How Solar House works?

Solar House

The SunSource® Home Energy System uses free, abundant solar energy to generate electricity for heating and cooling your home. It can even provide enough electricity to power your lights and appliances and more. The SunSource system is expandable, affordable and remarkably uncomplicated.

 

Condensing Unit – Select air conditioners and heat pumps from the Dave Lennox Signature^® Collection can be modified with a simple upgrade to serve as the platform for the SunSource Home Energy System.
ENERGY STAR® qualified—SunSource® condensing units meet or exceed EPA guidelines for energy efficiency. When combined with solar modules in a complete Home Energy System, they can reduce your heating and cooling bills by up to half.
Solar Modules – As few as one or as many as 16 solar modules can be added at the time of installation or in the future. These modules convert solar energy into usable electrical power for your home.
Communication Module – Uses your broadband Internet connection to send performance information for each solar module to a third-party website where you can see how your SunSource system is working.

Performance-Monitoring Website – Gives you 24/7 access to real-time data showing system status, energy production, and environmental benefits, including carbon offsets. Monitoring service is provided free for the life of the system.

How Solar works?

Learn how to put the sun’s power to work in your home.

 

Solar energy is an infinitely renewable resource that uses the sun’s rays to generate electricity for use in your home. By going solar, you can reduce your energy costs and also lower your dependence on fossil fuels, thereby making your own contribution to a cleaner environment.

The basics

A residential solar-energy system uses solar modules, made up of photovoltaic (PV) cells, to harvest the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity that can be used to power your lights, appliances and other electrical devices in the home.

Types of solar systems

Grid-tied PV systems
A grid-tied system is the most common and least expensive of all residential solar systems. It allows you to use your own solar-generated electricity to save energy and reduce costs. At times when the PV system isn’t producing electricity, such as at night, electricity is provided by the utility company’s grid, or network of power stations.
One of the benefits of a grid-tied system is that any excess electricity produced by your solar system can be fed back to the grid through a process known as net-metering. With net-metering, which is available in most areas, when you use electricity from the grid your meter spins forward. The less electricity you use from off the grid, the slower your meter spins. Even better, when you are feeding electricity back to the grid, your meter spins backwards!
It’s important to note that the government and utility company rebate incentives that can make installing a solar system so much more affordable usually aren’t available unless your system is grid-tied.
Stand-alone PV systems
Stand-alone PV systems, also called off-the-grid or off-grid, operate independently from the utility grid, providing all of the electricity needed in the home. Stand-alone systems are much more expensive than grid-tied systems. However, for homes located in remote areas without utility service, or where installing power lines would be extremely costly, a stand-alone system is a good option.

Advantages of the SunSource® Home Energy System

The SunSource Home Energy System is a grid-tied PV system that uses as its platform a high-efficiency air conditioner or heat pump from the Dave Lennox Signature^® Collection. These units come solar-ready, which means you can add solar modules to create a solar energy system, if and when you want one.
Upgrading to a high-efficiency air conditioner or heat pump from Lennox will allow you to reduce the energy demand of your home before adding solar.
You can start small, with one or two modules, and add more (up to 16 total, per outdoor unit) when your needs change or budget permits.
How SunSource works to reduce your utility costs

• The solar modules harness the sun’s energy to power the Sun Source Solar-Ready heat pump or air conditioner.
• When the heat pump or air conditioner isn’t running, the solar power can also operate other electrical devices in your home.
• With net-metering, any surplus power goes back to the grid possibly entitling homeowners like you to a credit.
• A communication module, which sends performance information for each solar module to a monitoring website, allows you to see the system status, energy production, and also shows the environmental benefits of using renewable energy for your home.

Why Solar?

It’s a choice with many benefits

 

Homeowners across the globe are seeing the solar light. The reasons vary for each person, though they mainly come down to the following:

It’s free.

Solar-energy systems allow you to capture free sunlight and convert it into usable power in your home.

It’s clean.

Solar energy can be used to heat and cool your home, but it has almost no impact on the global climate. By comparison, electricity generated by power plants produces carbon dioxide emissions that scientists say pose serious threats to the environment.

It’s infinitely renewable.

While nonrenewable energy sources like oil, gas and coal are becoming increasingly scarce, the sun’s energy is limitless. Wherever sunlight shines, electricity can be generated.

It can reduce your utility costs.

Having a system that creates solar energy means you use less electricity from your utility company, and that can contribute to lower heating and cooling costs. This is significant, especially when you consider 48% of energy use in a typical U.S. home comes from heating and cooling*. To find out how much you can save by harnessing energy from the sun, use our solar calculator.

It comes with incentives.

The U.S. federal government and some states provide tax credits for renewable-energy systems. Depending on where you live, you may also be eligible for incentives through your utility company. To find out what incentives are available in your area, visit dsireusa.org.

It increases your energy self-reliance.

The more sunlight harnessed by the system, the less electricity you need from your utility supplier.

It can also increase your home’s value.

An investment in a solar-energy system may improve the value of your home, thanks to its ability to lower the cost of heating and cooling. Surveys conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development have shown that home values rise an average of $20 for every $1 reduction in annual utility bills.

It’s extremely reliable.

The sun has been around for billions of years and is likely to burn on for billions more to come. And when you consider how a trusted name like Lennox is putting it to economical use in the home, it’s easy to see solar energy’s future is bright.

Advantages of Solar Energy

Whether you own a home, run a business, or manage a municipal building – there are many important advantages of installing solar energy panels on your property.
Let’s review some of the biggest benefits.

1.  Solar Helps You Save on Your Electric Bill

Probably the biggest advantage of solar energy is immediate electricity bill savings. No matter how small your installation, you begin receiving smaller monthly bills from your local utility company – from Day 1.
But how large are these electricity bill savings?
Answering this depends on 2 important factors:

1. Solar energy is a modular technology, meaning you can install as many or as few panels as you like – whenever you like. Each new kilowatt of installed solar capacity brings you bigger electricity bill savings.  With a large enough installation, it’s possible to reduce your energy bill completely. Thanks to solar energy, countless Americans already pay $0 a month to their local utility.

2. However large your installation, you can expect your electricity bill savings to grow with time. As utility rates increase, clean energy from the sun remains consistently free. Solar is an investment that pays increasingly large dividends with each passing year.

In the charts below, you can see some average solar system costs and estimated 20-year electricity savings from a study conducted back in 2011. The cost of solar has come down tremendously since then, so the average savings in many states should be better for people who go solar today than they were for people who went solar in 2011. But in the end, it’s not about averages — it’s about how much you can save.

2.  Solar Energy and Income Generation

Depending on where you live, solar panels not only help you save on your electricity bill – they can also generate passive income.
Many states, like New Jersey and California, offer generous renewable energy incentives designed to encourage solar photovoltaic (PV) adoption. If you qualify for these incentives, your local utility company actually pays you for the clean energy that your panels produce – either with direct cash or through credits.
At that point, your electricity bill isn’t simply $0 – it’s in the negative.
To learn whether you qualify for these incentives, run a free solar report on your property and get a free options consultation today. It costs you nothing to explore your solar PV options, and the potential upside is unlimited.

3.  Solar Energy and Higher Property Values

Because solar energy helps you save on your electricity bill, it’s an investment that pays for itself many times over the 25+ year lifetime of your installation.
But the advantages of solar energy extend well beyond electricity bill savings.
Solar energy can also fetch you a much higher asking price when it comes time to sell your home. An average sized installation on a $500,000 property can add $20,000 or more to the retail value of your home – an amount that exceeds the average cost of most residential solar installations, meaning you could not only be reducing or eliminating your electricity bill but also getting 100% of your money back when and if you sell the home. By contrast, most kitchen remodeling projects only deliver returns of 60%.
If you’re going to make home improvements, solar energy is pretty difficult to top. You enjoy lower electricity bills for as long as you remain in your house. And when it comes time to sell, you recoup 100% of your investment thanks to your property’s higher asking price.
Let’s examine the final (and arguably most important) advantage of solar energy.

