you can make money in web video

A guide to the best web sites that will enable you to convert your video into cold, hard cash

Are you a moviemaker or video maker? Have you been creating and posting videos to sites like YouTube, Metacafe and MySpaceTV video? You have been getting lots of great feedback, viewers have been favoriting your videos and sharing them among their friends, and maybe now you are thinking, how do I make some money on this?

Or maybe you are an upcoming video producer, shooter or editor. You recognize that the web is the wild frontier of video and film and you want to get a piece of it. Or maybe you are running a business and you are smart enough to recognize that maybe you can make some additional money by leveraging your products and services via web video.

Yes, you can make money in web video. You don't need to be a big-time producer with deep pockets. You don't need to have graduated form a top notch film school. You don't even need fancy video cameras and video editing gear.

There are various paths and direction you can take depending on what kinds of video you are making and what your goals are.

For the professional video or filmmaker, the creator of short videos or independent films, the best choice is to hook up with a major content provider that already has a presence on the web as well as in broadcast. Companies like Atom Films, Break, iFilm and the My Damn Channel all buy and license video streaming content from professional video makers. See the list of Sites that pay for video at Internet Video Magazine.

These web video distributors license your videos to other content companies and also exhibit your film on their Internet site, sharing the various advertisings and licensing revenues they get with you.

Most of these types of sites runs ad before your video, as well as a plethora of ads and banners on the web site. They have money coming in, and realizing the value of well made content, will pay you for your videos and films.

Atom Films says “We earn good money from those ads and we share a percentage of the gross revenue with content creators. That money is paid out according to the relative popularity of each movie on AtomFilms — so the more plays your movie generates, the more money you make.”

Because companies like AtomFilms also function as a source for video content to other media companies, they can pay you a slice of that as well. AtomFilms supplies content to companies like Comedy Central, Spike TV, Verizon's Vcast mobile entertainment service and Bell South's web portal. These partners pay Atom for the content, and from that revenue they pay royalties to the creators whose movies are shown.

According to AtomFilms, many of their film and video creators earn hundreds of dollars, some earn thousands of dollars, and the most successful creators have made tens of thousands — even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

There are some sites that are actually pay per view and work best for content that is either informational like “how to do it” videos or travel videos, or contain “special content” that can not be easily accessed elsewhere. Some of the leading sites for this are Veoh, Guba.com, BrightCove, VideoJug and ExpertVillage. At ExpertVillage, you can earn $100 to $1000 for each how-to video. The videos must be assigned first, focus on a specific topic, and consist of about 15 segments of one to three minutes each, featuring an "expert" on a given subject.

If you are running a business and want to promote it via video, you have a few options. You could use one of the pay per view services to distribute educational videos that you produce. You could distribute and re-purpose your TV and cable commercials by posting them to one or more of the “free” video posting sites, or you could actually create a “viral” video that drives traffic to your site.

A great example is the “Will It Blend” series of videos by a small company known as BlendTec. Originally done as a one off joke video featuring Blendtec CEO Tom Dickson and his blending antics, it turned viral. The company followed up with an almost endless series of videos of him grinding up objects of all types and sizes, from marbles to an iPhone to a rake handle. It has become a wonderful advertising and promotional medium for their company and now almost everyone knows who they are.

Many musicians are using web videos to promote themselves, their bands and their music. These can be a great way to build a new audience and get music enthusiasts exposed to their work without having to go through the music industry machine. Musicians can add links to their web sites on their videos to drive interest, or actually have roll-over promo appear when a web visitor checks out their video.

Maybe the most interesting channel to make money with your Internet video is by using sites that allow you to post almost any kind of video you created.

It can be a sophisticated, dramatic piece or a video clip snippet captured from your camcorder or your video phone. As long as you created it, you can make money from it. Once it is posted, whenever someone clicks on it and watches the video, you get paid. It’s all about driving content and eyeballs. Some interesting sites include YouTube, LuluTV, Flixya, Magnify.Net, Revver, BlipTV and many others. Also check out the many how to video sites like ExpertVillage and HowCast.


Another option is YouTube. They recently announced that they will start running ads on their videos and will be sharing the revenue with the content providers. Check out this news story from Yahoo News and A P

Revver - Once you upload a video to Revver, they attach an ad and a unique tracking technology. Any ad revenue generated by the video is then split 50/50 between you and Revver. According to Revver, “Since ads are attached to the video itself and dynamically served wherever the video travels, there's no restriction on how your videos are distributed. The more people email your video, post it to other websites or download it from P2P networks, the more money you could earn.”

This is interesting. Revver also pays you for sharing other people’s videos on the Revver network. You can earn 20% of ad revenue for sharing videos by other Revver members. The remaining revenue is split 50/50 between the maker and Revver.

