Search Technologies

Each of us has been faced with the problem of searching for information more than once. Irregardless of the data source we are using (Internet, file system on our hard drive, data base or a global information system of a big company) the problems can be multiple and include the physical volume of the data base searched, the information being unstructured, different file types and also the complexity of accurately wording the search query. We have already reached the stage when the amount of data on one single PC is comparable to the amount of text data stored in a proper library. And as to the unstructured data flows, in future they are only going to increase, and at a very rapid tempo. If for an average user this might be just a minor misfortune, for a big company absence of control over information can mean significant problems. So the necessity to create search systems and technologies simplifying and accelerating access to the necessary information, originated long ago. Such systems are numerous and moreover not every one of them is based on a unique technology. And the task of choosing the right one depends directly on the specific tasks to be solved in the future. While the demand for the perfect data searching and processing tools is steadily growing let’s consider the state of affairs with the supply side.

Not going deeply into the various peculiarities of the technology, all the searching programs and systems can be divided into three groups. These are: global Internet systems, turnkey business solutions (corporate data searching and processing technologies) and simple phrasal or file search on a local computer. Different directions presumably mean different solutions.

Local search

Everything is clear about search on a local PC. It’s not remarkable for any particular functionality features accept for the choice of file type (media, text etc.) and the search destination. Just enter the name of the searched file (or part of text, for example in the Word format) and that’s it. The speed and result depend fully on the text entered into the query line. There is zero intellectuality in this: simply looking through the available files to define their relevance. This is in its sense explicable: what’s the use of creating a sophisticated system for such uncomplicated needs.

Global search technologies

Matters stand totally different with the search systems operating in the global network. One can’t rely simply on looking through the available data. Huge volume (Yandex for instance can boast the indexing capacity of more than 11 terabyte of data) of the global chaos of unstructured information will make the simple search not only ineffective but also long and labor-consuming. That’s why lately the focus has shifted towards optimizing and improving quality characteristics of search. But the scheme is still very simple (except for the secret innovations of every separate system) - the phrasal search through the indexed data base with proper consideration for morphology and synonyms. Undoubtedly, such an approach works but doesn’t solve the problem completely. Reading dozens of various articles dedicated to improving search with the help of Google or Yandex, one can drive at the conclusion that without knowing the hidden opportunities of these systems finding a relevant document by the query is a matter of more than a minute, and sometimes more than an hour. The problem is that such a realization of search is very dependent on the query word or phrase, entered by the user. The more indistinct the query the worse is the search. This has become an axiom, or dogma, whichever you prefer.

Of course, intelligently using the key functions of the search systems and properly defining the phrase by which the documents and sites are searched, it is possible to get acceptable results. But this would be the result of painstaking mental work and time wasted on looking through irrelevant information with a hope to at least find some clues on how to upgrade the search query. In general, the scheme is the following: enter the phrase, look through several results, making sure that the query was not the right one, enter a new phrase and the stages are repeated till the relevancy of results achieves the highest possible level. But even in that case the chances to find the right document are still few. No average user will voluntary go for the sophistication of “advanced search” (although it is equipped with a number of very useful functions such as the choice of language, file format etc.). The best would be to simply insert the word or phrase and get a ready answer, without particular concern for the means of getting it. Let the horse think – it has a big head. Maybe this is not exactly up to the point, but one of the Google search functions is called “I am feeling lucky!” characterizes very well the existent searching technologies. Nevertheless, the technology works, not ideally and not always justifying the hopes, but if you allow for the complexity of searching through the chaos of Internet data volume, it could be acceptable.

