A Technical Introduction to USB 2.0

This document introduces the features and benefits of USB 2.0 and

describes its impact to users, PC manufacturers and PC peripheral

manufacturers. Following a recap of USB 1.1, this paper overviews

the technical aspects of USB 2.0 whose details are in the

specification draft released in October.

USB 2.0 Executive Summary
A core team from Compaq, Hewlett Packard, Intel, Lucent, Microsoft, NEC and
Philips is leading the development of the USB Specification, version 2.0, that will
increase data throughput by a factor of 40. This backwards-compatible
extension of the USB 1.1 specification uses the same cables, connectors and
software interfaces so the user will see no change in the usage model. They will,
however, benefit from an additional range of higher performance peripherals,
such as video-conferencing cameras, next-generation scanners and printers, and
fast storage devices, with the same ease-of-use features as today’s USB
peripherals.

Impact to User
From a user’s perspective, USB 2.0 is just like USB, but with much higher
bandwidth. It will look the same and behave the same, but with a larger choice of
more interesting, higher performance devices available. Also, all of the USB
peripherals the user has already purchased will work in a USB 2.0-capable
system.

Impact to PC Manufacturer
USB 2.0 will provide system manufacturers the ability to connect to high
performance peripherals in the least expensive way. The additional performance
capabilities of USB 2.0 can be added with little impact to overall system cost.
Indeed, high-bandwidth interfaces such as SCSI adapters may no longer be
required in some systems, leading to a net saving of system cost. Simpler
construction will result since only USB connectors will be needed on many future
PCs. Today’s ubiquitous USB connectors will become USB 2.0, superceding
USB 1.1.

Impact to Peripheral Manufacturer
Today’s USB devices will operate with full compatibility in a USB 2.0 system.
The added capabilities of USB 2.0 will expand the market segment for USB
peripherals, while enabling retail products to transition with the installed base.
Support of USB 2.0 is recommended for hubs and higher bandwidth peripherals.
Designing a USB 2.0 peripheral will be a similar engineering effort to that of
designing a USB 1.1 peripheral. Some low-speed peripherals, such as HID
devices, may never be redesigned to support the USB 2.0 high-speed capability
in order to maintain the absolute lowest cost.
Historical Perspective – Universal Serial Bus
The Universal Serial Bus was originally developed in 1995 by many of the same
industry leading companies currently working on USB 2.0. The major goal of
USB was to define an external expansion bus which makes adding peripherals to
a PC as easy as hooking up a telephone to a wall-jack. The program’s driving
goals were ease-of-use and low cost. These were enabled with an external
expansion architecture, as shown in Figure 1, which highlights:
·  PC host controller hardware and software,
·  robust connectors and cable assemblies,
·  peripheral friendly master-slave protocols,
·  expandable through multi-port hubs.
Figure 1. Example USB 1.1 System Configuration
(available in full version)

Today, USB is enjoying tremendous success in the marketplace, with most
peripheral vendors around the globe developing products to this specification.
Virtually all new PCs come with one or more USB ports on the box. In fact, USB
has become a key enabler of the Easy PC Initiative, an industry initiative led by
Intel and Microsoft to make PCs easier to use. This effort sprung from the
recognition that users need simpler, easier to use PCs that don’t sacrifice
connectivity or expandability. USB is one of the key technologies used to provide
this.

Recap of USB 1.1 Operation
An understanding of the roles of each of the major elements within a USB 1.1
system will better show the evolutionary step that USB 2.0 provides.
Role of Host PC hardware and software.
The role of the system software is to provide a uniform view of IO system for all
applications software. It hides hardware implementation details so that
application software is more portable. For the USB IO subsystem in particular, it
manages the dynamic attach and detach of peripherals. This phase, called
enumeration, involves communicating with the peripheral to discover the identity
of a device driver that it should load, if not already loaded. A unique address is
assigned to each peripheral during enumeration to be used for run-time data
transfers. During run-time the host PC initiates transactions to specific
peripherals, and each peripheral accepts it’s transactions and responds
accordingly. Additionally the host PC software incorporates the peripheral into
the system power management scheme and can manage overall system power
without user interaction.

