Is your HDTV underperforming? Here' s a really quick fix

9 hrs.

Geoff Morrison , HD Guru

Every TV has one: a button that zooms in on the picture, or changes the aspect ratio. Sometimes called View Mode, Format, Size, Zoom, or something similar, these modes have a variety of names, but all have the same purpose.

In reality, most of the time there is only one ?correct? mode, the other modes offering less resolution, possible artifacts, and in a few limited cases, a better picture.

Overscan
One of the primary reasons why these controls exist is a ?feature? called Overscan. In the olden days, TV makers had a lot of wiggle room in defining the edges of the image. So two TVs, of the same size, might show slightly more or less of the broadcast image. At the edges of the image, there was frequently a lot of noise (some of which was part of the image, some not).

Even in the early days of HD, many stations broadcast a few pixels of noise, so a TV was better off showing, let?s say, 1900 x 1060 of the original signal, than blowing it up to fill the 1920 x 1080 screen.

And that ?blowing up? is the problem.

Scaling
Every pixel on your TV is active, regardless of the resolution of the source. With DVDs, the TV upconverts (aka scales) the image to fill the screen. It is creating information that is not in the original source, in order to have data for every pixel.

To a lesser extent, the same is happening when you view an HDTV with any amount of overscan active, or when in one of the modes listed earlier. The TV is zooming in slightly on the original image, which requires it to modify every pixel in the image to fit. Look at it this way, if you?re watching a Blu-ray, or a 1080i image from cable/satellite, that image has a specific pixel for every one of the actual pixels on your TV. A 1:1 map, if you will. If the TV has overscan active, or is zooming in slightly, now it?s more like a 1:0.9 map. The TV has to scale the image.

Regardless of how good the scaler is in the TV, this is going to increase noise and artifacts, and potentially reduce resolution (if it can?t scale the image well).

Find this control on your TV, and for the best picture, set it to Just Scan, 1:1, Full, Native, Dot-by-Dot and so on. You?ll be able to tell which is the right one, as when you?re watching a 1080i or 1080p image, it will appear to zoom out slightly, and you?ll see more of the picture?s edges.

A few exceptions
Occasionally, you?ll find a channel or program that has some weird, non-picture data on the edge of the screen, usually only a few pixels wide. If this bothers you, well, now you know where the control is to zoom in and clip it off. But this is pretty rare these days.

One other use for this control is zooming in on a 16x9 image that resides in a 4x3 window. For example, on my AT&T U-verse, BBC America is available only?in standard definition (thanks a lot AT&T). So if I want to watch the 16x9 "Top Gear" it?s only viewable with black bars on the sides (SD is 4x3) and on the top and bottom (because it?s 16x9 within the 4x3). Obviously I don?t, I buy the show in HD on iTunes, but you get my point. In this case, you could zoom in on the image, to better fill the screen with the tiny program. Keep in mind, this will likely look like crap.

However, and this is a HUGE deal, you should only be doing this rarely and for the few channels not available in HD. If you are doing this a lot, especially with network shows, you are likely not set up correctly for HD. (Check out my article on How to Set Aspect Ratio on Your TV.)

If you?re black-bar-ophobic, there are often modes that stretch the entire 4x3 standard definition image to fill the screen, or the more, uh, clever of these modes that keep the center of the image at?the correct aspect ratio, and only stretch the edges. It?s worth noting that using either of these modes is quite possibly the worst your TV will ever look, and should be avoided if at all possible.

This is almost always the default setting for TVs in hotels, which is one of the main reasons hotel TVs look so terrible.

Source boxes
All cable/satellite boxes and Blu-ray players have aspect ratio settings, ?too. The wrong setting will provide a distorted, lower resolution image. Most on-screen menus ask you to select your TV aspect ratio. For all current HDTVs this would be 16:9. If set to 4:3, the image will be badly distorted. Make sure your source box is set to the 16:9 image setting.

Most boxes also?will ask for an output resolution setting. Choices will? include 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i. With 1080p TVs (most current models), this control should be set to 1080i (some cable/satellite boxes also allow 1080p output, but it only applies to pay per view movies).

Blu-ray players should be set to 1080p. Many offer a 1080p/24 setting, though not all TVs can do anything with this frame?rate. Most Blu-ray players will have a test mode to verify that your TV can accept the resolution prior to making the final setting.

If you have a 720p TV, you can set the cablebox to either 720p or 1080i, though the latter is probably better. If you choose 720p, the signal will be ideal for 720p content such as ABC and Fox but 1080i content (used by CBS, NBC, HBO and others) will be down converted in the box. It?s likely your TV will do a better job de-interlacing and downconverting 1080i content than your cablebox, so choosing 1080i output is likely better. Also, most non-1080p TVs these days are actually 1,024 x 768, slightly more vertical resolution than 720p. So you may squeeze a few extra lines of resolution when watching 1080i content by choosing the 1080i output.

