Software Localization

Software localization: Beyond translation of a product's User Interface.

Effective software localization requires a thorough understanding of not only string translation and adaptation, but also of local cultural issues and barriers to entry as well as the linguistic requirements of the market you are trying to reach.

Conversisglobal.com specializes in localized delivery of multi-tier, enterprise applications. We can implement our solutions directly into your development environment, without disabling code or content. Our expert team can meet all of your software localization needs including localization of UI, on-line help and all collaterals and documentation.

Some of our technology solutions include:

* Localization Kits provide clients with the information they need to localize their products while guiding them through the localization process. From project management, software testing, to documentation support, the kits save time and reduce the number of project queries.

* The Conversisglobal.com Bug Manager is a Web-based bug management tool designed to cost effectively manage debugging software undergoing translation and localization for foreign markets.

The end result is a cost-effective and turnkey approach to adapting your software for the local market.

Authorised and Unauthorised Software

The bigger your business is, the harder it can sometimes be to keep an eye on what’s happening with your software.

All businesses need software for their computers; the type and amount of software programs required depends largely on the type of business being run and how large it is. But regardless of these issues the problem of whether your software is authorised or unauthorised can rear its ugly head in any business, and it’s important to have adequate measures in place to ensure that any problems associated with unauthorised software are kept to a minimum.

Many employees don’t recognise the problems that can occur when unauthorised software is introduced into the system. Of course the most pressing issue is that of keeping within the law; keeping a copy of the software locked up safely in your software library is perfectly acceptable, but installing that same software on half a dozen computers in a single office is most certainly not.

Unfortunately some employees are naïve when it comes to this kind of breach. It can be worth amending the staff handbook or guidebook to ensure that guidelines and advice regarding such matters are included there for them to read. Department memos and perhaps even training sessions to help raise awareness of these issues can also help to bring people in line with what’s required by law, and what’s required by the company as a whole.

Of course some employees will assume that they are doing the company a favor by using software in inappropriate ways. Why purchase more copies than you really need when one or two copies can be used to install the program throughout an entire office? Employees that take this line of thinking assume they are doing a good thing by saving the company money – not thinking ahead to the possible fines and fees associated with being caught.

The other main problem associated with using unauthorised software is the risk of introducing viruses and other unwanted ‘hangers on’ into the business systems. If an employee brings a copy of some software they have at home, or worse, accesses it from the internet, they are putting the safety of the whole company at risk.

It’s plain to see that using authorised software is the only safe and legal route to making sure you get the best from your computer system. The challenge is in making sure all staff members recognise and accept this same fact, and don’t do anything to jeopardise it.

Music Editing Software

Music Editing Software Can Create Sweet Sounds

Recently, I received a CD from my friend, George. The CD was full of songs he had mixed himself on his laptop. I was expecting to hear a CD full of music that sounded hacked together since he used cheap music editing software. However, when I listened to the CD, I was stunned by the quality he was able to achieve even though he did not use any professional equipment.

Since George is a part-time Disc jockey at an underground club in Los Angeles, I knew that the CD would contain a nice mix of tunes. The only evidence I noticed that it was not a professionally mixed CD was the presence of a few blank spots in between some songs on the CD. This was probably something to do with the music editing software he used to create the CD, but other than that the music did not sound different from something that had been manufactured by a professional in a studio.

The realm of music is changing due to advancing technology. Consumers these days have more control over what they listen to and how they acquire music. Many people have iPods and other kinds of musical playing device, so people are become more accustomed to being able to have greater freedom over the music they listen to. Several years ago, people had to create mix tapes of their favorite songs by pressing a tape recorder up to a radio speaker. Modern music lovers have easy access to a computer and music editing software that enables them to create better mix CD’s of their favorite music.

People also have a variety of choices on selecting the appropriate music editing software that will match their specific needs. DJs and professional musicians are investing in editing software that has more features, so that they are able to edit music according to their professional needs. For the average person, an inexpensive music editing software that has minimum features is enough to satisfy that person’s musical cravings. Technology has really come along way in helping people enjoy products like the excellent quality of music that is possible through the amazing music editing software.

Benefits Of CRM Software

CRM software, often called customer relationship management software, is becoming much more popular today than it was in years past. One reason for this is that more people understand what the software is and are deciding to use it. Another reason is that the software is getting better and easier to use. It has more features and benefits than it did in the past, and it is also becoming more user-friendly, which is very important. More people today are using the Internet for their businesses. As this trend continues to grow, there will be a larger need for CRM software, but only if it is found to be useful and compatible with the needs that a business owner or manager has.

There are a lot of benefits to CRM software, as well. Managers can use this software to keep track of their customers and vendors and organize them in many different ways. It is unfortunate that so many people only think of CRM software as being a datebook or contact-recording type of software. It does handle these functions, but it does a great deal more than that, which is something that many business people fail to realize today when they are presented with CRM software. This CRM software can be used to record names and dates. However, it also keeps track of sales, returns, important dates such as birthdays and anniversaries. In addition, it can help to remind salespeople of their prior commitments. This keeps them from missing deadlines, meetings, the returning of phone calls, or anything else that will affect the perception of them that their clients have.

Naturally, not missing deadlines is vital to a good business relationship. In addition, the CRM software can help a client feel as though he or she matters to a business. When a client feels important and valued, repeat business is much more likely than it would otherwise be. This is great for the business, but it is also good for the clients, because everyone in the relationship benefits from the efficiency that CRM software helps to create. Without CRM software, there is a good chance that there will be more problems in the interactions that are needed between clients and businesspeople. This is not to say that CRM software eliminates all chance of problems, but it does reduce them.

Those who use CRM software can also be more organized, because it is easier for them to find what they need when it comes to their customers, their vendors, and anything else that they need to keep close track of. It allows them to return calls more promptly, send out birthday cards, and keep customer information stored in a database where it can easily be retrieved by anyone who has authorized access to it. The main benefit to customers is that almost anyone in the company can help them, at least to some degree, because they can get to their information. This benefit of CRM software is the most important one because of the ability to let customers know that they are important to the company.

Software For Your Business

Software development is a risky business.

Many software developers are barely skilled at their trade, much less at business. They can't understand how your business operates - and their code isn't unreliable.

It crashes constantly.

It isn't professional.

It hurts your business.

If you want software developed for your business, what can you do?

You need a software development professional - a consumate bussinessman, and you need to deal with him on your terms. How can you do that?

First, you need to make sure that you find a professional who understands business - your business. He has to listen, and be cautious before giving advice. If he tries to drop a pre-packaged solution on you, drop him. Make sure he charges by the project, not by the hour - hourly rates are great for developers, but not for clients. Hourly rates mean they get paid *more* for every bug they create - so they create as many as they can.

Once you have chosen a developer, the next step is to come to an agreement on what needs to be done. Don't worry about the particular technology used - the developer should worry about that. Worry about what you need on your end - and stick to your guns! You know your business best, and your developer should respect that.

After you have an agreement, you get a contract signed, and then the real fun begins. Insist that your developer give you regular progress updates - including early versions of the software (called 'builds'). That way, bugs can be detected early, and there will not be any surprises when the project is over. Depending on the project, you may be able to get a build every few days, or every week. The more frequent, the better.