Role of the hub.
Besides the obvious role of providing additional connectivity for USB peripherals,
a hub provides managed power to attached peripherals. It recognizes dynamic
attachment of a peripheral and provides at least 0.5W of power per peripheral
during initialization. Under control of the host PC software, the hub may provide
more device power, up to a maximum of 2.5W, for peripheral operation. A newly
attached hub will be assigned its unique address, and hubs may be cascaded up
to five levels deep. During run-time a hub operates as a bi-directional repeater
and will repeat USB signals as required on upstream (towards the host) and
downstream (towards the device) cables. The hub also monitors these signals
and handles transactions addressed to itself. All other transactions are repeated
to attached devices. A hub supports both 12Mb/s (full-speed) and 1.5Mbs (lowspeed)
peripherals.

Role of the peripheral.
All USB peripherals are slaves that obey a defined protocol. They must react to
request transactions sent from the host PC. The peripheral responds to control
transactions that, for example, request detailed information about the device and
it’s configuration. The peripheral sends and receives data to/from the host using
a standard USB data format. This standardized data movement to/from the PC
host and interpretation by the peripheral gives USB it’s enormous flexibility with
little PC host software changes. USB 1.1 peripherals can operate at 12Mb/s or
1.5Mb/s.

What does USB 2.0 add?
USB 2.0 is an evolution of the USB 1.1 specification, providing a higher
performance interface. Today’s USB 1.1 connectors and full-speed cables will
support the higher speeds of USB 2.0 without any changes. Characterization
that has already been done on these cables confirms this compatibility. Analysis
that has been done by the electrical team suggests that a target of 480Mbs is
achievable on USB 2.0. USB 2.0 will specify a microframe, which will be 1/8th of
a 1msec frame. This will allow USB 2.0 devices to have small buffers even at
high data rates.

Support of higher speed USB 2.0 peripherals connected to a hub assumes USB
2.0 hubs as shown in Figure 2. The higher transmission speed is negotiated on a
device-by-device basis and if the higher speed is not supported by a peripheral,
then the link operates at a lower speed of 12Mb/s or 1.5Mb/s as determined by
the peripheral.

Figure 2. Example Future USB 2.0 System Configuration
(available in full version)

As shown in Figure 2, high-speed connections were negotiated between the root
hub and the external USB 2.0 hub and between the external USB 2.0 hub and
the video-conferencing camera (a USB 2.0 peripheral). All other connections are
at USB 1.1 data rates, i.e. 12Mb/s automatically downshifting to 1.5Mb/s for lowspeed
peripherals. Note that the external USB 2.0 hub has different signaling
rates on its ports. Using a 40x multiplier for USB 2.0, the USB 2.0 hub example
in Figure 2 has an input rate of 480Mb/s and output rates of 480Mb/s for attached
high speed USB 2.0 peripherals, and 12Mb/s or 1.5Mb/s for attached USB 1.1
peripherals. Any downstream port of a USB 2.0 hub can support attachment of
any speed USB device. The USB 2.0 hub must match the data rates sent out of
its downstream ports to the data rate appropriate to the attached device. This
increases the hub’s role in a USB 2.0 system as outlined below.

Overview of USB 2.0 Operation
The external view of a USB 2.0 system looks no different from a USB 1.1 system
as evidenced by comparing Figures 1 and 2. A casual observer will not be able
to discriminate between the two system versions – which is exactly the view the
user should have. However, the user will have to be able to distinguish between
USB 2.0 hubs and USB 1.1 hubs in order to optimize the placement of USB 2.0
high-speed devices. The roles of the components of the 2.0 system have minor
changes from the roles in a USB 1.1 system.

Role of Host PC software.
Current applications software on the PC continues to operate with USB 1.1
peripherals and is unchanged. The system software will comprehend the
increased capabilities of USB 2.0 peripherals so that it can optimize
performance. The system software will also detect sub-optimal configurations,
i.e. a USB 2.0 peripheral attached to a USB 1.1 hub, and will alert the user and
recommend a better configuration for attaching the peripherals. New
applications will be written to take advantage of the higher speed capabilities and
ease-of-use of USB 2.0 peripherals and drivers.