4. Solar Energy and the Environment

Solar’s economic dividends are easy to measure in dollars in cents. By installing panels today, it’s possible to:

• Save on electric bills
• Generate passive income
• Boost your home’s property value

But solar’s environmental dividends are no less tangible.
As more homes and businesses across the country install solar panels, our nation moves farther away from fossil fuel consumption and closer to a clean economy powered by the sun. The benefits of this transition are enormous:

• Better health due to cleaner air, water, and soil
• Greater energy security due to reductions in imported fuel
• Stronger economic growth through the creation of green jobs
• Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the main cause of catastrophic climate change, global weirding, and severe weather
  

Solar energy’s dividends don’t simply benefit you – the system owner. They benefit anyone who enjoys having a cleaner and more sustainable environment (which means everyone).

What is a blog?

Blog is the short name (abbreviated version) of “weblog”. In simple words, we can say that blog is a type of website or some part of a website. It is the web journal where the blogger ( a person who maintains and adds content to the blog) updates the content and add more articles, text, videos, music, photographs, images, links for other blogs or websites, gives personal views on some burning topic or news, personal experiences, hobbies or anything he wants to share with other people.
Blogs are usually updated daily or weekly, and the post added recently is shown most prominently, or we can say that the recently added post is always on the top of page and previously added posts start going down. Finally, the earlier posted posts disappear. This does not mean that the posts have been deleted from the blog. They always remain in the archive of a blog.
To add content to a blog is not a complex job, it can be done easily by using simple software. This allows the people with little or no technical knowledge to create and maintain a blog.
A reader or a viewer can leave a comment on any article, post, video, etc. Through comments a blogger gets feedback on his posts. He can also delete the comments which he doesn’t like.
Blog is not based on any particular rule; it is whatever you want it to be. It gives you your own voice, and you can share things you want to share on the web like your personal thoughts, a political commentary, links to other websites and blogs, etc. One common misconception in the minds of many people is that, the blog is an online dairy where we can write and share only our personal thoughts and opinions. However, a blog is much more than this.

BLOGS ARE OF MANY TYPES

Personal blogs
It is an individual’s personal diary where he/she can post his/her routine, hobbies, personal thoughts, achievements, or can just communicate with friends and family.

Organizational blogs
Today blogs are used for all kinds of purposes, one of which is business purpose. Organizations create the blogs to improve public relations, enhance marketing and also to advertise about their company or organization.

Genre block
Blogs created to emphasize or focus on a particular field are known as genre blogs for e.g. travel blogs, classical music blogs, political blogs, sports blogs, fashion blogs, educational blogs, etc. some authors create blogs to tell about their new work and gain popularity.

Blogs using different medias
Some blogs contain only video content, they are known as vlogs, some contain only links and are known as linklogs, blogs containing photos, portfolio’s, pictures are known as photoblogs.

Blogs created by different devices
Blogs composed by mobile phone or PDA or any other mobile device is called moblog.

SOME THINGS THAT ARE COMMON IN ALL BLOGS ARE:-
1) The posts are always in the reverse chronological order, the latest on the top and the older one goes to the archive of the blog.
2) Most of the blogs have a list of links to other websites and blogs.
3) Almost all bloggers allow their visitors to leave comments on the posts.
4) Content on the blog is unfiltered content.
You can start a blog without spending any money, the only thing you need is a computer with internet. A blogger can feature some advertisement to promote certain things or to earn money.
Blogs have gained much popularity. There are millions of blogs on the web and have become the important part of the online world. They have a great effect on business, society, politics and many other aspects of life. In December 2007 a blog search engine technorati tracked more than 112,000,000 blogs on the web. Blogs will surely become more popular in the future.

How to get rid of computer viruses?

WHAT IS COMPUTER VIRUS?
Computer virus (vital information resource under seize) is a small piece of program that causes damage to the other program by changing their environment.
Example a virus might attach itself to a program such as a spreadsheet program. Each time the spreadsheet program runs, the virus runs too and it gets the chance to attach to the other programs or caused disaster.

KINDS OF COMPUTER VIRUS:

• BOOT VIRUS: This type of virus can be found in the floppy disc and removable drive.

• RESIDENT VIRUS: This virus can also infect your pc. This virus can be found in computer’s memory.

• DIRECTORY VIRUS: This type of virus can infect your computer through online transactions and DNS servers.

• FILE VIRUS: This virus cause destruction of the files stored on computer hard drive.

• PARTITION VIRUS: This virus causes destruction of MBR (Master Boot Record) and due to the destruction of MBR your system will not start.

PROBLEMS OCCUR WHEN PC IS INFECTED
Computer viruses are mysterious and grab our attention. When your pc is infected the following problems will occur:
• Slow speed of your computer.
• Crashing of various software programs.
• Loss of data etc.

INSTRUCTION TO GET RID OF COMPUTER VIRUS:
If you have the internet access and you do not up date antivirus software, it is very possible that you have a computer virus
First of all you must install an antivirus software package,
Once installed it can perform a scan of your system and give opinions on how to rid of virus.
If your pc is still running slowly, you can just press keys (ctrl+alt+del) from the keyboard to see which program has infected your pc.

MOST POPULAR ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARES
To get rid from computer virus the most popular antivirus software are:

• TITAN ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE
• PC-CILLIN
• MC AFEE

What are computer viruses?

It is a computer program that has written intentionally and can attach itself to the disk boot sectors or any other programs. The virus is placed in the programs that are most widely and commonly used so that it can spread very fast. Whenever you run that particular program, virus also runs and can attach to the other programs too. Viruses are replicating entities and cannot cause any harm to your computer as long as they are coded in a proper way. Your system gets any kind of damage from replicating virus because of bugs in code that creates conflict with system configuration. A virus cannot affect your computer until the infected program is executed or you use a disk that contains infected files. When the virus becomes active it gets into the memory of computer or into the system files or applications.
Some viruses only display messages, create sound or comments at different time intervals after replicating themselves or whenever you run the affected program. They cannot do more than this while other viruses are made in such a way that they can corrupt program, delete files or can delete all the data on the hard disk. Some viruses can crash or compel your computer to behave erratically. Generally people cannot recognize that it is due to the virus in the computer and remains with it until the virus is detected.
There are different types of viruses:-

MACRO VIRUS
Macro is a code that can remains in the data file, and macro virus is a virus that remains in the data file (i.e. document) as its macro attachment. The macro viruses can attach only to the data files and not to the executable programs. These viruses were very common in the end of last century.

STEALTH VIRUS
When this virus is active it makes some changes in the file and hides those changes. So the programs that read the files only see the original form and not the infected form. That is why antivirus cannot detect it easily. Virus should be present in the memory to trace it through antivirus.

POLYMORPHIC VIRUS
This virus can create different operational copies from itself. Simple scanners are not able to find out all the operational copies of the virus.

BOOT SECTOR VIRUS
This virus infects the master boot records (MBR) or DOS boot sector. Master boot record is always on the first sector of the hard disk. When the virus goes into the drive it gets loaded in the memory every time we start the computer. It further goes to every disk of the system. It is not easy to get rid of boot sector virus because most of the antiviruses are not able to remove this virus or clean up the master boot record during the working of windows. Bootable antivirus disk is required to properly clean the MBR and get rid of boot sector virus.

WORMS
Worms are the programs that have the ability to replicate themselves but they cannot attach to a file or program and always remain as a separate thing. Many times they have functionality that can disturb the normal working of a program file. They are very much similar to viruses and are taken as the virus instead of worm.

TROJAN HORSE
Trojan horse cannot replicate itself automatically. It is a simple program for e.g. game but in actual it causes harm to your computer. It can even erase data from the computer’s hard drive. They can be detected easily.

EMAIL VIRUS
This virus can automatically replicate itself and moves on by attaching itself to an email. This virus mails itself to the people in the infected people’s address book. Some of these viruses do not even need a double click. They simply get loaded when you see the preview pane of your mail software.

LOGIC BOMBS
This virus gets active on a particular date and time and they can cause harm by deleting files.