When the project is finally over, you get to take a deep breath. Relax. Sip champagne - or Heineken, if that's your thing. Don't get too relaxed, though, because you will have to start the process over again soon. Business is constantly changing, and your software has to evolve with your business. That's good, though, because every project makes your business more profitable, and more profit in less time is always a good deal.

Software testing

Software testing is an empirical investigation conducted to provide stakeholders with information about the quality of the product or service under test[1] , with respect to the context in which it is intended to operate. This includes, but is not limited to, the process of executing a program or application with the intent of finding software bugs. Testing can never completely establish the correctness of computer software. Instead, it furnishes a criticism or comparison that compares the state and behaviour of the product against oracles—principles or mechanisms by which someone might recognize a problem. These oracles may include (but are not limited to) specifications, comparable products, past versions of the same product, inferences about intended or expected purpose, user or customer expectations, relevant standards, applicable laws, or other criteria.

Over its existence, computer software has continued to grow in complexity and size. Every software product has a target audience. For example, the audience for video game software is completely different from banking software. Therefore, when an organization develops or otherwise invests in a software product, it presumably must assess whether the software product will be acceptable to its end users, its target audience, its purchasers, and other stakeholders. Software testing is the process of attempting to make this assessment.

A study conducted by NIST in 2002 reports that software bugs cost the U.S. economy $59.5 billion annually. More than a third of this cost could be avoided if better software testing was performed.

Computer software

Computer software, or just software is a general term used to describe a collection of computer programs, procedures and documentation that perform some tasks on a computer system.[1] The term includes application software such as word processors which perform productive tasks for users, system software such as operating systems, which interface with hardware to provide the necessary services for application software, and middleware which controls and co-ordinates distributed systems. Software includes websites, programs, video games etc. that are coded by programming languages like C, C++, etc.

"Software" is sometimes used in a broader context to mean anything which is not hardware but which is used with hardware, such as film, tapes and records.

Free software

Free software or software libre is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with minimal restrictions only to ensure that further recipients can also do these things. In practice, for software to be distributed as free software, the human-readable form of the program (the source code) must be made available to the recipient along with a notice granting the above permissions. Such a notice is a "free software licence", or, in theory, could be a notice saying that the source code is released into the public domain.

The free software movement was conceived in 1983 by Richard Stallman to make these freedoms available to every computer user.^[1] From the late 1990s onward, alternative terms for free software came into use. "Open source software" is the most common such alternative term. Others include "software libre", "free and open source software" ("FOSS") and "free, libre and open-source software" ("FLOSS"). The antonym of free software is "proprietary software" or "non-free software".^{[citation needed]}

Free software is distinct from "freeware" which is proprietary software made available free of charge. Users usually cannot study, modify, or redistribute freeware.

Since free software may be freely redistributed, it generally is available at little or no cost. Free software business models are usually based on adding value such as support, training, customization, integration, or certification. At the same time, some business models which work with proprietary software are not compatible with free software, such as those that depend on a user paying for a licence in order to lawfully use a software product.

DSLR Camera...Got Software

So You’re Getting a DSLR Camera...Got Software?

VICTORIA, British Columbia – Oct. 25, 2007 – Whether reviewing family snapshots or the results of a nature shoot, many of today’s amateur photographers realize too late that they are not properly equipped to process images from their new Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera.

DSLR cameras are more popular than ever before, with sales growing significantly in recent years. It’s likely that this trend of popularity will continue, especially during the holiday season, when photographers take advantage of sales to upgrade from outdated models or receive a camera as a gift from a loved one.

The problem is that, in many cases, a new DSLR packs more power than the photographer’s computer software is equipped to handle. The experts at ACD Systems, one of the world's leading developers of digital imaging software, suggest that consumers may want to consider a companion purchase for their new camera this year: a DSLR-ready software package like ACDSee™ Pro 2.

“A lot of people encounter an unpleasant surprise when they assume their current image-processing software can handle the files of a new DSLR,” said Mark Franklin, executive vice president of ACD Systems International Inc. “In extreme cases, this can result in images that can’t be properly retrieved, viewed, or printed. Just looking at system requirements on a box is not enough.”

Common problems include incorrect settings while capturing images, excessive time in retrieving and viewing large RAW images and an inability to properly prepare images for printing at a photo lab. These concerns can seriously inhibit the joy of owning a new camera.

Taking advantage of the many benefits a DSLR has to offer is relatively easy with the right research – and the right software. Affordable and robust software packages such as ACDSee™ Pro 2 make it very easy to download, process and edit RAW files, as well as to organize them within the same program.

So, when making a DSLR camera purchase this holiday, or learning how to get the most out of one you’ve received, it’s important to remember that the camera itself is just one piece of the puzzle.

ACDSee Pro 2 is available for $129.99 (USD) by visiting www.acdsee.com. Current ACDSee customers are eligible for a 30-percent customer discount via online purchase of the ACDSee Pro 2 upgrade.

Here is a helpful FAQ on getting the most out of DSLR photography, prepared by the photo experts at ACD Systems.

What are the benefits of using a DSLR?

Photographers choose DSLRs because they produce higher quality images and are able to take many photos in a row without waiting for the camera to reset. Capturing higher-quality images is becoming more important as people share photos more often, and in new ways, with friends and family.

By using the RAW format, it is possible to bypass the sometimes less-than-ideal in-camera processing settings. While some cameras allow flexibility in adjusting sharpness and color, it is difficult to judge what effect these adjustments will have on the image once it is captured. RAW processing allows full control of how each image is interpreted to create the best possible photo.

How do I know if I’m ready for a DSLR?

If you are frustrated with the image quality, photographic control and/or operating speed of point-and-shoot digital cameras, a DSLR may be for you. The RAW image format is helpful to amateur photographers who wish to create the best photograph possible and is indispensable to most professionals.

Is there anything customers should look for when purchasing their camera?

There are so many quality DSLR cameras on the market today, it's almost hard to go wrong. It mostly comes down to personal preference, the type of photographer you are and your level of experience.

Especially if you are new to photography, it would be wise to choose a camera that allows you to grow. Buying a lower-end model may soon leave you wanting more capability. Another important factor is the choice of lens. Lower-end lenses may loose sharpness and brightness at various focal lengths. It doesn't make sense to buy a powerful camera, but have a less-than-ideal lens.

In general, do as much research as you need to in order to become comfortable with choosing one model or brand over another. Don’t be tempted to rush into the first big holiday discount you find. There may indeed be a good reason why a certain camera is being sold at a significantly lower price.

How do I know if an image processing software package can handle RAW files?

The first thing to know is that there is a difference between using software that can view or decode RAW files versus software that can process RAW images. If you use organizing or viewing software that is not capable of processing your RAW images – or not capable of processing them properly – you will not have the control you need to create an optimal photo or the ability to tweak your processing after the fact.

Another issue is the ability to process files quickly enough. If you use processing software that is not optimized for viewing and organizing of RAW files, it will take you a lot longer to process your images. Look for a tool that empowers you with both editing control and speed for RAW images.

Sometimes, DSLR cameras come with basic software that allows people to at least retrieve their photos. However, this software is not usually sophisticated enough to provide the viewing, organizing and processing features you may desire in the long run.

What are the specific advantages of using ACDSee Pro 2?