Role of the hub.
A USB 2.0 hub accepts high-speed transactions at the faster frame rate and
must deliver them to high-speed USB 2.0 peripherals and USB 1.1 peripherals.
This data rate matching responsibility will require some increased hub complexity
and temporary buffering of the incoming high-speed data. In the simplest case of
communicating with an attached USB 2.0 peripheral, the hub repeats the highspeed
signals on appropriate USB 2.0 upstream and downstream cables just as
a USB 1.1 hub repeats full and low-speed signals today on USB 1.1 devices.
This allows USB 2.0 peripherals to utilize the majority of USB 2.0 bandwidth.
To communicate with USB 1.1 peripherals, a USB 2.0 hub contains a mechanism
that supports the concept of matching the data rate with the capabilities of the
downstream device. In other words, the hub manages the transition of the data
rate from the high speed of the host controller to the lower speed of a USB 1.1
device. This feature of USB 2.0 hubs means that USB 1.1 devices can operate
along with USB 2.0 devices and not consume disproportionate amounts of USB
2.0 bandwidth. This new hub architecture is intended to be as simple and cost
effective as possible, and yet deliver the full capabilities of 1.1 connections.
The new USB 2.0 hub will be completely defined in the USB 2.0 specification
providing clear implementation guidelines for hub vendors and allowing a single
software driver to service USB 2.0 hub products from multiple vendors.


Role of the peripheral.
Current peripheral products do not require any changes to operate in a USB 2.0
system. Many Human Interface Devices, such as mice, keyboards and game
pads will not require the additional performance that USB 2.0 offers and will
remain as full or low speed peripherals as defined by USB 1.1.
The higher data rate of USB 2.0 will, however, open up the possibilities of
exciting new peripherals. Video-conferencing cameras will perform better with
access to higher bandwidth. Next-generation, higher-speed and higher
resolution printer and scanner devices will be enabled at the high-end. High
density storage devices such as R/W DVD, and high capacity CDROM jukeboxes
will also be enabled by USB 2.0. These devices require minor changes to the
peripheral interface, as defined in the USB 2.0 specification. Overall, the
additional cost to support USB 2.0 is expected to be minimal to the peripheral.
Both USB1.1 and USB 2.0 devices will inter-operate in a USB 2.0 system.

Summary
The USB Specification is currently at Version 1.1 and supports a wide range of
products. Many vendors are moving towards USB, drawn by its inclusion on
virtually all PC platforms and its ease-of-use. More and more types of innovative
new peripherals are taking advantage of USB, which further enhance the
available USB product portfolio.
The version 2.0 specification that is under development is an evolutionary step
that increases performance capabilities at low cost for USB peripherals in a
backwards compatible fashion. It is expected to broaden the market for new and
higher performance PC peripherals, and supercede USB 1.1 on future PCs.

RJ 45 Standard

Color Codes

Pin     color  pair  name

---     -----  ---- ---------

1       wh/or   2   TxData +

2       or      2   TxData -

3       wh/grn  3   RecvData+

4       blu     1

5       wh/blu  1

6       grn     3   RecvData-

7       wh/brn  4

Note that the odd pin numbers are always the white with stripe color.

Straight Through Cable	Color Code
Pin 1  Pin 2 Pin 3 Pin 4 Pin 5 Pin 6 Pin 7 Pin 8	white orange orange white green blue white blue green white brown brown

Cross Over Cable	Color Code
Pin 1  Pin 2 Pin 3 Pin 4 Pin 5 Pin 6 Pin 7 Pin 8	white green green white orange blue white blue orange white brown brown

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Understand of RAID

RAID: A Comparison of Different Modes

RAID 0: Striping
Technically speaking, mode 0 doesn't adhere to the principles of a RAID, given the fact
that an important factor, data redundancy, does not exist. Hence RAID 0 offers no
advantages in terms of security - in fact, on the contrary. All of the data are evenly
distributed to all of the existing drives; this array is called a stripe set. This process can
best be described with the "zipper method." The benefits are clear: because the data
stream can be allocated to all the different drives, the data transfer rate is multiplied by
the number of drives. Here the upper limits are the maximum transfer rate per channel
Search Amazon.com for server(max. 100 MB/s for UltraATA/100), or the maximum bandwidth of the controller on the
PCI bus (266 MB/s at 66 MHz / 32-bit PCI). However, in reality this very drastic
performance boost comes at the price of higher fault vulnerability. Instead of one, now all
of the RAID drives must work error-free. If even one of those drive crashes, all of the
stored data will be lost.

RAID 1: Mirroring
Mode 1 is basically the complete opposite of RAID 0. The goal here is not to boost
performance, but to ensure data security. When reading or writing data, all drives of the
array are used simultaneously. Hence, data is written synchronously to two or more
drives, which is equivalent to a perfect backup copy - perfect because the data is always
100% up-to-date.

