Computers - The Electronic Brain

Computers - The Electronic Brain

When the word computer is heard we at once think of the desk top PC left on the desk at home or in your office. True that it is the PC we call a computer but these electronic brains are embedded in many instruments in day to day use from toy cars to fighter jets.

The earliest computers were made in the mid 19th century. The rooms were very large. These were improved and with the advent of digital technology that improved vastly and reached the present day state.

Basically to complete a computer there are two things which should work together. They are hard ware and software. Hardware is the physical instruments you can see while software are the programs running inside the machine making it to work. In a basic computer there are three parts in the hardware. They are the input device the output device and the central processing unit. The basic input devices are the key board and the mouse. The basic output device is the monitor. The central processing unit is the real computer which does the calculation and execution of programs.

Software too has two sets. One is the operating system which makes the connection between the hardware and the programs. The other programs are the various programs used by the computer that could be word processors, spread sheets, programming software and so on.

Although the above is the basic PC previously it has developed into various branches. While basic computer has evolved into smaller laptops note books and net books the microcomputers are embedded in many instruments like the toys, games and industrial robots.

The computer is keeping on developing and soon we might be able to see a car being driven by one of these. Still the PC at home left on your desk is your faithful friend.

How To Repair The Acer D2D Recovery

How To Repair The Acer D2D Recovery

This tutorial can also help to do it on other computer brands

Disclaimer: First of all you must be aware that some of the operations to come can cause irreversible change on your hard disk, I recommend to you and I will never make it enough to make a backup of your system before launching you in any hazardous operation. Any damage and / or modification done on your system will be under your whole responsibility. The following procedures were done on a Acer Aspire 5102wlmi and some also functioned on a Dell Inspiron 9400/1705.

As you know, the Acer computers and those of other manufacturers are now delivered with a system of restoration installed in a hidden partition of your hard disk. This system launches out while pressing keys ALT + F10 simultaneously. And sometimes for various reasons this system ceases functioning.

The first cause often comes due to the fact that function D2D Recovery is disable in the bios (menu principal).

The solution : enable the function and try to press keys ALT + F10 during the starting of the computer.

The second cause: in this case hidden partition PQSERVICE was erased or damaged, or you replaced the disc and in this case it is not present.

The solution : If you did not previously make a backup of your system by making an image disc. It will not be possible to use the D2D recovery. Your only hope will be to have in your possession Acer Recovery CD / DVD.

And the third causes: The Acer Master Boot Record (MBR) was damaged or replaced by non-Acer MBR. As long as partition PQSERVICE is present or that you can put the hand on the necessary Acer files you can reinstall the MBR of Acer.

The solution :

First method : on a functional Windows system:

1 disable the D2D recovery option of the bios.

2 open a Windows session with an account administrator.

3 Download, unzip and launch partedit32 (registration required for download).

4 Identify the Pqservice partition by its size (at the bottom of the partedit window there is a partition information box) it is a small sized partition approximately 2 to 6 Go.Once made change the type of your partition into 0C and save. Restart and open a session with an administrator account, you should be able to navigate to the PQservice partition. Seek these two files mbrwrdos.exe and rtmbr.bin once localized open a command prompt and launch this command mbrwrdos.exe install rtmbr.bin, this will install the Acer MBR. Close the command prompt window restart again Windows go into the bios and reactivate the D2D recovery. Now ALT + F10 should launch Acer recovery at the starting of the computer.

Second method : On a nonfunctional Windows system.

For that you must use a Linux distribution (for me Mandriva provided all the tools necessary).

1 Boot on the Mandriva install CD / DVD the boot menu will give you the possibility to repair or to restore the Windows boot loader.

2 If that is not enough launch an installation of linux (this will be an occasion to test this terrible OS) and choose LILO as boot loader (a boot menu that allow you to choose between several operating systems) once finished the installation. Restart your computer in the boot loader menu system you will have at least 2 Windows options the first generally point to PQservice choose it and you will boot directly into acer D2D recovery.

The last solution is the simplest one, just note that during the Linux installation you will have to resize your Windows partition to create a place for a new Linux partition it is the most perilous part because irreversible, therefore take your decisions at this time.

Advantages of Non-Financial Performance Measurement Over Financial Performance Measurement

Advantages of Non-Financial Performance Measurement Over Financial Performance Measurement

Financial Performance Measurement

The motive of every business is to achieve the bottom line of maximum financial benefits. In order to comply with the same, companies have come up with financial performance measurement techniques. The very idea is to ensure that no matter what the resources do and the way they function, they would have to show profits in the profit and loss statements. It is carried out generally in three different steps. They have been mentioned as follows:

Firstly, it encompasses selecting the goals of the organization.