ACDSee Pro 2 has a number of advantages that set it apart from other photo processing software packages. ACDSee Pro 2 combines RAW processing, a professional Digital Asset Management (DAM) tool, and a pixel-level editor, all of which save significant time and effort by eliminating the need to switch between multiple programs. In addition, you can process images from their existing locations on your hard drive(s), saving significant storage space. ACDSee Pro 2 also offers flexible cataloging, so that you can set up your DAM in the way that best suits your needs.

Regarding RAW files specifically, using only one application to decode and work with them is a huge time saver, as they can take a long time to decode. The RAW processing component of ACDSee Pro 2 also allows you to customize RAW images to look their absolute best, including a patent-pending Shadows and Highlights technology that provides incredible processing control to edit images captured in poor lighting conditions.

What are the computer system requirements for using cameras with RAW?

It is best to look, if possible, beyond the minimum requirements to consider what will realistically allow you to work with the desired speed and flexibility. A Pentium 4 processor and at least one gigabyte of RAM is probably the best starting point for working with RAW files. In addition, it would be best to have a high-resolution monitor capable of at least 1280 x 1024 sizing. As a rule of thumb, a computer more than three to four years old will likely be lacking in the processing speed you require. All of that said, of course consult the manuals for the camera and software you choose for vendors’ official system requirements.

General Ledger in Accounting Software

Before we start on the specific elements of general ledger software, and where all the pieces fit, you need to understand the basics of financial statement and how you can read them.

There are two main parts to your business's financial statement -

The accounting software will produce a Profit and Loss, which shows your day to day income reflected against your expenses and therefore shows what your profit, or loss, is.

The accounting software will also produce a Balance Sheet, which shows your business assets against liabilities and the accumulated earnings of your business over the years.

Lets first look at how these reports are arrived at -

You must first understand, or accept the first main principle of double entry bookkeeping before we start and that is -

For every entry made there must be an equal and opposite entry made somewhere else and when you have finished making your entries they must all add up to zero. Don't worry most accounting software packages will make most of these day to day entries for you.

Sounds weird - not really. The whole principal is logical and goes back to the days when all books where done manually, because accounting software didn't exist, and by making all of the entries add up to zero we knew we had correctly entered our numbers. We may not have entered them into the right slot but at least we had created the basis of being on the right track. And even though your accounting software will, in most cases, make most of the entries for you, you must understand the principle behind it.

Even if you enter something in the wrong 'slot' it is nearly always a simple process to move it where it should be later on.

A Profit and Loss report has five main elements

Income
Cost of Sales
Gross Profit
Expenses
Net Profit (or loss) - sometimes called the Bottom Line

The Net Profit line is also known as The Bottom Line. You sometimes hear the expression that if we did this or that it would go straight to the bottom line. In plain talk what this expression means is that, say for example, we were able to do away with motor expenses in the above Profit and Loss report and incurred no other alternative expense in its place then the $3000.00 motor expenses would go straight to the bottom line and increase our net profit by $3000.00

A balance sheet, in very simplistic terms, has two main elements -

Assets
Liabilities

(please note that assets and liabilities are nearly always broken up into sub sections - typically those that are current - within 1 year - and those that are not current - longer than a year - we are not going into that depth - leave that to your accountant and worry about it when you have mastered everything else)

( Note - the trade debtors account is only money that is owed to us as a result of selling goods on account to customers of ours. Other monies owed to the business such as staff loans etc would be shown separately. The same with Trade Creditors. This is money that we owe to people that we purchase from on an ongoing basis for example - people that we buy goods for resale from, telephone account, petrol account and so on. People that we owe money to on a longer term basis i.e. a bank loan are shown separately)

Regarding the bank account - assuming that your bank account mostly has money in it, and, therefore, it falls under Assets (the money is an asset belonging to your business). If the account is mostly in overdraft then typically it would fall under the Liabilities section (the money is a loan from the bank and a business liability).

If it fluctuates between the two simply pick where it mostly is. It's not a major issue. Let's say for example you put it under assets and then it went into overdraft all that would happen is that it would be shown with brackets around it.

Things to regularly check -

(like at least once a month - more when you are starting out and going through the learning curve) -

Your customer's age trial balance (a list of how much your customers owe you from the receivables module) must always equal the Trade Debtors account in the Ledger.

Logical isn't it when you think about it. The Receivables module is telling us that the customers owe x amount of money. This amount must be the same as the Ledger is telling us that the customers owe.

Your suppliers age trial balance (a list of how much you owe your suppliers from the Payables module) must always equal the Trade Creditors account in the Ledger

Your Stock Value report from the Products module should always equal the Stock on Hand account in the Ledger

Your bank statement should regularly be reconciled back to the balance that the Bank account shows in the ledger.

Why should you check these balances regularly - because things can go wrong and if you only pick it up several months later you are only making it harder for yourself to find out why they don't balance. At least if you do it often you may remember if something unusual happened.

If you find something doesn't balance - find out why as soon as possible and fix it. If you need help get it - ask your accountant, software trainer or some other knowledgeable person

Antivirus Software

Why Use Antivirus Software?

This is a really simple question to answer – you need to use antivirus software to protect your own computer, and to prevent your computer from being used to pass on infections to other machines without your knowledge. If you use the internet and you don’t take precautions, you’re going to get infected. And you’ll infect others, including those you care about most like your friends, family, and business contacts because their information is in your email address book and other files on your computer.

If you don’t care about infecting others, let’s look at the economic argument for a moment. You have a computer that must have cost at least $600, and perhaps as much as $4,000. On top of that you’ll have a monitor for which you paid between $250 and $1000, and you’re running software costing at least $500 dollars. If you have business or specialist packages installed then I’m guessing you may have invested $5000 in software alone. You will probably pay upwards of 25 dollars a month for your internet connection. And if you store personal data on your PC, it is probably worth more than money to you.

So you’ve got equipment worth something like $1400 if you’re computing on the cheap, right up to (and beyond) $10,000 if you flex your wallet a little. Think of this as being the same in price as an acceptable older used car right up to the pretty good used car you could buy for ten thousand dollars.

Now imagine that the car had all the locks removed and could be started without a key – and of course you could paint “STEAL ME” on it for good measure. That makes a lot of sense..yea right!

Having a computer that does not have up-to-date antivirus and firewall protection is pretty much exactly the same. You are simply asking for trouble!

This kind of trouble doesn’t need to be invited twice, because viruses, worms, Trojans and all the rest, are designed to find unprotected computers and attack them. They don’t seek out protected computers! If they find one, they simply move on.

NOTE: Firewalls are one good way to keep the net-nasties moving on, you can learn more about them at: http://www.antivirus-report.com/freeware-firewall.html

Remember, computer viruses are designed, they don’t just happen by accident. Because human intelligence is behind the viruses they develop quickly, use surprising and unexpected tactics, and they hit us where we are weakest.

So if you can afford over $1500 on a computer and $300 a year on internet connections, you can definitely afford another $50 to make your computer safe (and prevent it from being used to spread viruses and Trojan horses behind your back).

If you’re not convinced about the cost argument, consider the case of David L. Smith - the self-confessed author of the infamous Melissa worm. When he was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment and a fine of $5,000 in New Jersey, the court adjudged Smith's worm to have caused more than £55 million pounds worth of damage!

