Holiday Decoration Safety Tips

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33 Secrets to a Good Night's Sleep

If you are having sleep problems, whether you are not able to fall asleep, wake up too often, don't feel well-rested when you wake up in the morning, or simply want to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep, try as many of the following techniques below as possible:

• My current favorite for insomnia is Meridian Tapping Technique (MTT) / Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). Most people can learn this gentle tapping technique in several minutes.
  MTT / EFT can help balance your body's bioenergy system and resolve some of the emotional stresses that are contributing to the insomnia at a very deep level. The results are typically long lasting and the improvement is remarkably rapid.
  
• Listen to white noise or relaxation CDs. Some people find the sound of white noise or nature sounds, such as the ocean or forest, to be soothing for sleep. An excellent relaxation/meditation option to listen to before bed is the Insight audio CD.
  
• Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars. This will raise blood sugar and inhibit sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you might wake up and not be able to fall back asleep.
  
• Sleep in complete darkness or as close as possible. If there is even the tiniest bit of light in the room it can disrupt your circadian rhythm and your pineal gland's production of melatonin and seratonin. There also should be as little light in the bathroom as possible if you get up in the middle of the night. Please whatever you do, keep the light off when you go to the bathroom at night. As soon as you turn on that light you will for that night immediately cease all production of the important sleep aid melatonin.
  
• No TV right before bed. Even better, get the TV out of the bedroom or even out of the house, completely. It is too stimulating to the brain and it will take longer to fall asleep. Also disruptive of pineal gland function for the same reason as above.

• Wear socks to bed. Due to the fact that they have the poorest circulation, the feet often feel cold before the rest of the body.
  
• Read something spiritual or religious. This will help to relax. Don't read anything stimulating, such as a mystery or suspense novel, as this may have the opposite effect. In addition, if you are really enjoying a suspenseful book, you might wind up unintentionally reading for hours, instead of going to sleep.
  
• Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on the body to be awoken suddenly. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, they should be unnecessary. I gave up my alarm clock years ago and now use a sun alarm clock. The Sun Alarm™ SA-2002 provides an ideal way to wake up each morning if you can't wake up with the REAL sun. Combining the features of a traditional alarm clock (digital display, AM/FM radio, beeper, snooze button, etc) with a special built-in light that gradually increases in intensity, this amazing clock simulates a natural sunrise. It also includes a sunset feature where the light fades to darkness over time - ideal for anyone who has trouble falling asleep.
  
• Journaling. If you often lay in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed. Personally, I have been doing this for 15 years, but prefer to do it in the morning when my brain is functioning at its peak and my coritsol levels are high
  
• Melatonin and its precursors. If behavioral changes do not work, it may be possible to improve sleep by supplementing with the hormone melatonin. Ideally it is best to increase levels naturally with exposure to bright sunlight in the daytime (along with full spectrum fluorescent bulbs in the winter) and absolute complete darkness at night. One should get blackout drapes so no light is coming in from the outside. One can also use one of melatonin's precursors, L-tryptophan or 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). L-tryptophan is obtainable by prescription only. However, don't be afraid or intimidated by its prescription status. It is just a simple amino acid.
  
• Get to bed as early as possible. Our systems, particularly the adrenals, do a majority of their recharging or recovering during the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into the liver which then secondarily back up into your entire system and cause further disruption of your health. Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.
  
• Check your bedroom for electro-magnetic fields (EMFs). These can disrupt the pineal gland and the production of melatonin and seratonin, and may have other negative effects as well. To purchase a gauss meter to measure EMFs try Cutcat at 800-497-9516. They have a model for around $40. One doctor even recommends that people pull their circuit breaker before bed to kill all power in the house (Dr. Herbert Ross, author of "Sleep Disorders").
  
• Keep the temperature in the bedroom no higher than 70 degrees F. Many people keep their homes and particularly the upstairs bedrooms too hot.

• Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bed. This can provide the L-tryptophan need to produce melatonin and serotonin.
  
• Also eat a small piece of fruit. This can help the tryptophan cross the blood-brain barrier.
  
• Reduce or avoid as many drugs as possible. Many medications, both prescription and over-the-counter may have effects on sleep. In most cases, the condition, which caused the drugs to be taken in the first place, can be addressed by following the guidelines elsewhere on this web site.
  
• Avoid caffeine. A recent study showed that in some people, caffeine is not metabolized efficiently and therefore they can feel the effects long after consuming it. So an afternoon cup of coffee (or even tea) will keep some people from falling asleep. Also, some medications, particularly diet pills contain caffeine.
  
• Alarm clocks and other electrical devices. If these devices must be used, keep them as far away from the bed as possible, preferably at least 3 feet.
  
• Avoid alcohol. Although alcohol will make people drowsy, the effect is short lived and people will often wake up several hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol will also keep you from falling into the deeper stages of sleep, where the body does most of its healing.
  
• Lose weight. Being overweight can increase the risk of sleep apnea, which will prevent a restful nights sleep.
  
• Avoid foods that you may be sensitive to. This is particularly true for dairy and wheat products, as they may have effect on sleep, such as causing apnea, excess congestion, gastrointestinal upset, and gas, among others.
  