My WeShow enables anyone to become an online video aggregator: finding, creating, discussing, sharing and making money from video content -

You Got to Promote Your OnLine Video

Once you have your videos uploaded, you also need to promote them and tell the world they are out there. For example, one of my favorite sites is French Maids TV - The Viral Video of “How To’s” by French Maids. Their videos are everywhere – on Revver, on BlipTV, on YouTube, etc.. According to Tim Street, creator and executive Producer, not only do they get paid to create these “viral” videos by each show’s tech sponsors, they collect thousands of dollars each month by links on Revver and similar web sites.

These shows combine a lot of humor and a bit of sex to promote the product or service featured on each clip. In addition to these natural hooks, he also promotes the show using RSS and podcast directories.

Tim said, “You need to make sure that you create a RSS Feed - a podcast of your videos. Then you need to get listed on all the podcast directories including the most important one of all, the one that can change your life forever, the one and only iTunes Store! Seriously iTunes has done more to promote French Maid TV than any other thing out there. It took French Maid TV a month to get listed on the iTunes Store. Three days later French Maid TV was number one and we had twenty thousand subscribers.”

There is a lot of money to be made in online video. Whether you are just uploading short clips captured by your camcorder phone, creating infomercials or how to videos, or producing creative and funny short films or indie full-length features, the online market is hungry for content. Check out some of these sites listed below and find out how you can cash in on this opportunity.

5 tips on ways to stay safe while on the internet

For this article, I thought I would give 5 tips on ways to stay safe while on the internet. These are some very simple tips, but you would be surprised how many people fail to do these things. Anyway, let's get right to them.

First off, never give your passwords out to anyone. I don't care if someone instant messages you claiming to be from AOL, you shouldn't give your password out. You also should be careful of websites that look like official websites that ask for your password. If you are uncertain about the website, just type in the regular homepage address. That way you are sure you are on the actual homepage.

Make your passwords difficult for people to guess. This is such a simple tip, but you would be surprised how many people forget to do this. It's usually recommended to pick a password that has letters AND numbers in it. If you just pick a word in the dictionary, it is easier for someone to guess. Putting letters and numbers together makes it much more difficult. Also, putting special characters in your password is also good.

Do not download software from pop-up boxes. I'm talking about those boxes that sometimes come up when you go to a website. Often times they will pretend to be a warning message that says your computer is infected with Spyware. Don't download those software programs! They are most likely Spyware. If you want to know some legitimate Spyware removers, check out my blog where I have some listed. My blog address is at the bottom of this article.

Do not click on links in spam e-mails you receive! I cannot stress this enough. There is absolutely no reason that you should click on a link in an e-mail from someone you don't know. What is the worst that could happen if you do? Well, the link could take you to a website that will infect your computer with a virus through a security hole. That can happen just by visiting a website. Seriously, there is no reason to click on a link from someone you don't know. If you've got an e-mail from someone claiming to be from eBay wanting your password, then log in from the main website. If eBay really needs you to log in so bad that they are e-mailing you, I'm sure there will be a big notice right on your account when you do log in through the actual website.

And finally, be careful with what personal information you put on the internet. Unless you are ordering something, you should not need to give out your last name, home address, or home phone number. If I sign up for a website and they need something like my phone number, I just give them my cell phone number. Even that though I don't generally recommend.

Like I've said, there are a lot of people that are taken advantage of through the internet. If you make sure to follow these tips, you should have no problem.

Stay safe!

video conferencing to communicate

Organizations are generally confused whether to use audio web conferencing or video conferencing to communicate with their clients, stakeholders, members and all other relevant individuals. Both types of conferences have their own advantages and disadvantages, and it is essential to analyze the needs and requirements of an organization before choosing on one of these conferences.

Audio web conferencing uses the latest VoIP technology to transmit voice over the internet. This facilitates a better voice clarity and reception. Further, VoIP technology is very cost effective since it converts the voice into packets and then sends it across. This ensures that only the relevant part of the conversation is sent across and the silence part is left behind, thereby saving on the internet charges. Latest equipments such as Cisco conferencing bridge enable the facilitation of an increasing number of members to the conference without affecting its quality. Further, Cisco conferencing bridge offers additional features such as a scheduler and auto dialer to improve the productivity of a conference.

Video conferencing equipment, on the other hand enables the transmission of video images across the internet. This acts as a close replica to a physical meeting, thereby producing similar results at a much lower cost. Video conferencing equipment working on the revolutionary VoIP technology further facilitate the transfer of data, files and presentations during the course of a conference. This is particularly helpful in corporate meetings and meetings with clients who are located at a far away place.