Secondly, and also as the most important part, it is to consolidate the measurement of information with respect to the performance.

Finally, the required changes made by the managers so as to serve as a remedy over the weak links in the financial charts of the company. So, one can say that the financial aspects of performance measurement is basically sales driven. There are certain milestones that companies set for employees. A deficiency in being able to fulfil even a certain process can be harmful for the position. So, this method of performance measurement is also known to show certain insecurity for the employees. Hence, it might not give the most authenticated results. Business Performance Management is by and large measured by the financial aspects of performance measurement. The specific techniques for the same have been mentioned as follows:

Approaches to Financial Performance Measurement

Economic Values Added

This method deals directly with the economic profit of the organization that goes directly into the balance sheets. This method in other words can be used to measure the Net Operating Profit after Taxes. There are also certain adjustments that are made in the calculation of Economic value added so that the companies can make it more synchronized with the profit entry in the profit and loss statements. This method is generally used by lower stature companies these days. The reason for the same is that at the moment, the companies can afford to look at the business functioning only from the financial perspective. There is much more to achieve.

Activity-Based Costing

The fundamental law of economics says that management would have to make the most from the least resources that are available to them. In regard to keeping with the statement, the companies generally identify the processes that are in the system and then classify them as separate activities. Followed by this, the companies assign separate costs to each of the activities. This can be done in the form of direct and indirect costs.

Reason for shift from Financial to Non-Financial aspect

In other words, we can say that this is also a form of performance measurement on the basis of finance aspects. One can assign costs to each of the activities, but then there are always, restrictions on the use of the activities that are highly expensive. Once, again, this method would not be applicable in the long-run. The reason for the same is that this method forms a hindrance to the long-term investments. One must understand that an investment for a particular activity can lead to improvements of certain others in the long run. This can be with respect to work force as well as the equipments that are required to perform the activities. So, as a remedy, one has to switch to better methods that are of non-financial significance. (Activity Based Costing (ABC), 2010)

Non-Financial Performance Measurement

These are amongst the most widely applicable performance measurement techniques in the current scenario of the corporate world. We have seen the deficiencies of the financial aspects. The following methods tend to improve them for the betterment of the organizations:

Approaches to Non- Financial performance measurement

Six-Sigma Approach

The best approach for performance measurement is the six sigma approach. In this method, the companies try to identify the deficiencies in each of the processes that are a part of the functioning of the organization. These are then corrected by certain quality analysis tools. The companies also have special people who are only responsible for the same. As the name suggests, this approach makes the companies 99.99966% error free. As it has its long term accountability as well, it can be used over the financial performance measurement techniques.

Theory of Constraints

This theory deals with continuously helping the organizations in achieving their goals. The concept is more applicable these days because it identifies the constraints that lie in the path of the business. It is carried in a five-step process. This has been mentioned as follows:

* Firstly, identification of the constraints is done.

* Then, the companies decide the ways of constraint exploitation.

* It makes the entire system aligned as per as the decision taken.

* Then, a negative strategy is used to increase the capacity of the organizations to handle more constraints.

* Then, the companies' see whether the constraints have been removed as a result of this. If it hasn't then they go back at identification part. (Constraint Management, 2010)

Advantages of Non-financial aspects and Disadvantages of Financial aspects

The biggest disadvantage of the financial aspect is that it does not consider the broad view of the business. The companies have to give maximum regard to the available monetary benefits. If this is not reached, the management would not recommend for a certain activity to take place as a part of its functioning. There have been many companies in the past which have lost to great extents because of such a disastrous situation. One can take IBM for example. The company could not sustain the fact that it was not making immediate profits. As a result, they sold their laptop manufacturing and saw the other company making huge benefits.

An advantage of the non-financial aspect is that it allows the time for training. We all know that training is one of those areas which consume a lot of money in the beginning. The immediate profits associated with the same might not be as much as compared to the amount of money put into doing it. But, the non-financial aspect gives respect to the long-term advantages associated with the training. This is generally not given any attention from the financial point of view which considers only the short run.

The non-financial aspects build a reputation for a company. It helps a company take up strategies like cost-differentiation. These strategies are extremely helpful in making a company the cost leader in the market. The financial perspective might never give any room for the same. Under the dynamic environment of today, it become a must for companies to look for strategies like this.