• Don't drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed. This will reduce the likelihood of needing to get up and go to the bathroom or at least minimize the frequency.
  
• Take a hot bath, shower or sauna before bed. When body temperature is raised in the late evening, it will fall at bedtime, facilitating sleep,
  
• Remove the clock from view. It will only add to your worry when constantly staring at it... 2 a.m. ...3 a.m. ... 4:30 a.m. ...
  
• Keep your bed for sleeping. If you are used to watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and to think of the bed as a place to sleep.
  
• Have your adrenals checked by a good natural medicine clinician. Scientists have found that insomnia may be caused by adrenal stress (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, August 2001; 86:3787-3794).
  
• If you are menopausal or perimenopausal, get checked out by a good natural medicine physician. The hormonal changes at this time may cause problems if not properly addressed.
  
• Don't change your bedtime. You should go to bed, and wake up, at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning.
  
• Make certain you are exercising regularly. Exercising for at least 30 minutes everyday can help you fall asleep. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake. Studies show exercising in the morning is the best if you can do it.
  
• Establish a bedtime routine. This could include meditation, deep breathing, using aromatherapy or essential oils or indulging in a massage from your partner. The key is to find something that makes you feel relaxed, then repeat it each night to help you release the day's tensions.
  

• Go to the bathroom right before bed. This will reduce the chances that you'll wake up to go in the middle of the night.
  

• Wear an eye mask to block out light. As said above, it is very important to sleep in as close to complete darkness as possible. That said, it's not always easy to block out every stream of light using curtains, blinds or drapes, particularly if you live in an urban area (or if your spouse has a different schedule than you do). In these cases, an eye mask can help to block out the remaining light.
  

• Put your work away at least one hour (but preferably two or more) before bed. This will give your mind a chance to unwind so you can go to sleep feeling calm, not hyped up or anxious about tomorrow's deadlines.
  

10 Coolest Concept Phones Out There!!

Ever wondered how the phone of the future will look like? We surely did. Phone producers show us every year some really superb concept phones and even if 99% of those phones never see the production line they give us a small glimpse of what the phones will look like in a not so distant future. We've made a list of what we think are the coolest concept phones presented in the last year. This is not a top, so the order is random. Oh, and one more thing, remember, these are concept phones, which means they are not in production and are not for sale, so please don't ask us where can you can get and what's the price. So, here it goes

How to Avoid Hacking, and Prevent Internet Security Problems

Hacking has become a big problem concerning Internet security, one that even affects the government and other high security computer networks. Hacking attacks can range from mildly annoying or just disruptive, or they can threaten finances and even the security of people and the country. It may not be possible to completely eliminate any hacking risks, but there are steps that you can take to increase your Internet security, and minimize the risks of a hacking attack being successful. One tip is to be skeptical about what you read and see online. There are many sites or advertisements that promise you money or other benefits that sound too good to be true, and they usually are. Many times these sites will have viruses, spyware, or other malicious software programs that install on your system and make it vulnerable to hacking.

Do not open any attachments or files in your e-mail if you do not recognize the sender. Some viruses and hacking attempts use e-mail to get around your Internet security measures. A hacker may attach any type of harmful software as an attachment and then mass mail it to a large number of people. It is a good idea to use an anti-virus software program to scan attachments even from someone you know, just in case a file is infected and this fact is not known.  Having a high quality anti virus program is also essential, to ensure no viruses, worms, or Trojans are present on your system that would weaken your Internet security and make your system vulnerable to hacking.

Make sure that your system has a competent firewall installed and activated. The firewall provides a layer of Internet security to strengthen the defenses of your PC. If you have high speed Internet access, it may be advisable to unplug the Internet connection when you are not online. An open connection is seen as an invitation, and many high speed Internet providers keep your system connected and open twenty four seven. For this reason a lot of Internet access providers may offer a security program or suite that customers can use for free, to strengthen your Internet security. An efficient anti spyware program, an anti virus program, and a firewall in place will help protect you against any hacking attempts on your system.

 Make sure to download and install any security updates for your system as soon as they become available. Sometimes it is possible that a software program has a glitch or two, and updates and patches are a way that these problems can be fixed. Not installing all of the recommended updates is the same as leaving your PC open for the hackers to walk through. All of these steps will help you protect your computer against any hacking attempts, and will also strengthen your Internet security so that hacking is less of a problem or risk. Use common sense and follow these simple tips, and you will greatly minimize the risk of becoming a hacking victim.

How To Reduce Stress at Work

Improve your time management and organization skills.
Of the many things you can to in this area the best ones include getting a to do list that works, learning to say "no", asking for help when you need it, and stop setting unrealistic goals for yourself.

Relax and breathe deeply.
Whether you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount or work you have to do or if someone is "in your face", a good thing to do is to "breathe through your nose". You can't get as worked up if you force yourself to breathe through your nose. Your body simply can't maintain the same level of energy without that extra oxygen you get when breathing through your mouth.

Take more breaks from your work.
Even a five-minute break will help. Get away from your desk. Go for a walk - outside is better, but up two flights of stairs and back down is good too. Getting more exercise in general will help you reduce your overall stress levels and that will make it easier to reduce your stress level at work.