RAID 2: Striping
Striping is based on the same principle as RAID 0: the stripe set distributes the data to all
drives, though not in block form, but, rather, on a bit level. This is necessary because an
Error Correcting Code (ECC) is implemented in all transaction data. Additional hard
drives are necessary to store the resulting additional volume. If you wanted to guarantee
complete data security, you would have to deploy at least ten data disks and four ECC
disks. The next level would entail 32 data disks and seven ECC disks. This explains why
RAID 2 never caught on.
On top of that, performance is only mediocre as multiple access is not possible in bit
stripe sets. The higher the number of accesses, and the shorter they are, the more lethargic
RAID 2 gets.

RAID 3: Data Striping, Dedicated Parity
Level 3 incorporates prudent error correction. Data is allocated byte by byte to several
hard drives, while the parity data is stored in a separate drive. This is exactly the
disadvantage of RAID 3, as the parity drive has to be accessed with every access. So the
advantage of RAID, bundling the disk performance by distributing access, is partially
offset. RAID 3 needs a minimum of three drives.

This mode requires quite a complex controller, which is why RAID 3, similar to levels 4
and 5, never caught on in the mass market.

RAID 4: Data Striping, Dedicated Parity
The technology of RAID Level 4 is similar to that of level 3, except that the individual
stripes are not written in bytes, but in blocks. In theory, this should speed things up, but
the parity drive still remains the bottleneck.

RAID 5: Distributed Data, Distributed Parity
RAID Level 5 is generally considered the best compromise between data security and
performance. Not only the data, but also the parity information, is distributed to all the
existing drives. The resulting advantage is that RAID is really only a bit slower than
RAID 3. However, failure safety is limited, as only one hard drive can safely crash. At
least three hard drives are required in each case.

RAID 6: Distributed Data, Distributed Parity
With RAID 6, you're really only talking about RAID 5 - except that twice the amount of
parity information is stored. Though this cuts down on performance a bit, it allows up to
two hard drives to crash. It does require, however, a minimum of five drives.
RAID: Who with Whom?
So far, we've talked about several hard drives, but haven't gone into detail. You should
principally set up all RAID modes with similar hard drives, as only then will you get
maximum performance.

However, you can also combine different drives, with the smaller or slower drive being
the determinant drive for the entire array. For example, one 30 GB and two 40 GB hard
drives in RAID 0 will give you a total capacity of 90 GB, which is three times the
capacity of the smallest hard drive.
The same applies to the combination of an old 40 GB hard drive with 5,400 rpm with a
new model with 7,200 rpm. If you were to use two of the slower drives, the performance
level would be the same. Replacing the older disk with a second and faster one would
increase the performance.

If you want to use several different hard drives together, you have the option of creating
what is known as a span array. Another term is JBOD (just a bunch of drives). Here, the
hard drives are simply hooked up in series, which results in a useable total capacity, but
without, however, an increase in performance or data security.
Another unsettled point is the question of which drives should be hooked up to which
IDE channel. If possible, every drive should be connected to its own channel as a master.

On a dual channel controller card, you'd be able to hook up a mere two hard drives.
Though using four hard drives (master and slave per channel) drastically increases
performance, you'd get even more out of a four channel controller with four master drives.
Another important fact is that only a few of the currently available IDE RAID controllers
support the ATAPI protocol. CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drives will not necessarily work
with a RAID controller (don't even bother trying in RAID mode).
Disk Drive Crash! Now What?!
If you had opted for a RAID level before a disk crash, assigning highest priority to
security, then you're in good shape. If you're using RAID Level 1, 3, 4, 5 or 6, the crash
of a single hard drive will not affect your existing data. Depending on the controller
you're using, the procedure will vary.
Most RAID controllers today notify the user of a crash with a beep and by e-mail (of
course, this does not apply to the RAID levels with the system partition, which do not
offer any crash protection).

Older or very simple RAID controllers require the computer to be shut down and the
defective drive to be replaced. After restarting the system, the user has to go into the
BIOS of the RAID controller to initiate the rebuild process.
Practically all of the RAID controllers on the market today - including the simple models
- now master the exchange of defective hard drives without a need to shut down the
system, a process called hot swapping. Rebuild takes place automatically, too - you really
don't have to do anything yourself anymore.
A clever feature is the hot-spare function. Many RAID controllers support an additional
drive, which is labeled as a hot spare. If one of the array drives refuse to work, it will be
removed from operation and the hot-spare drive will be connected automatically.
In the event that you were using RAID 0 or JBOD and have lost important data, you'll
probably never want to use this mode again. Though there's almost always a way to
restore your data, it is horrendously expensive. Companies dedicated to data recovery
(such as, for example, OnTrack) are able to take hard drives apart and restore most of the
data, even after a head crash, fire damage or other catastrophic events. But be warned:
restoring RAID arrays is disproportionately harder than the effort that goes into restoring
one single hard drive, which is enormous enough.