Conclusion
The short version? Ideally you?d watch all HD content set to fill the screen, with no overscan. Check your settings, there may be aspect ratio controls, and separate overscan controls.

?While most Blu-ray players will auto-detect the correct aspect ratio (nearly always 16x9), DVD players and cable/satellite boxes do not. Check the settings of these as well to make sure they?re sending your TV the correct aspect ratio (and resolution!). I always watch TV with the overscan off and in a 1:1 pixel mapping mode, and it has been years since I?ve seen noise on the edges of the screen. Check both controls, your TV may look better?? for free!

Reach Geoff Morrison on Twitter at?@TechWriterGeoff.?Have a question for the HD Guru? Send an?email.

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DRUDKH Blood In Our Wells music review by Conor Fynes

'Blood In Our Wells (???? ? ????? ????????, Krov u Nashykh Krynytsyakh) - Drudkh (7/10)

Often matched up against their second work 'Autumn Aurora' as Drudkh's crowning achievement, it has been a long time coming for me to get around to hearing 'Blood In Our Wells'. They are a band who require no introduction; since their decidedly Burzum-inspired 'Forgotten Legends', they have represented Ukraine's enigmatic black metal scene with a particular focus on atmosphere. 'Blood In Our Wells' sees the band incorporating a greater measure of melody into their arboreal style, and while I might still point towards 'Aumn Aurora' as the greatest of what these Ukrainians have to offer, their fourth album is an ambitious expansion on their already intriguing sound.

One thing that's often mentioned about these guys is that they refuse to post their lyrics, and paired with the fact that most of the band's listeners will not be familiar with the finer elements of the Ukrainian tongue, this leaves the band's subject matter up to the listener's imagination. Like its predecessor 'The Swan Road' however, 'Blood In Our Wells' uses the work of regarded Ukrainian poets, complimenting the romantic lyrical imagery with an introspective atmosphere. Although Drudkh's sound still lurks about the lo-fi depths, the instruments are well mixed and clear. The vocals (presumably done by Thurios) are surprisingly distinct for a genre that often defaults on rasping; his delivery is aggressive and intelligible. Although the lyrical content is not 'original' to the band, it is incorporated beautifully into their music. It is not a far stretch to hear Drudkh's dreamlike atmosphere being matched with Lina Kostenko's agrarian metaphor.

Melody is a more prominent aspect of 'Blood In Our Wells', although this to realize itself most in the music's handful of dramatic climaxes; moments within the typically longwinded compositions in which all emotion is let loose. 'Furrows of Gods' and 'When The Flame Turns To Ashes' are both highlights on the album, maintaining the band's penchant for repetition only long enough to make their point. The latter of those two concludes on a particularly stunning note, collapsing into a melodic dirge among the greatest Drudkh have ever done. The album's second half becomes more longwinded, but the slight dip in quality does not break the atmosphere, which 'makes' the album. With the band's trademark addition of arboreal folk instrumentation into the black metal soundscape, 'Blood In Our Wells' makes for another stirring experience. It does not give the same shock, nor envelop me as much as did 'Autumn Aurora', but for the critical acclaim I had read of it, I have not found myself disappointed.

Conor Fynes | 4/5 | 2012-5-20

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Scientists find new type of prostate cancer ? discovery may lead to ...

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Jury to begin deliberations in John Edwards case

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) ? Jurors were set to begin deliberating the fate of John Edwards on Friday, weighing nearly four weeks of testimony and evidence from the former presidential candidate's corruption trial.

Edwards is charged with six criminal counts including conspiracy to violate the Federal Election Campaign Act, accepting contributions that exceeded campaign finance limits, and causing his campaign to file a false financial disclosure report. He faces up to 30 years in prison and $1.5 million in fines if convicted of all charges.

At issue is a scheme to use about $1 million from two wealthy campaign donors to hide the Democrat's pregnant mistress Rielle Hunter as he ran for the White House in 2008.

Jurors will have to weigh whether to believe Edwards, who argued that he didn't knowingly break the law, or his aide, Andrew Young, who said Edwards recruited him to solicit secret donations in excess of the legal limit for campaign contributions, then $2,300.

The choice before them comes down to choosing which liar to believe.

Young, the prosecution's star witness, falsely claimed paternity of his boss's baby in December 2007, after tabloid reporters tracked a visibly pregnant Hunter to a doctor's appointment.

Edwards repeatedly denied having a relationship with Hunter, only to go on national television in August 2008 to admit having a brief affair with Hunter but that it was physically impossible he was the father of her baby girl. In fact, his relationship with Hunter had lasted more than a year. A recording of that interview was played for the jury last week as the prosecution rested its case.