Now, which type of conferencing to choose would depend on the specific requirements of the organization. Audio web conferencing is more suitable to smaller organizations that don’t have a frequent need to conference and do not require transfer of data, files and presentations during the course of the conference. There have been a lot of technological advancements in the field of audio conference, and a lot of new products such as wireless headsets have come up that allow unconstrained mobility during the conference. If there is a frequent need to have conferences with important members such as clients and members then video conferencing would be the ideal choice since it provides a similar atmosphere as that of a real meeting. Moreover, technologically advanced video conferencing equipment such as a high resolution web camera or a TV screen that can supportmultiple members, can further enhance the effectiveness of a video conference.

Since both the conferences have their own advantages, it is advisable to carefully analyze the needs of your organization and then take a decision regarding which conferencing system to set up. For more information, you can visit : http://www.conference-bridge.com/

Where to Hide Your Hidden Camera?

People like to observe and watch what's going on when they're away. For security purposes or just to satisfy their desire to spy. Many want to discover what their spouse is doing at home alone or how a babysitter is taking care of the baby when both parents are working.

These people sometimes get confused and don't even know where to hide their cameras in the house. Which area is safest (meaning that the camera won't be spotted)? Which place people wouldn't want to look at and so on.

Below, we'll try to look at some of the best places in the house where one would want to hide his or her spy camera in order to observe and record various activities in the area.

Hiding Spy Camera in a Bedroom

If a person is concerned whether the spouse is cheating or not, the most obvious place to install a hidden camera would be in a bedroom.

But which place in a bedroom would be best to put the hidden cam?

Nightstand - Ok, most bedroom have nightstands, right. So one of the best places to put a hidden camera into would be a nightstand, behind some regular object, like a clock or radio. You could get a hidden camera already built into a clock and put it right on the nightstand.

Curtain-Rod - Another place could be a curtain-rod. If you can get a tiny spy camera, which is barely seen from a 10 feet distance, you could mount it on the top of the curtain or curtain-rod. You could get much better viewing angle and record everything without much trouble.

TV Set - Many people have TV's in bedrooms. So putting a tiny camera near the TV or on top of TV would be a good idea. Of course, the spy camera should be hidden and not look like a spy camera.

PC - Some people have PC's in their bedrooms. One could simply replace the regular speakers with new ones, which already have a spy camera installed and perform secret surveillance this way.

Book Shelf Placing a hidden camera in a book shelf might be a good idea. Especially when the hidden camera is in a shape of the book.

Placing a Hidden Camera in a Living Room

Teddy Bear Many people have all kinds of plush toys. It's possible to simply take one and put a camera inside.

Toy Cars If there are any toy cars in the living room or any other room, you could put a small micro camera into that toy and spy on the others.

Mirrors You could buy a two-sided mirror and put a spy camera there. Otherwise, it's possible to buy a mirror with a hidden camera built inside already.

Lamps You could take one light bulb or lamp out and put a spy camera inside. Then put the light back and start surveillance. Just make sure than someone doesn't try to repair it.

Flowers You could put a small camera inside a flower pot and put it on a windowsill for instance. If you have some flowers in the living room or plants, this won't look odd.

Switches Tiny cameras could be placed into light switches. Some light switches have covers, which help mask the spy cameras lenses.

Placing a Hidden Camera in a Kitchen

Lastly, you might want to put a spy camera in the kitchen. This wouldn't look suspicious if you put a clock in the kitchen somewhere.

There are already designed spy cameras that look like coffee mugs. Could you find a better place for such item other than kitchen?

Lastly, you could get one of those wearable spy cameras and put it wherever you want. Bedroom, living room, kitchen or office room. Nowhere such item will look suspicious. They can be pens, glasses, lighters, cell phones etc.

Would You like to learn more about those hidden cameras that you've just read about? Or maybe a listening device to record conversations is what you want? Go to Vedosoft website now.

What to do if you have random PC hang-ups

Have you ever experienced your computer intermittently hangs-up, or may re-boot itself for no apparent reason. This is not only annoying, but in most cases it means you have lost valuable work that you were in the process of creating.

If this has happened once, then your chances of explaining the cause are remote in the extreme. If you find it happening regularly, then it is clearly in your best interest to find and fix the problem.

There are a few things you can check for yourself that may save you a trip to the repair shop and save yourself a few bucks. With most modern computers, the system comes with built in circuitry to monitor the state of the computer. One of the checks built into your system is to test the operating temperature. The computer may shut down if this moves outside the desirable operating range.

For your system to run at the correct operating temperature it is important that air circulates freely in and around the case. If you have the computer case installed inside an enclosure, then this may be the first thing to consider changing. Similarly, I have seen computers covered with books, manuals and paper documents. These again can hinder air circulation, and these items should be removed.

