A couple of the recent Tech Tips from www.geeks.com have made mention of RAID, but the level of detail required in those tips didn’t shed much light on what RAID actually is. The number of e-mail responses and comments in the Readers Digress section was convincing enough that an introduction to the basics of RAID would be an appropriate Tech Tip, so here it is.

Introduction

The word RAID sounds like it might describe something Marines conduct in Fallujah, or a can of what all roaches fear, but it is simply an acronym that stands for Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks. Depending on who you talk to, the letter "I" can stand for either independent or inexpensive, but in my opinion independent is more appropriate, and far less subjective.

RAID generally allows data to be written to multiple hard disk drives so that a failure of any one drive in the array does not result in the loss of any data, as well as increasing the system’s fault tolerance. I say RAID generally does this, as there are several RAID configurations that provide different approaches to redundancy, but some RAID configurations are not redundant at all. Fault tolerance refers to a system’s ability to continue operating when presented with a hardware (or software) failure, as should be experienced when a hard drive fails in one of the redundant configurations of RAID.

The Hardware

The basic hardware required to run RAID includes a set of matched hard drives and a RAID controller.

RAID can be run on any type of hard drive, including SCSI, SATA, and ATA. The number of hard drives required is dependent on the particular RAID configuration chosen, as described later. I mention the need for matched hard drives, and although this is not absolutely necessary, it is recommended. Most arrays will only be able to use the capacity of the smallest drive, so if a 250GB Hitachi drive is added to a RAID configuration with an 80GB Hitachi drive, that extra 170GB would probably go to waste (the only time that this doesn’t apply is in a RAID configuration called JBOD (Just a Bunch Of Disks); which really "isn’t a RAID configuration" but just a convenient thing that a RAID controller can do ? see "Basic RAID Configurations" below for more information). In addition to matching capacities, it is highly recommended that drives match in terms of speed and transfer rate as the performance of the array would be restricted by the weakest drive used. One more area that should be considered while matching is the type of hard drive. RAID controllers are generally for either SCSI, SATA, or ATA exclusively, although some systems allow RAID arrays to be operated across controllers of different formats.

The RAID controller is where the data cables from the hard drives are connected, and conducts all of the processing of the data, like the typical drive connections found on a motherboard. RAID controllers are available as add on cards, such as this Silicon Image PCI ATA RAID controller, or integrated into motherboards, such as the SATA RAID controller found on the Asus K8V SE Deluxe (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=K8VSE-DELUXE). Motherboards that include RAID controllers can be operated without the use of RAID, but the integration is a nice feature to have if RAID is a consideration. Even for systems without onboard RAID, the relatively low cost of add on cards makes this part of the upgrade relatively pain free.

Another piece of hardware that is not required, but may prove useful in a RAID array is a hot swappable drive bay. It allows a failed hard drive to be removed from a live system by simply unlocking the bay and sliding the drive cage out of the case. A new drive can then be slid in, locked into place, and the system won’t skip a beat. This is typically seen on SCSI RAID arrays, but some IDE RAIDS cards will also allow this (such as this product manufactured by Promise Technology: http://www.promise.com/product/product_detail_eng.asp?productId=92&familyId=7).

The Software

RAID can be run on any modern operating system provided that the appropriate drivers are available from the RAID controller’s manufacturer. A computer with the operating system and all of the software already installed on one drive can be easily be cloned to another single drive by using software like Norton Ghost. But it is not as easy when going to RAID, as a user who wants to have their existing system with a single bootable hard drive upgraded to RAID must start from the beginning. This implies that the operating system and all software needs to be re-installed from scratch, and all key data must be backed up to be restored on the new RAID array.

If a RAID array is desired in a system for use as storage, but not as the location for the operating system, things get much easier. The existing hard drive can remain intact, and the necessary configuration can be made to add the RAID array without starting from scratch.

Basic RAID Configurations

There are about a dozen different types of RAID that I know of, and I will describe five of the more typical configurations, and usually offered on RAID controller cards.

RAID 0 is one of the configurations that does not provide redundancy, making it arguably not a true RAID array. Using at least two disks, RAID 0 writes data to the two drives in an alternating fashion, referred to as striping. If you had 8 chunks of data, for example, chunk 1, 3, 5, and 7 would be written to the first drive, and chunk 2, 4, 6, and 8 would be written to the second drive, but all in sequential order. This process of splitting the data across drives allows for a theoretical performance boost of up to double the speed of a single hard drive, but real world results will generally not be nearly that good. Since all data is not written to each disk, the failure of any one drive in the array generally results in a complete loss of data. RAID 0 is good for people who need to access large files quickly, or just demand high performance across the board (i.e. gaming systems). The capacity of a RAID 0 array is equal to the sum of the individual drives. So, if two 160GB Seagate drives were in a RAID 0 array, the total capacity would be 320GB.

RAID 1 is one of the most basic arrays that provides redundancy. Using at least two hard drives, all data is written to both drives in a method referred to as mirroring. Each drive’s contents are identical to each other, so if one drive fails, the system could continue operating on the remaining good drive, making it an ideal choice for those who value their data. There is no performance increase as in RAID 0, and in fact there may be a slight decrease compared to a single drive system as the data is processed and written to both drives. The capacity of a RAID 1 array is equal to half the capacity of the sum of individual drives. Using those same two 160GB Seagate drives from above in RAID 1 would result in a total capacity of 160GB.

RAID 0+1, as the name may imply, is a combination of RAID 0 and RAID 1. You have the best of both worlds, the performance boost of RAID 0 and the redundancy of RAID 1. A minimum of four drives is required to implement RAID 0+1, where all data is written in both a mirrored and striped fashion to the four drives. Using the 8 chunks of data from the example above, the write pattern would be something like this? Chunks 1, 3, 5, and 7 would be written to drives one and three, and chunks 2, 4, 6, and 8 would be written to drives two and four, again in a sequential manner. If one drive should fail, the system and data are still intact. The capacity of a RAID 0+1 array is equal to half the total capacity of the individual drives. So, using four of the 160 GB Seagate drives results in a total capacity of 320GB when configured in RAID 0+1.

RAID 5 may be the most powerful RAID configuration for the typical user, with three (or five) disks required. Data is striped across all drives in the array, and in addition, parity information is striped as well. This parity information is basically a check on the data being written, so even though all data is not being written to all the drives in the array, the parity information can be used to reconstruct a lost drive in case of failure. Perhaps a bit difficult to describe, so let’s go back to the example of the 8 chunks of data now being written to 3 drives in a RAID 5 array. Chunks one and two would be written to drive one and two respectively, with a corresponding parity chunk being written to drive three. Chunks three and four would then be written to drives one and three respectively, with the corresponding parity chunk being written to drive two. Chunks five and six would be written to drives two and three, with the corresponding parity chunk being written to drive one. Chunks seven and eight take us back to the beginning with the data being written to drives one and two, and the parity chunk being written to drive three. It might not sound like it, but due to the parity information being written to the drive not containing that specific bits of information, there is full redundancy. The capacity of a RAID 5 array is equal to the sum of the capacities of all the drives used, minus one drive. So, using three of the 160GB Seagate drives, the total capacity is 320GB when configured in RAID 5.