Against the cost we stand to lose, the risk of losing our priceless personal files, and being blamed by friends and relatives for infecting their machines, the top antivirus software programs cost as little as 2 months internet connection. They all include constant and unlimited automatic updates that keep your system safe and clean.

And if you weren’t convinced by the good citizen argument that you should protect your computer to stop others getting infected, then it might be worth mentioning that there is a movement to make people not using antivirus software legally responsible should their machine be used as part of an attack (even if they did not know about it). (Note: I’m not personally a part of such a movement, but it does have its merits!)

So, be a good citizen whilst protecting your wallet and your sanity by installing good antivirus software and keeping it up to date.

To learn more about effective, easy to afford and use PC protection tools, visit http://www.antivirus-report.com

By: Eric Koshinsky
http://www.antivirus-report.com

An HTML version of this articles is available by auto-responder at: whyuseAVsoftware@antivirus-report.com

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Custom Software Development Checklist

Custom database software development is facilitated by the use of a checklist of standard questions to be answered before a system is created, and before analysis begins. This checklist is provided to assist in the Analysis/Requirements phase of a new custom software development project.

If you are interested in having 21st Century Technologies, Inc. create a new system for you, then the following checklist and the associated answers will facilitate the analysis process. The answers can be e-mailed or faxed to us at the email address and fax number at the bottom of the page.

BUSINESS CONSIDERATIONS

1. Desired delivery date or proposed project schedule.
2. Business reason for, and urgency of project.
3. What are the cost constraints?
4. Use cases - description of how each group of users will be using the system.
a. General business process - web user will buy a product, web user will add a customer, web user will add contact information, etc.
b. Input/Output - web users will enter data into forms, data will be imported, administrator must run many management reports, administrator needs to export to Excel and text, etc.
c. Frequency of activity - many times each day, once daily, weekly, etc.
d. Cycles of activity - weekly sales reports to all sales managers on Monday morning, close books at end of year, etc.

NATURE OF APPLICATION

1. Do you have a desired development tool or technology in mind? You may want to split the application into some parts that can be run on a Windows workstation computer, while other parts (like reports, or timecard entry screens) are accessed via a web browser on your local intranet. Web applications and reports can be viewed on all computer types and operating systems that are capable of viewing web pages. Some tools currently available to build the system are listed here:
a. C#/VB.NET
b. ASP.NET
c. Active Server Pages or Cold Fusion for robust database driven Web applications
d. ColdFusion
e. Visual Basic
f. SQL Server
g. MS Access
h. JavaScript - for cross browser compatibility,
i. VBScript - for server scripting, and client scripting if Internet Explorer is the only client browser
j. Dreamweaver - for higher ended client functionality
k. SQL Server Reporting Services
l. Crystal Reports - for Windows and Web based reports
m. ActiveReports
n. Excel
o. PowerPoint
p. Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Systems - dial 1 for English, 2 for Spanish...
2. If other applications are involved (MS Word, MS Excel, QuickBooks, etc.), what version will be used?
3. Desired screen resolution (800x600, 1024x768, etc.),
4. Screen Size (15", 17", 19”, 21")
5. Preferred Font and size (Arial 10, Times New Roman 12, etc.)?
6. Target Windows version for each client computer in the system (98, NT 4.0, 2000, XP, 2003 Server, etc.),
7. Web Server – MS Internet Information Services (IIS), Apache, etc.
8. Target computer Operating System if not a Windows Platform - Apple, Unix, Linux, etc.
9. Target workstation hardware for all client stations,
a. Clock speed –1333, 1500, 2000, 3000, etc. MHz,
b. Hard drive space – 100, 200, 400, etc. Gbytes,
c. RAM – 128Mb, 256Mb, 512Mb, 1Gb, etc.
10. If a network application, which network and version? –Windows, Novell 3.1, Novell, etc.
11. What are the drive letters for the networked back end databases if a network application? F, G, H, etc.? This reduces the deployment effort by developing in the same environment as the target workstations.
12. If available and pertinent, please provide a network configuration diagram with paths to server (where database will reside) and all clients, security/user groups, etc.
13. Is 24x7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) uptime required? If so, please explain the business need. We will discuss this further. The cost goes up as more uptime is required. More resources are needed - various personnel on pagers, redundant computers or components like power supplies RAID or mirrored hard drives, etc.
14. Is Internet/Intranet data access desired?
a. For data entry?
b. For report reviewing only?
c. To disseminate existing documents?
d. To email notification of pre-determined business trigger events (project milestone met and approved, employee appraisal ready for approval, etc.)?
15. Is Security desired?
a. Extremely high network (Internet) security - firewall, proxy server, etc.
b. Database level security - MS Access has security, but SQL Server has a much tighter security model tied in with the Win 2000/NT operating system.
c. Application level security
d. Minimum (pseudo) security algorithm – low cost
e. Please specify User Groups that may have special Security needs requiring different levels of security:
i. Administrative Assistants
ii. Analysts
iii. Engineers
iv. Managers
v. Company Owners
vi. System Administrators
16. Are Backup Scenarios currently in place? Backups will be an integral component of the system. The importance of this cannot be over emphasized.
a. Daily, Weekly, Monthly onto tape
b. Daily, Weekly, Monthly onto CD or other optical drive
c. Onto another computer
d. Regular backups located at a remote site
17. Are Anti-Virus protection and policies in place? It is an important part of ensuring that a system stays up and running.
18. Will remote troubleshooting be desired? The addition of Error Processing and Logging software will facilitate remote support and troubleshooting.
19. Desired Documentation?
a. None
b. Installation
c. User
d. Administrator
e. Software
f. On-line help
g. Special
h. All of the above
20. What is the proficiency level of all users for the target tools and environments – Windows, Excel, etc.?
21. Will interfaces to other systems (accounting, payroll, another database, GIS, truck routing, etc.) be required? This will affect the data model and system configuration, so early planning for these interfaces is critical to their successful inclusion into the system.
22. Is an audit trail function desired for changes to existing data? What parts of the system will need to be audited?
23. Is government reporting or data security required – Sarbanes Oxley, HIPAA, etc.
24. Number of reports. A sample hardcopy or at least hand drawing of each will significantly help in determination of report prices and commonalties (company headers, formats, etc.). Important items are:
a. Number of sections including sort groups,
b. Definition of the source data for all fields in each section and their calculation method,
c. Summaries,
d. Desired output format:
i. Windows screen preview
ii. HTML
iii. E-Mail
iv. PDF
v. Delimited Text
vi. Excel spreadsheet
vii. Other outputs
25. Is an ad hoc user-defined reporting, data retrieval, or analysis (On Line Analytical Processing (OLAP), Data Mining, etc.) capability desired?
26. Is an installation program needed for distribution of an application to many users?
27. Is an automated network or internet installation desired?
28. Are custom point to point communications needed? This may also include automated faxing.
29. Special Considerations:
a. Unique business rules, calculations, desired warnings, etc.
b. Significant text parsing
c. Known or possible issues and problems that may be alleviated with testing
d. Voice driven capability
e. Multiple databases (Access and SQL Server, Oracle, etc.)