Corporate systems

The third on the list are the turnkey solutions based on the searching technologies. They are meant for serious companies and corporations, possessing really large data bases and staffed with all sorts of information systems and documents. In principle, the technologies themselves can also be used for home needs. For example, a programmer working remotely from the office will make good use of the search to access randomly located on his hard drive program source codes. But these are particulars. The main application of the technology is still solving the problem of quickly and accurately searching through large data volumes and working with various information sources. Such systems usually operate by a very simple scheme (although there are undoubtedly numerous unique methods of indexing and processing queries underneath the surface): phrasal search, with proper consideration for all the stem forms, synonyms etc. which once again leads us to the problem of human resource. When using such technology the user should first word the query phrases which are going to be the search criteria and presumably met in the necessary documents to be retrieved. But there is no guarantee that the user will be able to independently choose or remember the correct phrase and furthermore, that the search by this phrase will be satisfactory.

One more key moment is the speed of processing a query. Of course, when using the whole document instead of a couple of words, the accuracy of search increases manifold. But up to date, such an opportunity has not been used because of the high capacity drain of such a process. The point is that search by words or phrases will not provide us with a highly relevant similarity of results. And the search by phrase equal in its length the whole document consumes much time and computer resources. Here is an example: while processing the query by one word there is no considerable difference in speed: whether it’s 0,1 or 0,001 second is not of crucial importance to the user. But when you take an average size document which contains about 2000 unique words, then the search with consideration for morphology (stem forms) and thesaurus (synonyms), as well as generating a relevant list of results in case of search by key words will take several dozens of minutes (which is unacceptable for a user).

The interim summary

As we can see, currently existing systems and search technologies, although properly functioning, don’t solve the problem of search completely. Where speed is acceptable the relevancy leaves more to be desired. If the search is accurate and adequate, it consumes lots of time and resources. It is of course possible to solve the problem by a very obvious manner – by increasing the computer capacity. But equipping the office with dozens of ultra-fast computers which will continuously process phrasal queries consisting of thousands of unique words, struggling through gigabytes of incoming correspondence, technical literature, final reports and other information is more than irrational and disadvantageous. There is a better way.

The unique similar content search

At present many companies are intensively working on developing full text search. The calculation speeds allow creating technologies that enable queries in different exponents and wide array of supplementary conditions. The experience in creating phrasal search provides these companies with an expertise to further develop and perfect the search technology. In particular, one of the most popular searches is the Google, and namely one of its functions called the “similar pages”. Using this function enables the user to view the pages of maximum similarity in their content to the sample one. Functioning in principle, this function does not yet allow getting relevant results – they are mostly vague and of low relevancy and furthermore, sometimes utilizing this function shows complete absence of similar pages as a result. Most probably, this is the result of the chaotic and unstructured nature of information in the Internet. But once the precedent has been created, the advent of the perfect search without a hitch is just a matter of time.

What concerns the corporate data processing and knowledge retrieval systems, here the matters stand much worse. The functioning (not existing on paper) technologies are very few. And no giant or the so called search technology guru has so far succeeded in creating a real similar content search. Maybe, the reason is that it’s not desperately needed, maybe – too hard to implement. But there is a functioning one though.

SoftInform Search Technology, developed by SoftInform, is the technology of searching for documents similar in their content to the sample. It enables fast and accurate search for documents of similar content in any volume of data. The technology is based on the mathematical model of analyzing the document structure and selecting the words, word combinations and text arrays, which results in forming a list of documents of maximum similarity the sample text abstract with the relevancy percent defined. In contrast to the standard phrasal search by the similar content search there is no need to determine the key words beforehand – the search is conducted through the whole document. The technology works with several sources of information that can be stored both in text files of txt, doc, rtf, pdf, htm, html formats, and the information systems of the most popular data bases (Access, MS SQL, Oracle, as well as any SQL-supporting data bases). It also additionally supports the synonyms and important words functions that enable to carry out a more specific search.

The similar search technology enables to significantly cut time wasted on searching and reviewing the same or very similar documents, diminish the processing time at the stage of entering data into the archive by avoiding the duplicate documents and forming sets of data by a certain subject. Another advantage of the SoftInform technology is that it’s not so sensitive to the computer capacity and allows processing data at a very high speed even on ordinary office computers.