DROPPERS
These are the files that have commands which load the virus into the computer. They cannot be easily detected.

DIRECT ACTION VIRUS
They do not reside in the memory but only cause destructive harm.
Virus cannot infect compressed files, computer hardware like- keyboard, monitor, mouse etc. They are only harmful for the software.

How did Linux start?

Linux is the general term of the family of Unix-like computer working systems that use the Linux kernel. Linux operating system has an eventful history, but it was in 1990 while Linus Torvalds made a breakthrough in this field. Linus was trying to upgrade the OS system but the creator of OS, Andy Tanenbaum was not agreeable to the updated version of the OS.
This incident forced Linus to write his own kernel for the OS. He wanted to ensure that the OS is free for everyone to use it and created the Linux under license of General Public. This is a development which gives the idea of free and open-source software collaboration. This can use all the underlined source code, which can be freely modified and reorganized for both commercial and non commercial purposes.
A bunch of supporting software like the X Window System, the GNOME and KDE desktop environments, and the Apache HTTP Server is being used with the Linux kernel to make the Linux distribution. The Mozilla Firefox web browser, the GIMP image editor and the OpenOffice.org office application suite is included in the Linux systems. Linux got its name from Linux kernel, and it was initially written by Linus Torvalds in 1991.
The uses
Linux can be used on an extensive range of computer hardware. It is compatible with small devices like the mobile phones, tablet computer and video game consoles as well as with the big devices like mainframes and supercomputer. The Linux is mainly identified for its use in servers. According to 2009 update Linux has a share ranging between 20%-40% in the server market while only 1% – 2% of the desktop OS systems market share is currently occupied by Linux.
However, for the past couple of years, desktop users are also favoring Linux and are fast gaining popularity. This is due to the famous Fedora, Mint, Ubuntu and openSUSE distributions. Another reason may be the ready availability of notebooks and smart phones, which use the Linux platform.
Linux acceptance
These days Linux is been used by several domains like entrenched systems and supercomputers. It has also made its hallowed place in server installations with accepted LAMP application heap. The uses of the Linux are become very popular among home and enterprise desktops. This is also earning popularity among the local and national governments.
Several countries and organizations such as The Russian military are making their own Linux distribution nowadays. While the state government of Kerala (India) has ordered every school to run Linux on their computers. The Government of Brazil is an eminent supporter of Linux. Linux is also wholly used as the operating system of the Loongson processor family to get the expertise freedom in China. The Linux distribution is also become famous with the launching of the netbook market.
The latest progress
Linus Torvalds is still working towards developing the kernel further. Linux sellers and societies have come together to distribute the kernel, GNU components and non-GMU components, with the added pack up administration software in the variety of Linux Distribution.

How do search engines work?

The advent of internet has made a significant change on the entire world. People depend on getting their information from the search engine results. It is one of the fastest and quickest ways to get the answers to their queries. It is quite another thing to know, how a search engine actually works. Search engines utilize number of algorithms, search engine spiders and other programs to answer the queries. Each search engine has distinct set of methodologies. They work according to those methodologies and process the search result according to the requirement of the users.
Steps behind the Working of Search Engines
The working procedure of search engines is a bit critical. You will have to understand each and every step, to know how the search engines works and process the results. Once you get familiar with the steps that are included in the working of search engines, it will not be a tough task for you to determine, how search engines work.
• The first step involved in the working methodologies of the major search engines is the creation of local database. There are innumerable sites or pages on the Internet and so the search engines need to create a record of each and every page before processing the result.
• The crawlers of the search engines collect complete information about a page so that the search process is extremely quick and done in an efficient manner. As the search engines have a list of keywords, titles, urls and page information, they easily process the queries of people and provide them the complete answer of their query.
• Almost all the search engines perform a period crawling process to get the complete information on the number of websites present on the internet. The crawlers of the search engines check the websites thoroughly and the websites, which do not provide relevant information for the keywords do not get much acceptance from the search engines. Apart from the crawlers, some search engines, in the present days, use spiders or robots to collect the information from the sites.
• Before providing the reference of a website for a search result, the search engines use different programs to check the value of each and every page. If they find the pages to be worthy and informative, then only they refer to them. As and when they find spam pages, they reject or can even delete them from their data bases. In many cases, spam websites can also be ignored by the spiders. This helps to get the correct information to the users.
• The working process of search engines is developing constantly. For years, the search results provided by the search engines are based on the key phrases. However, the latest trend that is in the process presently is the concept based search result. It is expected that the concept based search results would be more appropriate than the keywords based results. It will help people to find out a better answer for each and every query. However, the concept is been worked on and would be suitably developed in the near future.

Who invented HTML?

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is an important markup language used for web page creation.
HTML was invented by Tim Berners-Lee, a British Engineer, Computer Scientist and Professor at MIT in 1991. Post his invention Tim Berners-Lee came to be known as the ‘father of web’. Berners-Lee is the founder of World Wide Web Foundation and is also the director of World Wide Web Consortium, W3C.
A markup language uses a set of markup tags and these markup tags are used for describing web pages. The markup tags in HTML are called HTML tags. HTML tags come in pairs such as

. The first tag is the start tag or the opening tag and the second tag is the end tag or the closing tag. Everything between the start tag and end tag is an HTML element. HTML tags are used by web developers for formatting different parts of a document. For example, HTML tags are used for specifying headings, lists, paragraphs and images tables. Images and objects can be embedded in HTML for creating interactive forms.
The benefits of HTML heading styles are that they can be displayed in relative sizes ranging from h1 through h6, h1 the largest and h6 the smallest. HTML is easy to use, supported by almost all browsers, and no software needs to be bought.

Who invented Google?

Google needs no introduction. A popular search engine with a host of other applications, Google was invented by Sergey Bin and Larry Page in 1996. What started off as a research project by Larry and Sergey when they were pursuing their PhD at Stanford University, California went on to become one of the biggest internet companies in the world. Google’s main purpose was to enhance the search technology over the internet.
Larry Page is a popular American computer scientist born in Michigan whereas Sergey Bin is a Russian American computer scientist and they studied together at Stanford University.
The Home page of Google is easy and simple to use. It loads very quickly and brings out the best results. To increase the revenue, Google Inc. gave out advertisements related to search keywords in 2000. In 2004, about 80% of the search enquiries made on the web used Google.
Google still needs to pick up as a search engine in Japan, China and South Korea. Google has emerged as a major player in Business and Technology. Today Google has its very own Google advertising program namely Google AdSense, an e-mail service namely Gmail, its own web browser namely Google Chrome and the most recent Google Wave. However the search engine is the most popular among all these developments. Google is also available in more than ten languages namely German, Dutch, Chinese, Portuguese, Danish, Italian, French, Norwegian, Finnish, Spanish and Swedish.

Who invented Facebook?

Mark Zuckerberg, an American software developer and computer scientist developed the social networking site Facebook in 2004 along with Duskin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin and Christ Hughes. Zuckerberg was born in New York and is currently the president and CEO of Facebook. Anyone who is 13 years or more can become a registered user of Facebook. Initially Facebook was limited to Harvard students, but it gradually opened up to other universities and high school students before opening up to the masses.
Facebook is a leading social networking site. Users can create profiles with contact information, photos, lists of personal interests and other personal information. Their information is dynamically linked with others having similar information by Facebook. Communication between users is done through public or private messages and chat feature. They can also join and create groups of their interest and “like pages”, which are sometimes used for advertising by organizations.
Users can select their own privacy settings and can decide who can see what information in their profile. Facebook is free for users and gets its revenue from advertising. Facebook has many features that facilitate interaction amongst its users. This includes the wall, a space on the profile page of every user enabling friends to post messages which can be seen by the user; photos and status updates.

Who invented EDVAC?