Lighten up.
Smile more. We all know laughter reduces stress. You will be amazed at how much more pleasant the people around you are when you make an effort to be pleasant yourself.

Learn to listen better.
Rather than getting upset when others disagree with you, listen actively and find the areas of agreement. Be assertive and stand up for yourself, but don't be rigid.

Fix your environment.
Make whatever adjustments you need to the lighting, temperature, noise level, and other controllable factors in your office.

Don't sweat the small stuff.
Realize that there are some things that just aren't worth worrying about and there are some things you just can't change. Don't waste time stressing over the things in either category.

Get more sleep.
This is another of the things you can do to reduce your overall stress that will have benefits at the office as well. In addition to reducing your stress, it will increase your energy level and your ability to concentrate.

Find a mentor
If not a mentor, a friend will do. Having someone to talk to can take a lot of stress off you.

Spend more time with optimistic people.
Negative people will pull you down to their level. Choose to work with people who have a positive attitude instead.

Facebook Advertising Secrets – The Important Facts That You Must Know

Social networking sites are gaining popularity with a very rapid pace because they provide us various features with the help of which we can find friends, compatible mates and dating partners.

Some of the best networking websites that are operating on the internet these days are Facebook, Twitter, Hi5, Orkut and MySpace. They provide you options for chatting, gaming, creating forums, forming communities and advertising your products.

Various affiliates are now using Facebook to advertise their products and services because this social networking site is very popular amongst youth, children as well as adults. Facebook provides an option to the user with the help of which they can market their services. So, now let me tell you about some tricks with the help of which you can save a large amount of your hard earned money on advertising.

1. Creating a profile
If you want to carry out affiliate marketing on Facebook then you need to create your advertising profile. You must paste your picture is this profile as your picture will create a better impact on clients and other users. In this profile you have to fill out all your details regarding your location, age, work, fields of interest and important keywords that you use. In order to target the right people, you must make your profile interesting and informative.

2. Targeting the right people
With the help of this social networking website you can really target the people who are interested in your affiliate services. Using the right keywords and phrases is the key to your success. With the help of the right keywords you can track down the people who have mentioned affiliate marketing in their individual profiles. You can also target people on the basis of their work, relationship status and region.

3. Creating an advertisement
After you have created your profile and targeted the right people, the next step you need to follow is to create your advertisement. Your advertisement should only be meant for the people you have targeted as this would increase your chances of successfully promoting your services.

4. Price criteria
The price is very important for you if you really want to save money on advertising. Various options are provided to you for creating an advertisement. From these options you can easily choose the one that is most suitable for you. If you want you can either pay per click or you can also pay per thousand clicks.
With the help of a target network like Facebook you can easily save a huge amount of money on advertising.
If you are interested to learn more about Affiliate Marketing, please visit http://www.TheInternetTimeMachine.com, one of the leading Internet Marketing web-site.

Obese? Start Dieting Now!!

Overview
According to the ADA there has been a 39 percent increase in obese teenagers. This is due to many factors, although upbringing is a predominant influence. With two obese parents there is an 80 percent chance that a teen will be obese; with one parent, 40 percent; and with lean parents only a 10 percent chance.

Weight management is about long-term work with success that will last a lifetime. People who lose weight quickly by "crash" dieting or other extreme measures usually gain it all back or gain even more of the pounds they lost because they haven't changed their eating habits. The best weight management strategies are those that you can maintain.

Be aware of what you drink
It's amazing how many extra calories are in sodas, juices and other drinks. Cutting out soda completely can save you 360 calories or more each day. Avoid diet soda too, the artificial sweeteners tend to make some people hungry. Drink a lot of water. Switching from whole to nonfat or low-fat milk, soy milk or other sugar-free beverages is also a good idea.

Move your body
You may find that you don't need to give up calories as much as you need to get off your behind. Try a variety of activities, such as hiking, cycling or rowing until you find ones you like. Even the smallest lifestyle changes like walking to school or jogging up and down the stairs a couple of times before your morning shower can really make a difference. Your goal should be to work up to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at least 3 to 5 times a week, but it's fine to start out by simply taking a few turns around the block before bed.

Start small
Drastic changes are much harder to stick with than small changes. Try reducing the size of the portions you eat and giving up regular soda for a week. Once you have that down, start gradually introducing healthier foods and exercise into your life.

Stop eating when you're full
Lots of teens eat when they're bored, lonely or stressed, or keep eating long after they're full simply out of habit. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to recognize how much is in your stomach, so if you slow down it will prevent you from eating more than you need. Take a break before refilling your plate for seconds, and avoid eating when you feel upset or bored.

Eat less more often
Many people find that eating a couple of small snacks throughout the day helps them to make healthy choices at meals. Stick a couple of healthy snacks (carrot sticks, a low fat granola bar, pretzels or a piece of fruit) in your backpack so that you can have one or two snacks during the day. Adding healthy snacks to your three squares and eating smaller portions when you sit down to dinner can help you cut calories without feeling deprived.

Five a day keeps the pounds away
Trash the junk food and buy lots of fruits and vegetables!

Avoid fad or prepackaged diets
If we were meant to eat from cans, they'd grow on trees. It's never a good idea to trade meals for shakes or to give up a food group in the hope that you'll lose weight. We all need a variety of foods to stay healthy. Avoid diet pills (even the over-the-counter or herbal variety) unless your doctor prescribes them.

