Archive for August, 2010
August 31st, 2010 by admin
The use of modern fiber optic test equipment can be used to help phone companies keep their networks operating without interference. When a long distance telephone line goes down, it’s not the type of publicity phone companies revel in. Fiber optical technology continues to grow to ensure the dependability of phone companies to all their customers. In addition to the underlying stability and dependability of these networks, fiber optical measurement tools play a large role in keeping these networks operating smoothly.
During installation, commissioning and maintenance, fiber optic cables, connectors and splices are routinely tested for flaws. These tests are done by using specialized test equipment such as fiber optic power meters, optical time domain reflectometers (OTDR), optical sources and optical attenuator’s. These same instruments can be used to determine the basic system operating parameters such as signal levels, signal attenuation and bit error rate (BER) measurements.
During installation and maintenance, it is important to view the continuity of the fiber optic link. This procedure can only be done by using the OTDR. An OTDR consists of a pulsed optical transmitter, an optical coupler and a photo diode-based receiver, signal-processing circuitry and display screen. By using the connectors and the adapters, the OTDR is connected to one end of an fiber optic cable. Its transmitter sends short-duration pulses along the cable that are back scattered by imperfections of the fiber optic itself (Raleigh scattering), or reflected from splices, connectors, breaks and fiber end (Fresnel reflections).
The returned pulses are oriented through the fiber optic coupler to the receiver, where it measures the levels and the traveling time of the returned pulses. Loss and reflection values are shown on a display versus the location of these events, calculated with the traveling time and speed of light inside the fiber core. Locations of the loss and reflection values can be given with a 1-meter resolution. For the exact fault location, the values must be corrected, since they show the physical location along the fiber, while the fiber optic is actually twisted within the cable.
Depending on the power level of the transmitter and the pulse width, OTDR’s can reach distances of 50 km to 200km. Longer pulses, due to their higher energy level, are used to cover long-haul applications. Higher resolution, as necessary in short-haul applications, can only be achieved by shorter pulse widths. The measurement resolution describes how far apart two faults can occur and still be accurately measured.
An OTDR is often used by phone companies to isolate breaks or faults within their operation, such as in areas of extreme signal loss within a cable. Resolving a break to within a meter or less narrows down the section of cable that must be replaced, saving expense and time for the service crew. As the OTDR also enables the measurement of the overall length of the fiber optic link, its results are often used as a base for the expense calculation of the installation company.
August 28th, 2010 by admin
The online gambling industry is the most profitable industry on the internet. Millions of people around the world are wagering on sports online, playing online poker, bingo and even the lottery online at any of the thousands of gambling sites available on the net. Even people who have never visited a land based casino or a local bookie are finding themselves visiting online casinos and poker rooms on a regular basis.
So, what makes gambling on the internet so appealing? Yes, you can play any game of your choice without having to leave your favorite chair. Still, you will not be served free drinks; you will not be able to watch the game you have wagered on from big TV screens; you can neither see the facial expressions of your poker opponents nor to hear the sounds of the coins fall from the slot machine when you hit the big jackpot
Here are the benefits of gambling online comparing to traditional gambling:
Diversity: how else can you jump from an online poker room to the craps table and to a bingo hall while staying seated on your most comfortable chair? Most online casinos feature a large variety of casino table games, slots and video poker machines. Moreover, in many major online gambling companies you can switch from online casino gambling to online sports wagering with the same username and account.
Bonuses: where else can you receive free money to gamble with? Most online casinos offer free money bonuses in order to entice new customers and to keep up with the competition. The bonuses can start from 10 dollars free just for downloading the casino software to a couple of thousand dollars for completing a certain required amount of raked hands
Convenience: obliviously, what can be more convenient than playing your favorite casino game in the comfort of your own home while listening to your favorite music and drinking your favorite beer? Not to mention being able to put your dealer on hold each time up you want to take a break
Smoking and Dress Codes: whether you are a smoker or a non smoker, when you are gambling online you are free from obeying the rules. Same goes for dressing, eating and drinking; you can either smoke non stop or remain in a non smoking environment; wear your sloppiest clothes or stay naked; eat, drink, talk on the phone, watch TV, whatever
Atmosphere: when you are gambling online, there are not any cocktail waitresses who will sedate you with free drinks and distract you from beating the dealer. In addition, you can set an atmosphere of your choice that can include clocks or even a source of day light
Beginner Friendly: a land based casino can be an intimidating place for the newbie gambler. The average online casino, on the other hand, is much more beginner friendly than its brick and mortar equivalent. Interactive tutorials, play money modes and the option of avoiding social embarrassment caused by misunderstanding of the rules and codes of behavior is a more pleasant welcome for the novice casino gamer or poker player
Safety: yes, gambling online is usually safer than playing in a land based casino and carrying big amounts of cash money in your pocket. Most online casinos are reliable and respectable businesses that will not risk their reputation and lose their customers base by scamming their players
In addition to the list of benefits mentioned above, online gambling offers equal opportunity for people with disabilities or those who cannot afford traveling out of their state to play in a legal land based casino.