JBOD is another non-redundant configuration, which does not really offer a true RAID array. JBOD stands for Just a Bunch Of Disks (or Drives), and that is basically all that it is. RAID controllers that support JBOD allow users to ignore the RAID functions available and simply attach drives as they would to a standard drive controller. No redundancy, no performance boost, just additional connections for adding more drives to a system. A smart thing that JBOD does is that it can treat the odd sized drives as if they are a single volume (thus a 10GB drive and a 30GB would be seen as a single 40GB drive), so it is good to use if you have a bunch of odd sized drives sitting around ? but otherwise it is better to go with a RAID 0, 1 or 0+1 configuration to get the performance boost, redundancy or both.

Final Words

Implementing RAID may sound daunting to those unfamiliar with the concept, but with some of the more basic configurations it is not much more involved than setting up a computer to use a standard drive controller. But, the benefits of RAID over a single drive system far outweigh the extra consideration required during installation. Losing data once due to hard drive failure may be all that is required to convince anyone that RAID is right for them, but why wait until that happens.

What is Mobile SMS/ Test Messaging?

Mobile text Messaging, or Short Message Service (SMS), as we all know it, is the ability to send and receive text messages to and from mobile telephones. The text can comprise words or numbers or an alphanumeric combination. SMS was created as part of the GSM Phase 1 standard. The first short message is believed to have been sent in December 1992 from a Personal Computer (PC) to a mobile phone on the Vodafone GSM network in the UK. Each short message can be up to 160 characters is length when Latin alphabets are used.

Customer Usage and Market Growth

There is no doubting the success of the Short Message Service - the market in India alone has reached over one billion messages despite little proactive marketing by network operators and phone manufacturers. Key market drivers over the next two years such as the access of cheaper mobile technology to the masses will continue this growth path.

Mobile Messaging: How can your business benefit?

Enterprise Messaging

Enterprise uptake of mobile applications is set for phenomenal growth. By 2005, Gartner anticipates that 65 percent of enterprises will be harnessing the power of wireless applications to efficiently automate the existing business processes and use wireless connectivity for one or more user groups.

Statistics are already showing a considerable growth in the enterprise messaging, within the last seven quarters.

Where does enterprise messaging fit into your business

No matter what the nature or model of your business is, you can effectively exploit the potential of Mobile Messaging. Following are some examples of the application areas where Mobile Messaging is excelling:

1. B2B Messaging

Mobile terminated and mobile originated SMS and MMS via UCP, XML and PHP interface

Benefits: Using industry standard protocols provide easy integration with existing systems as well as a robust and scalable model for future technologies.

2. B2B Campaigns and list processing

Permission-based mobile marketing campaign of consumer goods, advertisement campaign, promotions etc.

Benefits: Mobile marketing provides unparallel advantage of effectively targeting specific audience level.

3. B2B Applications

Customized mobile applications conforming to a business rule and addressing a specific target audience. Example: MIS reports to mobile sales force, critical data to mobile technical work force. The possibilities are unlimited and the flexibility is enormous!

How to choose a high quality and reliable service provider for SMS/Text Messaging for your enterprise messaging needs?

The first option that comes to one’s mind is mobile operators. However, though they have complete control over network infrastructure, they are generally not too keen to service customer for meeting their messaging needs. The prime reasons for this are:

• Enterprise messaging involves complex integration with backend database/applications
• The volume of messages is typically not high (except in large B2C companies)
• The criticality of message delivery is extremely high
• Operators largely cross subsidise ‘voice’ with ‘data’ services.
• It a specific network is down, then the service suffers.
• The service need extra attention in terms of providing high service levels

There are many independent providers of mobile data services focussed in the domain of enterprise messaging that provide end-to-end SMS/text messaging service. For example, ValueFirst (http://www.vfirst.com) provides SMS/Text messaging services to enterprises.

There are several advantages of working with an operator neutral service provider:

• Easy and quick integration with back-end application/databases
• Connections with multiple operators ensure better service quality (i.e. service is continued even if the network of a specific operator fails)
• Single entry point into the mobile networks.
• Uniform application access ? no duplicate efforts required
• Reliability and timeliness - Acknowledged mobile messaging with guaranteed message delivery information available
• Integrated payment ? one stop shop for all billing aspects and
• Seamless and secure messaging environment.

About The Author

This article has been contributed by (Mr.) Vijay Shukla, Country Head, ValueFirst Messaging India (http://www.vfirst.com). Vijay has over 8 years of industry experience management consulting and mobile data services. He can be contacted at vijayshukla@yahoo.com.

Studies show that people remember merely 20% of what they hear, and only 30% of what they see, and an incredible 70% what they hear and see. * With this in mind, it’s no wonder why video is such a powerful communications tool.

So your company has decided they need a video. Where do you start? What questions do you ask? How can you make sure the final product is what you are expecting? This article will give you the tools you’ll need to have a professional video project you can be proud of.

First, let’s talk about money. As with most things, you get what you pay for. Especially with video production, if you make a decision to hire a production company solely by picking the lowest quoted bid, you will probably end up with a video that is much less than what you expected. Remember, this video represents your company. Do you want your video to look like a high school A/V project? On the other hand, there is no reason to go crazy and spend ungodly amounts of money. It’s important to find a company that gives a fair bid for the type of video you need and can produce your project in a professional manner.

Two Decisions

To start your video project, there are two decisions that you will need to make. First, do you want to hire an independent producer or a production company? Second, you will need to decide if you wish to receive your bid for production as a “Package Price” or “Piece Meal”.

Independent Producer or Production Company?

Independent producers usually work for themselves and do not own any equipment. They generally rely on outside production companies to supply their equipment and crew needs. This means that if you have an immediate need, the producer is dependent on someone else to help service you. However, unless the independent producer is very busy, you should get good personal attention.

By hiring a production company, you can get a producer who is part of the production company that has the equipment and crew resources in-house. They can generally respond immediately to your needs. Depending on the scope of your project, a production company will either use an in-house producer or hire a freelance producer to coordinate your project.

Either way you decide, be sure you have an experienced producer to manage your project.

Two Ways to Hire

There are two ways of hiring a producer or production company to create your video: “Package Price” and “Piece Meal”.

“Package Price”

A package price for the entire project is the way many videos are negotiated. For most situations it is the most logical. The client knows exactly how much to budget for, and the production company knows how much money they will have to work with.

If you choose this route, be sure to have a very clear bid with exactly what each side will be responsible for. The advantage for this is if the company requires to do more work than initially planned to finish what is described in the bid, they are obligated to do whatever it takes to complete the project. However, it is very important to understand that if you, as the client, request more than what is described in the bid, you would be expected to pay extra for your request.