The EDVAC, also known as Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer, was invented by John Presper Eckert and John William Mauchly in the year 1946, who were also the inventors of ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer). John Presper Eckert was an electrical engineer and computer pioneer who was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. John Mauchly was a popular American physicist from Cincinnati, Ohio.
EDVAC was one among the earliest electronic computers invented. It was perhaps the first device with binary system and it was a stored program device. EDVAC used the binary numeral system unlike its predecessor, the ENIAC which used the decimal numeral system. EDVAC could perform operations such as automatic subtraction, addition, programmed division, multiplication and automatic checking. It had a memory of 1000 words capacity and this was later improved to 1024 words.
The computer was made with components that included a control unit with an oscilloscope and a magnetic tape reader-recorder. It also had a dispatcher unit that received the instructions from the memory and control unit and directed them to other units. The arithmetic operations were performed by a computational unit which sent the results to the memory after verification by another unit.
Physically EDVAC had about 12,000 diodes and 6,000 vacuum tubes and the power consumption was 56 KW. It occupied 490 square feet of floor area and weighed 17,300 lbs. EDVAC was later replaced by BRLERSC, also known as the Ballistic Research Laboratories Electronic Scientific Computer in 1961.

Who invented Fortran?

FORTRAN or Formula Translator language was invented by John Backus in 1954 for IBM (International Business Machines Corporation). John Backus, a popular American computer scientist worked with a team of other scientists to come up with a general purpose programming language called Fortran as an alternative to assembly language programming. In 1967 he received the W.W. Mc Dowell Award for development of FORTRAN by IEEE. It is the first high level programming language and was meant for use in engineering and scientific related applications.
Fortran is derived from IBM Mathematical Formula Translation System. This general purpose, imperative, procedural programming language is particularly suited for numeric and scientific computations. Fortran has been continuously used for more than half a century in areas which needed extensive computations such as numerical weather production, computational fluid dynamics, finite element analysis, computational chemistry and computational physics. It was among the most popular languages in the high-performance computing area.
Programs that rank and benchmark the world’s fastest supercomputers use Fortran even now. Fortran has a number of descendent versions. Each version added extensions to the language while compatibility with the previous versions was maintained. Versions that have evolved have included support for character-based data (FORTRAN 77), modular programming, array programming and object-based programming (Fortran 90 / 95), and generic programming and object-oriented (Fortran 2003). Today it is possible to write an entirely portable program in Fortran without using a preprocessor.

Who invented ENIAC?

ENIAC, also known as Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer was invented by John Presper Eckert and John Mauchly in 1946. After graduation John Mauchly joined John Presper Eckert at the University of Pennsylvania and they worked together to develop the ENIAC.
ENIAC was the first general purpose electronic digital computer to have been designed by humans. The machine was reprogrammable and could solve a number of computer problems. ENIAC was designed for calculating artillery firing tables for the United States Army’s Ballistic Research Laboratory, but was first used in hydrogen bomb calculations.
ENIAC computer had modules with separate panels for performing various functions. Out of these twenty were accumulators which could subtract, add and also store in its memory a ten-digit decimal number. ENIAC used 17,468 vacuum tubes, along with 10,000 capacitors, 70,000 resistors, 7,200 crystal diodes, 6000 manual switches, 1,500 relays and 5 million soldered joints. It weighed 30 tons and took up 1800 square feet of floor space and 150 kilowatts electric power.
Input was from an IBM card reader and an IBM card punch was used for output. ENIAC could perform 357 multiplications, 5000 additions or 38 divisions in one second. The use of vaccum tubes instead of relays and switches gave it a boost in speed.

Who invented flash drive?

The flash drive is said to have been invented by Trek Technologies and IBM in the year 2000. Flash drives were invented to replace the floppy disks. It was also called as the Thumb Drive as it is a very small sized portable device. The USB Flash drive does the function of a CD-ROM or a floppy disk. As their parts do not move they are more durable and reliable too. Today flash drives are available with large storage capacities of up to 256 GB. They weigh much less than 30 grams and the data can be retained in them for nearly 10 years or so.
A flash drive is merely a small printed circuit board with a USB Connector. It has electric insulation and has a protective case made of plastic, rubber or metal. Flash drives can be carried in a pocket or as a key chain. There is a removable cap protecting the USB connector and in order to use these drives one needs to plug it into the port on a personal computer. These drives do not require a battery.
The flash drive patented by IBM had a storage capacity of 8 MB, which is nearly 5 times the capacity of a floppy disk that was used earlier. In modern times, flash drives have USB 2.0 connectivity. Flash drives are very useful when it comes to transporting personal data and for storing data, application and software files.

Who invented Floppy disk?

The floppy disc was invented by IBM as a storage device and they were made available in the market in 1971. The main aim of this invention was to save files in a portable storage device so that it can be viewed and used on multiple computers. The initial floppy disk was 8 inches in diameter. However today, floppy disks are obsolete and have been replaced by the more efficient thumb drive or the USB memory stick and the CD and DVDs in the market.
A floppy disk could store up to 1.44MB of data. They come in two sizes; the 5.25” and the 3.5” floppy. The floppy drive writes and reads the data on the floppy disk. A floppy disk comprises a disk of flexible, thin medium of storage that is magnetic in nature and is sealed in a rectangular or square plastic carrier which is lined up with fabric that protects it from dust, scratches, finger prints and other risks.
There is a coating of magnetic oxide on the blank floppy disk. Magnetized tracks broken into equal sectors are found on these diskettes. The track looks like concentric circles and there are spaces between the tracks where there is no data. The floppy has a small diskette which rotates with the help of a small motor and a second motor moves the magnetic head used for reading and writing.

Who invented email?

Electronic mail is generally known as email or e-mail and it is a way of exchanging digital messages from one computer network to another.
Email was invented by Raymond Samuel Tomlinson in late 1971s on ARPANET network. He was born in 1941 at Amsterdam, New York and completed his graduation from Rensselear Polytechnic Institute. Ray Tomlinson is a computer engineer by profession. The first email sent by Tomlison was between two computers placed side by side. These two computers were connected using the ARPANET network.
Originally the transmission of email from one computer to another computer was done directly. Both computers had to be online at the same time for instant messaging. Present day computers use email servers and these email servers forward, accept, store and deliver messages. Users need not be online simultaneously and have to be connected only for a brief period of time to the email server, for the duration it takes for sending or receiving messages.
An email message consists of message header and message body. The message header must contain the sender’s email address and one or more recipient addresses. The message body contains the email’s content. Additional information on what the email is about is entered in the subject space. Individuals or groups can communicate with each other using email and this facility can be used effectively by businesses of all types and sizes.

Why Computers are So important?

Computers Are Extremely Important in the Modern World

Computers are extremely important in the modern world of today. In the fast moving life of the modern world of today, computers hold tremendous significance. Many of us will feel crippled without a computer

, as we have gotten so used to this machine. The importance of computers can not be denied in the corporate or business world, at the work place and even in one's personal life.

In the modern work place, pen are paper are becoming extent. It will not be long ,before pen and paper stop to exist altogether. Same is the case in schools and colleges. Children today are forgetting how to write and many blame their awful hand writing on this machine which has taught everyone to type at a speed of at least 50 to 60 words per minute. The children of today have bad handwritings and the children of tomorrow may not even know how to hold a pen. Thanks to the computer.

Computer has become an important tool for keeping databases, filing systems, track records. It has made record keeping and account keeping much much easier than it ever was. It helps an organization save tons of times. It has made data analysis extremely easy, and it can be done at a single click of the mouse.

Computers also serve as useful tools for communications. Normal post is now commonly referred to as snail mail, as the must faster email has replaced it. Importance Of Computers
There is no doubt that education and the learning process has changed since the introduction of computers: The search for information has become easier and amusing, and connectivity has expedited the data availability. Though experts systems have made computers more intelligent, they have not yet become a substitute of the human interaction in the learning process. In my opinion; what can be expected, is a change of the teachers? role but not their disappearance from the classroom.

Nobody can argue that the acquisition of knowledge is more fun and easier with computers. The mere activity of touching and... 