Conclusion: Only a Backup is Truly Safe!

Chart-Topping Capacity for a Song
It's not just aspects like performance and data security that should be considered; in many
cases, enormous amounts of data must be managed and stored - the right approach to
tackling this problem is a RAID array with large hard drives. Because expensive SCSI
RAID adapters and SCSI hard drives were the only available options just a few years ago,
high-capacity arrays were feasible only for very few individual users or companies.
Today, the prices for IDE hard drives with a capacity of 100 GB have dropped to a few
hundred dollars - a downright bargain. It takes only $500 to set up arrays with a capacity
of 300 to 400 gigabytes. The introduction of new hard drives with up to 200 GB will
make RAID arrays with up to 1 terabyte (5x 200GB) affordable for the first time ever.
Muddle Makes Trouble

No matter which RAID array you're using - for the operating system, it's ultimately a
drive just like any other, and therefore it needs to be maintained accordingly.
You should defragment it at least a few times a year; for more heavily frequented drives,
once a month. Ideally, you'll enter the defragmentation program in your task planner and
have this pesky operation performed during acceptable times.
If one of your drives ever begins to snarl (louder operating noise, reduced performance or
other conspicuities), don't hesitate. You should back up all of your important data,
especially if you're using RAID 0. If the operating system is on the RAID array as well,
you might want to try and mirror the drive in question on another computer with an
identical hard drive. Otherwise, you'll have no choice but to reinstall everything.

RAID Controllers: A Large Selection
When purchasing a RAID controller, you need to differentiate between two types. Simple
consumer models can be found everywhere, and they're often also integrated on
motherboards. They offer two channels and support RAID modes 0, 1 and 10 (striping
and mirroring), but most of the time they can also be used as simple ATA controllers.
More sophisticated models have their own RISC processors (e.g., i960) and can
additionally be outfitted with extra cache. Thanks to the processor, you can also run more
lavish RAID modes like Level 3 or 5 - assuming that you have enough hard drives.

Adaptec
Adaptec has the reputation of manufacturing high-quality SCSI hardware. But it has been
offering some products in the IDE sector for quite some time, too.

Two channel UltraATA/100: ATA RAID 1200A
RAID 0, 1, 10, JBOD, hot swap, e-mail notification

Four channel UltraATA/100: ATA RAID 2400A
RAID 0, 1, 3, 10, JBOD, hot swap, e-mail notification

HighPoint
You'll find HighPoint controllers less often in computer stores than on numerous

motherboards:
Two channel UltraATA/133: RocketRAID133
RAID 0, 1, 10, JBOD, hot swap, e-mail notification
Four channel UltraATA/133: RocketRAID404
RAID 0, 1, 10, JBOD, hot swap, e-mail notification

LSI Logic
Two channel UltraATA/100: Mega RAID IDE 100 (formerly AMI)
RAID 0, 1, 10, JBOD, hot swap, e-mail notification
Four channel UltraATA/100: Mega RAID i4
RAID 0, 1, 5, 10, JBOD, hot swap, e-mail notification
Hardly for home use: the SuperTrak SX6000 from Promise masters RAID 5 and supports
up to 128 MB cache.

Promise
Promise places equal focus on integration and retail sales:
Two channel UltraATA/133: FastTrak TX2000
RAID 0, 1, 10, JBOD, hot swap, e-mail notification
Five channel UltraATA/133: FastTrak TX2000
RAID 0, 1, 3, 5, 10, JBOD, hot swap, e-mail notification

RAID Without RAID
RAID modes 2 to 6 can be implemented only if the appropriate hardware RAID
controller is available. On the other hand, RAID 0 and 1 are offered directly by Windows
2000 or Windows XP - as long as there are several hard drives.
Under disk administration of the computer administration console, you can, among other
things, change partitions and drive letters. You can also connect two or more hard drives
to form a software RAID.

