatalog is an Online product content management solution with powerful user interface which provides efficient navigation, searching and integration capabilities to organize and publish product information and enable real-time handling of business processes related to buying and selling.

An eCatalog stores product content in a single database and organizes product information under a certain categorized hierarchy. An eCatalog also have sophisticated searching opportunities so that buyers can locate products easily.

Classifying products

Usually product information is acquired from different sources and is often classified under different taxonomies. This makes product indexing difficult and in many cases products end up being listed under several categories. International Harmonized Codes, a taxonomy used by many countries for customs tariff purposes, is one of the example of such systems. Because of this problem, HC and similar taxonomies are not really suitable for eCommerce.

That's why, most advanced eCatalog systems use classification system like The United Nations Standard Products and Services Code® (UNSPSC®), which provides an open, global multi-industry standard for well-organized and precise classification of products and services.

In e-catalogs the product content also has to undergo a normalization procedure to comply with a uniform product naming system. This uniformed nomenclature makes it easier for buyers to compare products and prices, and ensures exact match for relevant product searches. Depending on the quality of product information available, the eCatalog also requires rationalizing abbreviations and acronyms, synchronizing terminologies, converting unit of measurements, etc.

How businesses are losing opportunities

Early eCatalog adopters made a crucial mistake by assuming that catalog integration is a fairly easy task in comparison to the other parts of eCommerce development. This misapprehension of reality occurred mainly due to lack of practical knowledge in this field and is based on the false assumption that one method fits for describing all similar products and it is possible to constrain product content with finite number of attributes and values. Observation shows that in many cases buyers are unable to take key procurement decisions due to poor content of the product, which results in lost business opportunities for eCommerce companies.

Benefits of using right eCatalog

An advanced eCatalog system similar to Rusbiz.com delivers a compelling value proposition. Using this type of solutions companies can integrate eCatalog capabilities into their business processes rapidly and manage sourcing, classifying, syndicating and publishing product content data effectively.

The return on investment from these solutions is also significant! Companies can expect increased revenue, better customer satisfaction, and shorter sales cycle.