This technology is not just a theoretic development. It has been tested and successfully implemented in a project of giving legal advice via phone, where the speed of information retrieval is of crucial importance. And it will undoubtedly be more than useful in any knowledge base, analytical service and support department of any large firm. Universality and effectiveness of the SoftInform Search Technology allows solving a wide spectrum of problems, arising while processing information. These include the fuzziness of information (at the document entering stage it is possible to immediately define whether such a document already belongs to the data base or not) and the similarity analysis of the documents which are already entered into the data base, and the search for semantically similar documents which saves time spent on selecting the appropriate key words and viewing the irrelevant documents.

Perspectives

Besides its primary assignment (fast and high quality search for information in huge volume such as texts, archives, data bases) an Internet direction could also be defined. For example, it is possible to work out an expert system to process incoming correspondence and news which will become an important tool for analysts from different companies. Mainly, this will be possible due to the unique similar content search technology, absent from any of the existent systems so far except for the SearchInform. The problem of spamming search engines with the so called doorways (hidden pages with key words redirecting to the site’s main pages and used to increase the page rating with the search engines) and the e-mail spam problem (a more intellectual analysis would ensure higher level of security) would also be solved with the help of this technology. But the most interesting perspective of the SoftInform Search technology is creating a new Internet search engine, the main competitive advantage of which would be ability to search not just by key words, but also for similar web pages, which will add to the flexibility of search making it more comfortable and efficient.

To draw a conclusion, it could be stated with confidence that the future belongs to the full text search technologies, both in the Internet and the corporate search systems. Unlimited development potential, adequacy of the results and processing speed of any size of query make this technology much more comfortable and in high demand. SoftInform Search technology might not be the pioneer, but it’s a functioning, stable and unique one with no existent analogues (which can be proved by the active Eurasian patent). To my mind, even with the help of the “similar search” it will be difficult to find a similar technology.

 by: Max Maglias -  http://www.searchinform.com

How to Remove a Computer Virus?

If you have used a computer long enough, then you have probably had a virus infect your computer at some point. You know how annoying and potentially dangerous they can be to your PC and you wish you knew how to remove a computer virus. There are many ways to take care of this problem, but only a few of them are really good. Using a high quality anti adware and spyware software has helped to clear up my PC of annoying pop ups and increased its speed significantly.

There are several good programs to use that are trusted by millions of people the world over. Most users are not that technically savvy so they will not know the extent of the damage that a virus has done to their computer. Downloading this program will not only get to the root of the problem, but it will kill it as well.

One of the better things about this is that you do not have to be a technical geek to be able to use it. The directions are easy to follow and very effective at getting the job done correctly. There are only a few steps involved and at a certain point, all you have to do is sit back and let the program work its magic. This is the ideal program for those whose lives are busy and do not have the time to babysit the process.

There are many ways that a PC can get infected and viruses are always updating themselves as to how to infect your computer. They are sneaky like this and it is why they are constantly coming back. Anti adware software knows this and keeps itself updated as well with the latest methods that can effectively thwart those attacks. It can be seen as a battle of wits that anti adware programs are winning.

In addition to cleaning up and destroying the viruses in your PC, this anti adware program can also immunize your system so it doesn't get sick again. This is the best plan of attack that there is if you think about it. It's like a preventative maintenance program for your computer. It is effective, quick, and it leaves no stone unturned.

Once the virus is gone and your system has been immunized, then the anti-adware program implements the scanning process. This is a very neat and useful tool that allows you to periodically check on the status of your system. It knows what it is looking for and if it finds adware, will notify you of the issue.

As mentioned before, we all have busy lives that are run more effectively when on a schedule. The scanning process is no different in that you can set up a certain date and time for the scanning to take place. This way, if there is a problem, you can take care of it right away.