Don't banish certain foods
Don't tell yourself you'll "never" eat your absolute favorite peanut butter chocolate ice cream or a bag of potato chips. Making these foods forbidden is sure to make you want them even more. Besides, you need to have some fat in your diet to stay healthy, so giving up all fatty foods all the time isn't a good idea anyway. The key to long-term success is making healthy choices most of the time. If you want a piece of cake at a party, go for it! But munch on the carrots rather than the chips to balance it out later in the evening.

Forgive yourself
So you were going to have one cracker with cheese on it and the next thing you know, the box is empty? Drink some water, brush your teeth and move on. Everyone who's ever tried to lose weight has found it challenging. When you slip up, the best idea is to get right back on track and don't look back. Avoid telling yourself that you'll get back on track tomorrow or next week or after New Year's. Start now.

Being healthy is really about being at the right weight for you. The best way to find out if you are at a healthy weight or if you need to lose or gain weight is to talk to a health care provider or registered dietitian, an RD. He or she can help you set realistic goals.


Source: LIVESTRONG.COM

Travel Tips for Long Distance Trip

Like Traveling? here's my list of things to always take along when traveling. Note that I'm talking about longer-term travel on a strict budget; if you're only going for a few days, or you've got money to spare (or a corporate sponsor), you may well want to take along less and, if necessary, buy things wherever you're going.

There are several sections here: Everywhere Needs, Hostel Specifics, Practical Things (weather-based), and Optional (things which aren't necessary especially if you're a light packer, but which I personally would bring along).

And also, I assume you don't need my help to remember your toiletries, underwear, and other such obvious 
 things...