However, reading about the benefits of online gambling makes the huge popularity of online gambling, online poker playing and online sports wagering much easier to understand.
August 28th, 2010 by admin
Starting a computer repair business is not for everyone. Starting one from scratch is even less appealing to most people. One way to dramatically reduce the potential for business failure is to buy into a computer repair franchise. There are some real positives to doing this but there are also at least a couple of negatives.
First the positive. A good franchise opportunity will offer you lots of training and support. There is a saying that says that you don’t know what you don’t know. This is certainly true of computer repair. There are a million tiny details to worry about when running your own business. Many of them are not obvious to someone new to the business. A franchisor can make your life much easier by pointing out the potholes before you fall in them.
Proven advertising is another big plus of buying into a franchise. A good franchise opportunity will have proven flyers, business cards, newspaper advertisements and more to get you started. Good franchises will also send you leads. You can often get better advertising rates due to bulk buys if the franchise is large enough.
Lower computer part prices should be another benefit you get from being involved with a franchise. Being part of a larger buying block should help you get better prices with your vendors. People that are running a mom and pop repair shop won’t have the benefit of a buying group.
Professional image is another benefit of belonging to a good franchise opportunity. You will use their logos, t-shirts, business cards, car decals and more. You won’t have to pay to get these created for you or simply try to create your own half baked graphics. These things will be provided for you.
What are the drawbacks to a franchise opportunity? One of the biggest revolves around money. Both the up front franchise fee and the ongoing royalty fee. Usually the more established a franchise opportunity is, the higher their up front fee is going to be. My advice is to shop around for the best opportunity for you. If you can’t find any that interest you, you may have to start a business on your own.
August 27th, 2010 by admin
Introduction
Mission Critical Data is just what its name says: critical to the core functioning of an enterprise. Mission critical data must be available 24×7 and fully backed up for immediate recovery in the event of disaster. Enterprises are constantly seeking more reliable, more efficient, more convenient and more affordable ways of meeting these needs. SANRADs V-Switch 3000 uses Iscsi technology to centrally consolidate, manage, backup and restore mission critical data at a fraction of the cost, in capital and human resources, of existing FC SAN technologies
Mission Critical Requirements and SANRADs Solutions
Storage Area Networks (SANs) are used to manage mission critical data and, as they have developed, storage and network administrators have identified three main requirements on a SAN to manage this critical data:
High Availability: Storage systems and their mission critical data must be available 24×7. There is no leeway for downtime. Every minute of downtime equals a loss of revenues and credibility for an enterprise.
Remote Backup and Recovery: Data must be backed up off site to enable remote recovery in the event of disaster. Experts estimate that 30% of companies could not recover from a catastrophic loss of data and having backups on premises is of no use if the premises are destroyed.
Manageability: A SAN management system must be able to be centrally managed and provide a consolidated storage solution accommodating different storage subsystems and infrastructures. In addition, the SAN management must not exert added strain on the network and storage
administration staff.
Dynamic Expandability: Storage networks must be able to grow with an enterprise. Systems cannot be taken offline to accommodate this growth and no one wants to search for new storage management solutions every time there is a growth spurt. SANRAD has taken these requirements and provided comprehensive solutions in a single centrally managed platform using iSCSI technology.
SANRADs High Availability: The V-Switch 3000 hardware is fully redundant to weather power, processor and fan failures. The V-Switch 3000 configuration database is written to both flash and compact flash memory. The software IP-based SAN configuration provides automatic V-Switch 3000 failover and failback as well as data mirroring. No single point of failure ensures high availability.
SANRADs Remote Backup and Recovery: The V-Switch 3000 can create global IPbased storage networks to allow mission critical data transfer to remote sites within the IP SAN.