Take a look at the slotted vents in the sides of the case. These slots can become blocked by an accumulation of dust. Because the computer is usually always drawing some power, it has a constant electrostatic charge. A computer is second only to a vacuum cleaner in its ability to suck in dust and fluff.

Removing the cover of the case will also show the dust build-up inside the computer. Be careful removing dust accumulations from internal components. This is best done with a soft artist brush or an aerosol can of compressed air.

Next, take a look at the internal cooling fans. Modern computers usually have a cooling fan perched on top of the processor. This fan should be clear of dust, and running freely, without obvious scraping noises, when the computer is operating. It is ok to start the computer with the case cover removed, just be careful not to poke things into the various components.

There will also be a cooling fan inside or attached to the power supply. This again should be free of dust and running freely. Some computers may also have an additional case fan. This will be screwed on over one of the slotted case vents, and typically be running from a cable connected to the mother board. Not all machines have a separate case fan, but if it is there, it is there for a reason. Apply the same checks to this fan.

If you have identified faults with your cooling fans, this may require a trip to your local repair shop. The repair technician may also suggest that the CPU heat sink be removed and re-placed with fresh heat transfer compound, which is a straightforward job for an experienced repairer.

How to make a flash video tutorial of your website and product in minutes

"Please show me how, do not tell me how" becomes more and more popular. Do you want to show your website or product in a fashion way at this golden season? This article describes how to make a flash video tutorial of your website or product in minutes.

"A video is more than thousands of words!" How to make a video tutorial of your website? Use a camera to record their menus? Maybe it's not a so bad choice! But a camera face to your computer is not the best way to show your website with the following 3 reasons.
1. The camera can not record the screen clearly.
2. You can not edit the video by adding some instructions or narrations easily.
3. The video file is too big for web sharing and transmission.

Maybe you need an application to record your screen, not a camera! Screen recording software helps you to record the screen to mirror all of your operations by recording mouse movements and keystrokes with the screenshots. Even you can add some tips to highlight the important functions. Furthermore, you can add narration from microphone easily to enhance the tutorial. At last you can publish the flash movie and transmit to the technical guys. As you know, the flash format has smaller size and better for network transmission.

The following is a step-by-step guide of how to create a video tutorial of MS Outlook by recording the computer screen in minutes. Or you can click to view the samples now:
http://www.sameshow.com/samples/outlook-tutorial/outlook-tutorial.html

1. Setting the capture mode and record
There are 3 capture modes to be selected: Application region, Custom region and Full screen. Now we select application region to record the Microsoft Outlook, guide others how to create an account in Microsoft Outlook. Click "Record" button to start recording.
Application Region: Capture the window of the specific application that is running.
Custom Region: Capture a customized rectangular shape on your desktop.
Full Screen: Capture the entire screen.

2. Edit and Enhance the tutorial
Once the recording is finished. DemoCreator will import the slides automatically. You can easily to add some interactive elements to the tutorial by slide. Insert new slide or delete unwanted slide. Or add some callouts, notes, animations to the tutorial to make the tutorial more interactive and animated.

Picture URL: http://www.sameshow.com/images/democreator/tutorial/1/edit.gif

3. Add sound to the tutorial
Click "Audio" button and login the Audio Timeline Editor. You can edit the audio easily by cutting, inserting and deleting. And also you can view the slide at the same time when editing the audio. Furthermore, you can record the sound when recording the screen.

Picture URL: http://www.sameshow.com/images/democreator/tutorial/1/sound.gif

4. Publish the flash movie
Click "Publish" button and login the publish menu. Select publish to SWF, LMS, auto-run CD, standalone EXE, or Email. As you know, flash file has the smaller size and safer in network transmission.

Learn more from: http://www.sameshow.com/demo-creator.html

View the created outlook tutorial from: http://www.sameshow.com/democreator/create-software-demo-samples.html

Outlook Express not working on Windows Vista

As soon as Windows Vista was released the problems related to it began to pop-out. Presented like the best software ever, Vista failed to keep up the promise that Microsoft has stated. At beginning no one knew how good or bad Vista will be, but for sure everyone has expected some remarkable, out ordinary and superb software. The results were very bad. Most users are not happy with Vista and that leads us to conclusion that XP is still number one operating system.

The problem with Vista is that, especially back than, but today also, Vista is not compatible with a lot programs that work perfectly with Windows XP. And of course no one expected that Vista is not going to be compatible with a lot of programs, because that does not match the description a good/great operating system.