There Are Limits
RAID arrays are certainly an excellent approach to solving chronic performance deficits
and improving your sense of security. Let us mention, though, that they are not able to
perform miracles, and do not absolve the user or the administrator from backing up his or
her data periodically.
For example, a RAID controller cannot withstand short circuits or lightning, meaning that,
in the worst case scenario, your data could be toast. Therefore, an uninterruptible power
supply (UPS) is part of the required equipment in productive or otherwise critical systems.
Furthermore, a RAID array only offers protection from technical errors - the human
factor, however, should not be underestimated. Most users have had to live with lost data
because they carelessly deleted or hastily clobbered them - the same holds true with the
RAID.

The chapter on human-related causes also includes malicious attacks on the existing data,
or acts of the "powers that be." These involve attacks on software (deleting, formatting,
renaming, software bugs), as well as physical threats (theft, vandalism, arson, floods,
etc.).

Don't forget - only a backup is truly safe.

Setting Up a RAID Array
Setting up a RAID array usually doesn't take much time. Especially for modes 0 and 1, it
will suffice to select the drives to be included in the array in BIOS of the controller.
Lastly, after the system has rebooted, the new drive must be formatted (it may be
necessary to activate the RAID controller with its driver under Windows).
In RAID 3 or RAID 5 arrays, the controllers often run an initialization process that can
take up to several hours.
Though RAID Level 0 is the fastest option of all, it is also the most precarious by far. For
example, using four hard drives will push the data transfer rate far beyond 100 MB/s, but
fault tolerance will be virtually non-existent. A hard drive is a mechanical component that
will age and wear out after a while. Mechanically-induced defects are therefore really
only a question of time. But even an electronic error or a minor production error may
result in a catastrophe.

For this reason, RAID 0 is not recommended for long-term storage data, but primarily for
setting up fast drives with temporary data, such as file or database servers. And if the
system has to be mirrored on short notice, RAID 1 is your best choice. If you have a hot
swap cabinet, you can remove the hard drive while the system is running in order to
mirror it to a different drive of the same size on a different computer. Then the drive is
reinstalled in the computer, while the copy can be saved once again with a RAID 1 when
connecting it to a RAID controller.

RAID Level 1 does nothing other than mirror a hard drive's data (in special cases, also
those of any array) to another hard drive in real-time. People are inclined to believe the
misleading proposition that RAID 1 does not offer any improvement in performance.
Though write operations really aren't any faster than with only one hard drive, when
reading data, it is possible, in theory, to have a data transfer rate equivalent to that of an
analog RAID 0. This is only logical, since data can be read simultaneously from all the
drives in the array. In practice, however, there are differences, as the data to be read are
not available in cleanly split stripes as they are with RAID 0; instead, the controller has to
perform this division itself based on specific patterns.

Using RAID 1 makes sense if your main focus is on maximum data security and
minimum recovery efforts (e.g., simple servers). Most RAID controllers are able to
perform the recovery procedure independently after a hard drive has been exchanged.
You can do this on the fly only if the hard drives are housed in hot swap cabinets.
RAID Level 3 is losing more and more of its popularity because RAID 5 offers the same
advantages with fewer disadvantages. With RAID 3, parity data is written to one or
maybe even several hard drives. The big advantage is in the distribution of the actual data
stock to several drives, in the form of stripe sets, actually allowing a significantly higher
data rate - and at the same time protecting against a hard drive crash. Its disadvantage,
however, is the fact that the parity data is written to only one drive. This cuts down on
write performance considerably.

RAID 3 is usually deployed in servers with mostly static data or servers that require
better performance than RAID 0 can provide, without foregoing data security. This is a
simple way to keep the low write performance from carrying too much weight.
RAID Level 5 dominates in today's high-end server segment. If you're using four to
seven drives, such an array is a real performer and, if the drives are large, allows
accordingly large partitions. Unlike RAID 3, the parity data are integrated in the stripes on all drives and are distributed in a way that will have a positive impact on performance.
Consequently, RAID 5 offers a high level of performance for all kinds of applications.

The Sky's the Limit: Nested RAID
If the data transfer rate of an array with several drives is still not enough, you can
combine and nest RAID arrays any way you like. These configurations are called Nested
RAID (multiple RAID levels), but you'll encounter them very rarely - and no wonder,
because "conventional" arrays are generally fast enough.
As far as we know, controllers supporting Nested RAID are not yet available in the IDE
sector (with the exception of RAID 10). For SCSI, be prepared to quickly dish out several
hundred to some thousand dollars if you want to set up an elaborate RAID solution.