“Piece Meal”

The other way to produce your video is “piece meal”. Hire your production company by the day, or by the hour. This way, whenever someone is working on your project, you are paying for their time and only the time they are working on your project. Your producer should be able to give you hourly and daily rates and to estimate the total cost for the project according to your needs.

Your Producer

Whether you hire an independent producer or a production company, you should have an experienced video producer coordinate your entire project. Your producer should be available to you at any time to answer questions and to consult with you about any part of the production. Don’t scrimp on your producer; they could make or break the entire project, and they should not be learning on your nickel.

Your producer’s job is to manage the project from beginning to end. They are responsible for coordinating the scriptwriting, pre-production, shooting, and editing. Depending on where you live and his or her experience, you can expect to pay your producer between $350 to $1000 a day.

Scriptwriting

Scriptwriting is usually charged by a finished minute rate. For example, if your script is 10 minutes long and you are charged $200 per finished minute, your cost for a complete script should be $2000. A complete script should include all voice tracks and equally important, the video shot descriptions that match the voice track.

Shooting

Shooting is usually charged by the day. Depending on your needs, your shoot may be as small as hiring one cameraman with gear, all the way to having a complete crew that may include a cameraman, lighting director, audio technician, production assistant, teleprompter operator, make-up artist etc. Rates vary depending on your location, but it is standard to hire a strong two-person news style crew for $1,000 - $1500 per day, including professional camera gear, audio and a lighting package. On smaller projects, the shooter can also act as the producer.

Editing

Editing is almost always charged by the hour. For most all projects, a high-end digital (non-linear) editing system will handle your project beautifully. Depending on the system, you should pay between $100 - $200 an hour for editing, including an experienced editor that can make suggestions on how to make your project even better. Finding a Production Company

Looking under “Video Production” in the Yellow page directories is generally a good way to find a local production company. Remember: just because the size of an ad is bigger for one company than another, it doesn’t mean the production company is better.

Personal referrals sometimes are your best bet. But remember that this video will represent your company, so be sure you are referred to a professional video producer with experience and not cousin Billy who has a consumer camera and wants to get into the video business.

You can also search the Internet. One of the best sources for lists of production companies on the web is at www.mandy.com. There are many others sites with lists, but this one seems to be the best. Using search engines like Google to find production companies that have a presence on the web is also a very good source.

Awards

Has the production company won any awards for the videos they have produced? There are regional and national awards that producers can enter their projects. If your production company has won some critical acclaim, it’s a good chance that they would be a good company to produce your video.

Quality and Format

Other than the producer’s expertise, the quality of the final product depends largely on the equipment used to shoot, light and edit the video. For most corporate video projects (marketing, training, communications, etc.), commercials and television programs, the Betacam SP or DVCAM formats are the smartest choices because of their widespread compatibility. There are a number of new excellent broadcast digital video formats, like DVCAM, that are just now emerging on the market. From a client’s point of view, Betacam SP or DVCAM or one of the new professional digital video formats (DVCPRO, Betacam SX, Digital Beta) will give you broadcast quality images. Even though Mini DV is quite an incredible format for the prosumer market, it doesn’t have quite the quality of the professional formats.

Meeting the Producer

When you initially talk with your producer, be sure to ask some questions. But more importantly, the producer should ask you most of the questions and listen to what you want. This is your company’s video and it’s up to the producer to try to get in your head to give you a product that you want, not what the producer wants. Be aware if the producer tells you what you need without listening to what you are saying. At the same time, ask the producer for recommendations that would enhance the project beyond your video knowledge.

Set up a time to meet with the prospective producer. Meeting at your location is usually most beneficial. If you want a marketing or training video for your widget, it would be important for the producer to see the widget. Bring copies of videos you would like to emulate and tell your producer what you like and don’t like about these videos. Be sure the producer brings sample tapes similar to the project you want to do. Look at past projects your producer has completed. You should also call the producer’s past clients to get feedback on their professionalism, work quality, and personality to understand what is was like to work with them.

Q and A

Your producer should listen to what your company’s goals are regarding the video, ask a lot of questions, then give suggestions for the best way to produce your video within your budget. Often, your production company won’t know anything about your business and vice-versa.

Questions to Ask Your Producer

What can I do to keep my costs down?

A good producer will help you keep the project within your budget. Some of the more common ways to save money are:

? shorten the length of the program,
? use fewer professional actors, and
? keep the shoot days to a minimum.

Holding a pre-production meeting to coordinate the project could save hundreds of dollars. If the shoot is scheduled at your company’s location, try to do everything possible to facilitate the videotaping process. For example, if you are creating a marketing or training video for your widget, let your manufacturing line take direction from the video producers and allow disruption of their work.

What kind of experience does the producer have?

The experience of the producer relates directly to the quality of the finished product. Be sure to see examples of video work that the producer has personally produced.

Are there any extra charges?

Ask up front if there will be any extra charges. Some common extra charges: taxes, tape costs, mileage, travel expenses and duplications. It’s important to understand that if you, as a client, make changes to the project that require additional work from the production company not originally agreed upon in the proposal, expect extra charges to apply. What will you need from me?

You, or a representative from your company, will need to be an accessible contact person to help coordinate approvals, schedule shoots, and answer questions to help make the production process as smooth as possible.

Questions Your Producer Should Ask You

What do you like and dislike about other videos?

What do you want to achieve with this video?

Who is the target audience?

What do you want the audience to do after watching the video?

How will the tape be shown?

How many shoot locations are there?

Will we be shooting during business hours?

If we are shooting during business hours, are there any logistical concerns?

How long does the video need to be?

Will a company executive need to be on camera?

Do you need a professional on-camera talent or voice-over?

Who will write the script?

Will you need extra graphics or animations in the video?

Are there any other materials that need to be included in the video, such as photographs?

Final Points to Remember

An important point to remember, especially if you are a rookie at using video, is that communications is key to the success of your video. Your production company should be available at any time to answer any questions you may have. Your producer should be kept informed of the project’s status and what the next steps are.

Television is a huge part of our lives and we are very accustomed to top quality programming. Today’s audiences are sophisticated and expect broadcast quality video productions. If your video is anything less, your message and image will suffer greatly.

Remember to ask questions, be sure you are asked a lot of questions, and go with your gut feeling. Chances are you will end up with a great product and have a fun time in the process.

Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have any questions. Greg Coon

Eyecon Video Productions
Dallas, Texas
214-368-3932
Toll Free (877) 704-1517
greg@eyeconvideo.com
http://www.eyeconvideo.com
*Source: Harvard Business Review

Greg Coon is the President of Eyecon Video Productions, a professional video production company based in Dallas, Texas.

Whenever disaster strikes the most critical asset that every company should have protected from sudden loss due to fire, flooding, or theft is their data. No matter what happens to your hardware you can be sure to be able to be up and running no matter how sudden or how severe your damage or loss is - if you use an online backup system.

