Microsoft Business Solutions is on the way to popularize it’s ERP systems implementation. Right now such products as Microsoft CRM and Small Business Manager (cheap version of Microsoft Great Plains, based on the same Great Plains Dexterity runtime and DYNAMICS.DIC dictionary) are targeted to self-implementation by in-house IT group. This is short article, written in question/answer/FAQ style to give IT Director/Controller balanced top level information on Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains implementation. If you have decided on Microsoft Great Plains as main accounting and ERP system you need to know some technical details on Great Plains installation and implementation and what is going on behind the scenes. As of right now the current version is Microsoft Great Plains 8.0. Plus you probably should know about programming language of Microsoft Great Plains - Great Plains Dexterity

If you are developer who is asked: how do we customize Great Plains with its native programming language ? Great Plains Dexterity ? read this and you will have the clues on where to look further.

The history of the Dexterity. Great Plains Dexterity ? is proprietary programming language and technology, designed back to earlier 1990th with the goal to build platform independent graphical accounting package ? Great Plains Dynamics. Dexterity itself is written in C (following popular those days hope ? that C will provide platform independence). You can install Dexterity from Great Plains 7.5 CD #2. Obviously it requires a lot of learning / training, but it allows your custom piece be seamlessly integrated with Great Plains interface.

1. Native Dexterity Cursors. Dexterity was designed as platform independent programming language and so if you want your code to be operable on all currently supported databases ? you use Dexterity ranges and loops to manipulate the records

2. Great Plains Dexterity with SQL Stored Procs Nowadays, most of Great Plains installations are moved to SQL Server ? so you can use Dexterity for custom forms drawing only and make the buttons run SQL stored procedures.

3. COM Objects calls. Beginning with version 7.0 Dexterity supports COM objects ? you register them as libraries in Dexterity. Refer the manual. This technique allows you to call such nice things as web services across the internet.

4. Dexterity Forms ? if you like VBA and are comfortable to do all the business logic in VBA ? you can use Dexterity as new forms creator/editor. This is OK ? but you have to purchase VBA/Modifier and Customization Site Enabler from MBS.

Some restrictions. Great Plains is actually integration of multiple dictionaries: DYNAMICS.DIC, ADVSECUR.DIC, EXP1493.DIC, etc. In your Dexterity customization you can deal with one dictionary ? DYNAMICS.DIC. If you need cross dictionaries customization ? consider using SQL Stored Procs for crossing dictionary borders and pulling data/making changes in the other dictionary..

Happy customizing! if you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies ? USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, based in Chicago, Arizona, California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York, UK, Canada, Australia and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer; akarasev@albaspectrum.com

A powerful way to convey your communication messages to your audience is to be able to have your promotional video available on your website.

Yet, we have probably all experienced visiting a website and clicking on a video only to have to been irritated that the content is not viewable or that the sound is inaudible. The result is we leave the website in frustration.

So how do you make sure the video content on your website can be watched by your audience? It all boils down to how you want your viewers to access your video file and the level of video quality you want your movie to be played at.

There are two different ways of sharing your video file on the web:

1. Streamable Video

This is where the viewer is able to download sections of your video (otherwise known as "streaming"), while the video is playing. The main benefit of this method is that the user does not have to spend time downloading the complete video before viewing.

There are three major streaming video formats ? RealVideo (RM), QuickTime (MOV) and Windows Media (WMV). These are playable on Real Player, QuickTime Player and Windows Media Player respectively. Windows Media Player is widely available on most PC’s, as it is part of Windows Operating System. The other players need to be installed.

The only negative with streamable video is that the quality of the video is dependent upon Internet connection. In addition, it has the annoying habit of dropping video frames because the streaming software has to adjust the data rate based on the speed of your Internet connection, in order to keep playing the video.

2. Download and Play

This is where the viewer needs to download the entire video first, then play it on their video player application. The main advantage is that the video quality is not affected by Internet connection speed.

However, it can take some time for the video to download if the file is large.

So which format do you choose?

In a world where first impressions always count, it is extremely important for companies to appear professional and trustworthy at all times. Marketing videos with poor picture quality are likely to reflect a poor quality company in the mind of the viewer. Consequently, we always recommend the download and play option. This is because it allows for high quality video content to be viewed.

However, as you don’t want viewers to give up on downloading your video, we only recommend that short video clips are inserted onto your website.

This means your website users will be able to download a short video at a high quality picture resolution that will portray your company in the best possible way.