 

Computer is an electronic device used in almost every field even where it is most unexpected. That is why this age is called as the era of IT. And now we cannot imagine a world without computers. It is made up of two things one is the hardware and other is software. All physical components of computer like keyboard, mouse, monitor etc comes under the hardware whereas all the programs and languages used by the computer are called software. These days computers are the tools for not only engineers and scientists but also they are being used by millions of people around the world.
Computer has become very important nowadays because it is very much accurate, fast and can accomplish many tasks easily. Otherwise to complete those tasks manually much more time is required. It can do very big calculations in just a fraction of a second. Moreover it can store huge amount of data in it. We also get information on different aspects using internet on our computer.
In mid nineteen’s computers were only used by the government and army because at that time using computer was a complicated task. When the microprocessor was invented computer gets smaller in size but after DOS and unix it became very easy for the people to use computer. Computer in different fields:-

BANKS
Almost every bank is using computers to keep the record of all the money transaction and other calculations. Moreover it provides speed, convenience and security.

COMMUNICATION
Communication is another important aspect of computer and has become very easy through internet and email. Computer communicates using telephone lines and modems. Through email we can send messages to anybody in any part of the world in just a second while if we write letter then it will reach in some days. So the internet has made the earth a global village and above all saves time. This would not be possible without computers. Internet helps to find information on every topic. It is the easiest and fastest way of research. Computer network makes the user capable of accessing remote programs and databases of same or different organizations.

BUSINESS
Computer has now become an integral part of corporate life. They can do business transactions very easily and accurately and keep the record of all the profit and loss. Today computers can be found in every store, supermarkets, restaurants, offices etc. special software is used in these computers to calculate the huge bills within seconds. One can buy and sell things online, bills and taxes can be paid online and can also predict the future of business using artificial intelligence software. It also plays a very important role in the stock markets.

MEDICAL SCIENCE
Diseases can be easily diagnosed with the help of computer and can also know about its cure. Many machines use computer which allows the doctor to view the different organs of our body like lungs, heart, kidneys etc. There is special software which helps the doctor during the surgery.

EDUCATION
Today computer has become an important part of one’s education because we are using computers in every field and without the knowledge of computer we cannot get job and perform well in it. So computers can secure better jobs prospects. Knowledge about computer is must in this time.

MEDIA
Almost every type of editing and audio- visual compositions can be made by using special software especially made for this purpose. Some software can even make three dimensional figures which are mostly used in the cartoon films. Special effects for action and science fiction movies are also created on computer.
TRAVEL AND TICKETING
Computers do all the work of plane and train reservation. It shows the data for vacant and reserved seats and also saves the record for reservation.
WEATHER PREDICTIONS
Weather predictions are also possible by the experts using supercomputers.

SPORTS
It is also used for umpiring decisions. Many times the umpire has to go for the decision of third umpire in which the recording is seen again on the computer and finally reaches to the accurate and fair decision. Simulation software allows the sportsman to practice and improve his skills.

DAILY LIFE
We operate washing machines, microwave oven and many other products using software. Moreover we can store all the information about our important work, appointments schedules and list of contacts.
So we can say that today computer is playing very important role in our lives. Now is the time when we cannot imagine the world without computers. And this technology is advancing both in industry and home. It has become necessary for everyone to have the basic knowledge about computer. Otherwise he cannot get a job as computers have invaded almost all the fields.

 

BlackBerry Adds Virtual SIM Start-Up to its Portfolio

Virtual identity solutions provider Movirtu has been acquired by smartphone manufacturer BlackBerry, the company announced Wednesday. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. BlackBerry described the deal as part of its overall strategy to woo more corporate clients by expanding its list of value-added services.
Movirtu, a start-up based in the United Kingdom, allows employees to use both a business and personal number on the same device. According to the company, its technology is targeted both at enterprises in which employees use their own handsets (known as BYOD , or "bring your own device") and environments in which IT departments issue devices to personnel (known as COPE, or "corporate-owned personally enabled").
One Device, Multiple Profiles
The company uses a "Virtual SIM" platform, allowing employees to use both a business and personal phone number on the same device, with separate billing for voice, data and messaging usage for each number. As a result, employees can switch between business and personal profiles easily without carrying multiple devices or SIM cards, and charges are appropriately billed to the company and the employee.
According to BlackBerry, the Canadian company is hoping that with the combination of Movirtu's platform and its own BlackBerry Enterprise Service (BES), enterprise customers will be able to apply IT policies to the business number without affecting the usability of the device for personal use.
"In a BYOD and COPE world, there remain a number of efficiency and convenience challenges facing enterprises, employees and mobile operators alike," said John Chen, executive chairman and CEO of BlackBerry. "The acquisition of Movirtu complements our core strategy of providing additional value-added services, and it will leverage our key assets, including our BES platform, along with our existing global infrastructure , which is connected to a large number of mobile operators around the world."
BlackBerry said the deal will also complement its Secure Work Space, BlackBerry Balance, and other partitioning solutions aimed at providing employees with privacy when using their devices for personal reasons, and security and IT management when using them for business purposes. The Movirtu technology will allow them to switch between profiles for calls, data and messaging.
Bringing Back Enterprise Clients
"BlackBerry is the best partner to help us carry forward our vision of redefining the mobile experience by introducing virtual identities," said Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO of Movirtu. "We address the challenges of BYOD and COPE by providing our unique and innovative technology solution through BlackBerry's existing relationships with mobile operators and customers around the world."
BlackBerry said Movirtu's Virtual SIM capabilities would be deployed through its mobile operators on all major smartphone operating systems.
Although BlackBerry once reigned supreme as the king of the enterprise smartphone providers, the company has suffered in recent years as competition from the iPhone and Android-based smartphones have reduced its market share to a fraction of previous levels.
This deal is the latest in a string of acquisitions BlackBerry has made in an effort to turn its fortunes around. In July, BlackBerry announced the acquisition of Secusmart, a German company providing data and voice encryption, in order to appeal to security-conscious clients.

Dell Adds Business Phone to Mobile Workspace for BYOD

Tech giant Dell is beefing up its Dell Mobile Workspace. The company is tossing the Dell Business Phone powered by Vonage Business Solutions into the mix along with Microsoft Office 365 e-mail integration and access to Box for Dell to support enterprise content collaboration.
In case you aren’t familiar with Dell Mobile Workspace, it’s a cloud -based solution that promises secure access to enterprise phone, e-mail and storage apps from an employee’s personal smartphone or tablet. The only catch: You need an iOS or Android device to use it.
“With Dell Business Phone, Dell provides a compelling end-to-end user experience while removing some of the biggest BYOD security , manageability and cost hurdles companies face,” said Neal Foster, executive director of mobility solutions for Dell Software. “We will continue to curate and pre-integrate productivity apps and services into Dell’s EMM heterogeneous mobile cloud offering to ensure our customers have what they need to keep pace with the rapid adoption of BYOD and mobility.”
With Box for Dell, employees can access enterprise files and folders securely across a range of devices and workspaces to share documents, collaborate among teams and edit content directly with existing applications. In addition, Dell Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Office 365 to offer cloud-based, hosted business -class e-mail and shared calendars to elevate mobile employee productivity anywhere, anytime.
What the Numbers Say
Dell is looking at the sheer -- and growing -- market demand. Half of the enterprises surveyed in market research firm Gartner ’s primary research studies intend to move to all BYOD for smartphones in 2017. That, Dell figures, creates new opportunities and challenges for business and IT leaders.
What’s more, Gartner predicts mobile telecom spending will jump 16 percent from 2013 to 2016, putting additional pressure on enterprise IT budgets. Dell recognizes that frequently changing, complex cellular pricing and service plans make it difficult for enterprise mobility and procurement managers to select their most economical options.
Dell also points to a recent California appeals court ruling that will require employers there to reimburse employees for work-related calls, which could create a legislative snowball as other states consider the costs and implications BYOD introduces to the equation.
How does Dell answer these challenges? The Dell Business Phone offers users the flexibility and privacy of having separate business lines and phone numbers on their Android or iOS smartphones or tablets using Dell Mobile Workspace. Enterprises can also set security and calling policies, as well as route calls over WiFi, cellular voice and data networks to help control telecom expenses. The company also insists the service drives up employee productivity with features like conference calls, three-way calls, and call recording.
Small Business Sweet Spot?
We caught up with Zeus Kerravala, a principal analyst at ZK Research, to get his thoughts on Dell’s new efforts. He told us it’s an interesting offering but the Vonage name may not attract enterprises.
“It’s powered by Vonage, which I think will give mid- to large-size enterprises cause to hesitate on this. But at a relatively low price point of $20 a user, I can see it being very appealing to small businesses,” Kerravala said. “I think if Dell approaches the market right they could find some success.”
Dell’s new Mobile Workspace capabilities will be available in Oct. 2014. Pricing starts at $19.99 per month for up to 1,000 voice minutes and unlimited text. There is no activation fee.