Among dozens of problems you get when using Vista, one is just making more trouble than the others. That problem is related to Outlook Express 2002. If you can remember right now, before using your Outlook you have to set up your account by filling in your passwords, user ID, server name and e-mail addresses. And of course, you check the option which will save all of your passwords. That's it. You can now use your Outlook. But, where is the problem you ask? Well, the problem starts the second time you open your Outlook. When you open it and try to send or receive your e-mails a small window pops-up with your user ID info, server name and with a blank field for passwords. If you go to your account settings you will see that all of yours previously written passwords are now gone. And that's your problem. You have to write password every time you open Outlook Express.

There are many complaints about this issue on the internet, but just a few solutions. Maybe the best solution is not to use Vista, or another, keep your Outlook opened 24/7. Of course these are just solutions if there is no other one that helps. But, there are few. You can find some on Microsoft's official Help & Support page, but you can also find other on different internet forums. The problem is that there is not a universal solution which would help everyone; you have to try few of them to find the one that works for you. It can depend on how many accounts do you have on your Outlook, because it's not the same if you have just one account or if you have five accounts.

Here is one solution to help you solve this problem:

A Purchase Guide to Budget Notebooks

Since it became commercially available back in the early eighties, notebooks called the attention of computer users because of its small size and portability. Not much of a commercial success back then, it only took a short time before the computer industry improved this item, up to a point that is now considered to be one of the best selling computer consumer products.

For one who intends to buy a budget notebook, he may have some difficulties in picking the right one, since there are several notebook manufactures offering so many models. Budget notebooks are in a class by itself with basic features but capable of delivering full solutions for computer related tasks.

For an easy guide to budget notebooks, check the following major manufactures:

SONY

Sony VAIO notebooks are fashioned products targeted to consumers who demand flexibility and power without compromise. It is expected to find features such as 15.4`` WXGA, duo core processor and 100 gb hard disk. Although not the cheapest of budget notebooks, it compensates the higher price by offering more technological features.

Most common features one can expect from Sony budget notebooks: 1 - Intel Core Duo Processor T2250 1.72 Ghz; 2 - Windows Vista; 3 - 1 gb DDR2 ram; 4 - Widescreen XGA display type; 5 - Intel graphics media accelerator 950; 6 - 100 gb SATA hard disk 5400 rpm; 7 - CD-RW/DVD rom; 8 - wireless lan 802.11 a/b/g; 9 - Modem and Lan port 10/100; 10 - USB connectivity; 11 - It weighs around 6.5 pounds; 12 - Lithium ion battery up to 5.5 hours; 13 - One year limited warranty. Price starts from U$ 929.00 and up according with optional accessories.

DELL

With features such as 15.4`` WXGA, duo core processor and ATI Radeon Xpress graphics, Dell budget notebooks offer a flexible combination of power, mobile productivity and entertainment at a good price.

Most common features one can expect out of these notebooks are: 1 - AMD Turion 62 X2 1.8 ghz/1mb cache processor; 2 - Windows Vista; 3 - 512 mb ram; 4 - Widescreen XGA display type; 5 - ATI Radeon Xpress 256 mb video graphics chipset; 6 - Up to 80 gb hard disk; 7 - CD-RW/DVD rom; 8 - It weighs around 6 pounds; 9 - 9-cell lithium ion battery; 10 - One year limited warranty. Price starts from U$ 549.00 and up according with optional accessories.

TOSHIBA

All Toshiba budget notebooks feature an 15.4`` diagonal WXGA display, DVD optical drive which reads and writes up to 11 formats, high speed wireless lan (802.11 b/g) for easy connection in networks.

Most common features one can expect out of these notebooks are: 1 - Intel Celeron processor with 1+ Ghz; 2 - Windows Vista; 3 - 512 mb ram; 4 - Widescreen XGA display type; 5 - Radeon Xpress 200M video graphics chipset; 6 - 60 gb hard disk; 7 - CD-RW/DVD rom; 8 - wireless lan but no Bluetooth connectivity; 9 - Modem and Lan port 10/100 mbps; 10 - USB and firewire connectivity; 11 - It weighs around 5 pounds; 12 - 4-cell lithium ion battery; 13 - Tv-out s-video; 14 - One year parts and labor warranty. Price starts from U$ 599.00 and up according with optional accessories.

HP

HP Budget notebooks with features such as 15.4`` display screen, AMD Sempron 3500+ and a sophisticated black resin finish, offer an attractive mix of style, mobility and performance.

