Need Home Security ? Try CCTV Monitoring System

If you’ve given any thought to home security you’ve probably considered a closed circuit television monitoring system (better known as CCTV.)

What you’ll have with your CCTV system is at least one surveillance camera, a variety of lenses (pan, zoom and infrared for night vision) to focus on particular areas of your grounds and home, and a VCR (video cassette recorder) that will make a permanent record of what the camera is seeing.

If you should decide you want to provide CCTV security in your home you’ll need to do at least one slow walk around your home, making notes as you go, about where you need surveillance, and what areas are the most vulnerable, and in need of protection. While you certainly want to focus on your house – the place where your family’s safety is the primary concern – don’t neglect to include garage, breezeway, in-law quarters, front and back yard, driveway, alleyway, or any outside fence or gate entrance.

You may want more than one camera in your home. This could be important if your home is large, for instance, and you’re regularly in one section of the home while a babysitter watches your children, or a housekeeper performs his or her duties. With the prevalence of home offices this may be especially important, if you’re in your office all day with the door shut. Having a separate camera watching that home office may also reduce your insurance bill as well.

Once you’ve determined what areas on which you need to focus you’ll have to measure the areas. The range of area needing monitoring is important to the size of camera or cameras you purchase.

While you can choose five sizes of camera – ranging in size from one quarter to two thirds of an inch, the wisest choices are to go no larger than one half an inch. With a camera one half inch or smaller you’ll have a more extensive choice of lenses that will work with it.

There are four different versions of CCTV camera lenses from which you can choose. They are fixed aperture, manual or auto iris and zoom. An auto iris lens is ideal for outside viewing, as it adjusts itself to accommodate changes in lighting. In places where the amount of lighting stays fairly stagnant a manual iris will do. This type of lens requires that you actually make the lighting adjustments by hand. Zoom lenses, just as with any camera, allow you to bring a viewed situation closer to your eye for improved visibility. Some zoom lenses offer a motorized option.

Once you know the number of cameras you’re going to need you’ll know whether you’re going to have to have more than one monitor or whether you can make do with a switcher (one monitor, alternating location views) or a multi-plexer (several locations showing in boxes on one monitor at the same time).

Decide how long you are going to need to record prior to being able to remove and replace the VCR film. If the time you’re going to be absent from the home, i.e., unable to remove and replace the VCR tape, is going to exceed 4-6 hours (depending on the VCR) you may not be able to use your household VCR. You may need to upgrade to a commercial quality recorder.

PHP MySQL Database Scripts – Generate Online

PHP (it originally was abbreviation of  for Personal Home Page) was first written by Rasmus Lerdorf . These were Perl scripts to track users of his Web pages. On communication and suggestions from other people he rewrote it as a scripting language and added support for forms. As its popularity grew, a core group of developers created an API for it and turned it into PHP3. Presently we have version 5. (PHP5) and its growth is likely to continue.

Plus Points of PHP.
PHP will run on all platform, including most UNIXs, Windows(95/98/NT/2000) and Macs. As this uses the same code base, all scripts will run identically on all the platforms.
PHP is similar to C. So anyone who has experience with a C-style language will easily learnd PHP. In C-style languages we can also include Javascript and Java. In fact, much of PHP’s functionality is provided by wrappers around the underlying system calls (such as fread() and strlen()) so C programmers will immediately feel at home.
PHP is extendible. This allows programmers two ways of extending PHP to do some special processing, either by writing an extension module and compiling it into the executable, or by creating an executable that can be loaded using PHP’s dynamic loading mechanism.
PHP currently will load into Apache, IIS, AOLServer, Roxen and THTTPD. Alternatively, it can be run as a CGI module.
Lots of database interfaces. PHP currently will work with MySQL, MS SQL, Oracle, Informix, PostgreSQL and many others. These are binary level interfaces, and ODBC is also provided for those situations where the database is not supported.
If a PHP user wants to interface to particular library, then it is easy to write an interface for it, and many have done so, and contributed to the main PHP source repository. So you can find modules for graphics routines, PDF files, Flash movies, Cybercash, calendars, XML, IMAP, POP and a host of others. If the library you need is not supported, you can either write one yourself, or employ your favourite programmer to do it.
PEAR. The PHP Extension and Add-on Repository. Similar to the CPAN network for Perl, although still in its infancy, the idea of PEAR is to provide a set of PHP scripts that would be installed by default with the PHP installation
Fast. PHP is normally used an Apache module and this makes it very fast. It is entirely written in C and is quite small, so loads and executes quickly with small memory footprint.
PHP is Open Source. Therefore programmers are not dependent on a particular manufacturer to fix things that don’t work.