Amazon Debuts New Fire Tablets, Kindle e-Readers

Deciding to leave the media-event product launches to its competitors, Amazon on Wednesday announced a new operating system to accompany a new line-up of tablets and e-readers with a handful of press releases. Despite its subtle approach, the online retailer’s devices are making a big splash.
The lineup includes two new e-readers and three new tablets. To run them all, Amazon is also launching a new version of its Fire operating system for mobile devices, called Fire OS 4.0 "Sangria." The new products range in price from the $79 black-and-white Kindle e-Reader, now featuring a touchscreen, to the high-end $379 Fire HDX 8.9, sporting a quad-core 2.5GHz processor and Dolby Sound.
Hold Your Fire
The Fire HDX is aimed squarely at the high-end market, with Amazon highlighting its form factor, performance, and battery life. In addition to its top-line model, Amazon is also introducing the new Fire HD (shown above).
The frame of the Fire HDX is made from a single piece of machined magnesium with a blend of glass and nylon molded onto the unibody to create openings for the antennas to maximize signal strength. Weighing in at 13.2 ounces, the Fire is significantly lighter than the one-pound iPad Air, while its 8.9-inch display makes it larger than the iPad mini but still smaller than the iPad Air.
The new tablet should also make for an excellent media device. Amazon is promising 339pi pixel density, sound that is twice as loud as the iPad Air, and a faster graphics engine to help support high-end gaming.
The company is also promoting its “Advanced Streaming and Prediction” technology that predicts which movies and TV episodes you will want to watch and buffers them for playback to speed the video launch. The device will also come with a microUSB port so it can be connected to a TV, monitor, or projector.
Amazon is billing the Fire HD as “the most powerful tablet for under $100." The Fire HD will come in a 6-inch and 7-inch model, both available in five different colors. The 6-inch model will sell for $99, while the 7-inch will retail for $139.
Bon Voyage
Both models will come pre-loaded with the latest upgrade to Amazon's mobile device operating system. The latest version has added a “Profile” function that allows multiple users to have their own accounts on their tablet swith their own e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter accounts, as well as individualized preference sets.
The new OS also comes with a feature called “Family Library" that allows members of the same household to share downloaded content such as apps, books or games with each other.
In addition to the tablets, Amazon released two new versions of its Kindle e-Reader. The Kindle Voyage starts at $199 without 3G capabilities, and $269 with the 3G feature. The $79 Kindle, meanwhile, has been given a makeover with a new touchscreen, faster processor, and a bump in on-device storage to 4GB.

Universal Mobile Keyboard Works with Any OS

Microsoft has developed a new keyboard that works with a variety of operating systems. In addition to Microsoft's own desktop OS Windows, the "universal" keyboard will also be compatible with the iOS and Android mobile operating systems by Apple and Google. Ironically, about the only device it will not work with is a Windows phone.
The Redmond, Washington-based company is promoting the peripheral's ability to connect with both tablets and smartphones. In addition, Microsoft says the keyboard can be paired with as many as three different devices and quickly swapped between different OSes by flipping its "Operating System switch."
Six Months' Battery Life
The Universal Mobile Keyboard, as Microsoft has named it, is a full QWERTY keyboard that will work with iPads, iPhones, Windows PCs, and Windows and Android tablets. Not only that, but it also supports each platform's unique special key, including the Apple Command key and Windows Control key.
Devices must be running Windows 8 or higher; Windows RT; Apple iOS 6 or higher; or Android 4. The keyboard also requires devices to have Bluetooth Human Interface Device keyboard support in order to work, which is why they are not compatible with Windows Phone. It is listed at $79.95 on the Microsoft Web site, although it will not be made available until October.
The device runs on a rechargeable battery, which Microsoft says can last up to six months following a single overnight charge. Charging the device for only ten minutes provides up to 8 hours of use, it claims. It also sports a Home key, designed to work with the home screens of most mobile devices, and provides media playback controls.
Thin, Light, Portable
In addition to its ability to work with multiple operating systems, Microsoft is also promoting the keyboard's mobility and form factor, pitching it as a way to stay productive on the go without having to lug a heavier laptop around. The device connects via Bluetooth, eliminating the need for cables.
It also sports a slim form factor, coming in at only 0.47 inches thick and weighing just under 13 ounces. Interestingly, Microsoft opted not to include a touchpad, sacrificing gesture input functionality in order to allow the keyboard to be able to be compatible with multiple operating systems.
It also comes with a protective cover and a stand designed to allow the user to mount their mobile device. The device can be powered on and off by opening and closing the cover, similar to the way some laptops can be quickly awoken or put to sleep.
The cover also uses a magnetic assembly for easy attachment and removal. "Getting stuff done while you're on the go has never been easier," Microsoft wrote on its site. "The Universal Mobile Keyboard lets you get real work done with just your tablet or smartphone."

Logitech Rolls Out Home Automation Remotes

Consumer tech firm Logitech is bringing its universal remote talents to the home control market with new home automation compatibility and a quartet of new products. Dubbed the Harmony Living Home lineup, the company is promising easy access and control over a library of both entertainment and home automation devices -- all from one central control system.
Harmony Living Home lets you use your remote, tablet or smartphone to control your TV, set-top box, speakers, lighting, thermostat, door locks, window shades and other devices. You can also combine multiple devices into “Activities” to turn on or off several devices at once. That means you could choose to turn on your TV, dim your lights, lower the temperature and close your shades with one touch. And a mobile app lets you do all this even if you're not home.
“As more connected devices such as the Nest Learning Thermostat, Philips hue lights and August Smart Locks come to market and enter the home, there’s more of a need than ever before for a centralized way to simply control all of the home’s devices,” said Chad Thompson, Senior Director of Worldwide Marketing and Product Management at Logitech. He said the Harmony Living Home lineup answers the call.
Harmony’s Breadth
We turned to Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, to get his thoughts on Logitech’s new products. Although it’s too soon to tell how Logitech’s new innovations will perform in the market, he told us one thing is certain: right now home automation is really hot.
“Companies like Qualcomm, Google, and Microsoft have jumped into this with both feet. I wonder about a remote, however platforms like Insteon -- the platform I use -- have their own hubs and use smartphones and tablets as remotes,” Enderle said.
“Of all of the affordable universal remote platforms only Harmony has the breadth to try to address this market. The others are either too limited or like Creston are too complex and/or too expensive for most," he added. "But with smartphones and tablets moving into this space aggressively and more likely to be more convenient to the user, any remote would seem to soon be redundant.”
What Brands Can You Use?
Drilling down into the product line, the Harmony Home Hub uses RF, IR, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to relay commands from Logitech Harmony Living Home remotes or the Harmony mobile app to home entertainment and home automation devices. The cost: $99.99.
Logitech Harmony Ultimate Home remote offers a 2.4-inch color touchscreen and allows you to integrate and control compatible home automation devices and up to 15 home entertainment devices. The cost: $349.99. For a lower-tech solution, you can choose the Harmony Home Control, which offers a button-only remote. The cost is $149.99. Finally, the Harmony Hub Extender lets you control lights, locks, sensors, garage doors and other devices operating through ZigBee or Z-Wave. It runs $129.99.
In terms of device compatibility, here’s a list of vendors Logitech is working with: August, Honeywell, Kwikset, Lutron, the Nest Learning Thermostat, PEQ, Philips hue, Schlage, SmartThings, Sylvania, Yale and Zuli. All told, there are over 270,000 compatible devices. The new lineup is set to start selling in September, except the Hub Extender, which will come to market in December.