Everywhere Needs	Everywhere. No matter where you go, you will need this.
Swiss Army Knife (or imitation, of course)	Seriously. Uncorking a wine bottle, adding an extra hole in your belt, getting a splinter out of your finger, this is the tool of choice. Mock if you like, but mine's been useful more times than I can count, and so it tops the list. (If you're flying, make sure to put it in your checked luggage, or you risk losing it to airport security!)
Earplugs	You never know. Snoring people in your dorm room, trains rattling by at 3 am, the folks next door having loud sex - ignore it all comfortably.
Eye cover	If you're not light-sensitive, ignore this one. I wake up as soon as it's light, so I always bring an eye mask for too-light curtains or neon lights next door.
Small bottles for everything	Refill your shampoo and stuff into small bottles. Saves space.
Handwash Detergent	If I'm going anywhere for a longer period, having a way to wash small things without recourse to a laundromat is fabulous. In a small bottle of course.
Travel Clothesline	If you're washing more than the bare minimum at a time, you'll run out of places to hang clothes. An elastic travel clothesline like the one here or here can be invaluable.
Twist-ties, safety pins, and/or string	You never know when you'll need them, but there's always sometime. Closing the bag of sugar, keeping that rip in your pants secure, or tying the tattered ends of your zipper so your bag can still close. MacGyver would never leave his house without twist-ties. None of these things take up much room, making their space-to-usefulness ratio excellent.
Ziploc Bags	For the wet towel, for any non-dry substance, for food storage - always incredibly handy.
Medications and other healthcare info	Seems obvious, but don't forget whatever medications you might be on - especially the ones you don't use all the time but really need sometimes... like the vacation where I forgot my asthma inhaler. If you have it, information about blood type, vaccinations, etc. can be very useful - you'll be better off if you don't need it, but if you do need it you will hate not having it.
Moleskin	Unless you have supershoes and you are a superwalker, you will likely get blisters. And if you must have blisters, you must also have moleskin.
Q-Tips	Use 'em to clean your ears, or to clean out just about anything.
Note Book	For everything: For keeping a journal, for taking down the address of the woman whose picture you just took so you can send her the picture later, for writing down tips from other travelers, or just recording your impressions. Also, I recommend using waterproof pens...
Baby Powder	Those buses sure get smelling rank when everyone's deodorant is stretched to the limit...if they're wearing any. Help your laundry and your seatmate out, use baby powder on your smelly spots. Really helps absorb sweat, too. You smell nicer, and need to wash your clothes less often. Everyone wins!
Feminine Hygiene Products	As many readers have pointed out, these are often harder to find than they should be (especially with language barriers), so it's a good idea to bring at least a month's supply. Even if you don't need them, someone else will, and having them will get you lots of good travel karma.
Sex Stuff	Might need condoms? Bring 'em. No doubt there will be some available there, but why waste the time figuring out where and how? And if you want anything less mainstream than condoms - dental dams, lube, nipple clamps, whatever - you're best off bringing it along. (And putting it in checked luggage, probably.)
Sewing Kit	Sure, it'll fix whatever rips you put in the clothes. But when sterilized with alcohol swabs or fire, those needles'll also help pop your blisters. And it takes up just about no space at all. And you never know when string will be handy.
Tissue/T.P.	Not just for runny noses, but for when your bus stops in a place that has no toilet paper.
Wet Wipes, Hand Sanitizer	Antibacterial wet wipes are something I always bring - the advantage of wipes over gel is that you can also clean off your camera, the local pay phone, or whatever else if need be. But if you're going to be on a plane and make sure you don't get everyone else's cold, bring something to wipe your hands with. (Yes, yes, I know Americans are paranoid about germs, but this really does help!)
Hostel specifics	Ah, shared showers, dorm rooms, bunk beds...
Towel	Any towel will do, but a quick-drying travel towel can save you from having to pack a wet towel - great if you're on the move a lot, and saves space too.
Shower shoes	Personally I'd say it's must if you're sharing showers. Besides, slip-ons are generally good, for those late-night walks to the bathroom and such.
Earplugs & eye cover	If you're sleeping in a dorm, take precautions.
Sheets/sleeping bag	Not as essential now that most places rent sheets. Yours will probably be cleaner than theirs, though.
Salt & pepper	If you're self-catering, boy, it sucks when you can't get salt. Bring it or put it first on your shopping list once you're there. And if you plan to do any more serious cooking, bring small bags or baby food jars of other spices - saves money, and is an easy way to jazz up your usual boring self-catering fare.
Practical things in all weathers	...but not all places have all weathers, so pick and choose!
Raincoat, poncho, or umbrella	Because if you pack it, you'll get good weather! (And you can often get super-small rain ponchos for cheap.) If you plan to hike, get a poncho that can cover your backpack too; that saved my butt on the Inca Trail.
Long underwear	Goofy, but small, handy to pack, and keeps you deep down warm.
Windbreaker, waterproof jacket	Not a bad thing to have as a raincoat substitute if you won't face serious downpour.
Bathing suit	You never know when you'll need one. I needed one in winter in New Zealand.
Sturdy boots	Waterproof, in case you go tromping through mud or snow or puddles.
Sunblock, Sunglasses, Sun Hat	If you burn like I do, do not forget sun block; sun hat and sunglasses are also pretty important if you're going to be outside somewhere other than England.
One nice outfit	You never know what kind of random invitation you might get, but if you pack something that can moonlight as casual yet vaguely elegant, you'll be well prepared. For women, you may just need nice accessories and some lip gloss.
Optional, depending	What's important to you? Who are you on your trip?
Photos	People you meet want to see your family, friends, house, pets, who- and whatever you care about. Bring them - especially if your language skills are rusty, they help.
Camera	If it's digital, bring a way to download pictures or extra disks so you can take more pictures if you need to.
Cables, Cords, Etc.	Don't forget any cables you need to connect or power cameras, computers, or cell phones.
Playing Cards	A reader pointed out I'd left this off the list, and it's a serious omission. That 14-hour train ride would've gone a lot more slowly without playing cards, and they can be a great way to work around a language barrier.
Address List	I bring a list of everyone I'm going to send a postcard to, complete with their addresses. I also bring along addresses of anyone I'm meeting on my trip. One reader suggested bringing them along as pre-printed labels, which seems very handy.
Extra film	Be careful about how much this goes through x-ray machines; their effects are cumulative, so if you put undeveloped 400-speed film through four x-ray checks, you may see some damage. Might be worth either buying film there or developing your film at your destination.
Cheap (but not bad) perfume	Sort of like the above Baby Powder tip, this one is to minimize your clothes washing. Hang the bar-smoke-covered jeans in your bathroom. Spritz 'em with perfume and let them hang an evening. And then? Voila. Quite a good stopgap solution. I like Gap's "Om" flavor myself.
Gifts and Thank-You Cards	I usually take along one or two gifts that are not specifically geared toward any one person, assuming I will run into someone who will be so nice that I'll want to give them this gift - a book, or something produced where I live. Another reader suggested thank-you cards as a good way to show your appreciation. Obviously, when I know in advance I'll be staying with someone or otherwise dependent on their kindness, I also try to bring a specific gift for that person.
Salonpas	Love these. They're little Japanese anti-ache patches, but I've discovered another use for them. Caught in a smelly bus or room? Smell these instead. Put 'em by your pillow or on your hand where you rest your head. Helps in the archives, I'll tell you. Some folks recommend Vicks Vaporub for the same reason.
Phone Card	Check out the phone situation before you go and decide what works best for you. A lot of companies offer phone plans that you can use by dialing a local number on a pay phone - just make sure you have the local number available! If you think you're using your cell phone, definitely do your research first, as a lot of phones aren't internationally compatible (my parents, who travel a lot, have at least three different phones and plans, one each for Europe, North America, and Asia); even if they are compatible, you may be financially better off getting a pre-paid local cell phone.
Guidebook	Not necessary, but quite helpful. For South America, I recommend the South American Handbook - no reason to argue with years of quality. You could supplement them with cultural information from the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide, though the LP is more often out of date than accurate there. Let's Go is more appalling there than anywhere. For New Zealand, either the Rough Guide or Lonely Planet; see my New Zealand travel tips for more details. For Europe, really, any one will do, but please, don't take that bright Let's Go out of your pocket in the middle of Paris, because we'll all cringe. Can we say it all together now? "Don't go Let's Go!!" For elsewhere, I haven't really got any advice! But hey, try the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree for these and other questions!