Conclusion

As most of the companies of today have further strengthened and even widened their visions, simply looking for the monetary profits as a part of the performance measurement criterion is not worth mush scope. As for example, technology has been advancing at a tremendous pace these days. This is because; organizations are putting in a huge amount of money in Research and development. If the companies follow the economic value added approach or the activity-based costing approach, they would not have the heart to invest to such large extents. In the short-term, they can have a good flow of cash with them, but as we have seen companies like Procter & Gamble advance to such great extents, success at the international level can only come through investment in technology.

So, the method of financial performance measurement is not viable in the current era. It is certainly better to use the non-financial aspects of performance measurement as we have seen. The reason for the same is that they aim for the development of the total quality of the products. In this era of completion where the product life cycles are dependent on the efficiency of the companies to be able to maintain their products in the market, companies need to focus more on customer satisfaction than anything else. This is possible to a larger extent in non-financial performance measurement.

How to Earn Money With Your Articles

How to Earn Money With Your Articles

A lot of people have a knack for transforming thoughts into words, but really only a few of them really know that they can convert this hobby or passion into a source of income. With today's demand of article writers, as long as you are good with keeping your thoughts and words together, you can certainly own an amount that you never dreamed off.

Although having them printed on newspapers and magazines is quite a charming and thrilling idea, the demand for writers are actually found on the pages of the internet. And with your ability and talent, you can earn money with your articles through these:

Content writing. Clients from all over the globe are eager to get their hands on the most talented writer that they can find no matter how much it would cost them because good articles can attract clients and increase their page rank. If you think you can take instructions up t the last detail then this job is for you.

Affiliate marketing. You are good with marketing products and services, at the same time your creative juices are overflowing from your mind. Then this is another way. Sell ​​products using your skill in writing and persuade buyers to buy and then you get your commission.

Advertisements. Write a good article that would knock the readers to their feet and post it on a website. Use Google Ads and place it on the page where your article is and every time a reader visits that page, you get a commission from Google. How does that sound?

There are a lot of ways on how you can earn money with the use of your articles. The ways are endless. All you need is to have the courage to explore and take on the risks that come your way.

Radiohead - Recreating the Sounds of "Paranoid Android"

Radiohead - Recreating the Sounds of "Paranoid Android"

If you're a rock fan, then you know Radiohead is. One thing that you may not know is how they got the unique sound that you hear on the track "Paranoid Android". I want to take a moment to help you understand how this unique sound was achieved so that you can recreate it at home, and hopefully get some good ideas about new things you can do with your amp and effects.

The song kicks off with an acoustic guitar playing rhythm. Shortly after we hear a light guitar part join in to create an interesting ambiance. The two guitarists of the band, Jon Greenwood and Ed O'Brien continue to play dueling guitar effects, drawing the listener in until finally reverting to an all out rock section starting around 2:42. This is the tone that I want to focus on. To get this sound, you're going to need a vintage or grunge style fuzzbox.

This same fuzzbox will be used to good effect all throughout the solo that starts around 3:10. The whole distorted section has a very "lo-fi" sound that's typical of the music made at that time. Shortly after the solo, there's a bridge where all distortion disappears, followed shortly by the return of the distorted sound, with an added pitch-shifting effect. To achieve this, you'll need a pitch shift pedal, which isn't hard to come by.

I want to return quickly to the beginning to touch on how they got the light electric sound that accompanied the acoustic guitar. To get the sound that they used, you're going to need a tremolo, some reverb and a compressor. On your amp, you want to get a nice fat sound, with a good bit of bass and middle, and reduced treble. I think about 3/4 bass, 2/3 mid and 1/3 treble is about the right mixture (the fractions are of the total amount of each bass middle and treble and not how they relate to each other). Turn your reverb knob about halfway up, keep the tremolo on the slow side, with a good bit of gain & as for the compressor, turn the attack and sustain up about 3/4 the way up and the level should go up about 1/2 way. This should be pretty easy to achieve, just use a little finesse and you should be there.

Using this guide, you should be able to achieve about 75% of the sounds they got in the studio with your home setup. The sounds that Radiohead gets out of their instruments during this period were based heavily on equipment that they were using in the studio at the time, so it's a little hard to pinpoint exactly the same thing. With a little playing around, however, you can get a very close approximation. Good luck & have fun!