One reason why some viruses are so damaging to a person's system is that they are left undetected for long periods of time. The quicker you can identify the problem, the quicker you can fix it. Your PC has some very sensitive and important information on it, and the anti adware program can help you keep it all safe. I am glad that all the spyware, adware and viruses on my computer are all gone now all thanks to high quality software which I downloaded and would highly recommend it.


by: Donald Chambers - http://www.review-best.com

The best MTS working file converter for your mac

The iSkysoft MTS converter is easy to use video converting software. It will enable you to convert the camcorder or camera files in the MTS to the video in AVI, WMV, and MP4, MKV or other popular file format. The audio extraction will be supported. This kind of the professional converter will provide you the enough supporting for the devices such as the Apple iPhone, iPod or iPad, Sony PSP or PS3, Android phones such as HTC and many more.

Now, the mts is the high-definition of the MPEG, AVC, and H.264 transport the stream video file format which are commonly used through HD camcorders like the Sony, Canon, Panasonic. The Mts files are used mostly together with the Sony hardware. The camcorders make use of MTS in the form of the AVCHD, a recording format made the special application for the camcorders. There are some camcorder models which from the Canon are also being used the MTS files. Those files are also being represented in the Blu-ray disc compilations. Therefore they are capable, they have the availability of storing the huge amount of the information and the data tracks.

I know that you are wondering if, how to convert the MTS for Mac, then to start that conversion, the mac while give both the Inter version and the PowerPC version. The free download the right version of the MTS converter for Mac according to your Mac hardware. If you don’t know which version of the MTS converter that will fit or good for the conversion, you can try the Inter version the more universal todays situation. As the owner of the popular players such as the iPod, iPhone, Zune or any, it is already literal to us to convert the video file formats like the MTS to MOV or MP4 so that we can just easily play the best videos on our portable players anywhere. The MTS converter for the Mac will help the user who likes to convert the MTS video files to many formats like the AVI, FLV, WMV, 3GP2, 3GPP, 3GP, 3GPP2, QuickTime or the MOV, MPG, MKV and may more. Then, after the conversion, you can directly import into one software program from another, the MTS video files to the many portable players like the iPod, iPhone. Apple TV, PSP, Zune, PDA or the pocket PC which include the BlackBerry, creative Zen, Archos, Epson media players and any cell phone, it is the process with only just the few click at the short time.

How to play the MTS files on the Mac for free? Playing MTS on snow leopard? How? Will since the MTS is an MPEG variant to some extent, you can directly play the video files on the VLC media player, which is the most powerful player for both the Mac and windows users to play many popular formats. Moreover, Mplayer OS X is another good choice to play MTS video files on Mac running Mac running Mac OS X snow leopard, Mac OS X Lion and many more, if you are already using the special player which will never supports the MTS, you could use a mts video converter before you play MTS on your favorite video player. 

by: Success Sign - http://www.iskysoft.com
 

Cheap printer ink cartridges: helps in cost cutting

With the increase in the usage of printers in businesses and office, demand for printer ink cartridges has gone up as well. At the same time, quality of the pages and the ink cartridges has become the essential factors in printing the pages. Many a times, people lookout for the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) ink cartridges whenever their printers fall short of ink. Why throw money down the drain, when you can buy cheap printer ink cartridges. When you go for the OEM ink cartridges, you are likely to spend huge amount of money on the printing needs. They will end up increasing your overall stationery costs.

With the entry of the third party vendors producing cheap printer ink cartridges, the monopolistic market of the branded and genuine ink cartridges is almost shut. These cartridges are cheaper than the original ones. The ink cartridges are non bio-degradable. Every year, people from across the globe add into millions of tons of garbage in landfills. Used printer ink cartridges are dumped without thinking of re-filling. The cartridges are formed of high grade plastic and take up thousands of years before they break down. It is advisable to practice secure ink cartridges recycling to assist and save the environment from damage caused by the unsuitable disposal of the printer ink cartridges. Online world is one of the great places to purchase cheap printer ink cartridges.