What are the main disadvantages of PHP?
A scripting language has advantages and disadvantages. PHP also has some disadvantages. Some are direct disadvantages and some are indirect regarding functionality. PHP’s main drawback is Error Handling. PHP has a very poor ability in this regard, but even this disadvantage can be over come using a feasible advantage solution.

Printer cartridge buying tips you should know about

In this world of modern gizmos and technologies, computers, laptops and electronic notebooks have already invaded majority of the aspects of our lives. They have somehow played an important role that people cannot do without. That is why is also important that their attachments are given attention and care.

A printer is one of the most helpful attachments as it is constantly utilized by majority of computer users. However, buying inkjet cartridges for your printer can be an overwhelming task.

You really have to know how to choose the best inkjet cartridge so that you do not end up buying the wrong kind.

Some people get stressed when the ink in their printer cartridge show signs of nearly getting empty. There is really no need to make this a big issue.

When you go to the market to buy an ink cartridge, you should not be enticed by those offering low priced products or by any bargain deals which promise a lot of savings.

More often than not, such low-priced cartridges would be faulty and would harm your printer. You will spend much more in repair costs than what you would save in the first place.

The first step in choosing the best inkjet cartridge is to check the existing cartridge in your printer. Then try to buy a cartridge of similar specifications.

If you are not able to get the same type, take into mind these following tips:
The ink of generic cartridges can be harmful to your printer’s nozzles. Try to avoid using these kinds of cartridges.

Use the ink cartridges made by the same manufacturer of the printer if you need the best quality of printing. It tends to be expensive but if you think of the good it will bring you then it will be worth it.

The warranties of some printer manufacturers are not valid if ink cartridges made by a different manufacturer are used.

It is advisable to check the page yield of the cartridge that you plan to buy.

If you decide to buy refilled or recycled ink cartridges either from a store or from a website, you can surely save some money but the damage it can do to your printer will prove to be more costly.  Just be sure to check the ones that offer a guarantee.

If you follow the tips given above, you will be able to choose the best cartridge from among the various kinds available in the market.

Sony Laptop

If you’ve decided that you want a Sony laptop, then good for you – some of them really are very good. Unfortunately, the good ones also tend to be dazzlingly expensive, which is why you’re probably looking for ways of getting that laptop a little cheaper. Here are a few suggestions.

If you live near a Sony Store, then they are probably one of the best places to get cheap Sony laptops. Not only are you buying directly from the manufacturer, cutting out a few middlemen in between, but you will often find that they have a good selection of special offers on slightly older models and refurbished laptops – unless you always need the latest leading-edge technology, you’ll often find that these models are perfectly good.

If there’s no Sony Store around, try your local independent computer shop. These shops are often very good at giving impartial advice about all the different models available, and won’t overcharge you massively like the high street and big-box computer retailers like to do. If you’re lucky, you might find that they have a used or reduced Sony laptop, or know where to get one.

Another thing to try is looking online at auction sites such as eBay. Used laptops there can be very cheap indeed, and as good Sony laptops are so hard-wearing there is usually no reason not to buy them used. However, do be careful not to fall for any eBay scams when buying something as expensive as a laptop – always check the description carefully, and read up on eBay works if you’re ever unsure about an offer you see (use eBay’s own ‘Help’ button). And whatever you do, never pay for laptops by Western Union wire transfer, as the moment you do that, your money is gone forever.

Your Information Technology Career: Beware The Comfort Zone

I’ve seen it happen time and again to programmers, network engineers and administrators, and other IT personnel.   They get a solid IT position, a good-paying job, and they get comfortable.  They stop keeping up with the latest technologies, they stop studying, they no longer keep their CCNA, MCSE, and other industry certifications up-to-date…. and then one day, their comfortable job is gone.

Maybe they get laid off, maybe the company moves and they don’t want to move with it… but for one reason or another, they’re in the worst position possible.  They have no job, and they have allowed their IT skills to deteriorate to the point where they are no longer employable.