New technology could give thieves key to your door

For decades, if you wanted your keys copied, you went to a hardware store or key shop in person. The only way a thief could get your keys was to physically steal them.
Not anymore. Now cutting edge technology potentially allows crooks to open any door with no problem.
The game changer is a new website called keysduplicated.com: All you have to do is snap a clear photo of any house key with your smartphone and upload it to the site. Sophisticated software analyzes the grooves of the key down to the tiniest millimeter, all from the photo. Then a machine drills out the key's teeth, perfectly matching the key in the picture.
The key is mailed right to you. And it's cheap: only $6 a key, and no ID verification.

Video: Cutting edge technology potentially allows crooks to open any door with no problem – including yours. NBC national investigative correspondent Jeff Rossen reports.

Police departments are worried that thieves will take advantage by snapping stealth photos of your keys in public, then show up at your doorstep with your key, unlock your door with ease, and walk right in.
You wouldn't even know you'd been had: You'd still have your key, and wouldn't know that someone had taken a photo of it. "Nope, not until something bad happened to you," agreed Det. Sgt. Richard Harasym of the Nassau County Police Department outside New York City.
To see if the technology really works, the Rossen Reports team snapped a quick photo of Jeff Rossen's house key lying on a table, uploaded it to keysduplicated.com, and supplied an address. A couple of days later, duplicates of Rossen's key arrived at the address. And they opened the door to Rossen's home successfully.
The Rossen team spoke with Ali Rahimi, CEO of Keys Duplicated, who did not deny the possibility that bad guys could utilize the website's technology.
To suggest a topic for a future Rossen Reports investigation, email us
"You know there's no doubt that this could be used by somebody to copy somebody else's key; I just don't think it's very likely to happen," Rahimi said. "If it ever happens, it's going to be a jilted ex-lover or disgruntled coworker — people who have other ways of breaking into your house."
Rahimi's company is still new, and so far there are no reported cases of theft related to it. Rahimi says there's a paper trail when customers supply their credit card information. "Security is our top priority, so we're constantly improving it," he said. "It's a never-ending game of providing a safer and safer service. I'd say we're on it."
But one homeowner we spoke to found that of little comfort: "It's really scary. Someone could get into your house at any time. That's the scariest thing I can think of."
Keys Duplicated says they require a valid credit card number, email address and mailing address before they'll ship out any key, but admit they don't verify that its your key or even your credit card. They say they won't copy car keys or high-security patented keys, and won't accept pictures of keys that are blurry or taken from too far away.
Police recommend you treat your keys like you would your driver's license or a credit card: Don't leave them lying around or let anyone you don't trust handle them.

http://www.today.com/tech/new-technology-could-give-thieves-key-your-door-literally-2D80161986 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Mobile Phones

The Smartphone Generation

It’s no secret that smartphones are everywhere these days. It seems like nearly everyone has one, even if they’re not sporting some fancy new model. That’s why we’ve compiled this definitive list of the main advantages and disadvantages of cell phones.
Whether you’re a current owner nodding your head in agreement or a late adopter looking for the lowdown, we hope this article helps you make some sense out of the mobile phone craze. If you already have one, make sure to make a web video of your amazed expression as you read this post. You can learn how to do it with this fun course.

Advantages

• Communicating with Friends, Family, and Coworkers

This one is pretty obvious but bare with us. Since the first cell phone, we’ve been able to make calls while on the go. But given the fact that almost everyone today owns at least a basic mobile phone and the majority have their phone on hand at all times, you’re able to get in touch with people nearly 24/7.
Add to this the cell phone towers constantly popping up to give us ever-improving reception and even being in a building or outside of the city isn’t the problem it used to be. This comes in handy in so many ways. Let your boss know about last second changes to an important business deal, keep tabs on your kids, hit a friend for an impromptu hangout, or even call for help in an emergency. All these things and more are easier than ever.

• Constant Internet Access

It doesn’t take much of an imagination to come up with tons of advantages of having the internet at your fingertips any time you need it. Want to find all the local movie times? No problem.
Need to look up the number for that restaurant you were supposed to make reservations at? Just pull out your phone. Smartphones have also been effectively solving friendly arguments about random trivia for years. Learn to take advantage of everyone’s constant connection to the internet with this amazing course on mobile marketing.

• Applications and the All-in-One Device

It’s tough to fit an mp3 player, digital camera, phone, and GPS all in your pockets at the same time – at least comfortably. Fortunately for you, today’s cell phones mean that’s not a problem anymore. It’s been our go-to calculator and flashlight for at least the past decade and a smartphone is probably the only camera many people even own. To learn to create professional-quality shots with your phone’s camera, give this awesome course a try.
If that weren’t enough, there are apps for practically everything. Now your phone is also an ebook reader, currency converter, and handheld gaming device. There are even apps that help you learn foreign languages on the go. Check out this helpful course that tells you all about the best apps for productivity and studying.

Disadvantages

• Hinder Real Human Interaction

Our phones can do so much these days that some people have trouble tearing themselves away long enough to reconnect with the real world. You’ve likely seen them around town, on public transportation, and in stores with their eyes and fingers glued to their mobile device. Instead of interacting with the people around them, they ignore face-to-face conversation for virtual ones.
Many believe that our younger generation is actually less capable of normal socializing because of this. They’ve gotten so little practice that they’re simply not comfortable with chatting with someone they meet out in public. Since humans are social creatures by nature who need real life connections, this runs the risk of becoming a huge problem for society.

• Lead to Some Pretty Serious Accidents

That’s not the only way the inattention to their surrounding caused by cell phones creates problems. It can actually cost lives when drivers focused on texting or social media lose control of their vehicle and have major accidents. Is letting your friend know you’re on the way really worth dying over?
And it’s not safe to do it while you’re walking either. For one, people have stepped into oncoming traffic while staring at the screen of their phone. Less seriously, you can fall down stairs, trip over something on the ground, or bump into a wall or another pedestrian while you’re absorbed with what’s happening on Facebook.

• Breaches of Privacy and Security

While having all your information in one handy device can be extremely convenient, it also has the potential to be very dangerous. All it takes is forgetting your phone in some bathroom or movie theater and suddenly, your whole life is exposed to the person who finds it. Your contacts, documents, social media accounts, and even banking information is theirs to do with as they please.
The privacy aspect is less damaging than your compromised bank account but probably a little more embarrassing. Are there any photos on your phone that you’d rather not show to some random stranger? How about those sappy text messages with your boy or girlfriend? We thought so. Just leaving your phone on the couch while you use the bathroom can be enough to give a snooper a peak into your private life.
And even if you never let your phone leave your sight, hackers can still break into your information remotely if the motivation is there. Keep that in mind the next time you’re thinking about putting important or otherwise sensitive stuff on your mobile.

Do the Disadvantages Outweigh the Advantages?

What do you think? Does the bad outweigh the good? I personally don’t think so.
The cons of mobile phones are mostly a case of too much of a good thing. Pull yourself away from your device when you’re out on the town and don’t isolate yourself from the people around you. Don’t even think about touching that thing while you’re driving, walking, riding a bike, or anything else that requires your full attention. And use a course like this one to learn about keeping the information on your phone safe.
Then you’ll be able to enjoin all the helpful things mobile phones bring to the table without the negatives. You can check out this blog post for tips on getting the most out of your Android device.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Internet

 

Internet has been perhaps the most outstanding innovation in the field of communication in the history of mankind. As with every single innovation, internet has its own advantages and disadvantages. Nonetheless, the greater magnitude of its advantages outweighs its disadvantages.