SANRADs Manageability: The V-Switch 3000 enables storage pooling across multiple platforms and infrastructures and eliminates the need for host agents. The V-Switch 3000 functions at the network layer and is therefore independent of host OS and storage vendors. The V-Switch 3000 provides storage virtualization and precise LUN carving of the pooled storage,
supporting volume concatenation, mirroring and striping. The locally accessed GUI-based Storage Pro management server is used to centrally configure volumes, monitor status and manage the storage pool.
SANRADs Dynamic Expandability: The V-Switch 3000 uses existing adapters, network and disk subsystems to form a sophisticated SAN solution ranging from 72 GB to 16 TB. New storage devices can be added dynamically and their volumes virtualized in real time without taking the system offline or impacting on functioning volume performance. Two V-Switch 3000s can be combined in a SAN to form a cluster to provide inter-V-Switch 3000 load balancing and failover.
Benefits of iSCSI SAN over FC SAN
When creating a SAN, enterprises find that the traditional answer is FC SAN. However, the investment required to implement an FC SAN is often beyond the means of a young enterprise. As a result, growing enterprises may find themselves delaying the inevitable upgrade to a SAN and, therefore, gambling with their mission critical data store.
The FC investment comes from four fronts:
Infrastructure: An FC network demands FC switches, hubs and bridges along with specific GBICs and cabling. In addition, each host requires dedicated FC HBAs.
Storage Devices: The storage devices must be costly FC RAID arrays. If an enterprise wants to maintain its JBOD stores, it must purchase virtualization appliances to convert the JBODs for use in an FC SAN.
Software: A variety of software tools is needed to manage all of this new equipment as well as the dedicated FC HBAs.
Human Resources: dedicated group of FC storage and networking IT administrators is needed to manage all of this. For a growing enterprise, this represents a sizable investment in capital and human resources to acquire,
implement and manage only one aspect of the enterprises data flow.
SANRADs V-Switch 3000 provides a single integrated hardware/software solution to SAN management:
Infrastructure: The V-Switch 3000 uses an enterprises existing IP infrastructure including existing Ethernet switches, cabling, GBICs and SFPs. A hosts existing NIC is all that is needed to connect to the SAN.
Storage Devices: The V-Switch 3000 supports existing legacy storage devices, both FC & SCSI, RAID & JBOD, so there is no need to purchase new storage devices. Due to the V-Switch 3000s storage pooling capabilities, enterprises may have an increase in usable storage space.
Software: The V-Switch 3000 has both hardware and a software component. There is no need for additional software beyond the included Storage Pro storage management tool.
Human Resources: Because the V-Switch 3000 operates over the enterprises existing Internet network, minimal additional knowledge or training is needed to implement or manage the SAN. The existing network or storage administrator is readily qualified to manage SANRADs Iscsi SAN.
Business Case: V-Switch 3000 vs. FC
Typical SAN topographies can be divided into 5 groups according to the number of servers accessing the
SAN and the net storage capacity of the SAN.
Small: 8 servers accessing a net capacity of 500GB.
Small Medium: 12 servers accessing a net capacity of 1TB.
Medium: 16 servers accessing a net capacity of 1.5TB.
Medium High: 24 servers accessing a net capacity of 2TB.
High: 32 servers accessing a net capacity of 3TB.
To best understand the budgetary impact of implementing an FC SAN compared to a SANRAD iSCSI SAN, consider the costs of each for a medium enterprise with sixteen hosts accessing a storage pool of 1.5TB.
In an FC SAN, this would require two FC switches. Upstream of the FC switches there are five server clusters, including Exchange, SQL and file servers, plus six individual servers. Each server requires FC software and each server has two HBAs, each connected to a different switch for a total of thirty-two HBAs. Downstream of the FC switches is a RAID system with RAID 5 and hot spare capabilities and a net capacity of 1.5TB.
In a SANRAD V-Switch 3000 SAN, this would also require two V-Switch 3000s. Upstream of the V-Switch 3000s there are two multi-Gbit switches but no special host software or HBAs are required. Downstream of the V-Switch 3000s are the legacy SCSI or FC JBODs with a net mirrored capacity of 1.5TB.
For a medium enterprise, implementing an FC SAN for Mission Critical Data is more than two times as expensive as a SANRAD iSCSI SAN. This expense does not take into consideration the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), e.g. FC cabling installation costs; cost of human resources to regularly upgrade FC
software and maintain two separate networks or the cost of replacing an FC RAID unit compared to a JBOD disk. As the size of an enterprise grows, the cost par between FC and iSCSI SAN grows.