(c) Marie-Claire Ross 2004. All rights reserved.

Marie-Claire Ross is one of the partners of Digicast. Digicast works with organisations who are not satisfied that their marketing and training materials are helping their business grow. She can be contacted on 0500 800 234 (Australia wide) or at mc@digicast.com.au. The website is at http://www.digicast.com.au.

Blu-ray is an optical disc format which is set to rival HD-DVDin the race to be the de-facto standard storage medium for HDTV. The HD-DVD vs Blu-ray battle resembles that between Betamax and VHS and DVD+RW and DVD-RW.

Currently, the major Hollywood film studios are split evenly in their support for Blu- ray and HD-DVD, but most of the electronics industry is currently in the blue corner.

The key difference between these new players and recorders and current optical disc technology is that Blu-ray, as its name suggests, uses a blue-violet laser to read and write data rather than a red one. Blue light has a shorter wavelength than red light, and according to the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), which is made up of, amongst others, Sony, Philips, Panasonic, and Pioneer, this means that the laser spot can be focussed with greater precision.

Blu-ray discs have a maximum capacity of 25GB and dual-layer discs can hold up to 50GB - enough for four hours of HDTV. Like HD-DVD, Blue laser discs don’t require a caddy and the players and recorders will be able to play current DVD discs. Codecs supported by Blu-ray include the H.264 MPEG-4 codec which will form part of Apple’s QuickTime 7, and the Windows Media 9 based VC-1.

The BDA says that although blue laser discs and players are already shipping in Japan, they won’t ship in the US until the end of 2005 at the very earliest. It is likely that players will be very expensive initially, compared to DVD players. In Japan, they cost the equivalent of $2000. However, as with all new technology, prices will quickly fall - particularly as Blu-ray will be competing with HD-DVD for that space under your TV.

Kenny Hemphill is the editor and publisher of The HDTV Tuner - a guide to the kit, the technology and the programming on HDTV.

Data recovery is a process whereby you can save data and files you accidentally deleted, had eaten by malicious software or viruses, hardware failures, corporate espionage and many more scenarios. Most people believe that when the hard drive crashes their world ends also, but that’s not usually the case. In fact 85% of the time the data is recoverable, and at far less trouble and expense than you might fear at first.

It’s a wonder something that spins at thousands of times a minute doesn’t crash more often than they do, what with all the abuse we heap upon them. When’s the last time you did a dust patrol near your drive ports? Hard drives aren’t the only data that can be saved too. Zip drives, floppies, DVD’s, CD-ROM’s and more can be rescued. And sometimes the worst of disasters will yield up results. Technicians regularly extract data from computers that are burned to a crisp. Admittedly this is trickier and more expensive, but it can be done. On woman had her Apple Powerbook sink to the bottom of the Amazon, whereupon tiring of waiting for the salvage operation, she promptly donned her scuba gear, swam down to the sunken boat and retrieved her precious files. She then mailed the whole mess to DriveSavers and they managed to save most of her data, despite being submerged for three days!

Most recoveries aren’t nearly as sexy, and can usually be resolved with a software solution, usually by the client his or herself. Off the rack data recovery software is quite good and relatively inexpensive, especially when you compared to the cost of dealing with replacing the lost files. Most data recovery issues stem from human error, roughly 25%. A software solution can run you anywhere from $75-$400, whereas if the problem is too difficult and you have to box it up and send it out, expect to pay between $500-$2000, with the average price of $1000.

The key to remember is that deleted data is usually not gone forever, just maddeningly misplaced. The good news is that recovery can be a mouse click away!

Keith Thompson is the Webmaster of Data Recovery Service offering fast and easy solutions for data recovery.

Microsoft Certifications are one of the most widely acclaimed, pursued, and achieved technical certifications in the IT industry. The demand for Microsoft Certified Professionals in the job market is increasing every year.

Microsoft offers a number of certification levels depending on specific areas of proficiency and nature of job. Some of the certifications pertaining to networking are:

This article focuses on frequently asked questions by buyers of plasma and LCD televisions.

Q: Does the “plasma” in plasma televisions need to be recharged or replaced over time?

A: No. The plasma gases are sealed in individual cells when they are manufactured. There is no way to recharge or replace the gases. However, plasma TVs, when used normally, will last you many, many years (up to 20 years) so you don’t have to worry about the screen burning out for a long time.

Q: Are plasma and LCD TVs difficult to install?