Expected features one can find in this HP notebook category: 1 - AMD Sempron 3500+; 2 - Windows Vista; 3 - 15.4`` WXGA Widescreen; 3 - 512 mb ddr2; 4 - CD-RW/DVD rom; 4 - Wireless connectivity 802.11b/g wlan; 5 - It weighs around 7 pounds; 6 - Nvidia video graphics chipset with 256 mb; 7 - 6-cell lithium ion battery; 8 - USB, lan and modem port; 9 - Integrated stereo speakers; 10 - 60 gb SATA hard disk; 11 - Tv-out s-video; 12 - One year warranty in parts and labor. Price starts from U$ 569.00 and up according with optional accessories.

A while ago portable electronics devices were a luxury at an expensive price. Nowadays it became an affordable must have kind of product for lots of people. Notebooks are in this category for sure! And basic notebooks are the best option for those who are in a tight budget. So, if portability is a must for your personal or professional computer related tasks, waste no more time. Get yourself a budget notebook!

Notebook or Desktop Computer -- Which Should You Choose?

On TV and in the movies, we see a lot of portable computers being used in homes and offices. Does that mean that's the trend? Is that what you should get?

Portable computers cost more, so unless you really have the need for one, you get a lot more computer for your money with a regular desktop PC. The main thing is portability. If you need a portable computer, get a laptop. ("Laptop," "portable," and "notebook" all refer to the same thing, by the way). Otherwise, a desktop computer is a better buy, and better ergonomically.

The Price Difference

You might wonder why laptops cost more than desktop computers with comparable features and power. That is largely because it is more expensive to manufacture laptops and their parts. For portable computer components, factors such as compactness, the amount of heat they generate, their weight, and power consumption are more important than they are for desktops. Those factors add to their manufacturing costs.

Space Requirements

While laptops are certainly compact, a desktop computer with a flat panel monitor can take up almost as little space. While called a "desktop" computer, the computer itself is most often kept on the floor. That leaves just the monitor, keyboard and mouse on the desk, which is really very similar in footprint to a notebook computer.

A great way to further reduce the space taken up on the desktop computer is get a keyboard drawer to hold the keyboard and mouse. That way, they slide out of the way under the top of the desk when they aren't needed.

Be Mindful of Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the science of designing and arranging things so that people can interact with them more comfortably and safely. The basic ergonomic principals for computer use tell us that, 1) the keyboard should be as close to your lap level as possible (assuming you touch-type), 2) the monitor should be about arm's length in front of you, and 3) the top of the monitor should be at about your eye level. Try achieving that with a laptop computer! Two words: im-possible.

It is obvious then, that a desktop computer is much better ergonomically than a laptop is. For prolonged use, especially, you're much better off with a desktop computer.

And Don't Forget Usability

Another aspect of ergonomics is usability. Because of size constraints, laptops also are lower on the usability scale than desktop PCs are. For one thing, laptop keyboards lack the separate groupings of the different sets of keys with space between them. For another, there are fewer keys on a laptop's keyboard, so some of them have to perform double duty. On a standard keyboard, you don't have to deal with that.

Screen Resolution

Computer monitors -- the bulky ones, anyway -- can be set at different resolutions. In other words, you can change the fineness of the image on the screen. The range is typically 640x480 -- that is 640 pixel across and 480 pixels up and down -- to 800x600, 1024x768, or even higher. At 640x480, the icons and such appear quite large; at 1024x768, they are substantially smaller. The most common resolutions today for desktop computers are 800x600 and 1024x768.

Something They Don't Tell You

Laptop displays, on the other hand, have a fixed, or native, resolution. You can change the setting, but then the images and text don't look good. While people tend to think that bigger numbers are better, a higher screen resolution may not work as well for you. It may make everything too small to see comfortably.

Remember, the laptop's screen is smaller that a desktop's. While a typical desktop computer screen is 17" or so a laptop's is usually in the range of 12" to 15." That is a big difference. Make sure you can see everything clearly before choosing a high-resolution laptop.

3 Tips On Selecting A Great Spy Shop To Buy Spy Cameras From

Button Camera (Buy Cordless Button Spy)

Looking to choose a spy shop to buy hidden cameras or spy cameras from?

There are so many spy stores on the Internet, ending up making a choice of where to buy may seem overwhelming and confusing at first.

Fear not.

Here I will give you three tips which will make your buying experience a good one, where you can rest assured the store you chose to buy from was a good choice. And, ultimately, you will be in the possession of surveillance equipment that will meet your expectations and gather the evidence you want to gather!

Tip 1 - Choose a company with first hand experience with their products

Here's a little secret which will drive the point home...

Believe it or not, it's quite easy to decide to set up have your own spy shop on the Internet.

What happens is once people get on your website and buys, the order is sent to this manufacturer's website and the manufacturer send the product to the customer. In other words, you never deal with the products yourself and have no direct experience using them. So often times websites you buy from only take orders and notify the manufacturer - but never really gets their hands on these spy cameras and/or other spy devices.