DATA AND VOLUME

1. How many users are expected on the system in the near (first 6 months) and long (1 – 3 years and past) term?
2. How many users are expected to use the system at the same time during peak periods in the near and long term?
3. What type of data traffic will be on the network for the near and long term - numbers, text, images, video, multi-media, etc.?
4. What is the expected volume of traffic for the near and long term?
5. What is the estimated number of data records to be stored for the near and long term?
6. Do we need to import data from existing files or systems? Note that Characters like ‘ " # have special significance in data processing and conversion, and require special code handling. Names (D’Joy) and other data fields may contain these characters.
a. No. Example data will usually be provided in database, text, or spreadsheet format. This helps significantly in system testing and allows for error discovery and error trapping before the system is delivered.
b. Yes.
i. Is all or part of the existing data needed? What parts?
ii. Can use of the existing data be stopped while we convert the data into the new system?
iii. Is this a one time data conversion, or will we have to import data from existing systems regularly?
iv. Are some fields mostly blank?
v. Are some desired fields missing?

Accounting Limited Company

Review DIY Accounting Limited Company Accounting Software

As the whole small business accounting software for a limited liability company is written on excel spreadsheets all bookkeeping transactions are visible. Each excel workbook being arranged in 12 monthly worksheets. Prime data entry excel spreadsheets being provided for sales, purchases, cash, bank, savings account and credit card account. Financial transactions such as sales or expenses are then simply listed on the appropriate months’ sheet. And should a change be necessary any item can be easily changed. This simple listing process is a huge advantage to non accountants as no previous bookkeeping or accountancy software knowledge is required.

Bank spreadsheets can be entered by listing the items that appear on the bank statement and include a box to enter the statement balance each month. The formulae within the excel spreadsheet then automatically checks that the entries made agree with the statement balance producing effective bank reconciliation. A good feature that ensures entries are recorded accurately in the companies accounts.

From the lists of sales and purchases plus the bank statement entries all the information is automatically transferred to the financial accounts file. In this file is a trial balance which actually automates all the double entry accounting transactions. No entries are required removing the need for users to have accounting experience. The Trial Balance is purely an accounting solution, visible and contains an audit check to again ensure the company accounts are accurate with no entries are required. The lack of entries in the area of accounting makes the product an ideal package for companies requiring a small business accounting software package.

Within the financial accounting software file is an automated monthly profit and loss account to enable limited companies to track their financial performance and very important, the package also produces a balanced profit and loss account and Balance Sheet in the correct format for submission of the final accounts. This set of final accounts automatically gathering the financial information from the basic entries made and includes the statutory notes required for a set of company accounts being published.

Quarterly vat returns are generated for vat registered business and is also suitable for non vat registered business. To produce a vat return clients simply go to the vat file and select the quarter end date from a drop down menu and the figures for the vat return are automatically generated. The vat calculations can be disabled by non vat registered small businesses by simply changing the standard vat rate from 17.5 to zero making the accounting software suitable for both vat registered and non vat registered businesses.

The fixed asset schedule is preset with the capital allowance tax rates to automatically calculate capital allowances when fixed assets are entered. Depreciation is also automatically calculated with preset percentages that can be changed as required.

The limited company corporation tax liability is also calculated automatically in such a way that all the calculations; additions and deductions are both automated and visible. Capital allowances on both existing and new assets being shown on the corporation tax calculation.

Accountancy Knowledge Required

The limited liability company accounting software is based upon single entry of transactions requiring no accounting or bookkeeping knowledge. All the accounting knowledge required to perform the double entry of transactions which is a required feature to produce a balance sheet has been automated. The company accounts package has a feature so that the previous years’ figures may be entered and lists of opening debtors and creditors recorded. A minimal level of accounting knowledge is required to correctly list the closing debtors and creditors and check the totals of those lists agrees with the automated balances shown on the company accounts balance sheet

Very Low Priced

At £15 the accounting software can save many businesses exempt from a full audit the need to employ an accountant potentially saving hundreds of pounds in professional fees. Hundreds of small limited companies with up to 20 employees also purchase the DIY Accounting Payroll Software which is sold separately from £14.99 and fully integrates into the Financial Accounting Software.

Other Features

The product has a stock control feature to monitor any stock losses. The limited company accounting software contains a wages interface that fully integrates the DIY Accounting Payroll Software when those files are saved into the same folder as the accounting software files. Being written on excel spreadsheets all transactions are visible and capable of being changed by for example overwriting any errors as opposed to a database system that requires new transactions to be entered to reverse previous entries. The sales and purchase spreadsheets include columns for entering CIS tax deductions and payments and the certificate numbers. The CIS tax being then automatically entered on the self assessment tax return. As the small business accounting software is written on excel spreadsheets then it is essential that users have a version of excel from 1998 onwards installed to use the program. The accounting software also works fine with an Open Source spreadsheet package.

Conclusion: to Buy or not to Buy

Exceptionally good value, very easy to use and produces exactly what every small limited company requires in a small business accounting software package, automated accounts requiring no bookkeeping skills and no previous financial accountancy software experience with the valuable end product of a fully automated final set of accounts for the limited liability company.

XP Cleaner Software

Use one multi-purpose cleaner for windows, mirrors and furniture to enable you to clean many rooms without needing to switch cleaners. There are many registry cleaners such as the PC Mantra’s registry cleaner, the PC registry cleaner and the Windows XP registry cleaner that can spruce up your system and make it much more enjoyable to use. But there is no way to rid the registry of this data except with the help of a windows registry cleaner.

Registry cleaner software not only scans and fixes Windows Registry, but also provides advanced diagnostics tools for locating serious computer problems before they happen. This information is recorded in the registry and needs to be cleaned with a windows registry cleaner regularly. Registry Cleaners Are a Must Have Many registry cleaner software such as windows XP registry cleaner, windows free registry cleaner, PC registry cleaner and the like Scan the system registry and locate the obsolete information that is clogging and slowing down the system.

Besides finding incorrect or obsolete information in the registry, most registry cleaner utilities provide backup or restore function, allowing users to backup the whole Windows Registry so that they can use the backup to restore the registry to the current status in case they encounter serious system failure. To repair the Windows registry errors all you need is an effective registry cleaner. The list of such programs builds up over time and we need a windows registry cleaner to clean the registry of these redundant files and programs.

The investment in a good registry cleaner can do the most good for your computer, as it will allow you to concentrate on actually using your PC instead of spending time reinstalling windows in an attempt to eliminate errors and make your computer faster. The Law of Obligation also presents itself in the following situations: Taking a potential client out to dinner or to play golf, Offering free tire rotation or fluid fill-up between services, Someone washing your car windows at a stoplight whether you want them to or not, Generating money at "free" car washes by asking for a donation after the service is rendered, A carpet cleaner offering to clean your couch for free. How can you apply the Law of Obligation to your industry?

Best Blogging Software

The blogging platform wars are getting really interesting and much of the discussion I find myself in lately revolves around what is happening with various CMS systems. The market can essentially be defined into 3 major camps: remotely hosted, self hosted, and community based systems. I have used pretty much every blogging platform available and each of them has its ups and downs. In this article I will cover the best options for each area taking into account price, usability, market share and of course SEO potential.

All of these products are either open source, completely free or have a functional free version.

Remotely Hosted Blogging Software

(Note: I cannot really recommend any of these from an SEO stand point as optimizing a domain you do not own or control is obviously not a good marketing plan.)