A: While you may want to hire a professional electrician to help you with wiring if you are installing your plasma or LCD television on a wall, you can also easily place the television on a stand yourself and place it anywhere you like.

Q: Do plasma and LCD TVs give off radiation?

A: All electronic devices, including televisions, must comply with FDA guidelines (in the United States) and CSA guidelines (in Canada) on radiation emission before being permitted to be sold to the public. While there is radiation emission in the form of ultraviolet light, the amount is negligible and you are unlikely to be affected by it watching the television from normal distances.

Q: What are anamorphic widescreen DVD movies?

A: There are two common ways of recording wide format movies on a DVD: letterbox and anamorphic. Letterbox refers to a video played with horizontal black bars on the top and bottom of the picture. Anamorphic recordings are also commonly labeled "Enhanced for 16:9 TVs". Anamorphic recordings have over 30% more vertical resolution than letterbox format and elimates or significantly reduces the black bars found in letterbox pictures in order to fit to the screen size of 16:9 televisions.

Q: Do LCD’s have a burn-in problem?

A: No. Unlike CRT and plasma TVs, liquid crystal displays do not use phosphor and thus have no problems with a still image becoming permanently stored on the screen. Instead, LCD TVs use a backlight on a colored, transluscent liquid crystal screen.

Q: Can I use a game console such as Sony Playstation 2, Nintendo Game Cube or Microsoft XBOX with my LCD TV?

A: Yes. If you intend to use a game console and/or watch standard TV broadcasts over cable, satellite or antenna, an LCD TV is a superior choice over plasma televisions. The repetitive image from games and unused black-filled borders will damage a plasma TV by burning a permanent image into the phosphor.

Q: Will leaving my LCD TV on cause the image to degrade?

A: No. Unlike plasma TV’s, this LCD TV does not exhibit aging over time. The brightness of the image remains the same because LCD televisions use a florescent backlight.

Q: Can I mount my LCD TV straight into drywall or plaster?

A: No, drywall or plaster alone will not offer enough support. A structural beam or stud must be used as the anchor for the wall mount.

(c) 2005 Philip Liu - All Worldwide Rights Reserved

Philip Liu is a freelance author and publisher currently based in New York City. Philip publishes regularly on his websites dealing with cell phone reviews and news and plasma, LCD TV reviews and news.

Camera cell phone by Samsung ? description.

Samsung manufacture a large selection of cellular phones including camera cell phone by Samsung. An example are great phones like SPH-a600 digital camera cell phone by Samsung that allows accessing the web and SGH-e105 phone that allows multiple messaging capabilities.

Camera cell phone by Samsung - Samsung SGHV-205.

The Samsung SGHV-205 is an amazing GSM camera cell phone by Samsung that uses GPRS technology. It is a great purchase for anyone who wants new technology and great quality. Many excellent features are implemented in this camera cell phone. This phone is easy to use, it is small and elegant. The signal reception and audio clarity are exceptionally superior compared to many other cellular phones of this type.

Camera cell phone by Samsung - Samsung SGHV-205 camera.

The camera, which is a part of this camera cell phone by Samsung, is one of the best features. The pictures that are taken by Samsung SGHV-205 are of excellent quality and the phone stores them in jpeg format. You can email the picture that you have taken with this cellular phone to anyone on you email friend list or sent it to a phone number via Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) with sound and text. Photos that you took or received can also be used as wallpaper.

Camera cell phone by Samsung - Samsung SGHV-205 disadvantages.

Unfortunately you can’t zoom in or out with the camera, which could be a great addition to this cellular phone. You also can’t capture moving video with this camera cell phone by Samsung. Another disadvantage is that your network may not support Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) or your friends may not have an MMS compatible phone.

Visit http://www.camera-cell-phones-2u.com

The Internet is an awesome tool, but be careful and aware that the cloud of over stimulation doesn’t invade your mind.

It seems we have to become aware of a new problem that is starting to invade our modern, industrial society, that being the problem of over stimulation. The Internet is an excellent tool but we have to remember that the mind is the most valuable tool imaginable. Some would argue that spirit or soul is of equal or more importance, I am not disagreeing with these people. The point that I am attempting to put forward for discussion is that although the Internet is an excellent new medium that can affect nearly all aspects of life in a positive way, like all things in existence it too has a shadow side. Over stimulation of the mind is a huge cloud in the blue sky of consciousness.