The Internet :
A global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities, consisting of interconnected networks using standardized communication protocols. - The Oxford Dictionary

During our evolutionary journey from Homo erectus to Neanderthal and then to Homo sapiens, we have come a long way. Because of our continuous quest for more amenities and better standard of living, we have been able to invent and discover many new things. The nineties witnessed a major revolution with the invention of the first electronic digital computers. Till then, the term Internet was practically unknown to most people. However, today, the Internet has become the most powerful tool for people around the world. With the advent of Internet, our earth has virtually reduced in size and has attained the form of a global village.

The Internet can be explained as a network of computers, designed to receive and send data in the form of e-mails, blogs, webcasts, etc. To put it simply, it can be likened to a super-massive server, armed with a plethora of information which is used by billions of people simultaneously. The Internet is basically a network that connects other, smaller networks. All modern technologies are connected by the Internet, thereby leaving no stone unturned. This digital world can be a playground for some and a battlefield for others.

The Internet has become an indispensable business tool, which has helped bring the world closer. Receiving news from across the world, accessing knowledge resources, and shopping online are simply a click away. The Internet has tremendous potential and a lot to offer in terms of services. However, like every other innovation in science and technology, the Internet comes with its own advantages and disadvantages, which have been discussed in this Buzzle article.

Advantages of the Internet

Faster Communication

The Internet has been mankind's greatest means of communication yet. Newer innovations are only making it faster and more reliable. Today, we can initiate real-time communication with someone who is in another part of the world.

For more personal and interactive communication, it is possible to avail the facilities of video conferencing, chat and messenger services. With the help of these services, the geographically fragmented countries have come together to form a community that is able to share its thoughts on global issues, that affect each and every one of us. The Internet has given us a common platform and medium through which we are able to explore other cultures and ideologies.

Abundant Information Resources

The Internet is a treasure trove of information; which offers knowledge on any given topic under the sun. Search engines make information accessible on various subject matters such as, government law and services, trade fairs and conferences, market information, new innovations and technical support, and even dispense advice on love and relationships matters.

It has become common practice to seek assistance from the web in order to research and gather resources for homework, office presentations, and supplement ones own research. The web also updates news about the latest breakthroughs in the field of medicine, technology, and other domains of science. Numerous websites such as America's Doctor, have made it possible to seek online advice from specialist doctors without having to actually fix an appointment.

Inexhaustible Education

The Internet has become an essential propagator of knowledge, both through free as well as paid services. The credibility of this form of education and whether it is safe, secure, and trustworthy, is usually proven through the quality and authenticity of content presented by each website. The World Wide Web has become a remarkable avenue for the academically unprivileged, to amass greater knowledge and know-how on subjects.

The entire scope of homeschooling has expanded because of increased accessibility to videos of teachers giving lectures, showing diagrams and explaining concepts, much like a real classroom. Nonprofit organizations too have opened websites that seek volunteers and donations in order to help the ones in need. There are also sites like Wikipedia, Coursera, Babbel, Archive, and Teachertube, among others, that have dedicated themselves to the art of imparting knowledge to people of all age groups.

Entertainment for Everyone

Entertainment is one of the foremost reasons why people prefer surfing the Web. In fact, the Internet has gained much success by marketing for several multifaceted entertainment industries. Finding the latest updates about celebrities and exploring lifestyle websites have become day-to-day activities of many Internet consumers. On the other hand, even celebrities are using the Internet effectively for promoting their cause and for keeping their fans happy.

There are innumerable games that can be download, either for a price or for free. Indeed, online gaming has tasted dramatic and phenomenal success because of its ever-increasing demand throughout the world.

Social Networking and Staying Connected

One cannot imagine a social life without Facebook or Twitter. These portals have become our means to stay connected with friends and family, and stay in touch with the latest happenings in the world. Social networking has also evolved as a great medium to connect with like-minded individuals and become a part of interesting groups and communities.

Apart from finding long-lost friends, the Internet also makes it easier to search and apply for jobs and business opportunities on forums and communities. There are public chat rooms where users can meet new people. For those who are single, the Internet also provides the option to select a suitable dating partner through secure online profiles, that can be filtered as per personal preferences.

Online Services and E-commerce

Thanks to numerous monetary services, we can perform all our financial transactions online. We can book tickets for a movie, transfer funds, pay utility bills and taxes without having to leave our homes or offices. Travel websites for instance, offer quick booking schemes and plan itineraries as per the preferences of their clients.

E-commerce is used for all type of business dealing that involves the transfer of money through the Internet. Online transaction of money has become the norm with almost all kinds of business. E-commerce, with its vast reach over a variety of products and services, makes it possible to have the client's orders delivered at their doorsteps. Websites such as eBay allow customers to bid, buy, sell, and even auction products online.

Disadvantages of the Internet

Theft of Personal Information

The use of Internet for banking, social networking, or other services, often makes our personal information vulnerable to theft. There are no fail-proof ways to securing names, account numbers, addresses, photos, and credit card numbers from being stolen or misused by thieving websites and individuals.

Unscrupulous hackers can access our sensitive information through unsecured connections by planting phishing software. Needless to say, the damage caused by having our identities misused and our accounts broken into, is often irreparable and most of all, embarrassing.

Spamming

Spamming refers to sending unwanted e-mails, which serve no purpose and needlessly obstruct the computer system. Such illegal activities can be very frustrating as it makes it slower to access our email accounts and makes the entire service unreliable for consumers.

Spammers usually use bots that bombard the receiver with an endless line of advertisements. This can prove to be increasingly perplexing, as it keeps getting mixed with our more important emails. Fortunately, email service providers often have security systems in place to guard against spamming. Fortunately, it is possible to report an email as spam, so that all emails from the same email id or IP address, are blocked.

Malware Threats

One of the most annoying problems with the Internet is the ease with which any malware can infect our computers. Internet users are often plagued by virus attacks that harm their computers and important files. Virus programs are inconspicuous and may get activated simply by clicking a seemingly harmless link. Computers connected to the Internet are extremely prone to IP targeted virus attacks that may end up crashing the system completely.

Internet virus can be of three types. The first type of virus affects files and goes directly for a particular file or file type. The second type harms system and executable boot files. These can be particularly nasty, as they can effectively stop the computer from starting again. Lastly, there's the macro virus, which is the most common as well as the most harmless of them all. The macro virus simply keep changing things like symbols on word files. The type of virus that can replicate and spread itself is known as worms. When a virus is disguised as something else, it's known as a trojan.

Age-inappropriate Content

Pornography and age-inappropriate content is perhaps the biggest disadvantage of the Internet. The worst being underage porn, which is largely rampant in the deeper parts of the web. It is the lack of control over the distribution and unrestricted access of pornographic material, that is detrimental to children. All that parents can do, is lock harmful sites and monitor the sites viewed by their children.

Pornography is not just frowned upon by most societies, it's also banned by some. The Internet makes uploading shocking content so easy, that we end up coming across inappropriate words and images, despite not wanting to.

Social Isolation, Obesity, and Depression

The biggest problem with having the Internet is, its ability to create rifts between the real and virtual world. The virtual world can often seem so alluring that once hooked, going back to real life seems daunting.

There is an addiction for everything that pertains to the web and that includes excessive surfing, online gambling, social networking, and gaming addiction. There are now psychiatric clinics and doctors that specifically cater to resolving the problems created by the Internet. These addictions create both physical as well as mental issues that can lead to health complications if left unattended. It is ironic that, while it is easy to find plenty of online support for agoraphobia, the Internet itself can be a big cause or trigger for it.

The link between obesity and the Internet is rather easy to understand. The more one sits in front of the computer, the lesser one exercises. At the end of the longish list of physical and emotional maladies, is depression. Since all problems are so deeply linked with one another and with the Internet, it isn't uncommon for people to be afflicted with multiple issues. Recent studies and research have gone deep enough to actually differentiate between compulsive Internet use and excessive Internet use. Furthermore, thanks to smartphones, holding a simple face-to-face conversation seems out of the ordinary as compared to chatting online.

Thus, even though the Internet has the potential to make our lives simple and convenient, it also holds the power to wreak havoc. Its influence on us is mostly dictated by the choices we make while being online. With prudent use, we can manage to harness its unlimited potential and steer clear of its adverse effects.