Source: www.noaura.com

Hide IP Easy

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Intel® Core™ i7 Processor Extreme Edition

Gear up for extreme processing power

Hardcore multitaskers rejoice. Fly through everything you do on your PC - from playing intense 3D games to creating and editing digital video, music, and photos. With the high performance platform capabilities of Intel® X58 Express Chipset-based motherboards, along with faster, intelligent multi-core technology that applies processing power dynamically when its needed most, PCs based on the Intel® Core™ i7-980X processor Extreme Edition deliver incredible performance with a rich feature set.

Wield the ultimate gaming weapon for greater performance in 3D gaming applications. Experience smoother and more realistic gaming made possible by distributing AI, physics, and rendering across six cores and 12 threads, bringing 3D to life for the ultimate gaming experience. And take digital content creation to a whole new level for photo retouching and photo editing. Unlock your full potential with Intel’s top-of-the-line desktop processor and experience total creative freedom that’s limited only by your imagination.

Product information

Intel® Core™ i7-980X processor Extreme Edition

• 3.33 GHz core speed
• Up to 3.6 GHz with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology
• 6 cores and 12 processing threads with Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology
• 12 MB Intel® Smart Cache
• 3 Channels DDR3 1066 MHz memory
• 32nm manufacturing process technology

Features and benefits

Get extreme with your gaming and advanced multimedia.

Intel Core i7 processors deliver an incredible breakthrough in six-core performance and feature the latest innovations in processor technologies:

• Intel® Turbo Boost Technology maximizes speed for demanding applications, dynamically accelerating performance to match your workload-more performance when you need it the most.³
• Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology enables highly threaded applications to get more work done in parallel. With 8 threads available to the operating system, multi-tasking becomes even easier.Δ
• Intel® Smart Cache provides a higher-performance, more efficient cache subsystem. Optimized for industry leading multi-threaded games.
• Intel® QuickPath Interconnect is designed for increased bandwidth and low latency. It can achieve data transfer speeds as high as 25.6 GB/sec with the Extreme Edition processor.
• Integrated memory controller enables three channels of DDR3 1066 MHz memory, resulting in up to 25.6 GB/sec memory bandwidth. This memory controller's lower latency and higher memory bandwidth delivers amazing performance for data-intensive applications.
• Intel® HD Boost significantly improves a broad range of multimedia and compute-intensive applications. The 128-bit SSE instructions are issued at a throughput rate of one per clock cycle, allowing a new level of processing efficiency with SSE4 optimized applications.
• AES-NI Encryption/Decryption Acceleration provides 6 new processor instructions that help to improve performance for AES encryption and decryption algorithms

Source: Intel.com

Windows Summit 2010 announced: Windows 8 will not be the agenda

 

Microsoft has announced that this year’s Windows Summit would be held from 25th to 27th May at the Microsoft headquarters in Redmond. Though there are reports that the next Operating system (Windows 8 ) would not be the agenda of the summit.In a response to the Ina Fried’s query the Microsoft spokesperson said “Windows Summit 2010 is an opportunity for partners and developers to interact directly with the Windows Team and learn to build great products based on technologies in Windows 7 and Internet Explorer,". The company said it is for those hardware and software developers "who are looking to engage with Microsoft on an intimate level or who haven’t engaged with Microsoft in the past 18 months."


The event may seem similar to WinHEC that was last held in 2008 that was primarily focused on Windows 7 but the company said that they are currently evaluating the best timing for the next conference for this audience. Let’s see when some official announcements regarding next Operating system in made.
 Earlier today, yet another job post appeared on the Microsoft Career site stating that the next version of Windows would be faster,smaller and more responsive than Windows 8.
Here is what the job post read-


 
Principal Software Development Engineer in Test – Windows

Job Category: Software Engineering: Test
Location: United States, WA, Redmond
Job ID: 711553 11673
Product: Windows 
Division: Windows Division

Are you passionate about software performance? Are you excited by the potential to have a positive impact on hundreds of millions of users, by improving their Windows experience? The Windows Fundamentals Performance Test Team is look for a software design engineer who can help us do just that – make future releases of Windows faster, smaller, and more responsive than Windows 7. OS Fundamentals, and specifically performance were a major area of focus during Windows 7 and will be just as important if not more so, during the development of the next version(s). We have built a mature performance testing infrastructure to analyze the behavior of the operating system under different tests and workloads, and detect performance bugs, and opportunities to improve performance. And now, we want to take that to the next level. Our role as a team is two-fold in that we are not only improving and enhancing our current infrastructure and test coverage, but we also provide technical leadership and guidance to partner teams to help them improve the performance testing and analysis of their own individual components. We are looking for an SDET that excel in both of those areas.
The candidate will exercise his/her strong technical knowledge of software performance and performance testing to help us define the right metrics for measuring and monitoring the performance of the integrated system, identify the components and scenarios that are critical to measuring and validating OS performance, identify & address any gaps in test coverage that prevent us from getting complete and accurate measurements, and to analyze performance logs and debug uncovered performance issues to find the root cause, potentially prototyping a fix, or working with the appropriate feature team to implement a fix. The candidate would also be key in improving and enhancing our existing infrastructure and tools to minimize noise in perf results and improve the analysis process to ensure that fewer and fewer performance bugs go undetected & unreported.