Conclusion
SANRAD iSCSI SAN provides all of the key SAN requirements needed to manage, backup and restore mission critical data with added benefits over FC SAN. SANRADs V-Switch 3000 represents a single integrated hardware/software solution to SAN management, including storage pooling, virtualization, mirroring, striping and remote backup. The IP-based iSCSI SAN permits remote storage access and provides greater flexibility in the location of network and storage components within an enterprise and it
does so at a fraction of the cost of an FC SAN.
August 26th, 2010 by admin
Fiber optic communication systems have become more of a challenge for network operators to strategically and promptly keep them running at top performance in order to meet intense demands for reliable services. Many operators will go through a rigorous fiber optic training course. As the fiber optic communication systems evolve, there become newer and more complex parameters to monitor, more links to install and maintain, and more expected disruptions to track down. A new function in the primary test tool for fiber optic cable plants is the Optical Time Domain Reflectometer, or OTDR. The OTDR is an instrument that uses the inner back scattering properties of an optical fiber to detect and categorize its condition by sending high power pulses of laser light down into the fiber and capture the light that is reflected back. This new tool is of great significance for fiber optic technicians. Fiber optic patch cables are another way to provide the correct amount of light.
Software enhancements are reshaping OTDR testing with potent new data processing capabilities that allow even the least experienced operator to analyze the fiber optics quickly and completely, and to find subtle features easily. While OTDR concepts are basically simple, precise measurements can be complicated. Reflected fiber optical power is a tiny fraction (of basically one-millionth) of transmitted pulse power that eminently varies with wavelength, cable length, fiber optic backscatter co-efficient, along with splice and connector attributes.
Measurement parameters of fiber optics under test have to be carefully selected based on mode, length and attenuation, in order to optimize fiber optic measurements with an older, manual OTDR. The optimal parameters for all fibers, in exception for the shortest optical fibers, vary in relation to the distance of the event from the instrument. The newest OTDR instruments integrate software programs that automatically detect and configure the optimum test parameters and show results in simple formats.
Most fiber optic cables require multiple OTDR measurements by using different parameters to completely and accurately characterize their property ties. These types of tests can take more time than is acceptable during a network emergency or a lengthy commissioning process. When troubleshooting the close-range resolution versus long-range visibility, several sets of waveforms must be acquired by using different OTDR settings as often as necessary. After completing the first scan by using a short-duration optical pulse, the next scan will use a longer-duration optical pulse to provide additional optical power to test further along the optical fiber.
Newer OTDR’s incorporate built-in testing programs that automatically characterize the fiber optics in a sequential manner, starting from the instrument-to-fiber connection and working outward. Such programs automatically determine which parameters need to change, based on criteria like signal-to-noise-ratio, length, total loss and elapsed time. They may also increase the number of averages, change the filtering, or adjust the gain of the detection circuitry in order to optimize the test results for each specific cable segment. Many other software enhancements have been introduced to the acquisition , analysis and archiving of fiber optical test data, making the OTDR an even more valuable asset for technicians to meet the challenges of supporting fiber optic cable plants.
August 25th, 2010 by admin
In the 21st century office, ergonomics has become a very important element of design of structure. More and more officers are being designed to include workstations that follow ergonomic design concepts. Business owners, operators and managers have made employee safety and ergonomically designed workspaces a top priority in this day and age. To that end, the U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA, has set forth guidelines and standards to be utilized by business owners, operators and managers in the creation of employee workspaces. In this regard, OSHA has set forth a useful checklist to be utilized by a person responsible for creating employee workplaces and workstations..
In this regard, OSHA has set forth specific guidelines to be utilized when it comes to computer monitors that are being utilized in the workplace. By following these guidelines relating to computer monitors, a business owner, operator or manager can be more comfortable in believing the workplace will be a safe environment for his or her employee team.
First of all, when it comes to computer monitors, OSHA guidelines maintain that a computer monitor screen should be large enough for adequate visibility. In this regard, a fifteen to twenty inch monitor generally is of sufficient size. The fact is that smaller monitor units make it very difficult to read characters on the screen — which causes eye strain and may result in long term damage. On the other hand, units that are larger than twenty inches require too much space in a workstation and are not practical. And, again, in order to be ergonomically adequate under OSHA guidelines, a screen or monitor in the fifteen to twenty inch range is ideal.
Second, the angle and tilt of the monitor should be easily adjustable. Different people are different sizes and need to have a monitor that can be adjusted to fit their own body size and frames. Additionally, even if a workstation is used by only one person, there may be different work assignments that will be best undertaken with the monitor at alternate angles.