Have you ever sat at your desk searching through the Web for News information, then checking your emails with their accompanying attachments and links, and then doing general searches for random information? If you receive newsletters, or subscribe to blogs, you read these daily as well. The human mind is powerful, and scientists say that we only use an average of 10 % of it, but doesn’t that entail that we should be careful not to overload its present information processing capabilities?

I’ve read that in one New York Times newspaper there is more information to digest than one would have had to process in a whole lifetime of the Shakespearean era. With the advent of the Internet we have more access to knowledge and opinion than ever previously. We have to be cautious my friends. I personally have had to come to the realization that my spiritual, mental, physical and emotional health is of more importance than all other things in life. If I work too hard, or try to read too much, my mind starts to weigh down with all the thoughts that are produced with each and every tidbit of communication that I take in. After a while I sometimes feel like there is a giant cloud inside my mind and I no longer feel confident to do the daily activities that are required of me as a committed team player of our society.

So what’s the solution? Well, like all things in life solutions are often more simple than we could ever have hoped for. We just have to keep our eyes open to grasp the answers that are presented to us as opportunities everyday. Make a note when you are feeling bogged down and tired and think about how much information you have tried to compute in that moment. Give yourself time limits and a designated number of searches and downloads for a day. You can learn to take more breaks and find anecdotal means to sift through the information, or even block out all the stimuli in that break period. Gardening, meditation, stretches, breathing exercises, tai chi, yoga, cooking, sports, music?all of these are options to undertake when you want to get away from the noise of too many ‘voices’.

The Internet is an awesome idea that has come to fruition. Like all tools and mediums of interaction it must be used mindfully, with care for the user as first priority. You would never use a power saw without gloves, boots, and ear and eye protection. You could lose a finger?you’ve heard the horror stories. Well the Internet hasn’t really been around long enough for too many stories to be circulating, and I think its negative effects could be more subtle than my example, but the case at hand is that we must be very careful how we interact with the world around us. If we are all walking the streets with giant nebulous nimbus clouds in our minds, there is bound to be trouble.

About The Author

Jesse S. Somer, M6.Net, is an Internet writer who believes that the best ways to surf the Web are on the tiny ripples of a placid clear lake.

When purchasing a flat panel TV, there are a few things to keep in mind. Here, we’ve listed a number of considerations for you to evaluate.

High Definition Upgradeable or HDTV-Ready

If you see either of these terms used when deciding to purchase a flat screen TV, it means that the TV is capable of producing the highest resolutions possible for digital television today. "Upgradeable" means that you’ll need to first add a separate HDTV receiver before you can view the pictures in high definition mode (1080i or 720p). But, even if you don’t upgrade, the picture will still look fantastic. When watching regular DVDs or TV broadcasts, the picture will be almost as good as real HDTV because most have line-doublers to improve the picture.

16:9 Aspect Ratio

Unlike conventional televisions, new plasma, LCD and rear-projection televisions most likely have a wide, rectangular screen that is very similar to the shape of a movie screen. This is known as 16:9 aspect ratio-for every 16 inches wide, the screen is 9 inches high. Compared to conventional TVs, which are 4:3 in aspect ratio, the field of vision is wider for a new flat screen TV.

When watching DVDs at home on a 16:9 wide-screen television, you will be able to enjoy the full screen effect of the movie the way it was intended. On the other hand, when watching regular, standard definition television (like a news broadcast or talk show), you will need to either set the television to fill the screen entirely or watch with vertical black bars on either side of the picture.

Finally, remember that even though most television broadcasts are in 4:3 format, 16:9 widescreen format is the way of the future. Many events are shot in HDTV format (for example, the Olympics, special sporting events, nature documentaries, etc.) and as more and more people purchase high definition television, all broadcasts will be in high definition within the next few years.

Reverse 3:2 Pulldown

Television shows are usually shot on film at 24 frames per second. When transferred to video running at 30 frames per second, the picture quality is distorted in the translation. New televisions are able to correct those distortions through a series of reconversion techniques which reverse the distortions. The result is a smoother and cleaner picture.

When looking to buy a new plasma, LCD or rear-projection television, look for this feature.

3D Y/C Digital Comb Filter

The 3D Y/C digital comb filter’s job is to take the cable signal coming from the wall and separate the color, sound, brightness information into useable information. New plasma, LCD and rear-projection televisions have digital 3D Y/C comb filters that do a pretty good job of this so as to avoid what is know as "dot crawl" where the edges of objects appear rough. In addition, a good digital comb filter will also counter the effects of moiré, where still objects appear to move and ripple.