Strong technical leadership skills would be required to work with other feature teams that do not solely focus on performance, and engage them in a productive manner to help them understand what is required of their teams to ship high-quality, high-performance software. Similarly to identifying the key system-wide metrics that we monitor, you would help each individual team define the key metrics to monitor and analyze the performance of their components, help them design their component and build test plans with performance in mind, and help them implement high-quality tests, analyze the results, debug performance problems, and get them fixed.
The ideal candidate will have more than 10 years for strong technical testing experience – including performance testing expertise and exposure to or experience with common performance test tools, and at least 10 years of experience of product &/or development across several life cycles of a commercial software product; excellent technical, problem solving, analytical, design, and oral/written communication skills; strong leadership skills and the ability to articulate and collaborate on a clear vision with people in all engineering disciplines across multiple teams; self-motivated an ddriven to solve tough technical and business problems; BS or MS degree in computer science, computer engineering, or an equivalent degree.

Cleaning Tips For Your PC or Laptop

Still dont know how to cleaning your PC or Laptop?..Follow the information below..

General cleaning tips

You can save your computer maintenance cost if you clean your computer on the regular basis. This will improve the cooling and performance of the computer components. Your computer components could damage, if you do not keep it clean on periodically basis, because dust is the main cause to heat up your system and heat link to hardware failure.

• Never place your computer on the ground, always use computer table or shelf for this purpose.
• To clean computer case first unplugs your system power from the electrical outlet. Remove all cables and connectors from the back side of your computer.
• Now blow the air around all the hardware components and keeping away your blower nozzle 4 to 5 inches away from main board components. You can use vacuum cleaner also for this purpose but compressed air is the better solution to clean a system.
• At the end using lightly dampened cloth or spray any cleaning fluids on the computer case and use paper towel to dry it.
• Never clean inside computer components or other circuit board with damp or wet cloth.
• Always be careful to eat or drink around the computer.

Cleaning tools

Today there are many computer cleaning products and tools are available in the market. Many computer manufacturer guide the user about their products on how to safe and clean it. Some cleaning tools are available in market for internal computer components and for peripherals. Usually some household items are also helpful to clean the computers components.

• Cloth - For computer cleaning use the lightly dampened cloth on the computer case and use paper towel to dry it. But avoid to cleaning inside computer components or other circuit board with damp or wet cloth.
• Cleaning fluids - spray any cleaning fluids on the computer case and use paper towel to dry it.
• Compressed air - use the compressed air and start clean from back to front of your computer case, specially casing and power supply fan.
• Lens cleaning kit - Always use lens cleaning kit to clean drive lens that specially designed to clean the reading/writing devices.

Case cleaning

When you noticed your computer case is looking yellowish then you can understand about inner side of your computer case as dirty as outside. Because Dust is the main cause to heat up your system and heat link to hardware failure. You can save your computer maintenance cost if you clean your computer on the regular basis.

• Never place your computer on the ground, always use computer table or shelf for this purpose.
• To clean computer case first unplugs your system power from the electrical outlet. Remove all cables and connectors from the back side of your computer.
• Now use the compressed air and start clean from back to front of your computer case, specially casing and power supply fan.
• At the end using lightly dampened cloth or spray any cleaning fluids on the computer case and use paper towel to dry it.
• This process should be done after every three months if you want to save your system life.

CD-ROM cleaning

If your CD drive creating problem to read CD disc, taking time to read  and showing message there is no disc in the drive. These are the symptoms of dirty or weak CD-drive lens, because dirty lens can create errors in reading or writing and soon will not work at all.

 

Follow the given steps to care and clean a CD-Drive.

• First make sure your discs are clean, unscratched and you’re loaded it properly.
• Always use laser lens cleaner to clean drive lens.
• Insert the laser lens cleaner disc and play it for 2 to 3 min.
• Using CD drive cleaner properly clean the CD-ROM laser from dust.  If your drive still creating problem then open it and clean the lens with a cotton swab.

CD cleaning

You can preserve the life of CD/DVD, if you handle and clean it properly, because dirty discs can create errors in reading or writing and soon discs will not work at all.

Follow the given steps to care and clean a CD/DVD.

• Avoid to touching the writeable or data side of the CD/DVD.
• Always hold your CD/DVD by its center hole or by the outer edges.
• Keep away your discs from sunlight, heat and anything that may create scratch on the discs.
• Always clean dust with a soft cloth or with a CD/DVD cleaning kit and avoid to clean with static cloth or harsh detergents.
• Start work to clean from inside to outside in straight lines until the CD/DVD is clean.
• Store your all discs vertically position and in dust free box.

Floppy drive cleaning

If your Floppy drive create problem during reading or writing floppy disc, taking time to read/write and showing message "Please insert a disc into drive A". These are the symptoms of dirty or weak floppy drive read/write heads. Therefore dirty heads can create errors in reading or writing and soon will not work at all.

Follow the given steps to care and clean a Floppy Drive.

• First make sure your Floppy discs are clean, unscratched and you loaded it properly.
• Always use head cleaning kit to clean drive heads that specially designed to clean the reading/writing heads. Floppy drive cleaning kit consists of cloth disk that can be wetted with a cleaning fluid.
• Using Floppy drive cleaner kit properly to clean the heads from dust.  If your drive still creating problem then open it and clean the heads with a cotton swab, but when performing this be careful about head alignment.