The bulk of the alleged illegal campaign contributions flowed to Young, including $725,000 in checks from heiress Rachel "Bunny" Mellon, who is now 101 years old. Young spent some of the money to care for Hunter, but financial records introduced at the trial showed the aide siphoned off most of the money to help build his family's $1.6 million dream home near Chapel Hill, N.C.

Another $400,000 in cash, luxury hotels, private jets rides and a $20,000-a-month rental mansion in Santa Barbara, Calif., were also provided to help cover up the affair by wealthy Texas lawyer Fred Baron, who served as Edwards' campaign finance chairman.

Prosecutors say Edwards knew about the money and directed the cover-up, showing the jury phone records indicating he was in constant contact with Hunter and Young while they were in hiding.

The defense countered that it is Young who should be on trial, not Edwards, accusing the aide of using Edwards' name without his knowledge to bamboozle Mellon out of hundreds of thousands of dollars for his personal use.

During closing arguments in the case Thursday, lead Defense lawyer Abbe Lowell admitted that Edwards had lied to his wife and the American people. But his client didn't violate federal campaign finance regulations, Lowell said.

"This is a case that should define the difference between a wrong and a crime ... between a sin and a felony," Lowell told the jury. "John Edwards has confessed his sins. He will serve a life sentence for those. But he has pleaded not guilty to violating the law."

Meanwhile, prosecutor Bobby Higdon used Edwards' old stump speech against him, saying the presidential candidate violated laws meant to protect "the two Americas" in an attempt to avoid a sex scandal.

"Campaign finance laws are designed to bring the two Americas together at election time," Higdon said. "John Edwards forgot his own rhetoric."

___

Follow AP writer Michael Biesecker on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mbieseck

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(Source: FEMA) ? If you are one of the many West Virginians with a cat, dog, other pet or service animal, now is a good time to start planning for what to do with your furry or feathered friend in the event of a future disaster.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has worked with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the American Kennel Club, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Humane Society of the United States to develop these pet-preparedness guidelines.

Have a pet-supply kit ready, including:

Pet food for three days in an airtight, waterproof container and bowls;
Water for three days;
Pet medicines and first aid supplies;
Collar (with ID tags firmly secured), harness or sturdy leash;
Important documents such as registration, adoption papers, vaccination and medical records in a plastic bag or waterproof container;
Travel crate or other pet carrier;
Cat litter, litter box, paper towels, newspapers, plastic trash bags and cleaning supplies;
Photos of you and your pet together for identification purposes; and
Familiar items such as toys, treats and blankets.

The single most important thing you can do to protect your pets is to take them with you if you must evacuate. Animals left behind in a disaster can easily be lost or injured. If evacuation is necessary, consider friends or family outside the area who can take in you and your pet.

Other options may include a pet-friendly hotel or motel. If your only evacuation option is a Red Cross or other publicly run shelter, be aware that not all shelters are equipped or designed to accept non-service animals. Consider boarding your animals at a kennel or veterinary hospital before going to a public shelter.

Plan with neighbors, friends or relatives to evacuate your pet for you if you are unable to do so yourself. Talk with them about your evacuation plans and pet supply kit.

Consult your veterinarian and consider ?microchipping? your pet. These permanent implants may be invaluable if you and your pets are separated.

After the disaster, don?t allow your pets to roam loose. Familiar landmarks and smells may have been changed by the disaster and your pet could become disoriented or lost.

For information on pet-friendly accommodations in your area and disaster planning, visit www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/animals.shtm.

FEMA?s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Source: FEMA

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Technology convergence may widen the digital divide

Public release date: 17-May-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Matt Swayne
aem1@psu.edu
814-865-9481
Penn State

Technology is helping communication companies merge telephone, television and Internet services, but a push to deregulate may leave some customers on the wrong side of the digital divide during this convergence, according to a Penn State telecommunications researcher.

"Moving away from copper lines is an example of abandoning obsolete technology and embracing technology that is faster, better, cheaper and more convenient," said Rob Frieden, Pioneers Chair in Cable Television and professor of telecommunications and law. "But the risk is that we may be creating a digital divide -- not necessarily a divide between the rich and poor, but between the information rich and information poor."

Telephone companies are lobbying for government regulators to free them of their traditional role as a public utility, citing the convergence and availability of new communication technologies, such as cellular phones and fiber optic cable, that make copper-based telephone land lines obsolete, according to Frieden. However, not all these alternatives are as affordable and as ubiquitous as copper landlines, a problem that could leave many rural residents underserved, he said.

The researcher, who presented his critique at the End of the Phone System workshop held at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, today (May 17), said that rural customers could replace land line telephones with cellular phones, for example, but most cell phone companies charge a fee for each minute of use -- metering -- while most fees for land lines are unmetered and are paid through a fixed monthly charge.

Frieden also doubts that cellular service will be as dependable as landlines.