Finally, in order to keep a workspace clear and uncluttered — and thereby safer and easier to work within — a business owner, operator or manager should consider buying a flat screen monitor. Flat screens require a significantly reduced amount of space within a workstation or workspace.
More information on the OSHA guidelines pertaining to computer monitors for safe workstations can be found at the OHSA website. OSHA can be reached online at http://www.osha.gov.
August 21st, 2010 by admin
Most people get their computer with Internet Explorer already installed and set to all the default settings. The default settings are what Microsoft calls recommended settings. These settings are not always the best for your usage. One size does not always fit all. But how do you change the settings and what do they all mean? Im glad you asked…
In this article I am going to take you step by step through these settings to explain them to you. Open a new browser window before you start, so you can follow these steps as you read the article. At the top of your new browser window, click on tools then Internet Options.
The first tab you will see is the general tab. The very first option you have is where to set your home page. Type in http://forum.dugancom.com/. Im just kidding. That is my website. Pick a website that you want your browser to open to every time you go online. If you have a favorite search engine, put it there. If you have a home page enter that. Hit apply when you have done this and that will be your home page from now on. Anytime you hit the home button at the top of your browser it will automatically go to that page.
The next option you have is to delete cookies. There is a lot said about how to manage cookies and what they are for on the Internet. But for the purposes of this article I will just tell you that cookies store information like websites where you want to be automatically logged in rather than having to type in a username and password every time. There are other cookie uses and hopefully I will have time to write about that in another article. If you delete the cookies, you will have to login to websites you use often and it wont remember your username etc.
The next button says delete files. These are the temporary files Internet Explorer stores on your hard drive so if you go back to them they will load faster because the images and other files are already downloaded. Later we will get to another area with a setting that will help you manage this. You can go ahead and delete these files if you want to and every now and then you should.
The next button is called settings. Click on that button now. It says, Check for newer versions of stored pages… then gives you several options. Clicking every visit to the page will cause pages to load slower because rather than going into the temporary Internet files for cached files, it queries the server for the newest version of any files on that page.
Every time I open Internet Explorer means that the first time you visit that website, this session, it will check for a newer version of the page. After that, it will refer to the cached page on your hard drive. Automatically means you let Internet Explorer manage this for you and that is the recommended setting. Never means it will always use the cached version on your hard drive rather than check for newer versions.
I recommend either auto or never, because if you want to check for newer versions of a page all you have to do is push shift and hit the refresh button on your browser tool bar.
The next option in settings is how much space to allow for temporary Internet files. Five to Twenty megabytes is plenty. Internet Explorer tends to override your choice here anyway. Bill knows best I guess.
The next button is move folder. Dont click that. Back away slowly and do not touch that button. It sends nuclear missiles at several minor countries. Seriously, moving the location of your temporary Internet files is not a good idea. The next button, view files is pretty boring stuff and you dont need to do anything here. The same can be said for view objects. Those three can all be left alone.
Go ahead and click ok so we can go back to the general tab. You will see the next option is about computer history. Now this is a personal choice. You know how links you have clicked on before are a different color than those that you have not clicked on? Well history remembers that for you so you know which pages you have or have not visited. It also records the history of all the websites you or anyone else on your computer has visited. In your address bar, the drop down arrow that shows you all the websites you have been to is put there by the history option. It is also used if you have auto-complete enabled for web addresses you are typing into your address bar.
You can set this for the number of days you want to save history for. If you have kids, you can access these files to see where they are going on the Internet as well. If you are using a computer at work you might want to set this to 1 day. To the right of where you enter the number of days is the button to erase history now. Computer experts can still find your history. This is not absolute.
Next button is colors. The best setting is use windows colors, but experiment if you want to. Next button is fonts and if you click on that, its pretty self-explanatory. This is not where you choose font size. That is in the view part of your browser rather than the tools area we are in now. Languages is also self-explanatory. Accessibility is where you can alter settings if you have special needs.
Ok, now lets move on to the Security tab. Medium is the best setting for most users and probably is already set there. Be careful when changing security options that you do not understand. Click custom level. Scroll through. If there are things you are absolutely sure about and want to change, then do so. But if you are not sure, dont change it.
You will see that when we first came to the tab the Internet icon was selected in the window at the top. You can also click on Local Internet and do the same for your settings there. This is for your local network if you have one. The next icons are, trusted sites and restricted sites. You can add websites to either area that you wish to allow or disallow no matter what other settings are on your computer. This is one way to block your child from visiting a particular website.