RAID Level 0+1
The most popular Nested Raid is probably 0+1. You'll need an even number of hard
drives for this, but at least four. Use half of the hard drives to create a stripe set (RAID 0),
while the resulting construct is simply mirrored (with RAID 1). You will then get almost
four times the read performance and about twice the write performance relative to a
single hard drive.

RAID Level 50 (5+0)
The performance of a RAID 5 with several drives is not good enough for you? Then
simply create a stripe set consisting of two identical RAID 5 arrays. Though data security
is no longer a given now (an array is to be considered a drive in this case), performance
can theoretically be doubled once more. In reality, you'll now be faced with the limits of
what PCI and network connections will allow.
Naming is an important factor in Multiple or Nested RAID configurations. While RAID
0+1 works on the lower level with stripe sets and mirrors only on the upper level, with
RAID 10 it's exactly the opposite. As the latter does not really make sense, the wrong
nomenclature would be less grave in this case.

Nested RAID and Security: It's All or Nothing
Now, a few words on the cascaded application of RAID arrays, even though most of you
will probably never be in a situation to have to worry about linked drives like this.
Combining several RAID arrays is efficient and prudent, but perfect data security can be
achieved only if each array is just as safe in and of itself. A RAID 5 consisting of
multiple RAID 0 arrays is not secure, because if one of the drives of a secondary array
crashes, its data cannot be recovered.

RAID Levels: Security and Performance at a Glance
RAID Number of drives Data security Availability Capacity Performance Cost
0 1+ unsatisfactory bad 100% very good very low
1 2 good good 50% satisfactory low
3 3+ satisfactory good (x-1) / x satisfactory medium
5 3+ satisfactory good (x-1) / x good medium
0+1 4,6,8... good good 50% good medium
The Key to Success: Block Size

In RAID arrays, the block size generally also determines the stripe size (not in RAID 1).
The principles concerning block size and wasted memory space apply equally to RAID
configurations: if, for example, the blocks have a size of 64 KB, then at least 64 KB are
written at all times - even if there's only a text file with 2 KB. So, the smaller the average
file size, the smaller the block size should be.

But block size is also significant in terms of the performance to be expected, as the
smallest unit also determines when a file can be distributed to two or more drives. This would mean that with a block size of 64 KB, files with less than 64 KB would be written to only one hard drive. This does not happen any faster in a RAID array than on a single hard drive.

On the other hand, a file with 150 KB would be distributed to three hard drives (if available): 64 + 64 + 22 KB. The controller is now able to read from all three drives simultaneously, which reduces the read operation immensely.

How to prolong lithium-based batteries

Battery research is focusing heavily on lithium chemistries, so much so that one could
presume that all portable devices will be powered with lithium-ion batteries in the future.
In many ways, lithium-ion is superior to nickel and lead-based chemistries and the
applications for lithium-ion batteries are growing as a result.
Lithium-ion has not yet fully matured and is being improved continuously. New metal
and chemical combinations are being tried every six months to increase energy density
and prolong service life. The improvements in longevity after each change will not be
known for a few years.

A lithium-ion battery provides 300 to 500 discharge/charge cycles. The battery prefers a
partial rather than a full discharge. Frequent full discharges should be avoided when
possible. Instead, charge the battery more often or use a larger battery. There is no
concern of memory when applying unscheduled charges.
Although lithium-ion is memory-free in terms of performance deterioration, engineers
often refer to "digital memory" on batteries with fuel gauges. Short discharges with
subsequent recharges do not provide the periodic calibration needed to synchronize the
fuel gauge with the battery's state-of-charge. A deliberate full discharge and recharge
every 30 charges corrects this problem. Letting the battery run down to the cut-off point
in the equipment will do this. If ignored, the fuel gauge will become increasingly less
accurate.



Aging of lithium-ion is an issue that is often ignored. lithium-based batteries have a
lifetime of two to three years. The clock starts ticking as soon as the battery comes off the
manufacturing line. The capacity loss manifests itself in increased internal resistance
caused by oxidation. Eventually, the cell resistance will reach a point where the pack can
no longer deliver the stored energy, although the battery may still contain ample charge.

The speed by which lithium-ion ages is governed by temperature and state-of-charge.
Figure 1 illustrates the capacity loss as a function of these two parameters.
Figure 1: Permanent capacity loss of lithium-ion as a function of temperature and charge level.
High charge levels and elevated temperatures hasten permanent capacity loss. Improvements in chemistry
have increased the storage performance of lithium-ion batteries.
2
There are no remedies to restore lithium-ion once worn out. A momentarily improvement
in performance is noticeable when heating up the battery but the high internal resistance
will revert to its former state with normal temperature.