So you're often dealing with someone whose not really good at advising you on your purchases beyond the little product information the product's manufacturer provided him with.

Recommendation: Youre much better off dealing with a "real" company who actually have inventory of the products it sells. A company which actually got to try and use it's own products. Basically one that knows what it's talking about!

The safest way is to only buy from a website with an actual physical address to a physical store. This way you know they "play" with their products and have the knowledge to make good recommendations to you.

Also, them and ask them several questions about their products and have a feel for wether they seem to know what they're talking about first hand, or if they merely seem to point to technical specifications they're probably reading off the manufacturer's product technical papers.

Tip 2 - Security of the Spy shop website

If you buy from an online website, you will probably pay by credit card. So make sure the website is processing your credit card order information through secure servers using encryption technology.

Simply look at the bottom right of the screen of your browser for a little icon of a lock. When it's present, you can rest assure the transaction is secure.

Tip 3 -Compile your list of great spy shops and compare

You shop for surveillance equipment as you would normally for any type of shopping.

Now that you have a list of good stores to buy from, simply compare prices and make a decision!

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To learn about the many spy gear on the market and how to choose one that is right for your needs, you can check out http://www.spy-equipment-buying-guide.com/spy-stores.html

High Definition Camcorder Guide

Comparing camcorder specifications before you make a purchase is a good idea.

With a little time investment you can make sure that you make a good money investment. For example there are many hi definition camcorders available, but not all of them are created equal. The same goes for analog camcorders, hi-Res camcorders, digital video cameras, and handy cams. You cannot just assume that all hi def camcorders will provide the same quality picture.

Comparing specifications of each camera will insure that you get the best quality camera for your money. You also need to keep in mind which specifications are most important to you. This will all depend on what you intend on using your camera for.

One specification you may want to look at is the zoom. Make sure you look at the digital and optical zoom. The amount of zoom a camera has can vary greatly. If you are just going to be using your camera for recording special occasions and family events you will probably not need a camera with a huge zoom. Many times you will be close enough that you do not need to use all the zoom that the camera is capable of. If you are more of a professional you may need a camera that is a little more sophisticated.

Size of the camera is another concern for some people. Size used to reflect the quality of the picture that was recorded, but not anymore. Thanks to companies like Sony, Panasonic, and Canon, to name a few, size does not affect quality. Mini cameras can now take just as high-quality pictures as the bigger ones. Once again what you will be using your camera for will help you determine how much size will affect your decision.

Another specification that you might want to look at is what you will be recording on. You can now buy HD camcorders, and digital camcorders that record on tapes, or DVD's, or right onto a hard drive. If you are recording onto a hard drive you will want to know how much memory you have available. You can get many hours of recording on a hard drive. With a hard drive you don't have to worry about carrying extra tapes around with you. You also don't have to worry about running out of tape in the middle of your special occasion. Your hard drive will insure that you get the whole event on one tape without interruptions.

Battery life is another specification that may be important. Some batteries will record more hours than others. If you plan on needing your camera for long periods of time you will want to make sure you have a battery with a long life. The fewer times you have to change the battery or the tape the easier your recording will be.

There are many specifications for you to compare when purchasing your camcorder. Make sure you do a little research so that you know what you are looking at when you get to the store. High definition camcorder shopping can make your head swim. Too many models, brands and options to keep track of! Come visit us for loads of information and tips to help you sort through it all: High Definition Camcorder Guide

How To Keep Accurate Time On Your Computer

Most computers have internal clocks dedicated to maintaining system time. The internal real-time clocks rely on relatively cheap crystal oscillators, which are very inaccurate. In many cases computer system time can drift by several minutes each day. This article describes various methods of keeping a highly accurate time on your computer. It describes how to utilise Internet time servers, radio and GPS clocks and dedicated NTP server systems.

Internet Time Servers

The Internet utilises the Network Time Protocol, NTP, to disseminate accurate time information to network time clients. NTP has been an important part of the Internet for more than 25 years. The protocol was born through the desire to provide synchronization of time critical procedures throughout the Internet.

Most modern operating systems, including Microsoft Windows 2003, XP, 2000, UNIX and LINUX have the ability to synchronize time with a NTP Time Server. There are a host of Internet based NTP Time Servers that the public can access that can be used to synchronise your computer. Below is a list of popular Internet based public access NTP Server time references:

ptbtime1.ptb.de - German NTP server time reference.
canon.inria.fr - French NTP server time reference.
time.nist.gov - US based NTP server time reference.
clock.isc.org - Canadian NTP server time reference.
ntp.my-inbox.co.uk - UK NTP server time reference.