If you’re in IT, you must be constantly learning.  You must continually take the long view, and ask yourself three important questions.  First, where do you want to be in three years?  Second, what are you doing now in order to reach this goal?  And finally, if you were laid off today, are your current skills sharp enough to quickly get another job?

That third question can be the hardest of all to answer honestly.   I’m reminded of Microsoft announcing years ago that they would no longer be recognizing the MSCE 4.0 certification, since the network operating systems that certification was based upon would no longer be supported by MS.  (Keep in mind that this change was announced months in advance, giving those holding the MCSE 4.0 plenty of time to earn the latest MS certification.)

Some MCSE 4.0s just went nuts.  Microsoft’s certification magazine printed letter after letter from angry MCSEs saying that their company would always run NT 4.0, and that there was no reason for them to ever upgrade their certification.

This wasn’t just denial.  This was career suicide.  Let’s say that their network never moved from NT 4.0.  Let’s also say that they got laid off yesterday.  Would you want to go out into the current IT workplace and have your most recent network operating system experience be on NT 4.0 ?  I sure wouldn’t.

The fact is that you’ve got to continue studying, continue growing, and continue learning new things if you want to have a successful long-term IT career.  If you plan on studying only one topic, getting into IT, and then never cracking a book again, you’re entering the wrong field.  And for those of us who have been in it for a while – again, ask yourself this question:  “Am I prepared for what would happen if I were laid off today?”  And if you’re not, do something about it!

Microscope Q&A: Understanding The Types Of Microscopes

* What are Compound Microscopes?

A Compound Microscope is a microscope that consists essentially of two or more double convex lenses fixed in the two extremities of a hollow cylinder.

The upper lens is the eyepiece and the lower lines in the objective. The cylinder is mounted upright on a screw device that permits it to be raised or lowered until the object is in focus and until a clear image is formed.

When an object is in focus, a real inverted image is formed by t…

A Laptop of My Own

Working from home day after day and night after night on a borrowed laptop is no fun. Especially when it is borrowed back off you. So, for that reason, I feel the time has come for a laptop of my own.

Blu-Ray

The Blu-ray Disc belongs to a new generation of optical discs capable of staging high density data. Blu-Ray technology is based on a blue-violet coloured laser. The blue laser operates at a wave length of 405 nm, while older technology such as DVDs and CDs are based on red and infrared lasers that works at 650 and 780 nm. Since the wave length is shorter with a blue laser, the new Blu-ray technology makes is possible to store much more information

The advantage with the Blu-ray technology is that the laser beam can be focused much more tightly at the surface of the disc. Tight focus means that a smaller spot will be produced on the surface on the disc, and when the spots become smaller there will naturally be room for more information on each disc. The minimum spot size of any laser depends on a naturally accruing phenomenon called diffraction. The narrow beam of light sent out from a laser will always diverge into a wider beam eventually, due to the natural diffraction of waves. Diffraction will also occur the waves meet an obstruction. By reducing the wavelength of a laser, we can affect the diffraction.

In Blu-ray technology, the diffractions is also affected by the fact that the lens used to focus the light has a higher numerical aperture than the lenses found in ordinary DVDs – 0.85 instead of 0.6. Blu-ray technology based appliances are also equipped with a dual-lens system of supreme quality, and the cover layer has been made thinner in order to prevent unwanted optical effects. All this makes it possible for a Blu-ray laser to focus on much smaller spots. The optical improvements are accompanied with a new method for encoding data which makes it possible to store even more data on the Blu-ray disc.

The standard for Blu-ray technology has been developed as a joint venture between several major manufacturers of PCs and consumer electronics, including Sony and Philips. The group is called the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA). The first Blu-ray recorder was launched in Japan in 2003, by Sony. Today, Samsung, JVC, Matsushita (Panasonic) and LG Electronics are all examples of companies using Blu-ray technology in their products. Hewlett Packard has announced that they will release desktop PCs equipped with Blu-ray technology in late 2005.

The main competitor for the Blu-ray technology is the HD DVD format which is also capable of storing more information than a normal DVD. The Blu-ray technology does however allow for more information per layer than the HD DVD format – 25 GB compared to 15 GB. The Blu-ray technology will on the other hand most likely be more expensive to support, at least initially, which can make the HD DVD a tempting alternative. In a Blu-ray disc, the data is stored extremely close to the surface. This made the first Blu-ray discs extremely vulnerable to scratching and many users preferred the tougher HD DVD discs. Since 2004, all Blu-ray discs are coated with a clear polymer called “Durabis” which makes them much more durable. According to the developers of Durabis, the TDK Corporation, a coated Blu-ray disc will work even after being attacked with a screwdriver.