Blogger

Blogger is completely free and currently owns the majority of the remotely hosted user base, but not by a land slide . Bought out by Google in 1999, Blogger essentially fired up the blogging trend we see today. It is by far the easiest overall solution to use and if you are a novice user looking to throw up some recipes or poetry, this is for you. Blogger is completely free and includes some great features like comments, photo blogging, and a basic community feel with user profiles. Because it is so dumbed down there are some features you may not find with Blogger that are only available through 3rd party add-ons. As a side note Blogger weblogs do quite well in the search engines and this was recently exploited with it being the first choice for spam blogs or splogs. A splog is a weblog used for the sole purpose of gaining inbound links or generating thousands of keyword stuffed pages with Adsense and the like. The recent Google Jagger update cleared a large portion of this up. Free.

Typepad

Released in 2003 Typepad is a product of Sixapart, the makers of Movable Type. it is largely based on MT but there are some major enhancements and differences. Your blog can accomodate one or more photo albums with auto thumbnail generation. You can easily add music, books, and other media to Typelists, which grab a thumbnail from Amazon and other retailers for easily displaying in your sidebar. Typepad is also a great deal more technical than Blogger so a bit of HTML know how is recommended. On that note editing your blog to look the way you want it also quite easy and Typepad blogs are known for being very eye pleasing, intuitive and easy to navigate. In Sixapart's business model Typepad is aimed at regular home and small business users while Movable Type is targeted at larger businesses or for internal intranets. Price: Basic, $4.95 a month; premium, $8.95 to $14.95 a month.

Xanga

These guys originated back in 1999 as a site for sharing book, music and movie reviews. Although it quickly morphed into a full blown blogging tool Xanga still maintains the ability to run a powerful review site. Xanga pulls data from several retailers like including thumbnails, pricing and a cover. The software also is very usable by novices with a powerful WYSIWYG editor allowing for easy HTML editing, adding smilies, links, and other symbols. By using Blog rings it is also easy to interface with Xanga's other 3 million users to share interests, ideas, and of course traffic. Xanga comes in a free and $25 flavor.

Mentions: Blogsome, Blogster, MindSay, Multiply,

Self Hosted Blogging Software

WordPress

WordPress originally began as a mod of an older open source package known as B2. WP is MT's biggest competition and is often the bain of endless Wordpress vs Movabletype style threads around the internet. Although launched just over a year or so ago WP has really taken the blogosphere by storm. And with good reason - Wordpress is completely free under GNU licensing and is packed with many featured you will not find anywhere else. It is also much easier to install and get blogging for novice users and has a very large and helpful community. WP runs on PHP/mySQL and is quite scalable judging from some of the very large and trafficked sites I see using it. It also sports utilities to import files from Movable Type, Textpattern, Greymatter, Blogger, and b2. Wordpress recently upped the ante when Yahoo recently included them on their hosting packages, in addition to MT. I have to admit I am finding myself more and more digging WP and will likely convert Profitpapers to WP as I get time (it can be a biznitch). Wordpress is free.

Movable Type

Aside from maybe Greymatter (the original open source blogging tool), Movabletype dominated the blogging market share in 2002-2004. Released in late 2001, Perl based Movable Type by Sixapart has maintained a large portion of the blogging market share, due mainly to the fact that there is a free version (supporting up to 3 weblogs) and that it is incredibly powerful, intuitive and easy to customize. Template driven Movable Type also sports one of the largest communities of developers and blogging enthusiasts around, meaning lots of support, idea sharing, and of course plugins. Movable Type can be configured to dynamically generate HTML, PHP or any other kind of pages you like, meaning it is incredibly scalable, fast, and loved by spiders. It is perhaps the most well known blogging software for SEO purposes and it what currently powers Profitpapers and several of my other projects. Moveabletype is either Free with 3 authors, 1 weblog, and no support or $69.95 with unlimited weblogs, authors and full support.

Textpattern

Textpattern is the brainchild of Dean Allen and was written to ease publishing of content for those not inclined to learn HTML. Like WP and MT Textpattern runs on PHP and mySQL for easy administration, backups, and power. What really sets textpattern apart from the others is the integration of Textile. Textile is a tool for easily formatting content for those who do not know HTML. WP & MT have modules for textile as well but it is native to the Textpattern system. Another bonus of the app is its superior handling of comment spam due to its smaller market share. On a blogs I maintain running WP and MT I often find myself clearing out spam every day, whereas on some very busy textpattern sites I receive only manual comment spam (not bot driven). TP is open source.

Mentions: Blosxom, LifeType, Serendipity.

Community based Blogging Software

Slash

Waaaaay back in 1997, Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda launched a website known as Chips & Dips, supplied via his student account at Hope College in Michigan. In 1999 Andover.net acquired Slashdot. Shortly after, the underlying code was released as open source software called Slash. Like Movable Type and Greymatter, Slash runs on Perl, but it also has established hooks into MySQL and a very strong track record of scaling to enormous traffic levels. To give you an idea, the term 'slashdotted' originated from acquiring a link on this now infamous and very popular tech news website – and consequently watching your servers melt. If you have never messed around with Slash, you really should as it is quite a powerful platform. Slash is open source.

Scoop

Another well known Perl based community blogging software is Scoop. Scoop is the software that powers Kuro5shin, DailyKos and many other busy community weblogs. Scoop took the Slashdot idea and expanded on it, making the discussion rather than the news the focus of the application. Where Slashdot entries tend to have a link with added commentary pointing readers off the site, Scoop points to stories written by members of the community keeping the reader within your own weblog. Scoop is also well known for handling large volumes of traffic and a large very technical community. Scoop is free .

Drupal

Drupal is a well known open source community blogging platform with a very large community of users and developers. Not only is Drupal free but it is damn powerful. Instead of Perl, which is quite hard to decode at times, even if you are a fluent coder, Drupal uses a PHP/mySQL platform. Drupal is also a very community focused application with a built in forum, download area, and hundreds of other home brewed mods and hacks. If you are looking for a lot of functionality give Drupal a check - the project has become quite mature. It is also much easier to use and customize than either Scoop or Slash. Drupal is also another open source project.

Custom Software Development Checklist

Custom database software development is facilitated by the use of a checklist of standard questions to be answered before a system is created, and before analysis begins. This checklist is provided to assist in the Analysis/Requirements phase of a new custom software development project.

If you are interested in having 21st Century Technologies, Inc. create a new system for you, then the following checklist and the associated answers will facilitate the analysis process. The answers can be e-mailed or faxed to us at the email address and fax number at the bottom of the page.

BUSINESS CONSIDERATIONS

1. Desired delivery date or proposed project schedule.
2. Business reason for, and urgency of project.
3. What are the cost constraints?
4. Use cases - description of how each group of users will be using the system.
a. General business process - web user will buy a product, web user will add a customer, web user will add contact information, etc.
b. Input/Output - web users will enter data into forms, data will be imported, administrator must run many management reports, administrator needs to export to Excel and text, etc.
c. Frequency of activity - many times each day, once daily, weekly, etc.
d. Cycles of activity - weekly sales reports to all sales managers on Monday morning, close books at end of year, etc.