There are several online suppliers who provide cheap printer ink cartridges. All you need to do is to woof on the one that provides you with the great services and best prices. The web world is a wonderful tool and it can help you put the cash back in your pocket. Saving money on cheap printer ink has never been easier, however, with the online advancements; you can be assured about the costs. Online traders have their websites with product information. Therefore, inspect some of the known online suppliers and also browse through the prices they are providing.

If you are looking out for cost cutting in your office stationeries, then it is advisable to go for cheap printer ink cartridges. Although, the digital era has taken over in offices across the globe, yet there are many such companies that rely on the documents. Printing is important in carrying out both business and office tasks. Whether you are looking to print mere documents like minutes of a meeting or other essential documents like financial reports or any other project progress report, you just cannot avoid printing. For all such tasks, you can bank on cheap printer ink cartridges.

These days, printer ink is a sore spot for consumers. The consumers are searching for ways to save money in buying ink. Hence, one can save a lot of money by buying cheap printer ink cartridges. Now start saving immediately just by ordering cheap printer ink from the online source.

by: Jean Colestock - http://www.cheapprinterink1.com

How To Scan and Fix Registry with Registry Cleaner?

Whenever you use your PC, it either reads or inserts entry onto a particular spot in its system. Overtime, this process can accumulate and cause some problems which are hard to ignore. It's because of this why you regularly have to scan and fix registry of your PC using related cleaner software. Continue reading to learn more about this. I will also be discussing a top quality registry cleaner software that speed up my PC quickly.

The computer has to remember a lot of things - hardware attached, selected system options, applications around, etc. Each time you use it, it has to go through all of these entries. However, there may also be invalid, missing or double entries. Such can be caused by anything from removing a hardware previously attached, to deleting a file or program.

When such happens, you will notice that the PC will begin to work a lot slower than before. Although it goes through all these entries in a very fast manner, still it may take some time if there's too much to read. Eventually, you will also notice certain programs will refuse to run, and system crashes will surface more frequently.

Of course you can always take your computer to an expert to have all unnecessary entries removed. However, it may come with a steep price tag. What's more, it's supposed to be done periodically to keep your computer in tip-top shape. Doing it on your own is definitely not recommendable, as you can even cause some irreversible damages.

What you can do is to install and run registry cleaner software. This will automatically examine each of the entries made from day one. It removes safely and effectively those which are already invalid, missing or were recorded twice. This is a much safer way for you to do so, instead of attempting to manually remove entries which can cause the PC problems.

You may scan and fix registry using free software you may find online. In downloading them, carefully read the system requirements so you're installing something that will work best for your computer. Also, see to it you get one from a reputable website. There are also those which you may purchase, often with other useful tools. I personally managed to clean up my computer by downloading high quality registry cleaner software.

by: Austin Porter - http://www.review-best.com

The New Google Algorithm Farmer- What SEO/SEM Professionals Need to Know

It's official! While there has been talk of an upcoming algorithm change from Google for at least a couple of months, these past couple of weeks saw a definite change in the way that Google ranks those sites on the web vying for top placement in its listings. So what is the big news? This algorithm specifically went after content farms and in addition to a broad extent low quality sites that have been gaming the system for higher rankings. Since the algorithm targeted content farmers, this algorithm has been nicknamed The Farmer.

If you read our recent article: "Google Moving Against Content Farms- What Does This Mean for SEO?" You probably were already on the look-out for the coming algorithm change. Now that the algorithm has taken effect, the SEO/SEM community definitely knows a little bit more about it, however there are still a few things that require more research and information.

Who Was Targeted by the Farmer Algorithm?

This algorithm change which took effect since late February is said to have affected between 11% and 12% of the search queries in the United States. As of the moment, it is not sure when the algorithm will affect other regions in the world.