Online data back up is the most cost effective way for you to protect your investment by securely storing your data with an offsite data backup provider. No matter when incidents of data loss occur you can be sure that you will have immediate and complete access to your critical documents as you need it. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year you will be able to access and restore countless hours of work and unlimited amounts of data and documents of any type.

You can choose to restore an entire backup of your account or just the documents you need to get going in the event of a system failure. Access is available to any machine connected to the Internet (with proper authorization to the system) at any time, so you can access your backups from any remote location you choose. Access to backup data can keep employees up and running so even while facilities may be shut down indefinitely, your team can continue to do business as usual with little to no downtime.

Upon configuration of the backup software, offsite remote backups are performed transparently to the end users, so backups are performed thoroughly and consistently without the need for user interaction. There is nothing to remember when using a remote secure backup, you can just "set it and forget it" and be comfortable in knowing that your data is protected from accidental loss due to disaster or user negligence 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

With just a few mouse clicks, you can be back up and running within minutes of a complete system failure, allowing your business to remain productive even under the worst circumstances.

Harald Anderson is a freelance writer and webmaster for http://www.safeharbordata.com an online backup service. Experience the Digital Peace of Mind that accompanies a secure disaster recovery routine for your business. Online Backups

I have a p3 500MHz PC with 128MB RAM, 10.2 GB HDD Sony CD ROM 48x with window ME edition operating system. I have a problem- when I insert my audio cd, it shows the error message: "window cannot access the specified device path or file. You may not have appropriate permission the access the item." Please tell me the solution of this error how can we configure the Yahoo! Account in outlook express. What is the pop mail and SMTP address of the Yahoo! Mail?

Dr Birbals: do you get this problem only in the case of audio CDs only or is it an every time phenomenon. If this problem is specific to audio CDs, then you must first check your sound card drivers and the compatibility of the player you are using to play audio CDs. Regarding configuration of Yahoo! Account in the outlook express, the procedure is simple. If this is your first account in outlook express, then on starting outlook express it will automatically start configuring an e-mail account for you, which could be your Yahoo! account also. However, if you are using outlook express already and would like to set another account i.e. Yahoo! Then you should add identity and start configuring the account as normally you would do by the following simple steps. However, when you are asked to enter the POP address, then use pop.mail.yahoo.com. In case of SMTP address, please use the address smtp.mail.yahoo.com. Enter the user name, which would be the first part of your yahoo e-mail ID. Then complete the rest of the step and this will finish the configuration.

I have assembled computer with Celeron 333MHz, Yamaha sound card, 32MB RAM and 4.3GB hard disk. I am using window’98 as OS. My problem is that whenever I make a call to the USA, the voice from the other side comes but my voice doesn’t go. What is the reason and how to solve the problem? My vendor advised me to add another sound card to solve the problem. Is it right? Guide me which card suitable for the same. I used Yahoo! Messenger for making a call.

Dr Birbals: in your case there is a good possibility that you are using a half-duplex sound card in your system. In the half-duplex sound card, the sound travels in only one channel, which means that if you are speaking then the sound of other person could not be transmitted, unless you stop speaking. However, in case of full-duplex sound cards, the sound travels in both channels, thus facilitating proper two-way communication. Therefore you must check, if your sound card is half-duplex, then you may need another full-duplex sound card, otherwise you do not need new sound card.

I have p3 (550 MHz) 810 motherboard, assembled computer. My PC speaker 480 w of dolphin makes a noise when I play a song, movie or any other program requiring sound output whether I play song in winamp, media player or anywhere.

Dr. Birbals: since you have not mentioned what kind of noise you are getting, so it is difficult to pinpoint your problem. However, generally the problem of noise is associated with the some kind of short-circuit or loose connection. So get your PC checked for any such problem. Also please check the earthing of your electricity connection, as improper earthing could also result in some kind of noise with other problem in your PC.

I am having p3 550MHz Intel processor with 810 Vinton motherboard, 20GB HDD, 52xCDD, Motorola 56 KBPS modems with WIN ME as operating system. Recently I installed win 2000 professional but can’t be able to install the driver of modem. I tried installing the driver from the original Motorola CD but got the message "your driver may get clash with win 2000 version because the driver is not having digital signatures." Please guide me what should I do to install the driver of the modem.

Dr. Birbals: digital signature an encryption and decryption process allowing both the positive identification of the author of an electronic message (who wrote the message) and verification of integrity of the message. Since this is a modem security measure, thus it has become a standard in modern operating system like windows 2000. There for you require drivers, which are compatible with windows 2000. There could be a possibility that the driver you are trying to install is not for windows 2000. Therefore in order to solve this problem, you should install the version specific to Windows NT or windows 2000. However as far as Motorola internal modems are connected, windows 2000 automatically detects it and install the correct version of driver from its database and thus it does not require you to install the driver manually. Thus, in light of this fact, it is better to let the windows 2000 detect the correct driver and install the same.

Q. No.1

I want to know that what do satellites in a PC speaker system do.

Q. No.2

Do they act as tweeters or just normal speakers so that the sound comes from all around the room?

Q. No.3

I have a creative sound blaster live sound card, it has support for satellites so I want to buy jetway artis speakers (with 4 satellite and sub-woofer included).will the satellite create Dolby surround sound or will they just sound as four speakers placed at the vertices of the room?

Q. No.4

Is a 33.6kbps external modem slower than a 56kbps internal modem?

Q. No.5

Does having more RAM in your graphic card, mean better performance?

Dr. Birbals: basically, satellite nothing to do with PC speakers; it’s only the satellite speakers, which are related to PC’s. The satellite speakers are magnetically shielded speakers, which are meant for use with video monitors. It delivers powerful audio playback from multiple piece system, normally three pieces. The use of this technology brings about dramatic improvement normal speakers that come bundled with your PC. They do not act as tweeters, however, but has its own technology to improve the sound quality. It is not just limited to Dolby surround sound, because it features are much advanced. Regarding your query for modems. It is a matter of fact that the 56kbps modems are faster than the 33.6kbps modems. It is irrespective of the fact whether it is an external modems or internal modem. However at places, where the downloading speed is very slow, the difference between 56kbps modem and 33.6 modem will not be much. Regarding your query related to higher video memory, it is indeed true that the higher video memory means better performance.

I am using internet connection from the VSNL. My problem is that while I am online, the telephone automatically gets disconnected and I have to redial. Again after few minutes of being online, I am disconnected. I have got two phone lines. This problem is with one phone line while no such problem occurs with other phone line. Win’98 is my OS and my computer is p2 with 333MHz.