"Cell phone companies have these colorful maps that show how well they cover areas," Frieden said. "But there are lots of places -- including places in rural Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York -- that do not have cell phone service, or offer limited services not suitable for broadband, Internet access."

Fiber optic lines are glass wires that can carry voice, television and Internet signals. For instance, fiber optic equipment is often used for Voice Over Internet Protocol -- VOIP -- a technology that uses broadband Internet to carry such services as voice, texting and fax.

While fiber optic lines are more common now, they are usually not found in rural or remote areas.

"The phone companies are right," said Frieden. "There are other forms of competition now, but these alternatives are not fair or adequate everywhere."

As communication technologies merge, telephone companies face stiff competition from cable companies, which are classified as information service providers by the government and face limited regulation. Frieden said that telephone companies, however, are regulated as a utility. As a utility, phone companies -- called carriers of last resort -- are obligated to provide service to customers. To increase profitability, telephone companies would like to be released from the carrier-of-last-resort designation that binds them to providing high-cost, labor-intensive telephone landline service.

Frieden said that the push to end the phone company's status as carriers of last resort may be the first step toward complete deregulation.

While telephone company lobbyists suggest that the market forces will ensure that all customers will eventually receive equal service in a deregulated environment, Frieden is skeptical about this promise.

"Everyone wants to say, the marketplace is great," Frieden said. "But there's also something called market failure particularly in rural and low-income areas."

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 17-May-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Matt Swayne
aem1@psu.edu
814-865-9481
Penn State

Technology is helping communication companies merge telephone, television and Internet services, but a push to deregulate may leave some customers on the wrong side of the digital divide during this convergence, according to a Penn State telecommunications researcher.

"Moving away from copper lines is an example of abandoning obsolete technology and embracing technology that is faster, better, cheaper and more convenient," said Rob Frieden, Pioneers Chair in Cable Television and professor of telecommunications and law. "But the risk is that we may be creating a digital divide -- not necessarily a divide between the rich and poor, but between the information rich and information poor."

Telephone companies are lobbying for government regulators to free them of their traditional role as a public utility, citing the convergence and availability of new communication technologies, such as cellular phones and fiber optic cable, that make copper-based telephone land lines obsolete, according to Frieden. However, not all these alternatives are as affordable and as ubiquitous as copper landlines, a problem that could leave many rural residents underserved, he said.

The researcher, who presented his critique at the End of the Phone System workshop held at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, today (May 17), said that rural customers could replace land line telephones with cellular phones, for example, but most cell phone companies charge a fee for each minute of use -- metering -- while most fees for land lines are unmetered and are paid through a fixed monthly charge.

Frieden also doubts that cellular service will be as dependable as landlines.

"Cell phone companies have these colorful maps that show how well they cover areas," Frieden said. "But there are lots of places -- including places in rural Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York -- that do not have cell phone service, or offer limited services not suitable for broadband, Internet access."

Fiber optic lines are glass wires that can carry voice, television and Internet signals. For instance, fiber optic equipment is often used for Voice Over Internet Protocol -- VOIP -- a technology that uses broadband Internet to carry such services as voice, texting and fax.

While fiber optic lines are more common now, they are usually not found in rural or remote areas.

"The phone companies are right," said Frieden. "There are other forms of competition now, but these alternatives are not fair or adequate everywhere."

As communication technologies merge, telephone companies face stiff competition from cable companies, which are classified as information service providers by the government and face limited regulation. Frieden said that telephone companies, however, are regulated as a utility. As a utility, phone companies -- called carriers of last resort -- are obligated to provide service to customers. To increase profitability, telephone companies would like to be released from the carrier-of-last-resort designation that binds them to providing high-cost, labor-intensive telephone landline service.

Frieden said that the push to end the phone company's status as carriers of last resort may be the first step toward complete deregulation.

While telephone company lobbyists suggest that the market forces will ensure that all customers will eventually receive equal service in a deregulated environment, Frieden is skeptical about this promise.

"Everyone wants to say, the marketplace is great," Frieden said. "But there's also something called market failure particularly in rural and low-income areas."

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

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Business raids cost Kansas City millions in taxes (Providence Journal)

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Women make for Successful Day Traders | How to Day Trade

Are women outdoing men in the ultimate man?s club?

It looks that way. A once predominantly male only field has been seeing a huge increase in female participants. I am referring to the field of Day Trading.

Twelve years ago, just 17% of the investors who used the online broker Selftrade were women. In 2010 that number grew to 34%. Another resource Stockopedia, which is a site specialising in broker research and stock market analysis, says between 30% and 40% of its user base is female. There are increasing numbers of smart, savvy women out there who are taking up the challenge of making their own investment decisions.

?Gone are the days when online investing was completely dominated by men,? says Edward Croft, chief executive of Stockopedia.