Go to the next tab at the top called privacy. Now this is another area where you need to be careful and understand what you are changing before doing so. This is probably already set to medium which is fine for most users. The import button probably doesnt apply to you. Click the advanced button. Everything here is probably grayed out except the option to check override cookie handling.
Automatic settings mean that you accept both first party and third party cookies. That means you accept cookies from the website you are visiting and from any other websites that the website you are visiting has chosen to set cookies on your hard drive like their advertisers or others who want to track users habits.
Click override automatic cookie handling, then check block for the third party cookies and you will block some spyware or adware being placed on your system. If you want to block cookies from a particular website or you want to only allow cookies from specific websites, this is where you add those websites.
Next, we go to the Content tab. Again, this is an area that you need to know what you are changing before you change anything. You can click enable for content advisor. The first slider bar can be changed to block different types of content. First you can start with types of language you wish to block, then nudity, sex, and violence by clicking the icons in the window and using the slider bar. The more info button will help you understand this more.
The approved sites tab at the top will let you enter websites that you want to access regardless of the settings you just made with the slider bar. On the general tab, you should click allow websites that have no rating because not all websites are rated. You can also check the box that says a supervisor, you, can use a password to access restricted websites.
If you share your computer with your children, this is an option where you can visit restricted websites but they cannot. Be careful when setting this password. If you forget it, you will not be able to make changes to these settings later. If you lose this password, you have to know how to go into the registry to get it removed. Unless you know about rating systems, you dont need to worry about the two buttons at the bottom of this tab or the advanced tab.
Click ok to make any changes you made and to enter a password if you decided you wanted one. If you understand about certificates and publishers then you dont need my help here. If you dont understand them, leave those buttons alone.
Click the autocomplete button. This is pretty easy to understand. Autocomplete works to help you not have to type the same information on forms and in your Internet Explorer address bar. You can also clear any previous information here. Click prompt me to save passwords and it will ask you each time you enter a password if you want Internet Explorer to remember your password for this website so you dont have to type it in every time. I dont recommend you allow it to remember banking and financial passwords.
My Profile is where you can enter information about yourself and use that whenever asked for your profile on a website or it can be automatically accessed by some applications saving you time.
Now, click the connections tab. If you are currently connected to the web and reading this article, then it is safe to assume your settings here are correct and you should leave them alone.
Click the programs tab at the top. There are drop down menus to help you set the default program for each of the tasks. This is a personal choice that will let you set your default web browser, html editor, and email program.
Now we reach the advanced tab at the top. Scary hunh? No, this area is mostly personal choices and your choices dont have near the serious consequences of your settings in content, privacy, and security.
Most of the choices should be left where they are as the default settings. I will only talk here about the ones you may want to change. Do not check notification for EVERY script error unless you want to be annoyed a lot. Not every script in every webpage is error-free and there will be a lot of popups about them if you check that box.
Notify me when downloads complete if checked will give you a sound when a download is done. Underline links is a personal choice. I leave it set on always so I know when I see a link. The next ones again are a choice of whether you want to use Autocomplete.
You can scroll through the rest of the choices and change the ones you understand. Likely if you dont understand an option you dont need to change it anyway. I hope this article has been helpful to you and has helped you personalize your settings rather than have Bill Gates do it for you.
August 21st, 2010 by admin
If A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words, Than An Animation Is Worth A Settlement!
Courtroom re-enactment though forensic animation can be a very effective tool in persuading a jury to decide in your clients favor. Technology is enhancing civil and criminal litigation, mediations, arbitrations and case depositions in a rapid manner. One study by the National Center for State Courts has determined that 82 percent of trials using 3D modeling as demonstrative evidence have led to victory.
How jurors perceive a witness, speaks directly to their opinion of the witnesss character. One study by the ACTA Press stated, A well designed animation can influence a jurors’ interpretation of the participant’s activities in terms of perceived aggression, curiosity, jealousy, fear, provocation, relationships, roles and responsibilities, and guilt and innocence. Jurors will become more emotionally connected in the animation as motion, texture, and lighting are rendered in more sophisticated ways.
How Animation can be used:
The development of computer forensic animation prior to deposition will highlight where information and collaboration is required, helping focus questions while eliciting complete information. By displaying 3D modeling during question and answer sessions by asking, “Is this what happened?” Animation will make the facts clearer to the jury. Computer animation helps juries understand in tangible terms what might otherwise remain an abstract concept. Computer forensics and 3D modeling has been proven to be better than any other type of demonstrative evidence according to a United States District Court Judge.