Some of the major website properties that were affected included article distribution sites, aggregated content sites (those sites that republish original content from others), sites that mostly sell products with little or no content associated with them, and in general sites that don't have unique or high quality content. Generally speaking, if a website's goal is to monetize content that is not original or high quality, then it is likely that the site has been targeted by Google.

Who Has Benefited from the Farmer Algorithm?

Generally speaking, those sites that have or will benefit from this algorithm will be sites that create unique, high quality content. Obviously, white hat SEO always included creating high quality, unique content as a prerequisite for obtaining long term quality results, this fact hasn't changed.

Tips for SEO/SEM to Avoid the Wrath of Farmer

If you noticed a sudden drop in the Search engine result pages or if you want to avoid a sudden drop in the future, here are some tips that should help you avoid the raft of the Farmer algorithm.

Make sure that the vast majority of content that you post on your website is unique and original. Obviously, you may have to post product descriptions or technical specs that come from a manufacturer, however when possible, create original and unique content in addition to this republished content.

Consider using the Original Source meta tag from Google: meta name="original-source" content=http://www.somedomain.com/article1.html More information at: http://www.google.com/support/news_pub/bin/answer.py?answer=191283

This meta tag directly tells Google that the content you have on your site is original- this way if someone plagiarizes your content or duplicates it in anyway, Google will know the original source and you should get all the credit from Google.

Another good tool to checkout is at www.copyscape.com This tool will scan the net looking for duplicate content so that you can identify specific pages on your website that need to be re-written so they are 100% unique.

Be choosy with the type of articles that you distribute. It should be noted that while Google has targeted many article distribution sites, you will not be penalized for having your content on these sites- the more likely possibility will be these back links will have less power and thus be less effective- so there is no need to remove any of your content from these sites.

Be careful how you monetize your content. Obviously, those that heavily advertise on their site will receive extra scrutiny from Google. If you use content to lure traffic for monetization, definitely use unique content and do not rely solely on aggregated/republished content.

Obviously, the Farmer algorithm has only been out for a couple of weeks, so SEO/SEM professionals are still researching its broad effects. As always, we'll keep you updated as well if we find important information.

by: John Moorehead - http://www.serversidedesign.com

Technology, Networking and Security in 2012

The computer: the gadget that changed our view of the world around us, the information which we are surrounded by, and the way we experience events, either directly or directly. The amount of information available on the internet is larger than any library in the world, and we can get all this information through a few simple clicks. The amount of different programs is also more than impressive, and today it is no longer a question of how to obtain an application, but which applications do we want from all those we have to choose from.

In the twenty-first century, we are entering a period in which data is transmitted wirelessly. Technology, like the rest of the IT industry, is developing rapidly and has come up with new standards and adopted more modern methods that enable greater wireless speeds and ranges while costing much less. In the not too distant future, we can expect a lot more wireless systems in every location, connecting the home, office, and even large factories. Wireless network technologies represent a new form of network communication will be even more advanced in the future. These networks of the future will outpace today's wired network systems both in terms of speed and security.

As the new networks are constantly being upgraded, the equipment becomes more sophisticated. The software and security systems are also progressing, although the threat to security still persists everywhere around us. The Internet is a medium that allows anyone to go from appearing to be an ordinary web surfer to a hacker in just a few moments. These hackers can jeopardize very important information and even destroy someone's life.

The prices of laptops with wireless cards are now very affordable and are constantly falling; hence, it is very easy to find wireless networks. Of course, this means it's also easy for attackers to find a way to get into the system and steal someone else's Internet traffic, or, more importantly, data. Various studies related to the security of wireless systems has shown that almost fifty percent of users are on unprotected networks, which confirms the fact that users are not aware or educated of the dangers of wireless networks.

Another concern is the fact that many small businesses are be completely unprotected, which malicious users can very well use to their advantage, and the owners of these systems are not even aware that the customer information and confidential documents can leave the company through this unlocked door.