Many of the women who have turned to share trading have done so very recently. The increasing availability of information and services online has helped fuel this trend.

Not only are more women joining the ranks of Day Traders they?re better at it, say some!

Turner, the author of The Beginner?s Guide to Day Trading Online, insists women are better suited for day trading because they?re more likely to approach it as a profession, rather than a day at the races. She goes on to say ?Women are better at this than men. They set up their office as they would a business, learn everything and question everything.?

Being in this business myself for more than a decade, I would have to agree. Having spoken with hundreds of newcomers and witnessing many of them wash out (women included) I have noticed a distinct advantage women have over men for this line of work. Men tend to over complicate things whereas women don?t. And Day Trading is one of those things where it is incredibly easy to over complicate. A trade that you place will either work or it won?t, how much simpler can it get. You can see a little of what I mean by watching the video below or by seeing it here How to Day Trade Introduction

This ties into another advantage for women. Men feel the need to be right all of the time and when you are faced with a trade that is going against you this is a dangerous mindset to cling to.

Having the ability to exit a losing trade quickly without having your Machismo affected will go along way toward protecting the balance in your Trading Account.

Are you Woman enough to try your hand at Trading?

If so, you can receive complimentary instruction and your own Simulated Trading Account to practice trades in real time by signing up HERE. The only thing that isn?t real is the money you put on the line.

Resources

Women make better day traders
Day Trading : The Secret Lives of Mommy Speculators
Online investing and women

Tags: Day Trading, How to Day Trade, Learning how to Day Trade, Women Day Traders

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The way to Windows 7 Home Premium Shield Your Id On the internet

Surfing the net is a daily occurrence for an growing quantity of folks these days, as technology expands and on-line solutions continue to develop. Numerous folks go online to carry out banking transactions, shop, check e-mail, and catch up on reports. That is why it really is far more critical than ever before Windows 7 Home Premium to safeguard your identity whilst surfing the net. As id theft gets a lot more prevalent, it is essential for everyone to become added vigilant in protecting private details ? before it gets in to the incorrect palms.

Each and every time you go on the web and perform some kind of transaction, no matter whether it really is financial or an trade of data, you put your identification at threat. However, criminals use the internet too, generating use with the technology to perpetrate identity theft. This type of cyber-criminal gathers individual data online and either sells it to others for revenue, or makes use of it to his/her personal purpose.

Luckily, you can find numerous issues you?ll be able to do to stay a single step ahead of these bandits and keep your id as protected as attainable. The net landscape is constantly altering, so you need to keep on top of things if you would like to stay as protected as feasible.

The first thing you should do is learn how to steer clear of phishing ripoffs. Phishers use pretend e-mails and websites to pretend they may be real, trustworthy businesses and establishments, such as banking institutions and insurance organizations. When men and women get a pretend e-mail or are directed to a counterfeit website, they?re tricked into revealing passwords, credit card quantities, and other such data. Be warned: the criminals are great at what they are doing, so you must be extremely Windows 7 Ultimate careful when coping with e-mails from your bank or any other firm. The important thing to bear in mind is the fact that genuine institutions never ask you to verify personal information online ? be cautious and make contact with the sender directly, over the phone, to authenticate the request and, if essential, provide any data they might truly call for.

Simply because many phishers use spam e-mail like a method to obtain your individual passwords and data, install a great spam filter to keep out as much spam as achievable. Should you strain out a lot of the difficulty e-mails in the get-go, you won?t must worry about coping with too many suspicious messages on your own. Also, steer clear of sending any delicate data by way of e-mail or immediate messengers. Fraud artists are notorious for intercepting e-mails and IMs. Use typical perception when coping with e-mail at the same time. As an example, steer clear of opening e-mail or IM attachments that you deem suspicious. Only open up information from a person should you know the sender and what they are sending you.

And In no way ship your social safety quantity more than the web. No one ought to be requesting it, but in case you are asked for it, confirm who is requesting it and ship it straight to that person.

One more excellent way to avoid ID theft is by password safeguarding Windows 7 Ultimate all of your computer systems, laptops, and PDAs. For every product, occur up having a special user name and password. The identical rule should be followed when deciding on passwords for any on the internet activity. Why If 1 password is found by a person with unwell intentions, and all your financial institution accounts, charge cards, and other personal logins use the same password, he/she could gain access to every thing. When choosing passwords, develop them with letters, numbers, special characters, and make up nonsense character strings not discovered within the dictionary. These will probably be considerably more tough to decipher by a possible scammer.

Keep the amount of personal data existing in your laptop or computer into a minimal. Within the occasion that your personal computer is hacked or your laptop is stolen, you?ll be a lot much less susceptible to ID theft due to the fact you will not be giving the thief significantly to function with. Another excellent notion is to set up a private firewall program. Even though methods including Windows currently contain a standard firewall plan, setting up one more plan will guarantee that your personal computer is concealed from hackers, stop intruders from reaching delicate details, and allow you control Internet visitors.