Dr. Birbals: it is clearly evident from your mail that the problem in your case lies in your telephone line rather than your computer hardware. You must get your telephone line checked for any kind of phone joints, cuts, and improper extensions. Normally, it is happens because of these factors only. However, if you are satisfied of these factors, then you may opt to change the line of your telephone right from the nearest DOT point to your PC. I am sure these things will help you in getting this problem corrected. However, in order to avoid too frequent disconnection, you may also add the string S10=50 in the advanced option in your modem configuration. But, this in itself will not be able to solve your problem, if there is a defect in your telephone line.

I have Celeron 533with 1-0GB hard disk and 64 MB RAM. I have windows ME operating system. I have a problem that when I want to connect to the net, my system hangs. Please tell me how I can solve this problem.

Dr. Birbals: the problem of system hanging could be due to several reasons; please write back at what stage of connection dose your system hangs. Whether it hanging on dialing, or it hangs while hard shaking with the ISP server or at the time of logging on to the windows. This information would be essential to answer your question correctly.

I want to know how to get m Yahoo! Mail in my outlook express. I entered pop.mail, yahoo.com as many incoming server and smtp.mail.Yahoo.com as my outgoing server. When I press send and receive I get "outgoing mail failed." For incoming it asks me my password. I entered it correctly 3 times yet could not get the mail.

Dr. Birbals: while entering the pop and SMTP server please take care that it is enter correctly and there are no space in it. In the setting of outlook express, you can save your password, which will save you from the botheration of entering your password again and will also not return this error. However, in case of sending mail through outlook express using Yahoo! Services; it sometime gives this problem, which is specific to Yahoo services only.

I have p3 computer. I have a problem while working on net. Whenever I try to open any site, mantra online opens as a default. Please tell me why does it open as a default and how can I get of rid on it

Dr. Birbals: this is actually not a problem and can be corrected easily by some simple changes in your browser settings. If you are using internet explorer, then simply open the internet explorer and check on the tool menu. Now click on the internet options and in the home page address box, either choose site of your choice or choose about blank. This will help you get rid of this problem. Similarly in case you are using Netscape communicator, then to change the default page, click on edit menu and then click preferences. In homepage location box, either enter the site address of your choice or leave it blank. This simple measure will help you get red of your problem.

I use my computer mostly for audio-CAD work, which is precise; precious I store the whole data on my hard disk. Other members of the family also use the same computer. From the safety point of view, I want to have some reliable backup arrangement that can be updated for additional work from time to time. At present there are about 2500 files that I want to store in the back-up also. Floppy disk are of low capacity, CD drive requires CD-writer and is expensive. So kindly advise suitable mode for backup.

Dr. Birbals: these days the hard disks normally have a large capacity so the easiest solution is to dedicate a specific partition of your hard disk for backing up your files. You can protect them with password and can even hide it so that it is not accessible to anybody. The second solution could be Zip drive, where you can keep your data in large capacity floppies and can even carry them with you. This option is a bit expensive, as you will have to additionally buy external Zip drive. However, the option of CD-writer is the best as you can store a large amount of data on your CD. Besides that the data on a CD is safest.

I have a p3, 667 MHz (based 100 MHz SD RAM) with 64 RAM on HP pavilion. My operating system is windowa’98 SE on 10.2 GB ultra DMA ATA 66 hard drive (about 7GB free space). I have an internet connection from the BSNL. I face a problem— the system sometime freezes and then neither keyboard nor mouse work. I have to turn the power off. Please guide me whether increasing RAM to 128 will solve my problem?

Dr. Birbals: you must run scandisk first in thorough mode in order to check any problems in your hard disk. if the scan disk does not work properly in windows, then you must run it in DOS mode. If there is any problem, then scan disk will report about it. Moreover, you must also check the result for any bad sector in your hard disk as this could be one of the reasons for your problem. However, if everything is reported fine by scan disk, then the needle of suspicion would go to motherboard of your computer. This you will have to get checked from your hardware vendor. Your problem has nothing to do with increasing the RAM and thus increasing it to 128 MB will not actually solve your problem.

I have p3 500MHz processor, 64 MB RAM, win’98 SE internal modem (Motorola SM56PCI speakerphone). Usually when I try to connect to the internet, I get an error 678 showing the message "dialup network was unable to complete the connection. Double click the connect icon to connect again" and after sometime I am able to connect. Somebody told me that this problem is due to internal modem and if I use an external modem, I may be able to connect the very first time. You have mentioned some techniques to improve the modem. I tried to check my phone line using HyperTerminal, but when I selected direct to com x in "connect to windows", I did not get the com x properties. I got a blank window instead. When I enter the said terms (ATZ, AT&FDT ISP’s number) it dials using tone dialing that I don’t have. So please tell me what to do with my internal modem to avoid that error and also how I can check my telephone line using HyperTerminal.

Dr. Birbals: this is very common confusion in the minds of many persons that the internal modems are not efficient and gives error. However this is not correct. Though undoubtedly external modems are better in terms of overall performance and ease of use yet the internal modems give identical result as far as the net speed is concerned. Whether it is internal modem or external modem, what is more important is chip set of the modem. If the internal modem good chipset like Rockwell, then there is no problem in it. The problem mentioned by you is not linked to the internet modem and there could be many reasons for such kind of error. Now the technique you are talking about is to check the line conditions and not the modem. So it will really not help you in analysng your modem. However for a precise solution to your problem, please write in detail including the message you get.

Whenever I start my computer I get message: "NO ISDN devices were found. Please install an ISDN device and run the configuration wizard". I neither had ever installed nor wish to install ISDN device. Kindly advise how to get rid on this message to avoid clicking "OK" ach time.

Dr. Birbals: although for solving your problem information about your operating system and system configuration is necessary. However, it appears that while configuration your internet connection, you had opted for ISDN connection. I think of because of this reason you get the warning for ISDN device. As a solution of this problem either remove the ISDN connection wizard or reconfigure your dial-up networking.

I have windows ME installed on my computer. I want to configure my outlook express to get my mail from my account on rediff.com but I don’t know how to configure. Please tell me what to write in the incoming mail server and the outgoing mail server fields.

Dr. Birbals: rediff mail is a web-based e-mail services, so its pop and SMTP server names are not available. However, for configuring an e-mail account in your e-mail client, the information about these two servers is quite essential. So, practically it is difficult to configure rediff mail account in outlook express.

I have problem with playing the VCDs. It hangs the system, then it play for 4 to 5 seconds and hang again. The HDD and CD ROM drive’s LED glows continuously with full light when it hangs. All other CDs (program and audio) run well. I tried everything I know. I have installed right drivers for the device. My system is p200 MMX, 32 MB RAM, cirrus 5446 VGA with 2MB RAM, creative CD ROM drive and OS is win’95.

Dr. Birbals: this problem is normally occurs in case of low memory. So in order to get rid of this problem you need to increase your memory if possible a better VGA card with higher VRAM. Moreover, you also need to increase the size of the panging file size. Also you should keep a good space on your hard disk free. So the first thing you should try to do is free up some hard disk space. As a rule of thumb you should always keep at least 10 percent of your hard disk capacity always free, though higher is better. If this solves your problem, its well and good, else you would be required to increase the memory.