NATURE OF APPLICATION

1. Do you have a desired development tool or technology in mind? You may want to split the application into some parts that can be run on a Windows workstation computer, while other parts (like reports, or timecard entry screens) are accessed via a web browser on your local intranet. Web applications and reports can be viewed on all computer types and operating systems that are capable of viewing web pages. Some tools currently available to build the system are listed here:
a. C#/VB.NET
b. ASP.NET
c. Active Server Pages or Cold Fusion for robust database driven Web applications
d. ColdFusion
e. Visual Basic
f. SQL Server
g. MS Access
h. JavaScript - for cross browser compatibility,
i. VBScript - for server scripting, and client scripting if Internet Explorer is the only client browser
j. Dreamweaver - for higher ended client functionality
k. SQL Server Reporting Services
l. Crystal Reports - for Windows and Web based reports
m. ActiveReports
n. Excel
o. PowerPoint
p. Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Systems - dial 1 for English, 2 for Spanish...
2. If other applications are involved (MS Word, MS Excel, QuickBooks, etc.), what version will be used?
3. Desired screen resolution (800x600, 1024x768, etc.),
4. Screen Size (15", 17", 19”, 21")
5. Preferred Font and size (Arial 10, Times New Roman 12, etc.)?
6. Target Windows version for each client computer in the system (98, NT 4.0, 2000, XP, 2003 Server, etc.),
7. Web Server – MS Internet Information Services (IIS), Apache, etc.
8. Target computer Operating System if not a Windows Platform - Apple, Unix, Linux, etc.
9. Target workstation hardware for all client stations,
a. Clock speed –1333, 1500, 2000, 3000, etc. MHz,
b. Hard drive space – 100, 200, 400, etc. Gbytes,
c. RAM – 128Mb, 256Mb, 512Mb, 1Gb, etc.
10. If a network application, which network and version? –Windows, Novell 3.1, Novell, etc.
11. What are the drive letters for the networked back end databases if a network application? F, G, H, etc.? This reduces the deployment effort by developing in the same environment as the target workstations.
12. If available and pertinent, please provide a network configuration diagram with paths to server (where database will reside) and all clients, security/user groups, etc.
13. Is 24x7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) uptime required? If so, please explain the business need. We will discuss this further. The cost goes up as more uptime is required. More resources are needed - various personnel on pagers, redundant computers or components like power supplies RAID or mirrored hard drives, etc.
14. Is Internet/Intranet data access desired?
a. For data entry?
b. For report reviewing only?
c. To disseminate existing documents?
d. To email notification of pre-determined business trigger events (project milestone met and approved, employee appraisal ready for approval, etc.)?
15. Is Security desired?
a. Extremely high network (Internet) security - firewall, proxy server, etc.
b. Database level security - MS Access has security, but SQL Server has a much tighter security model tied in with the Win 2000/NT operating system.
c. Application level security
d. Minimum (pseudo) security algorithm – low cost
e. Please specify User Groups that may have special Security needs requiring different levels of security:
i. Administrative Assistants
ii. Analysts
iii. Engineers
iv. Managers
v. Company Owners
vi. System Administrators
16. Are Backup Scenarios currently in place? Backups will be an integral component of the system. The importance of this cannot be over emphasized.
a. Daily, Weekly, Monthly onto tape
b. Daily, Weekly, Monthly onto CD or other optical drive
c. Onto another computer
d. Regular backups located at a remote site
17. Are Anti-Virus protection and policies in place? It is an important part of ensuring that a system stays up and running.
18. Will remote troubleshooting be desired? The addition of Error Processing and Logging software will facilitate remote support and troubleshooting.
19. Desired Documentation?
a. None
b. Installation
c. User
d. Administrator
e. Software
f. On-line help
g. Special
h. All of the above
20. What is the proficiency level of all users for the target tools and environments – Windows, Excel, etc.?
21. Will interfaces to other systems (accounting, payroll, another database, GIS, truck routing, etc.) be required? This will affect the data model and system configuration, so early planning for these interfaces is critical to their successful inclusion into the system.
22. Is an audit trail function desired for changes to existing data? What parts of the system will need to be audited?
23. Is government reporting or data security required – Sarbanes Oxley, HIPAA, etc.
24. Number of reports. A sample hardcopy or at least hand drawing of each will significantly help in determination of report prices and commonalties (company headers, formats, etc.). Important items are:
a. Number of sections including sort groups,
b. Definition of the source data for all fields in each section and their calculation method,
c. Summaries,
d. Desired output format:
i. Windows screen preview
ii. HTML
iii. E-Mail
iv. PDF
v. Delimited Text
vi. Excel spreadsheet
vii. Other outputs
25. Is an ad hoc user-defined reporting, data retrieval, or analysis (On Line Analytical Processing (OLAP), Data Mining, etc.) capability desired?
26. Is an installation program needed for distribution of an application to many users?
27. Is an automated network or internet installation desired?
28. Are custom point to point communications needed? This may also include automated faxing.
29. Special Considerations:
a. Unique business rules, calculations, desired warnings, etc.
b. Significant text parsing
c. Known or possible issues and problems that may be alleviated with testing
d. Voice driven capability
e. Multiple databases (Access and SQL Server, Oracle, etc.)

DATA AND VOLUME

1. How many users are expected on the system in the near (first 6 months) and long (1 – 3 years and past) term?
2. How many users are expected to use the system at the same time during peak periods in the near and long term?
3. What type of data traffic will be on the network for the near and long term - numbers, text, images, video, multi-media, etc.?
4. What is the expected volume of traffic for the near and long term?
5. What is the estimated number of data records to be stored for the near and long term?
6. Do we need to import data from existing files or systems? Note that Characters like ‘ " # have special significance in data processing and conversion, and require special code handling. Names (D’Joy) and other data fields may contain these characters.
a. No. Example data will usually be provided in database, text, or spreadsheet format. This helps significantly in system testing and allows for error discovery and error trapping before the system is delivered.
b. Yes.
i. Is all or part of the existing data needed? What parts?
ii. Can use of the existing data be stopped while we convert the data into the new system?
iii. Is this a one time data conversion, or will we have to import data from existing systems regularly?
iv. Are some fields mostly blank?
v. Are some desired fields missing?

Teaching With Preschool Software

Computers and their Benefits

Computers are becoming increasingly popular in homes, day care centers, preschools, and schools. In fact, current statistics show that more than 50% of all children have used a computer by the time they are four years old. That number jumps to over 80% when discussing children who have used the computer by the time they have entered Kindergarten. Using computer programs for educational purposes offers a host of benefits. Preschool software can be a great way to help children develop and reinforce many educational skills from literacy to science. Many parents may mistakenly believe that their preschooler is to young to benefit from computer software but this is a gross misconception. Preschoolers need to develop literary awareness and preschool software is a great way to expose children to concepts that will help them make the connection between words and their meanings. When it comes to learning, preschoolers need to learn in an atmosphere that is relaxed and fun. Many preschool software games incorporate graphics, audio files, and interesting voice patterns. This helps engage the child’s senses and stimulates learning. It is also important to ensure that the preschool software will help increase their logic, reasoning, and problem solving abilities. Since exploration, imaginative learning, and play are also critical to early childhood development, using preschool software can be an effective means for developing these areas as well.