Acquire antivirus software program and keep it updated. A high-quality virus safety package deal can help stop and eliminate viruses, Trojan horses, as well as other unsafe products designed to steal your personal details. It?ll also scan e-mail and IM attachments for viruses.

Additionally to antivirus computer software, make sure to equip your Computer with the latest in anti-spyware protection. Although a fantastic a lot of with the Windows 7 Ultimate adware applications around simply monitor your on the web actions for that functions of marketing, some happen to be designed for malicious factors, such as keystroke logging and, naturally, identity theft.

One final tip: if you choose to update your computer and throw absent or sell your old one, bear in mind to get rid of all your information from the challenging disk. Numerous men and women mistakenly believe that simply deleting files makes them vanish ? but this isn?t the situation. When you delete files they?re nonetheless present in your difficult generate, and have to be erased prior to handing the device more than to yet another person. Software known as wipe programs or shredders can be utilised to overwrite data with zeroes or random patterns generating it fully unreadable.

It really is well worth the effort to just take the precautions necessary for maintaining your individual information beneath lock and important. Trying to clean up the mess left powering by an identity thief can take a long time, and can trigger you a headache or two. So get cost and shield your private info, employing common perception and a few Windows 7 Ultimate great tech tools to help keep the cyber-thieves at bay.

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Warner Bros. passes $1 billion at international box office

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'Hulk, smash' and the iconic movie line - Arts Talk - Capital Region ...

"Marvel's The Avengers" ..Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). ? 2011 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.

The Wizard of Oz (From left) Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley

GONE WITH THE WIND-- Clark Gable, as Rhett Butler and Vivien Leigh, as Scarlett O'Hara. (none)

Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa Lund Laszlo and Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine Casablanca ? 1942 Turner Entertainment Co. Courtsey of Warner Home Video (CASABLANCA ? 1942 TURNER ENTERTAINMENT CO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.COURTESY OF WARNER HOME VIDEO. PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE USED SOLELY FOR ADVERTISING, PROMOTION, PUBLICITY OR REVIEWS OF THIS SPECIFIC MOTION PICTURE AND TO REMAIN THE PROPERTY OF THE STUDIO. NOT F)

Actor Rod Steiger, left, plays Marlon Brando's mob-connected brother in this image from the movie "On the Waterfront." (AP Photo/Movie Star News, File) (AP)

Bonasera, portrayed by Frank Puglia, asks Don Vito Corleone, portrayed by Marlon Brando, right, for a favor in a scene from the 1972 movie "The Godfather". (AP Photo/ Paramount Pictures ) (AP)

Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi (Alec Guinness), and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) in the Millennium Falcon (C) Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved. (BUSINESS WIRE)

Robert De Niro plays Travis Bickle in "Taxi Driver"

Clint Eastwood distrupts a robbery attempt as Dirty Harry. (DG)

Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment in a scene from 'The Sixth Sense' (GNS Photo) (RON PHILLIPS)

Tom Cruise plays a sports agent who finds love with a co-worker (Renee Zellweger) in the comedy-drama movie "Jerry Maguire"

Tobey Maguire soars as "Spider-Man." (KRT)

Among the many pleasures of ?The Avengers? is its sharp writing, which includes such lines as ?Hulk, smash,? said by Captain America to the Hulk, or when Hulk says of Loki, ?Puny god.?

Only time will tell if any of the lines from ?The Avengers? will enter into the realm of popular culture in the way that ?Hasta la vista? (from 1991?s ?Terminator 2?) or ?Show me the money!? (from 1996 ?Jerry Maguire?) did. The mega hits in recent years haven?t produced many memorable lines. Do you remember any from ?The Dark Knight? or any of the ?Transformer? films? How about any of the ?Harry Potter? films, or even any of the ?Lord of the Rings? films, let alone anything from the ?Twilight? series.

What are some of the more iconic movie lines out there?

In the photo gallery above are some of the more iconic movie lines of all time.

What?s missing? Add your own in the comments below.

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Business Management & Culture: Not Invented Here

10:00 AM By Article Directory

'; div.innerHTML = summary; } //]]> Business Management & Culture: Not Invented Here Business Management & Culture: Not Invented Here

Before submitting this article I just peeked on wikipedia, to see whether there was really something new to add on this issues.

And there is. By thinking about personal productivity.

The Not Invented Here "syndrome" - which is a bit of a harsh denomination, is about a cultural effect in organizations where people do not investigate before building something new. So they come up with solutions that have been around for some times and at other places.

Or do we favor own production, because that is what we have always learnt: To produce. If you put it that way, it is much less to do with culture but more to do with the characteristics of your business. Of any business. And nothing to do with a syndrome.