“I have noticed repeatedly that when a document is displayed on the monitors, the jurors sit up and pay attention. Such attention is far greater than that given to a document or situation which they cannot see as it is being discussed by the attorney and the witness.”
“As long as technology is beneficial in helping jurors understand the facts and, more importantly, in expediting the trial, few judges will oppose it.”
United States District Judge Carl Rubin
Examples of use:
Imagine for a moment a lawyer asking a witness, If the truck was traveling at 50 miles per hour, and hit the side of the building in this spot, what would happen to the truck?” Working with the right 3D animator, the incident can be re-enacted with the true physics of force, surface texture and speed applied to get an enhanced image of the circumstances.
Demonstrating the intricate details of an accident scene, whether portraying a medical procedure or forensic mechanism of injury, there are virtually no limitations to what can be visualized using computer animation coupled with scientific and statistical evidence.
A vehicle traveling at X miles per hour vs. Y miles per hour
If a truck had veered ten feet sooner
If a vat of chemicals had been placed here vs. there
If the train operator had really seen or heard the signal
If the substance was indeed harmless
Recently their was a trial where the plaintiff charged an architect with improperly designing a bridge. The defendant hired a graphic animation designer who took the blueprints, created a sketch drawing and built the bridge with the computer. Then, with the assistance of an engineer, the animator found that the bridge was designed properly. In fact, there had been an accident concerning a car colliding with a support column, which was not reported to the authorities until after the suit began. The animator then re-created the truck accident to show the damage to the bridge and its lingering effects.
Why Use Forensic Animation:
3D computer animations and images remain imbedded in the mind of the viewer long after they are offered as demonstrative evidence. Accidents, models, science or medial scenes, etc. are recreated to scale, through the use of computer animation, from expert or police reports. These animations are both visually presented to the jury. Statistics have shown people in general are much more likely to retain visual information that auditory information such as witness testimony.
A cardinal rule of persuasion or debate is to always show, rather than tell someone what happened. By showing the jury your clients perspective, while the opposing side tells their clients perspective, the jury is much more likely to identify and believe the visual presentation, all things being equal. As the old adage goes: a picture is worth a thousand words, and I would submit if a picture is worth a thousand words, than an animation is worth a settlement!
August 19th, 2010 by admin
Good backup habits are essential to everyone who uses a computer with important information. It takes just a few accidental clicks of the mouse – or worse, one isolated hardware failure – and valuable data can be lost.
One dilemma for backup users is often where to put their backups. Storing them on your own hard drive is obviously not the best option. Not everyone wants to split their backups into several parts using a CD or DVD burner, and an external hard drive isn’t a standard fixture on many users’ desks.
One solution to this problem, and a solution that can save a lot of time and effort, is offsite or remote backup. Backing up to a computer offsite means that your data will end up on a different drive or computer, which basically halves the chance of catastrophic loss. This can be especially useful for office users. If your company has several locations, backing up over a network to a computer situated elsewhere can provide a contingency in case of a power surge, fire, employee misuse or plain user error.
Offsite backup over a network:
Most backup programs support network backup, and the way to use this is simple. Local Area Networks (LAN) and Wide Area Networks (WAN) usually feature “network drives”, which appear to your computer as an ordinary drive. They often have names like M:, N:, O: and so on. Depending on permissions set up by the people administrating your network, you may be able to write to certain drives but not read from them, or you may not be able to change or delete data once it’s written. These are common situations, but they should not affect the way you back up.
Once you have found a suitable location for your data – your administrator will be able to help you with this – backing up can be as easy and fast as with an external drive.
Select the appropriate drive and the data you want to save and that’s it. Even though a network connection is usually not as fast as a local cable, this is just a matter of waiting. Most programs allow you to set a backup timetable, which is a great way to take the effort out of backup. If you leave your computer on at night, then setting an incremental backup every second day at 2am, for example, ensures the safety of your data. A possible disadvantage here is that if your network goes down, you might not be able to get your data back for some time. Laptop users might not always be connected to the network at the scheduled backup time, defeating the purpose entirely.
Offsite backup through FTP:
Another form of offsite backup uses a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server over the Internet. FTP is traditionally used to move large files online and can reliably transfer any files of any size.