One word of caution that is important to mention, is that preschoolers have a strong need for interaction with adults and other children. Therefore, the computer should never be used as a substitute for one-on- one or group learning. Consider the use of a preschool software program as an additional learning tool to enhance your curriculum- not to replace it. Some areas where you can find preschool software beneficial include:

•Oral Language Development- choose software that allows children to record and playback their voice. Also, look for software that has a narrator who children will interact and respond to.

•Increase Awareness in the Areas of Phonetics and Print- Preschool software can help children make the connection between print words and their meanings. It is also a valuable way to teach letter recognition, stories, rhymes, and letter sounds.

Using computers and preschool software can be advantageous for all children. It is important to ensure that each activity is connected to the other areas of learning currently being taught.

Webcam Surveillance Software

How to Choose the Right Webcam Surveillance Software?

Many people want to have some kind of spy equipment for better home security. However, besides wireless spy cameras, VCR or DVR systems, there is also special software used to control those surveillance gadgets.

Large companies use professional security systems along with already built in (embedded digital video recorder or PC based DVR soft) spy camera control software. But what about smaller guys? Do you also have to spend thousands of dollars for professional spy security system and software to feel safe and secure in your house? And the answer is not necessarily.

Webcam for Spying Purposes

You have the ability to use your webcam (connected to your PC) as a surveillance tool. And to control it, all you need is inexpensive webcam surveillance software. As a matter of fact, such software allows you to connect more than one camera. It can display as much as 16 webcam views on your computer screen.

Moreover, webcam surveillance software even allows you to detect motion and start capturing an event within milliseconds. This means that you don´t have to keep your webcam surveillance software turned on all the time in order to secure the area. By using motion detection webcams, you can also save your computer´s HDD (hard drive) space.

You know, video takes a lot of hard drive space. Non stop recording for 24 hours can cost you 1GB of HDD space a day. Well, it depends on the chosen image quality. Lower quality images will require less bandwidth. Also, if you set lower FPS (frames per second), then you´ll save even more HDD space.

But if you have a large HDD (like 160GB or more), then there´s nothing to worry about.

What to Look for in Webcam Surveillance Software?

Before you decide to order webcam surveillance software, there are a couple of things to consider. Let´s take a look at some of the features of webcam software that you should seriously consider, ok.

* Audio Capturing - Does your webcam surveillance software have audio capturing option? If not, then you should consider that carefully. If you want to record a conversation, it´s crucial.

* Compressed Files - Does your webcam software compress video files? If not, then the space of your HDD might fill up quickly. Try to search for software that compresses the video without losing its quality.

* Remote Access - This is very important. If you leave your webcam to record the area, you should have the ability to access your webcam´s view via internet connection. This is very neat function that is absolutely must in webcam software.

* Motion Detection - We´ve already mentioned that. Motion detection is also extremely important. You don´t want to record the area when nothing´s going on, right. So make sure that motion sensing is enabled in your software.

* Alert Options - Does the webcam surveillance software have an alert option? Some webcam software alert when they detect something. They can alert via email or even dial a phone number. You should seek for this feature, because it´s very neat.

* Multiple Webcams - Can your surveillance software record a live view from multiple web cameras? 2, 4 or 16? If you want to connect more than one camera to your PC, then multiple webcam support is absolutely must in the software you choose.

* Stealth Mode - Does the webcam software run in stealth mode? Stealth mode means that nobody can see if the software is running or not. Not even if they Press "Ctr+Alt+Del" and look at Windows Task Manager!

Look for webcam surveillance software that allows you to do all or at least most of the functions mentioned above. If your software isn´t capable of detecting motion, doesn´t have alert option, doesn´t have audio recording options, then search for a better solution.

In Conclusion

Webcam software (for spying or home protection purposes) combined with a few inexpensive webcams, can definitely serve as a basic home security system. You can put your webcams in the most important places and have your PC to record each camera´s view. And if motion sensors detect something unusual, they can alert you via email or phone.

However, if you´re really looking for quality and all-in-one solution for professional home protection, then a more powerful DVR security system with multiple spy cameras could be your best shot. Such systems cost over thousand dollars, but they´re ideal for quality home or office protection.

Computer Protection Software

Symantec Norton Antibot The Latest In Norton Computer Protection Software

It seems like every other month a new “program” comes along to make our lives that much easier. For example, first we could bookmark favorites, and then RSS feed them, and then came widgets and now “bots” which are robots that do a lot of our computer work for us in the background. Examples of friendly bots are weather bots, game playing bots, instant messaging and my favorites are those on AOL Instant Messenger which do all kinds of functions for me like shop, find movie times and even give updates on the Wall Street Journal.

Unfortunately not all bots were created “equal.” Some are friendly and some are not. The ones that are not friendly can be a form of malware that allows control of your computer to be released, providing hackers with the opportunity to access your information and spread harmful bots to others. This type of computer virus can then be used to spread spam and commit various types of identity theft and other online fraud.

So with new threats to our computers and information, new methods of protection are required. One of the oldest and most well known software protection designers has recently released a new protection program, Symantec Norton AntiBot. This is a software product designed to prevent the hijacking of one’s personal computer by bots and uses the bots on design programs against them, to located and destroy them.

Many people already employ some form of protection on their personal computer, such as increasing the protection level from internet information to “high.” But these cannot detect some of the most recent bot programs and may not be the most efficient means of information protection, especially with the Internet being used more and more frequently for online shopping, ticket purchases, travel and other “high risk” activities.

A more effective method of detecting and eliminating threats caused by bots is to install software designed specifically to detect, destroy and prevent bots from having access to your computer. With Symantec Norton AntiBot software, protection against bots is enhanced several times and the threat of bot attack is greatly diminished. It’s program protects against bots by blocking bots from entering your computer through downloads and e-mail attachments (two of the common ways bots enter a personal computer), checking for any unusual behavior on your personal computer and eliminating it, and detecting malicious bot software at all levels; keeping your personal, financial and credit card information safe and stopping identify theft before it can occur.

Because bots operate in the background and are not detectable by antivirus or antispyware programs, many computer users are completely unaware that their personal computer has become infected. Many problems caused by bots go undetected until it is too late. Warning signs that your computer may have been accessed include: slowness of computer speed and unusual or irrelevant error messages. However, many times com these symptoms are sporadic and computer users will take little notice. Many people will continue to use their personal computer, unaware that bots have hijacked their personal computer and are slowly at work; looking for credit card numbers, passwords, and logon information which can be used for identity theft and in committing other types of online crime. This program scans your personal computer on a continuous basis, closing the gaps that could allow bots to infect your personal computer and better ensuring that bots do not invade and gain control.

The use of Symantec Norton AntiBot to determine what a harmful or useful bot and allows you to continue using those bots you love and have come to depend on for information and services. It can be used in addition to several other antivirus and antispyware programs. Its compatibility is not limited to only Norton products.

The cost of this software is $29.95 for one year of service. It was awarded PC Magazine’s Editor’s Choice Award (2007) and underwent rigorous testing which included using AntiBot on computers with existing threats as well as allowing threats to try to access the computer after installation.

With the growing threat of identity theft and credit card fraud Symantec Norton AntiBot offers an additional level of protection needed to combat the threat of bots and prevent them from turning one’s personal computer into a robotic that turns into an instrument of destruction to both your personal and financial well-being.