Microsoft Windows XP has pre-installed SNTP client software that can synchronize time with a NTP server time reference. This is achieved by simply entering the domain name of a NTP Server in the time properties tab. The host computer will then periodically contact the NTP Server and synchronise the system time to the specified NTP reference.

LINUX and UNIX operating systems have the network time protocol software distribution available from the NTP website. The NTP application runs, in background, as a daemon, constantly monitoring specified NTP servers. The NTP daemon application reads a list of NTP servers from a configuration file, ntp.conf and periodically synchronizes time. A list of NTP server references is specified with the server configuration command thus:

server clock.isc.org # Canadian NTP server time reference
server ntp.my-inbox.co.uk # UK NTP server time reference.

Once configured, the network time protocol daemon can be started, stopped and restarted using the daemon commands: ntpd start; ntpd stop and ntpd restart. GPS Clock and Radio Time References There a number of commercially available GPS clock and radio time references for computers. GPS and radio clocks obtain accurate time from national radio timing references or from the global positioning system.

The devices have either serial or USB computer interfaces and provide an accurate timing reference to computers. Software drivers periodically synchronise the system time of the host computer to the received reference time. Often reference clock drivers are available that interface to the NTP daemon to provide your own dedicated NTP server resource.

LF radio time receivers often have the advantage of having the ability to obtain a signal, indoors. However, the radio signals can only be received locally to the reference transmitter. There are a number of world-wide radio time broadcasts available: WWVB transmitted from Colorado, USA; CHU, Canada; DCF-77 transmitted from Frankfurt, Germany; MSF transmitted from Rugby, UK and TDF, France. GPS has the advantage of providing a world-wide time and frequency system, however, an externally mounted antenna is required which can be impractical in many cases.

Dedicated NTP Servers

NTP servers are time servers that obtain time from an external timing reference, such as GPS or radio, and provide a network with an accurate time resource. NTP servers are usually rack-mounted devices with an antenna and an LAN connection. The devices obtain accurate time from a radio or GPS timing transmission and maintain an accurate internal time. The accurate time is distributed to network clients using UDP over an IP network. Dedicated NTP servers often minimize the set-up and configuration time required to get a NTP server up and running.

Notebook Buying Tips

Why notebook became so popular? It has been estimated that notebook sales has increased an average of 20% per year in the Indonesia alone. Among the many advantages it offers, portability is one of the main reason people end up making a purchase of it. However before any purchase is made, other features should be considered as well.

Notebook was first made available in the early eighties. Although much heavier and bulkier than today's notebooks, it had the unique portability feature that put this innovative product in a class by itself. Although not much of a commercial success then, it gave the computer industry a goal to pursue in manufacturing this item with better weight, size and performance ratio and making one of today's most wanted computer hardware.

Notebook size has got much smaller, however big enough to make one feel very comfortable in handling and operating computer related tasks. One can find it in sizes best categorized as: 1 - Tablet Pc has the size of paper tablet and weighs no more than 4 pounds; 2 - Ultra Portable is a little bigger than Tablet Pc and weighs around 4 pounds, no internal CD or DVD drive, display of 12 inches or smaller; 3 - Thin and Light is a mid-size notebook, 10-14" x 10", 1 to 1.5 thick, and weighs around 7 pounds, wireless network capability, 14-inch displays, combo CD-RW/DVD; 4 - Desktop replacement is the largest category of notebooks, more than 12 x 10" and weighs more than 7 pounds, 15-17 inches displays or larger, wireless network capability, combo CD-RW/DV.

Also an important feature one should look for is performance. Notebooks provide very close performance in comparison with traditional desktop computers, and should handle all computer related tasks with great ease. Whenever purchasing a notebook, make sure it has the latest cpu model, large ram memory and hard disk space. Notebook performance is directly related with cpu clock, ram memory and hard disk space. For these items, big is never enough.

Another feature one should look for is the dvd player. It can come in handy for entertainment purposes, enabling one to watch movies while traveling. Wireless connection is also a feature to look for in a notebook. Some notebooks feature an infrared port, which can be used to connect a mobile phone. Also there are other wireless technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, which allows mobile phone, printers and PDA to be connected at certified public and private network. The ability to have a mobile connection is definitely a plus in today's connected world.

Expansion capability for notebooks can be done thru the use of plug-in pc cards. Although there is a new standard called ExpressCard, which is smaller and faster plug-in card that provides more features for multimedia tasks.

Notebooks have certainly become an item required for one's mobile computer related tasks, whether it is used for public, private, personal or professional purposes. Its portability and small size make an attractive all around computer hardware item. For those looking for mobile computer hardware, notebooks can certainly become a good solution at affordable prices.