About The Author

Pawan Bangar,
Technical Director,
Birbals, (Hbirbals,Seobirbals,Ebirbals,Ibirbals)
#1047,Sector 42-b,
Chandigarh.
Cell:+91-98153-52253

email:

www.ebirbals.com

www.birbals.com

www.hbirbals.com

www.seobirbals.com

What is Video Encryption?

Video Encryption is an extremely useful method for the stopping unwanted interception and viewing of any transmitted video or other information, for example from a law enforcement video surveillance being relayed back to a central viewing centre.

The scrambling is the easy part. It is the un-encryption that’s hard, but there are several techniques that are available. However, the human eye is very good at, spotting distortions in pictures due to poor video decoding or poor choice of video scrambling hardware. Therefore, it is very important to choose the right hardware or else your video transmissions may be un-secure or your decoded video may not be watchable.

Some of the more popular techniques are detailed below:

Line Inversion:

Method: Whole or parts of the signal scan lines are inverted. Advantages: Simple, cheap video encryption. Disadvantages: Poor video decrypting quality, low obscurity, low security.

Sync Suppression:

Method: Hide/remove the horizontal/vertical line syncs.

Advantages: Provides a low cost solution to Encryption and provides good quality video decoding.

Disadvantages: This method is incompatible with some distribution equipment. Obscurity (i.e. how easy it is to visually decipher the image) is dependant on video content.

Line Shuffle:

Method: Each signal line is re-ordered on the screen.

Advantages: Provides a compatible video signal, a reasonable amount of obscurity, good decode quality.

Disadvantages: Requires a lot of digital storage space. There are potential issues with video stability. Less secure than the cut and rotate encryption method (see below)

Cut & Rotate:

Scrambling Method: Each scan line is cut into pieces and re-assembled in a different order.

Advantages: Provides a compatible video signal, gives an excellent amount of obscurity, as well as good decode quality and stability.

Disadvantages: Can have complex timing control and requires specialized scrambling equipment

The cut and rotate video encryption method is probably the best way of achieving reliable and good quality video encryption, an example of a good implementation of this system is in the Viewlock II

Implementing vice scrambling

The video scrambling hardware, in particular the decoder should function correctly even if there is a noisy (for example having what are commonly known as ’snow’ on the screen. ‘Snow’ is when there are flecks on your TV screen, often seen in poor reception areas) or unstable signal. If the link to the encrypted signal should stop working then this should not be a problem. The link between the video encoder and video decoder should be regained and the decryption quickly continued.

The very nature of security camera systems is that they are often outdoors as so must be able to withstand the rigours of the weather. The video encryption hardware should be stable under or protected from the effects of rain, sunlight, extreme heat and cold. It should not be damaged if there is a power spike in the supply. In these systems the video encoder emits a wireless signal to the video decoder unit before it is viewed, it obviously must be the case that the very act of broadcasting the signal does not effect the video encoding hardware and likewise the video encoding hardware should not effect the radio transmitter.

The most important item is that the video scrambling system should be secure, else why bother? It is amazing how some encryption methods can easily be cracked. For example certain cable television stations ‘encrypt’ their channel broadcasts via a relatively un complex method, which can easily be decoded using a number of cheap bits of electronics from radio shack. That would obviously be illegal! The cable TV’s method of encryption is very crude, they usually just dynamically alter the vertical sync signal so that your TV cannot get a proper lock on it and so it scrolls randomly.

The other extreme is to scramble the transmitted video signal too much so that it is costly both in equipment and time to the video at the receiver. Remember that this is a ‘live’ video scrambling broadcast followed by a ‘live’ video decryption display. ANY electronics can be copied, given enough money and time, but making this process as hard as possible is of benefit as it at least delays the time when illegal copies will be available.

Finally and most obviously each user must have a unique encryption key so that other users of the system cannot view the transmitted video by accident or purpose without the key owners knowledge. The total number of possible user keys must be such that it is highly unlikely for someone to guess the correct key.

Ovation Systems are specialists in the design and manufacture of high quality covert video surveillance equipment. Products include the Viewlock II video encryption system.

SMS for Enterprise Messaging ? Value added services

Short message service, usually called SMS, is a globally accepted wireless service for enterprise messaging (mobile value added services) that enables the transmission of alphanumeric messages between mobile subscribers and external systems such as electronic mail, paging, and voice-mail systems.

The text comprises letters or numbers or an alphanumeric combination. SMS was created as part of the GSM Phase 1 standard. Each short text message is up to 160 characters is length when Latin alphabets are used and 70 characters in length when non-Latin alphabets such as Arabic and Chinese are used.

SMS comprises two basic point-to-point services:

• Mobile-Terminated short message (MT)
• Mobile-Originated short message (MO)

SMS Mobile-Terminated (SMS MT)

SMS (MT) are transported from the SMSC to the handset and can be submitted to the SMSC by other mobile subscribers via MO-SM or by other sources such as voice-mail systems, paging networks, or operators

SMS MT Services allow the deployment of various applications such as:

• Information Services (loyalty card members, delivery confirmation etc.)
• Real-time notifications and alerts (banking, finance and stock alerts, travel, sporting results)
• Direct Marketing offerings (promotions, new product announcement, events and shows, m-coupons)
• Ring tones, Logo downloads
• Quiz, live games

SMS Mobile-Originated (SMS MO)

SMS MO are transported from a MO-capable handset to the SMSC and can be destined to other mobile subscribers or for subscribers on fixed networks such as paging networks or Internet protocol (IP) networks (including the Internet and private e-mail networks).

SMS MO Services are typically used in deploying applications to receive information from Mobile users to an external short messaging entity, which is typically a computer connected to the internet. Such request for information is made by sending an SMS from their mobile phones to a service number linked to the service of the content provider.

Typical SMS MO service examples are dedicated requests, voting or quiz applications. A customer can register his request for information e.g. Text ‘Product ABC’ to +44 7979458584 to know the product details of the product or to text ‘Yes’ to a mobile number to confirm presence in an event.

Why do enterprises need SMS based mobile data services?

SMS based mobile data services are not necessary for every enterprise or every division within an enterprise. As with any new communications/ IT application or service, the investment and cost of an implementation must be balanced by a sufficient economic return. Several research firms have stated that two to three years after a mobile data services implementation a company should see a positive return on their investment.

However, there are a few compelling reasons for enterprises to get on to tap the potential of SMS based mobile data services. For many enterprises, such wireless initiatives form ways to advance customer service, productivity, cost reduction, or simply functionality necessary to remain competitive.

A good example is the financial industry where wireless services have played a role in maintaining competitive position in the consumer market. Many leading banks, stock brokers and mutual funds have already started such service in which their customers receive pre-defined ‘business-rules’ driven alerts or notifications. These notifications or alerts are a result of SMS enabling of business processes. Such a service eliminates the need of conventional getting connected on voice, thereby reducing direct communication cost and indirect costs (time of people making voice calls) and complexity involved in the business process.