However, even using a system of protection for your computer is not hundred percent secure, but using a system with an incredibly strong encryption system may significantly slow down the network, a trade-off many businesses and users won't or can't make. We can only hope that future standards will bring faster and more secure systems in which users will be able to rely on the system's protection and really use wireless networks without worry. Safety is important, and the only right decision for your computer is to secure your network. Wireless networking has become part of our lives, but again, we must be careful about what and with whom we share our information.

Need more information on network security? Then visit Firewall.cx, a globally recognized site covering networking topics, protocol analysis, Cisco routing, switching, security and VoIP technologies.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julian_S._Thornto

Fake Flash Memory Product Testing

Over the years, fake flash memory products have caused numerous headaches. From USB drive or memory card errors, to corrupt data and eventual data loss, fake flash memory's global economic impact is something to take seriously. As any flash product can be faked or manufactured using low quality, failure-prone memory, it is necessary for consumers to prevent becoming a victim of lost data from the get go. The moment a consumer uses a flash memory product for the first time, they should be very clear of the flash's overall health and reliability. A simple yet very efficient way of analyzing a flash memory's health that industry insiders and consumers alike can use is the H2TestW burn in testing program. The H2 program was written by a German programmer for c't Magazin, is quite small in size, does not need to be installed, and includes English language support.

What H2 effectively does is "burn in" data to the flash memory. Once H2 is open and the proper drive has been selected, the program automatically detects the Operating System recognized storage capacity of the flash. If it has been set at a fake capacity, this fake capacity is what H2 recognizes. Say for example a low quality flash product of 2GB, or a 512MB product that has been set at a fake capacity of 2GB, in both cases, H2 detects the storage capacity of 2GB. Afterwards when H2 has started, it will successfully burn in 2GB worth of its own generated data into the flash. The next step is the crucial one, which is data verification. The data that is now stored, is then verified by H2. In the case of the low quality flash used, the H2 program will recognize the many bad sectors of the memory as the data will have errors when being verified. In the case that the memory has been set at a fake capacity, as soon as the data for the actual real capacity has been verified, any data H2 is trying to verify afterwards will end in error. For example, after 512MB worth of data has been verified, the data from 512MB to 2GB will all produce errors. In both cases, the H2 window interface will turn pink and display "The media is likely defective". If H2 says the media is likely defective, then basically there is no point in using an unreliable form of storage that will eventually lead to data loss.

For more info on the wonderful H2 burn in testing program, do an online search for "H2TestW" and read the countless praises for this secret weapon against the fake flash memory industry.
For a How To Guide on H2, have a look at our very own YouTube video tutorial http://youtu.be/jRvGTHtRWs0

About ChinaElectronicsInsider:
Informing readers about the ins & outs of made in China electronics, by exposing the many tricks of the trade with in-depth technical information.

An inside look at the consumer electronics industry in China where the vast majority of all the world's tech gadgets are manufactured. We are dedicated to providing this "education" as a public service for readers to understand why made in China products have a bad reputation and how to avoid purchasing low quality goods.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bert_Wang

NetApp and Metered Storage - How to Cut Storage Costs by Only Paying for What You Use

There's no way round it: you have to store your data. What's more, you have to do so securely and in a way you can retrieve it easily. And you need to do this for as reasonable a price as possible.
If you use traditional methods of data storage, you'll know the problems:

• High running costs
• A lot of time spent on management and admin
• Significant expense when you require extra storage capacity

Traditional data storage isn't cheap or easy
Operating your own storage hardware isn't cheap or easy. You have to budget well in advance for potential capital expenditure.
You also have to predict the growth of your data. This can be tricky. If your expansion is greater than you forecast, you have to spend time organising additional storage hardware at short notice. What you should be doing instead, of course, is focusing on your new customers.