Headphones cleaning

You should clean your headphones on the regular basis because headphones are used by multiple people so that there are chances of spreading germs from one person to another.

• Never leave your headphone in the sunlight because it can damage the magnet of headphone.
• To clean the general area of headphone using lightly dampened cloth or spray any cleaning fluids.
• Always use lightly dampened cloth with warm water to rub the head and earpieces of the headphones.
• You should keep your headphones by hanging on the wall hook.

Keyboard cleaning

When the appearance of your computer keyboard is looking dirty, yellowish or some keys creating problem to work properly then you can understand about inner side of your keyboard keys dirty as outside.

• To clean keyboard first shut down your computer then disconnect the keyboard.
• Now use the compressed air with long nozzle and start clean all keys.
• Use lightly dampened cloth or spray any cleaning fluids on the keyboard keys and use paper towel to dry it.
• Try to use any cover of keyboard if you are working in high-dust environments.
• Always be careful to eat or drink around the computer.

LCD cleaning

Flat panel monitors are commonly used in mobile devices such as laptop and table PCs. Similarly, smart phones, PDAs calculators have LCD screens. LCD screens are much softer than old CRT screens, so they required extra care as compare to the CRT Monitors.

• First read the LCD manufacturer manual about your LCD model on how to safe and clean it.
• To clean LCD monitor first unplugs your LCD power from the electrical outlet.
• Never use dirty cloth, spray any cleaning fluids on the LCD screen and paper towel to dry it.
• Always use dry cotton cloth to clean the fingerprints and dust on the LCD screen. You can use lightly dampened soft cloth if you feel any difficulty to clean the screen.

Monitor cleaning

When you noticed your monitor is looking yellowish and its screen to be difficult to read then you can understand about inner side of your monitor as dirty as outside.

• Never place your monitor on the ground, always use computer table or shelf for this purpose.
• First unplugs your monitor power from the electrical outlet.
• Never open the cover of the monitor. First use the compressed air and start clean from back to front of your monitor case.
• Use lightly dampened cloth or spray any cleaning fluids on the monitor body and use paper towel to dry it. Do not spray any fluids near the ventilation hole on the monitor. Use any glass cleaner to clean the monitor screen with soft cotton cloth.

Motherboard cleaning

Motherboard is the main part of your computer that contains all hardware components. Your computer motherboard could fry, if you do not keep it clean on periodically basis. Dust is the main cause to heat up your system and heat link to hardware failure. You can save your computer maintenance cost if you clean your computer on the regular basis. This will improve the cooling and performance of the motherboard components.

• To clean your motherboard first unplugs your system power from the electrical outlet.
• Using the screwdriver remove the side covers of your computer case and put them to one side.
• Check all data and power cables connections. Inspect all motherboard PCI and AGP slots.
• Remove all add-on card of your motherboard for example RAM, modem, VGA, sound card and LAN card.
• Now blow the air around all the motherboard sides and keeping away your blower nozzle 4 to 5 inches away from main board components. You can use vacuum cleaner also for this purpose but compressed air is the better solution to clean a system.
• At the end assemble back all cards, cables and side covers of your system.
• I recommend you doing this after every three months if you want to save your system life.

Mouse cleaning

The mouse is the most commonly used pointing device in windows environment on the personal computers. That is why mouse required extra care as compare to the other parts of the computer. You should clean your mouse when you feel the mouse is slow to move in different directions or making some strange movements.

• First disconnect your mouse from the back side of the computer.
• Now read the mouse manufacturer manual about your mouse model on how to safe and clean it.
• Open the ball cover from the back side of the mouse and wash the ball then dry it with cloth.
• Now clean dust in the inner side of the mouse specially removes the dust on the rollers with lightly dampened cotton bud. You can use the compressed air for this purpose.
• At the end dry it and Re-assemble your mouse then connect with computer.

Printer cleaning

Laser printer is the fastest, high quality and more expensive than inkjet printers and their printer quality is also higher. The print quality and printing speed of laser printers make ideal for offices and business. The printer is the most commonly used output device in office environment. That is why printer required extra care as compare to the other parts of the computer. There is no any difficulty to clean a printer if you have proper cleaning tools and methods.

• Never place your printer on the ground, always use table or shelf for this purpose.
• If you have the printer manufacturer manual, first read about on how to safe and clean it.
• Now disconnect your printer from the back side of the computer and unplug power from the electrical outlet.
• First use the compressed air to clean dust, toner powder from the outside and inner side of the printer.
• Use lightly dampened cloth or cleaning fluid to clean the body of the printer and avoid to spraying fluid near any holes on the printer.
• Use paper towel to clean the toner and brush to clean the inside of the printer.
• Always cover your printer with dust cover when you are not using it.
  
  

Scanner cleaning

Digital scanner is a very popular input device. Its main purpose to translate images and text printed on the paper into electronic form that can be processed and stored by the computer.

• To clean the scanner first unplugs your system power from the electrical outlet.
• Always clean the glass of your scanner with any optical surface cleaning fluid.
• This process should be done after every three months if you want to save your scanner life.

 Gud Luck!!

Thanks to www.computerfreetips.com