To access data stored on an FTP server, you can use your backup program, a special FTP client or just a regular web browser. While there are two “types” of FTP server, public and private, you will almost certainly be using a private server, which requires a password to access your data. Advantages of this method include that you can view the files stored on the FTP any time you wish using any FTP client, mobile users can back up from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection, and FTP backup can be somewhat cheaper than a specialised remote backup service.
The main disadvantage inherent in this method is data security. The FTP protocol is not secure, and even a private FTP account does not ensure the security of your files; it only protects access to the FTP server. Anyone with access to your username and password has access to your data. Added to this, unless you take steps to protect it, your data will be unencrypted as it travels to the FTP server, and could possibly be intercepted. We recommend that you encrypt your files before sending them.
One option is to store your data in a standard password-protected ZIP archive. This is a quick method that allows you to extract your files on any computer using any ZIP client. There are ZIP programs that provide tighter security by applying stronger encryption algorithms, like AES or Blowfish. This increases the security of your data, but to decrypt your files you may need to use the program that encrypted and backed them up.
To obtain access to a private FTP server, find a good hosting company (try searching with Google) and compare based on price and location – companies with servers based in your country will usually be faster. Beware that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) might charge you for the data you send, so you may wish to make incremental backups over FTP, which only backup what was changed since your last backup.
Specialised offsite backup:
Another form of offsite backup is the use of a special server provided by the company that makes your backup solution. They usually use their own protocols to encrypt and transfer your data, and a special program on their end to store it. You may have some issues using such services if you’re behind a firewall, as some of these services use non-standard Internet Protocol (IP) ports.
Offsite backup services are usually paid for by the month, by the amount of data transferred or both. They can be quite expensive, especially if you wish to back up a lot of data, or use the service over a long period of time. As with FTP servers, you may also be charged by your ISP to send your data.
Still, offsite backup services represent a convenient method, as they’ll usually be built right into backup programs that support the feature. Ensure the credentials of the company you’re dealing with, as an offsite backup service is pointless if your backup company happens to shut up shop or “can’t find” your data – just as your hard drive fails.
August 18th, 2010 by admin
To differentiate between tour operator and wholesale packages offered in the market today, it becomes imperative to focus on modules and features as well as your individual specific needs. The features that differentiate TOPAX Management from other competitive systems are: Generic B2B site for a complete on-line Internet booking system for travel agents and remote users, Broad Accounting module, Customer Information module – “Mini CRM” to handle customer contact information and to manage customer relations. Additional features include automatic queuing mechanism that allows users to manage and monitor the business flow, and Tour and Transfer Operation module (TTO) – manages collective PNRs tour services such as guide and vehicle assignments based on collective size, guide qualifications, vehicles availability, etc. including documentation and profit and lost. From sales activity to profitability analyses and reporting, TOPAX allows you to rapidly get to the information you need, helping you to make the right decisions that keep your business one step ahead of your competitors. Now you can optimize your distribution, find cost effective alternate choices and cut margins. Integrated data-mining tools provide you with the reliance to trace the performance of your business, strengthening your immediate command on operations and financing, and helping you to improve your business processes. Using the smart report generator, TOPAX collates detailed facts for yield management, and presents the data with graphical clarity that gives you total control over your business – right down to the single transaction level.
The TOPAX software is loaded with customizable features and parameters that enable you to customize the application to your specific needs. Just select the required parameters and modules and youll be provided with a custom-built solution for the price of an off-the-shelf package. Using multi-level security, your partners can participate in your business activities, through various levels of authorization. Transactions always remain confidential, regardless of the number of operators using your system.
TOPAX Management has been developed using the latest, scalable technologies that combine simplicity of use with advanced processing power and connectivity to keep you at the cutting edge of the travel technology revolution. The solution incorporates leading edge Web-based technologies and Windows-style application screens. A dependable integration of client/server architecture, a relational database and graphical user interface provide users with assurance that their mission-critical solutions will perform well in the information-intensive travel environment.
TOPAX is a modular system that is scalable and cost-effective enough to fit any size of organization. Considered an all-encompassing application designed for companies in need of inbound and/or outbound tour operators platforms. It is a comprehensive platform that manages the entire business aspects of the tour operator operation, commercial, administration and activities. TOPAX is also the most value-added system on the market today. Whether domestic, regional or international, tour operators will find the TOPAX systems modules most essential for managing all phases of the business. This Tour Operator software can be used on an ASP model, where the user actually pays only low monthly fees. Formula Travel Solutions maintains the software on a central server location, and they use IBM reliable hardware. Internet access to the system is available for any authorized remote user, from anywhere, anytime, 24/7.
|