First it is not always important to build something in order to solve a problem. Especially in IT departments, building (software) is a common solution. But it could also be the case that you destroy an artifact to solve a problem. If you are not ha ppy with time registration, just throw it overboard. You can also solve a problem by doing nothing. Not spectacular, but many problems get solved that way.

There was the old economy.

The culture that we have been carrying with us is one of "producing". First agriculture, than industrial production, and now production is relatively "less important" only recently we talk about ... services, information and networking.

Characteristics of new companies differ quite a lot from the old ones. This trend will continue. Personal productivity will shift slowly into a new direction, after which the problem of "Not Invented Here" also will be solved. If you want to manage this process more accurately, you should address this personal productivity aspect.

© 2005 Hans Bool

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THE CHURCH'S CLOSET: When Your Pastor IS LGBT - May 15,2012

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'Bio Computer' Blends Tech and Organic to Grow Wheatgrass ...

? Mike Schropp

Self-described geek, Mike Schropp, built his own ?bio computer? in his basement to grow his own wheatgrass.

? Mike Schropp

Mike used various donated computers that he was able to disassemble to cobble together a working computer for his project. He had been looking for a project that allowed him to join his passion for technology with something organic, while allowing him to create a computer that his 5-year-old could learn and experiment with.

He writes on his blog:

I can?t exactly recall when the idea came to me, but at some point I started wanting to use the heat from a computer as a way to warm the soil and help with germination/growth. I?m about as far from a botanist as it comes, I did some reading online and became pretty interested in the effects of soil temperature on germination/growth. I read different studies and papers from various universities. It was not too long into that process that I became hooked on the idea of using computer heat as a way to control the soil temperature of some sort of living plant life.

As the idea developed further I started looking into wheatgrass as a plant option. There is something clean and natural about the look and idea of a piece of grass growing in my basement. I thought the look would alter the space a little bit and add a bit of color along with something more than just metals and plastics. After reading enough studies and papers on the effects of soil temperature and germination with wheatgrass I felt like I had a good enough handle on the basics to tackle this.

The results are a PC case that has been modified to take advantage of the waste-heat generated by operating the computer to germinate and grow wheatgrass in the low light environment of his basement. It is also equipped with Windows and Linux to give his son options. The whole project cost him $10.00. There are detailed pictures and information on his build at this blog, Total Geekdom.

Frugal indoor seed starts, like myself, have been taking advantage of waste-heat generated by televisions and refrigerators to germinate seeds for years. I think Mike is onto a great idea that he could use to create computers that germinate seeds for gardeners who can't bring themselves to buy heating mats.

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FBI Sounds Alarm on Hotel WiFi Caper

Overseas travelers are being warned to be careful when using hotel WiFi networks by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. "Recent analysis from the FBI and other government agencies demonstrates that malicious actors are targeting travelers abroad through pop-up windows while establishing an Internet connection in their hotel rooms," a bulletin from the Internet Crime Complaint Center said last week.

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Robots Stealing Unicorns, Meth-Testing Spice, and Five (More) Ways the Man Is Keeping You Down [Video]

The Top Five Special Interest Groups Lobbying To Keep Marijuana Illegal

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Rare gorillas captured by hidden camera (+video)

The video offers researchers a very unusual opportunity to view the Cross River gorilla behaving normally.

The rarest gorilla on Earth, the elusive Cross River gorilla, has been caught on film by a hidden camera trap for the first time ever.

Skip to next paragraph

Researchers estimate that only about 250 to 300 of the gorillas remain on the planet, and humans have rarely observed these critically-endangered primates?in their natural habitat.

The two-minute footage shows eight of the gorillas making their way through a forest in Cameroon. The video offers a glimpse of classic gorilla behavior, yet also reveals the plight of the threatened apes.

"The footage provides us with our first tantalizing glimpses of Cross River gorillas behaving normally in their environment," said Christopher Jameson, director of the Takamanda Mone Landscape Project. "A person can study these animals for years and never even catch a glimpse of the gorillas, much less see anything like this."

In a movie-worthy moment (at about 1:10 in the video), a massive silverback gorilla suddenly races along the forest path, beating his chest.

Seconds later (at about 1:18), another gorilla lopes across the frame; the animal is missing a hand. The wound appears to be healed, but could have been caused by a hunter's trap, according to a statement from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the group that captured the?rare gorilla video?with one of four camera traps set up in the Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary.

"Cross River gorillas occur in very low densities across their entire range, so the appearance of a possible snare injury is a reminder that continued law enforcement efforts are needed to prevent further injuries to gorillas in the sanctuary," Liz Macfie, gorilla coordinator for WCS's Species Program, said in a statement.

Although local people don't hunt the gorillas directly, traps set for other forest animals can sometimes injure the apes.