Computer Forensics In Everyday Practice

Computer Forensics In Everyday Practice

Computer forensics is a branch of forensics sciences, and is increasingly becoming important in court cases as forms of cybercrime are on the increase. As a result of the work of these computer experts, evidence can now be brought to court cases to help solve some of the worst internet and technology based crimes. This is one of the most exciting and cutting edge careers in the computer field today.

Computer forensics experts work a little differently from other forensics experts, however. Forensic science itself is quite an old field of study, although many fields of forensics rely on cutting edge technology to help solve their crimes. What is different with computer forensics is often the nature of the data being studied. Instead of simply taking regular fingerprints, "digital fingerprints" are also examined, meaning the paths left by a criminal in the data files of a computer. Instead of taking blood or DNA samples, the history of computer access will also be examined. Computer forensics experts also tend to deal with murder crime scenes less and financial and business espionage crime scenes much more often.

However, there are important similarities between forensics work done on computers and other branches of the forensic sciences in that valuing the data collected carefully is of the most importance. During your training to become a computer forensics specialist, you will learn not only how to analyze and collect data, but also how to prepare the documentation that the courts will need in order to accept this data during a case. You will also learn how to use sophisticated software to help analyze and retrieve data in crime scenes.

If you decide to pursue training to become a forensic specialist, you will have numerous employment options both in the private and the public sector once you have completed your training and received certification. For public sector jobs, you may be working with the police, military or similar institutions. Private sector work may be either for a company or a contract firm.

If you do work for the police or a similar agency, much of your time may be spent analyzing closed computers from crime scenes. Many criminals are unaware that simply emptying your computer's trash bin does not erase data permanently from your computer and computer forensics specialists are often able to retrieve this data and use it to help convict criminals.

If you go to work for a private company, you may be in charge of such tasks as preventing the theft of sensitive data or doing forensics work after a breach has been discovered.

Both private and public sector jobs tend to pay well, and this is definitely a field of employment that expects significant growth in the future. If you are a person who loves working with computers, becoming a computer forensics specialist may be a great career choice for you.

Sync 3 Now Supports Apple CarPlay

Sync 3 Now Supports Apple CarPlay

Ford now supports SYNC 3 with software updates to support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto ™ for model-year 2016 and 2017 vehicles.

Customers can now update by downloading the software to a USB drive, visiting a dealership or with an over-the-air Wi-Fi connection. This is Ford's first software update via Wi-Fi. It offers a convenient and automated alternative to existing upgrade methods

Customers with model-year 2016 Ford vehicles can update to the new SYNC 3 version 2.2 to gain this support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

"Our SYNC 3 software platform was designed to be easy to update so we can get our customers the latest and greatest features, functionally and security enhancements," said Don Butler, executive director, Ford Connected Vehicle and Services. "With over-the-air updates, we can deliver new features to customers in the background while they continue using their vehicles."

Android Auto

Compatible with Android ™ devices 5.0 and higher, Android Auto brings the Android experience into the vehicle safely and easily. It offers Google Maps, Google Play Music, phone, messaging and third-party apps designed on the car's built-in display and available via voice controls. With a simplified interface, large touch targets, Google voice search and easy-to-use voice controls, Android Auto is designed to minimize distraction while on the road.

Android, Android Auto, Google Maps and Google Play are trademarks of Google Inc.

Apple CarPlay

Apple CarPlay is compatible with iPhone 5 and later models running iOS 7.1 or higher. Apple CarPlay gives iPhone users an intuitive way to make phone calls, use voice-guided navigation, listen to music, and send and receive messages. The convenience allows the driver to stay focused on the road. Users can control Apple CarPlay through the in-vehicle display or via Siri voice control. Apple CarPlay support requires a USB hub upgrade available through Ford dealers.

SYNC 3 currently supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay on all model-year 2017 Ford cars including the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion and Mustang, SUVs including the Escape, Explorer and Expedition, F-Series trucks and Ford's electrified vehicles.

Receiving updates over Wi-Fi

Ford has had SYNC upgrades since 2009, but this is the first time the company is offering an update via Wi-Fi. In Wi-Fi-enabled vehicles with Automatic System Updates turned on within SYNC 3, the system will periodically connect to a customer's designated Wi-Fi network to check for updates. If an update is available, the system automatically downloads the update in the background over a period of time without any customer interaction. And SYNC 3 is designed to perform the update as long as Wi-Fi is connected prior to the vehicle turning off, therefore there is no need to keep the vehicle running for the update to take place.

Visit the owner.ford.com support site and register / login to find out more about these updates.