How to buy the perfect PC

PCs have become a staple in every home. Without PCs, you will find it hard to stay connected and to even do the work required of you in school or in the office. With so much PC packages being shoved to our throat every time we go to department stores and computer shops, you’ll really get quite confused on what you really need and what PC package will fit your budget and lifestyle. To help you through this dilemma, here is a brief backgrounder of the parts of PCs that you should get to know.

Processor.

This is one of the three primary components of your PC. The processor is the part that determines how fast your computer process information. Intel is still the leading brand in processors but competitors such as American Micro Devices (AMD) are slowly catching up, offering cheaper alternative. In shopping for a processor, one should consider the following:

Clock speed – this will show the number of instructions that a computer can execute in a second. This usually comes after the brand name. Processors nowadays are already set at the gigahertz range.

Cache memory – this stores the data that were previously accessed. This simplifies the work of the computer as it would not take twice as long to access information already stored in memory bank. Without a cache memory, much of the work will fall on the RAM (Random Access Memory).

Operating temperature – some processors easily heats up. Before buying, make sure that you have asked about the operating temperature just in case you need to buy additional fans or put the computer in an air-conditioned room.

RAM (Random Access Memory).

RAM serves as the temporary memory of the PC, containing information that are needed for the computer and the programs to function. In addition to processors, RAM also determines the speed of the computer. The higher the RAM, the faster the computer is in accessing information and responding to commands.

Motherboard

This is where all the parts of the PC’s CPU (Central Processing Unit) are attached. Some motherboards already have videocards and soundcards embedded on it while others don’t. what is important however is to choose a motherboard that is compatible with your RAM and processor. Incompatibility of PC hardware can cause major problems and may even lead to the breakdown of your computer.

Hard drive.

This is the part where you store all the information in your PC. Picture a floppy disk with much much larger storing capacity. The hard drive serves as the permanent memory of your computer. Here you install all your programs and save all the documents that you need. It is also important that you buy a hard drive with really big capacity especially now when people are so used to storing multimedia files that may use up a lot of hard drive space.

Video cards

This is the part of the computer which determines the quality of the multimedia images that you will view. The higher the memory of the video card, the better is the picture quality and the colors. Also, video cards are also responsible for how fast multimedia images are accessed. This is especially needed if you use your computer for multimedia activities such as watching a movie or playing video games.

‘Online Games’ – Most Relaxing Experience Want to Unwind – Play Online Games Increasing Audience for Online Gaming

ecently, many new online gaming services have been introduced. The world is having a visible affect on the online gaming industry, as more and more people turned towards playing and enjoying online games.

Games on net were once an imaginary phrase, but since the introduction of thousands of user friendly and easy operating games on the Internet, people are finding that fiction has become reality.

But, now you can read about what you want to learn and play free online games at paying no money. This is the ultimate playing way for anyone frightened by the complex layout of games. To play online games, read introduction to the games and play along.

Another main reason people want to play free online games is to get refreshed from the monotonous and hectic routine. With games on net, all of that excitement can be put into action. The people may choose to play free online games for recreation. Many people just want to chill out at the end of a day, and playing with a pool or slot machine etc. doesn’t provide sufficient amusement.

According to a leading company’s survey on online gamers, women around or above age 40 are the informal gaming hardcore, playing games at an average of nearly nine hours a week. As far as men of all age group are concerned, they spend nearly six hours gaming while women of all ages average to around seven hours per week. This show increasing urges to play online games in all age groups and both genders.

The report also unveils an interesting point, 54 percent of adults said that they play games to wipe-off stress and the 20 percent of teens who play for just relaxation.

With free online games one can experience the excitement of playing, without the fear of losing any single cent. Many sites on the Internet also let you to post messages in forum and even facilitate to chat with friends while you play.

This is excellent news for gaming authors and websites, as the more-n-more people are moving towards playing online games on net, the more excitement around the globe will be.

All in all, it can be pretty relaxing experience and certainly it is becoming very popular time-pass.