Cross River gorillas are extremely shy, and typically flee at the first sight of humans. They are the rarest of the four gorilla subspecies, and live only in the mountain forests that straddle the border of Cameroon and Nigeria.

Follow OurAmazingPlanet for the latest in Earth science and exploration news on Twitter @OAPlanet and on Facebook.

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Majority of Americans reject new US-Afghan security pact: poll

A large majority of Americans disapprove of a new strategic partnership with Afghanistan that will keep US troops on Afghan soil beyond 2014, according to a Monitor/TIPP poll.

A large majority of Americans do not favor the new strategic?partnership with Afghanistan signed during a surprise visit to Kabul?last week by President Obama.

Skip to next paragraph Ben Arnoldy

Deputy International Editor

Ben Arnoldy is the Deputy International Editor at The Christian Science Monitor. He has served as the Monitor's bureau chief in India and Northern California.?

Recent posts

By a margin of 63 percent disapproval to 33 percent approval, respondents rejected a?description of the deal that will include a US troop presence and?billions of dollars in monetary support for Afghan forces in the?decade after 2014, according to a Monitor/TIPP poll conducted April 27?to May 4.

Unusually for a key issue facing Americans in an election year, the lack?of support was bipartisan, showing only small differences across the ideological spectrum. However, with few national politicians?dissenting on the broad outlines of the Afghanistan policy, the popular?unhappiness has few immediately discernable political consequences.

Some of the polling was done before Mr. Obama had a chance to outline?his case for the deal in a national televised address on May 1, the anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden.

In that address, Obama presented the partnership as enabling a?withdrawal of most US forces by 2014 while still safeguarding?Afghanistan in the long-term from a return of Al Qaeda.

?The agreement we signed today sends a clear message to the Afghan?people: As you stand up, you will not stand alone,? said Obama.??Within this framework, we will work with the Afghans to determine?what support they need to accomplish two narrow security missions?beyond 2014: counterterrorism and continued training.?

Under the 10-year agreement, US forces would have access to Afghan?bases beyond 2014 for training Afghans and hunting Al Qaeda. The US commits to ask Congress annually to help pay for Afghanistan?s?security forces, whose cost outstrips the country?s budget.

The agreement does not spell out US troop numbers or dollar figures.?However, estimates for the yearly cost of sustaining the Afghan forces envisioned after 2014 are upwards of $4 billion. US and Afghan?officials have suggested the US will pay several billion dollars a?year annually, with the rest coming from the Afghans and from NATO?partners.

In his address, Obama conceded Americans were tired of the war.??Others will ask why we don?t leave immediately. That answer is also?clear: we must give Afghanistan the opportunity to stabilize.?Otherwise our gains could be lost, and Al Qaeda could establish itself?once more.?

Since the summer of 2010, however, tracking polls from the Pew?Research Center show a majority of Americans want US troops to come home from Afghanistan ?as soon as possible? rather than stay ?until the?situation is stabilized.? Pew?s most recent poll in mid-April found a?60 to 32 split for leaving now.?That split resembles closely the new Monitor/TIPP poll on the?strategic partnership deal.

Respondents in the TIPP poll were asked: ?The US plans to remove most American forces?from Afghanistan by 2014. To help Afghanistan after 2014, the US will?sign a 10-year deal that keeps some US troops there and the US will?also spend several billion dollars a year on the Afghan military. Do?you approve or disapprove of such US involvement in Afghanistan beyond?2014??

Among Democrats, 13 percent strongly approved, 17 percent somewhat?approved, 19 percent somewhat disapproved, and 46 percent strongly disapproved. Among Republicans, the percentages skewed only slightly?more positive, 15, 22, 20, and 38, respectively. For independents, the?percentages were 12, 21, 15, and 49.

The margin of error was plus/minus 3.3 percentage points.

Few discernible trends were noted between races, genders, or types of?hometown. Older Americans were substantially more likely to strongly disapprove of the deal. Cohorts under age 45 registered strong?disapproval in the 30 percent range, while more than 50 percent of?those over 45 strongly disapproved.

Such broad dissent raises questions about whether the president has a?democratic mandate to commit the US to a long-term deal. But the most contentious issues ? troop numbers and dollar figures ? will involve?consulting Congress.

Despite its unpopularity, America?s longest war has not stirred the?intensity of passions that surrounded the Iraq war. Only small numbers?have taken protests into the streets, with expressions of dissent?mostly limited to social media efforts from groups like Rethink?Afghanistan.

War protesters and members of the Occupy movement are planning to converge on Chicago ahead of a NATO?summit on Afghanistan scheduled for May 20. At that summit, the US will ask its NATO partners to commit to covering some of the costs of?Afghan security forces post-2014.

Get daily or weekly updates from CSMonitor.com delivered to your inbox.?Sign up today.?

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