Most high end plasma, LCD and rear-projection televisions also have component inputs from video sources (such as a DVD player) that separate the signal before reaching the TV and bypass the digital comb filter. This results in an even clearer and brighter picture.

Picture-in-Picture

Picture-in-Picture (or PIP) allows you to watch two shows at once, with the second show in a box in a part of the screen. PIP is fairly common these days to all sorts of televisions. However, consider getting a dual tuner PIP plasma, LCD or projection television since that allows you to watch the second channel without needing an external tuner (for example, from a vcr). In addition, there are also TVs that will show different channels side by side-these are called twin view PIP TVs.

Inputs

"Inputs" refer to how related audio/visual components connect to your plasma, LCD or rear-projection television. The highest video quality input is known as "component video". With component video inputs, the color and brightness information from the cable is separated into useable data before entering the television. The next best input is S-video input which give a picture almost as good as component video-whereas component video separates brightness, blue signal and red signal from each other, S-video just separates brightness from blue and red signals.

All new plasma, LCD and rear-projection televisions will also have inputs for various multimedia devices such as DVD players. In addition, some will allow you to connect a computer.

(c) 2005 Philip Liu - All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Philip Liu is a freelance author and publisher currently based in New York City. Philip publishes regularly on his websites dealing with cell phone reviews and news and plasma, LCD TV reviews and news.

What is VoIP

VoIP is an acronym for voice over internet protocol, aka voice over ip phone. A VoIP, in essence, is a computer phone that allows you to make phone calls from your computer to anyone in the world, e.g., PC to PC, PC to phones ? landlines or cells.

The voice signal converts to data packets and travels across the internet through a VoIP platform, and then converts back to voice at the receiving end of the communication exchange. Leading telecom experts are projecting that 75% of the world’s communications will be done on VoIP within the next several years.

What Kind of Equipment Do I Need?

You will need a computer with internet access and an inexpensive microphone if your computer does not have one built in. Although most VoIP voice over ip phone providers require high speed internet connections, there are a few that can be used on dial-up connections.

How Can I Place a Call or Receive a Call?

Basically, the same way you would a regular phone, except on your PC. When you download a VoIP voice over ip phone line on your computer, a phone usually appears on your screen. The computer phone acts like any other phone in that you can dial numbers on it from a pad, or click on a contact’s pre-programmed name, and press the call button. You will then hear the phone ringing to the party you have called and can talk to them when they accept the call.

When receiving a call, the phone will ring on your computer and you can click to accept the call and talk, or let it ring (based on the number of rings you have set up) and forward the caller to your voicemail.

What Kind of Features Does a VoIP Phone Have?

Typically a VoIP voice over ip phone not only has audio capabilities, but also three-way calling, text messaging, and contacts list. Some VoIPs even have webcam capabilities. In addition, there is usually a button to click that can indicate to others when you are available, unavailable, away, or off line.

Who Can I Call Using a VoIP Phone?

Most reputable VoIP computer phone providers limit PC to PC calls among their own subscribers for privacy purposes so that the quality of sound is not compromised.

Most reputable VoIP voice over ip phone providers have their own patented technology.

Some VoIP solutions providers require limiting PC to phone landlines or cells to their own subscribers, while others do not.

Advantages of VoIP

? With VoIP computer phones, you have unlimited talk time to anyone in the world from PC to PC for a flat monthly rate

? Most VoIP voice over ip phone providers offer drastically reduced costs for calling PC to landlines

? Most VoIP’s offer reduced costs for calling PC to cell phones, however, prices often vary depending on the cell phone carrier.

? Savings of up to 80% off current phone bills.

What are the Costs for VoIPs?

Typically there is an activation fee which varies between $20.00 to hundreds of dollars, although some are hidden. Monthly fees, after enrollment, varies between $5.00 per month to $99.95 per month. If you do not have a microphone on your computer, you would have to purchase one. Cost is between $5.00 to $40.00.

Things to Watch Out For with VoIP Services

? Hidden costs

? Unsecure lines - meaning anyone can listen to your conversation because of shared servers or open platforms, thus making you vulnerable to viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and unscrupulous hackers, which ultimately can corrupt your computer and create a costly computer crash.

? Inability to be used with dial-up connections

? Public listing of your name and/or phone number

? Many VoIP services have spyware.

Dee Scrip and her close friend Andy Murray operate the website http://www.whypay4calls.com. Where you can experience a 7 day free trial with a secure line on patented technology. NO contracts, obligations, or hassles!