Of late, innovative and cost effective and business models for SMS based mobile data services have emerged by which the enterprises are not required to own the wireless communication infrastructure required for the said service. Instead, they get all the benefits by the hugely successful ‘pay-as-you-go’ model. This reduces total cost of ownership of the new initiative.

There are a few Mobile Value Added Service Providers (MVASP) that have emerged in the past couple of years which provide high quality service as compared to operators, who do not focus in enterprise wireless messaging as the size of the market is sub-optimal from the perspective of operators. Moreover, the expertise required in providing high quality and end-to-end service requires expertise in both IT industry and telecommunications verticals which makes this service offering unique. Many enterprises globally are already benefiting from such SMS based wireless initiative to reduce cost and increase operational efficiency at work.

To deliberate and decide, whether SMS based mobile data services will provide tangible economic benefit to their business, there are a number of questions enterprises should ask can themselves. This type of strategising is a first step in defining the value SMS based mobile data services provide and is necessary to avoid initiatives that provide "neat" capability without sufficient and early return. When evaluating your needs for mobile data services, questions to ask include:

• What all business processes, in which if the concerned person gets to know relevant information on the move, he/she will be able to take desired action?
• Is a significant percentage of an organisation’s work or workforce away from a fixed place of business?
• Is my enterprise ready for such a kind of initiative?
• Would such an initiative have the potential to reduce my total cost of communications?
• Can remote users easily access pertinent information from internal systems?
• What are my competitors doing with regard to wireless applications?
• Will using SMS based mobile data services improve my customer service?

Mobile data services are aimed to increase operational efficiency and reduce costs. When computing the actual return on a wireless initiative, one must look at cost savings from increased efficiencies, productivity, customer satisfaction, and other such metrics. This is substantially more complex than discounting revenue generation, because many of the metrics are approximates and many of the benefits very subtle, but this estimation gives the most accurate measure of success.

Many companies provides mobile data services like ValueFirst Messaging Pvt. Ltd. www.vfirst.com is a leading enterprise messaging services company in India provides SMS on GSM/CDMA/GPRS also provides SMS sending software / applications services and products.

There are a number of metrics that will assist in determining the return of a wireless initiative. Take careful attention to assure that the metrics used relate directly to the type of solution. For example, when deploying SMSbased mobile data services for maintenance, look at the amount of time spent on a sales call. If billing is incorporated into the system, check the change in the billing cycle, to see that it has decreased. Some other metrics that may help measure the success of a wireless implementation are:

• Increased sales per employee
• Decreased time per maintenance call
• Increased customer service levels
• Reduced turnaround time
• Reduced communication costs

About The Author

This article has been contributed by (Mr.) Vijay Shukla, Country Head, ValueFirst Messaging India (http://www.vfirst.com). Vijay has over 8 years of industry experience management consulting and mobile data services. He can be contacted at vijayshukla@yahoo.com

Winter?the official start of the cold and flu season. Though, technically speaking, things got started a little early. Close to a million computers, mostly home PC users, have been infected.

For many of us our computers are our business. We keep in contact with customers and clients via email, do extensive internet research, and transmit important files electronically.

We know what to do to protect our bodies from viruses. There are some simple strategies, and even free precautions we can take to protect our businesses by keeping our PCs virus free.

Adopting the following six checkpoints will help keep your computer healthy and your business uninterrupted.

Use a Firewall

At its most basic level a firewall is a software security system that acts as a barrier between your computer and the outside world (the internet) by monitoring all incoming network traffic. A more advanced firewall will also monitor outgoing traffic. How you use your computer will determine whether basic or advanced firewall protection is needed.

What a firewall does is make your computer invisible while on the Internet. If hackers can’t see you, they cannot attack you.

Windows XP has this software installed; however, it may need to be enabled. If you have XP and would like to enable the firewall, directions are on the Microsoft website.

For non XP users, firewall software can be purchased. McAfee and Zone Alarm are two very popular products. Zone Alarm has a free downloadable firewall, basic version, available on their website, www.zonealarm.com.

Before installing a firewall, you may be interested in learning your computer’s vulnerability. This is something that can be checked for free and in just a few minutes. Visit the website of Gibson Research Corporation, www.grc.com, and under Hot Spots, click on Shields UP. It takes a little bit of scrolling to get to but is well worth the extra seconds. In minutes your PC is scanned and its vulnerability rated.

Antivirus Software

Antivirus software is the “shot” after the epidemic. This software protects your computer from known threats. Many PCs come with antivirus software already installed. Some of the more popular versions are Norton, PCCillin and McAfee.

If you have it pre installed or have purchased it, great. Please be sure to keep it constantly updated with the latest virus definitions. This is important because these definitions are formed in response to the latest viruses. If you don’t have this protection, please consider getting it.

Once this software is installed on your computer, you will be automatically notified when new virus definitions are available. Then it is just a matter of a few clicks to download the new definitions.

Likewise you will be notified when your antivirus software is about to expire. The software needs to be updated annually. The initial purchase, renewal, updates and installation can all be done online.

Spyware Eliminator

Why am I getting all of these pop ups? Certain websites that you visit or free software (shareware) that you download, and, in some cases, hardware purchased from major manufacturers will also install tracking devices on your computer (spyware). Spyware is annoying but not illegal.

An internet search will reveal the many choices available for spyware elimination software. The important thing is to get one and use it consistently. Spybot and PestPatrol are popular choices.

I really like Spybot Search and Destroy. Besides the fact that it is free, once spyware is identified, the software will provide a detailed description of just what it is. This is helpful just in case it identifies something that you don’t want to get rid of.

Backup, Backup, Backup

How often do you backup? What files/programs do you backup? What media do you backup to?

We all know the importance of backing up our information yet so many of us don’t do it. There may be a ton of reasons why it’s not done but the one reason it should be done on a regular basis is that it can be a timesaver, possibly a business saver if your computer system is corrupted for any reason.

If you happen to be using Windows XP Professional, the backup procedure is quite simple. For users of XP Home Edition, it is a bit more involved. Complete instructions, however, are on the Microsoft website.

Typically, data files are what most people need to back up and having well organized files will certainly simplify the process.

Whether you backup to disk, zip disk, DVD, writeable CDs, external file drive or utilize one of the online services, it is important to get into the habit of backing up on a regular basis.

Weekly Updates of Windows

Windows users are automatically notified of current updates for the Windows operating system when your computer is turned on. With just a few clicks your operating system is updated.

However, when certain patches become available for your particular applications software (XP, 2000, NT, etc), as was/is the case with the recent worm viruses, a visit to Microsoft’s website is necessary.

Once there, Microsoft will scan your computer, tell you what updates are available, and you then have the option of installing them on your system. In some cases, you will need your installation CDs to complete the download.