Metered storage is the answer
NetApp metered storage resolves these problems. Rather than struggle with in-house hardware, you can use a data storage service based on a pay per GB (gigabyte) meter. You lease storage as and when you need it.
When you choose a NetApp data storage solution, you benefit from:
· A price per GB of data
· Monthly billing for the storage you use above your committed amount
· Extra storage when you want it
· Built-in upgrades

Metered storage set-up
Set-up is simple. Because you lease your data storage, you don't have the headache of buying and installing hardware. Support, software subscriptions and installation are included in your monthly bill.
The switch to NetApp metered storage is straightforward. Once you make the move, you have a flexible leasing solution ready to adapt to increased demand. You no longer have to plan your data storage needs in advance. You don't have to invest capital in storage hardware.

With NetApp data storage, you eliminate risk
NetApp data storage is secure. Thanks to NetApp Snapshot, you can have instant backup copies. This service has a negligible effect on storage costs and performance.
NetApp also gives you peace of mind with SnapMirror. You can protect against disaster with rapid, simple data recovery for systems in multiple locations.

NetApp metered storage cuts costs
NetApp metered data storage cuts costs by allowing you to pay for what you use and no more. It reduces your redundant data with a 50% deduplication guarantee for VMWare. This reduces storage costs even further. And it offers complete security.
NetApp is well worth your consideration. In the meantime, you could be wasting time and money...

Steve Denby is Sales Director at LETN Ltd. Based in Reading, Berkshire, UK, LETN design and implement cost efficient infrastructure solutions using Leading Edge Technology.
Steve Denby passionately believes that the path to true business efficiency and competitive edge lies in the adoption of Leading Edge Technology.

By Steve Denby  -  http://EzineArticles.com

Things to Know About Cloud Computing

1. What is Cloud Computing:

The term 'Cloud Computing' was born in the middle of 2007. The word 'Cloud' is a metaphor to describe the Internet. So it can be explained simply as computing (applications, storage, services etc.) residing on the Internet which the users connect to.

For example, if you are using web applications from big firms such as Google or Microsoft, it means that you are using Cloud Computing. The web applications such as Gmail, Google Calendar, Hotmail, Salesforce, Dropbox and Google Docs are all Cloud Computing services because when connecting to those services, the users will access to massive integrated server groups on the Internet.

2. Why using Cloud Computing:

Generally, large corporations install certain applications on servers to provide lower costs (shared storage, management, architecture etc.) and distributed connectivity (e.g. global access). With Cloud Computing, resources are shared, so a single email server may serve 500 companies instead of 500 companies needing to buy their own internal email server for example. Therefore, it reduces the cost arising from individual companies hosting their own services locally. As saying above, the word 'Cloud' refers to the Internet.

Currently, many companies have posted their applications to the Internet and have integrated features through a web browser allowing connectivity from different computing platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux etc.)

3. What does Cloud Computing have to do for your business:

Easier: If usually run their applications on their own servers that are placed in their offices, it requires local effort for maintenance, the cost and the time to keep things running continuously and upgrading. If they use it, they will still use the same applications but the applications will be implemented on an Internet facing server. In many cases, the maintenance, upgrading and running of the server is handles by a data center or application provider. Further, they can also let their users or associates use the applications without having to install anything to their computers.

More efficient: Have you ever thought that your company will use Office 360 or Google Docs instead of Microsoft Office or Open Office? From cloud services, the company doesn't have to spend large amounts of money on licensing fees, maintenance, updating etc. It's all carried out without them needing to be too concerned.

The drawback of office application based cloud computing is that it is completely dependent on a reliable internet service. Also a slow internet connection can make the experience unpleasant if there are long delays between doing different function.

Much cheaper: There are no capital expenditures upfront (no need to buy servers etc.) and most services grow as your needs grow so you only pay for what you need. The cost is also easier to bear for the small companies.

Flexible: A global solution designed to suit your needs. It is quickly adaptable if your needs change. You might add or remove users and set up regular or spike access time.

Secure: More sophisticated security system but interdependent with the company operating the servers and may not be suitable for confidential data.

By Lily Thi Tran -  http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lily_Thi_Tran