With the recent run of viruses and with more expected, it is imperative to check for these updates weekly on the Microsoft website as well as do the automatic updates.

Be Careful of Email Attachments

Email is such a widely accepted method of communication, and this has not gone unnoticed by hackers who use email as a means of mass virus spread.

For this final checkpoint, your due diligence is the only software required.

Always delete any email from unknown senders and be very careful of any attachments you are not expecting from any known senders. As we have seen, hackers can quite easily access Outlook address books to spread viruses.

By the way, including a fake email address in your address book will not prevent your PC from spreading viruses. This is an urban legend. If you’re interested in the full story, check out this link:

www.snopes.com/computer/virus/quickfix.htm

When it comes to the health of our computers, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Effective prevention software along with plain old common sense, used consistently, can keep you protected.

About The Author

Roxie Hickman, Virtual Assistant (VA), is the owner of The Virtual Connection. The Virtual Connection (www.thevirtualconnection.net) specializes in working with the ’sucstressed’ (successful professionals who are stressed because they’ve been doing it alone). The Virtual Connection provides offsite executive, administrative, and personal assistance (virtual assistance).

roxie@thevirtualconnection.net

TiVo will change your life… for the better. Plain and simple: record shows by telling TiVo to record them (not when, what channel, how long, etc.), record all new episodes of X, record all movies w/ so-and-so in them, etc.

High Points:

Most people know the basics of the concept. Here’s the low-down on the things I’m asked most…

1. You can record one thing and watch something else already recorded.

2. You can get a dual tuner TiVo, but you’ll need two SEPARATE feeds to the TiVo (i.e., two lines from your satellite dish). Then you can record 2 things at once or watch one/record another. These are more expensive, but you can get a DirecTiVo w/ dual tuner cheaper and then the monthly TiVo fee is about half normal.

3. Pause live TV - if you don’t realize the value of this, I can’t explain it.
TiVo has many different versions which all some slight variations. If you want to go beyond ‘average guy’ level, check out this forum.

Comparison to ReplayTV:

TiVo seems to have a better interface from what I’ve seen and what others have said. It’s easier to use. However, ReplayTV is more easily hackable - you can access it from the web and the PC easier to convert/archive shows, etc. I have a DVD recorder for this which is another post for another time.

Both can be made to do mostly the same things, but you get the idea.

My Suggestion

I recommend the DirecTiVo Hughes HDVR2 (dual tuner) w/ the Triple LNB dish (this is the oval dish w/ 4 lines from it and it’s HDTV ready). It’s got the satellite converter box built in so it’s only one box to deal w/, the TiVo monthly fee is less and it’s dual tuner.

This model isn’t as hackable as some TiVo’s, but it can do some and if you want to go beyond the basics than you probably haven’t read this far.

Sites:

http://www.dvrinfospot.com

http://www.TiVo.com

http://www.TiVoCommunity.com

http://www.WeaKnees.com

…and, of course, The Armchair Geek (see below).

Bear Cahill is a software engineer in the Dallas, TX area and runs a few websites: The Armchair Geek (thearmchairgeek.com), Webpage Hosting Info (webpagehostinginfo.com), Go To College Online (gotocollegeonline.com) and The Video Exchange Community (videoexchange.org)

Publish freely if this resource box is included and links maintained as links.

As use of the Internet continues to grow geometrically, we see an increased demand for information to be provided by a variety of media. Viewing options can range from simple text to PDF documents to video clips. Unfortunately, each option requires more and more resources and technological know-how. As convergence moves inexorably forward, we have to ask ourselves if there is a practical way to combine the best of this technology and still provide the user with a satisfying Internet experience.

The answer, at this stage of Internet evolution, is audio.

Voice, by itself, provides the means to enhance a user’s enjoyment of the Internet. Voice conveys many of the intangibles underlying the written word. A voice can touch the human spirit and deliver a message on its’ own merits. Audio can build community and maintain relationships.

Audio is the most mature of the streaming technologies and doesn’t have the bandwidth requirements associated with video. Any Internet user connecting at 28.8k or better can enjoy FM quality sound without experiencing buffering and other annoyances that can affect video at lower bit rates.

It is common knowledge that people only retain 20% of what they read, but they do remember 70% of what they see and hear. That fact in itself increases the value of an audio message delivered from a website for the typical user. And, the implications of how audio can increase Internet enjoyment for the handicapped are overwhelming.

Streaming audio provides Internet businesses with unlimited opportunities to reach their audience and to simplify their interactions. Streaming audio broadens a product’s appeal and helps to stimulate sales. People are comfortable with audio and have few qualms about using it in their day-to-day lives.

Retailers can integrate audio into their operations in several ways. Use it to enhance product descriptions and deliver product information in ways far more persuasive than plain text. Booksellers can have "special events" that offer audio excerpts from selected titles. Art dealers can use voice to give value added information on an artist or a period of history depicted by an artist’s work. (Think of those audio tours that museums offer.)

Organizations that specialize in selling educational tools can use audio clips for potential clients to preview and evaluate the material being offered. The ability to sample the product is a potent and practical selling aid.

Business-to-Business sites and corporate Intranets can also harness the power of audio. The need to provide up-to-the-minute information for employees and customers can be well served with streaming audio and the telephone. Integrating audio into the corporate communications mix is a tool that is easy to use and addresses the need to communicate with a distributed work force.

In both the retail and business-to-business marketplace, audio can and should be used to maintain those all important customer relationships. Voice messages add a personal touch that intrigues the listener and encourages them to remain on the site.

Employee training is greatly enhanced with audio. Use it to orient new employees and keep the information archived on the site for easy reference. Sales training can also be archived and quickly retrieved when needed. The ability to offer customized audio training materials on a 24/7 basis makes streaming audio a very versatile and efficient learning tool.

Some words of caution are also necessary. Audio, just like any other value-added technology, has to be used judiciously. It should be employed for a specific purpose and to enhance the text based message being delivered. Think of your audience and how you’d like them to interact with your website. Keep in mind that your visitor may be coming to your site while they’re at their place of business and plan accordingly.

The future of streaming audio is bright and filled with promise. More and more Internet users have become familiar with streaming audio and use it everyday. Internet radio broadcasts are extremely popular and are now being employed as effective advertising vehicles. Audio e-mail messaging is becoming widely available and is being positioned as a practical business tool. Consumers are attaching audio messages to greeting cards and experimenting with Internet telephony. Streaming audio will allow the average Internet user the ability to create content that conveys the power of voice and the emotions that it conveys.

So?why aren’t you using audio?

Ronni Rhodes is the owner of WBC Imaging, an Internet company that specializes in web site enhancement utilizing streaming media technology. With her husband, Don, a digital media engineer, they work with companies to incorporate streaming as part of successful and meaningful sales and marketing programs.

Please direct all questions and comments to: Ronni@wbcimaging.com 520-742-5780 http://www.wbcimaging.com