If possible, store the battery in a cool place at about a 40% state-of-charge. This reserve
charge is needed to keep the battery and its protection circuit operational during
prolonged storage. The most harmful combination is full charge at high temperature. This
is the case when placing a cell phone or spare battery in a hot car. Running a laptop
computer on the mains has a similar temperature problem. While the battery is kept fully
charged, the inside temperature during operation rises to 45•C (113•F).

In spite of the high operating temperature and the harm inflicted to the battery during the
use in a laptop, removing the battery when running on fixed power poses some risk to the
laptop and manufacturers caution against it. There are issues of dust and moisture
accumulating inside the battery casing that could cause damage to the unit. By not
removing the battery, a replacement may be needed a little sooner but the battery
manufacturers and dealers are happy to provide a new pack.

A large number of lithium-ion batteries for cell phones are being discarded under the
warranty return policy. Some failed batteries are sent to service centers or the
manufacturer, where they are refurbished. Studies show that 80%-90% of the returned
batteries can be repaired and returned to service.


Some lithium-ion batteries fail due to excessive low discharge. If discharged below 2.5
volts per cell, the internal safety circuit opens and the battery appears dead. A charge
with the original charger is no longer possible. The Cadex battery analyzers feature a
boost function that reactivates the protection circuit of a failed battery and enables a
recharge. However, if the cell voltage has fallen below 1.5V/cell and has remained in that
state for a few days, a recharge should be avoided because of safety concerns. To prevent
failure, never store the battery fully discharged. Apply some charge before storage, and
then charge fully before use.


Simple Guidelines
• Avoid full discharges; recharge lithium-ion more often. Repetitive random charge does
not harm the battery. There is no memory.
• Keep the lithium-ion battery cool but do not freeze. Avoid a hot car. For prolonged
storage, keep the battery at a 40% charge level.
• If your laptop runs without a battery and fixed power is used most of the time, remove
and store the battery in a cool place.
• Avoid purchasing spare lithium-ion batteries for later use. Observe manufacturing date.
Do not buy old stock, even if sold at clearance prices.

Bing Maps 3D

Bing Maps 3D brings you another step closer to knowing "what it is like out there". You can search, browse, and organize local information viewed in three dimensions, just the way it exists in the real world.

System Requirements
Supported Operating Systems:Windows Vista;Windows XP
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, Windows Internet Explorer 7 or later, or Firefox 2.0 or later
250 MB or more hard disk space
A 1 GHz processor (2.8 GHz or faster recommended)
256 MB of system memory (1 GB recommended)
32 MB video card (256 MB recommended) that supports Microsoft DirectX 9
A high speed or broadband Internet connection

Add realistic 3D capabilities

Multi pointer in one windows one machine

Microsoft Windows MultiPoint Software Development Kit (SDK)

Fighting Spam

How prevalent is Spam? According to Scott McAdams, OMA Public Affairs and Communications Department (www.oma.org):

“Studies show unsolicited or “junk” e-mail, known as spam, accounts for roughly half of all e-mail messages received. Although once regarded as little more than a nuisance, the prevalence of spam has increased to the point where many users have begun to express a general lack of confidence in the effectiveness of e-mail transmissions, and increased concern over the spread of computer viruses via unsolicited messages.”

In 2003, President Bush signed the “Can Spam” bill, in December of 2003 which is the first national standards around bulk unsolicited commercial e-mail. The bill, approved by the Senate by a vote of 97 to 0, prohibits senders of unsolicited commercial e-mail from using false return addresses to disguise their identity (spoofing) and the use of dictionaries to generate such mailers. In addition, it prohibits the use of misleading subject lines and requires that emails include and opt-out mechanism. The legislation also prohibits senders from harvesting addresses off Web sites. Violations constitute a misdemeanor crime subject to up to one year in jail.

One major point that needs to be discussed about this: spam is now coming from other countries in ever-greater numbers. These emails are harder to fight, because they come from outside our country’s laws and regulations. Because the Internet opens borders and thinks globally, these laws are fine and good, but do not stop the problem.

So what do you do about this? Her are the top 5 Rules to do to protect from spam.
Number 1: Do what you can to avoid having your email address out on the net.
There are products called “spam spiders” that search the Internet for email addresses to send email to. If you are interested, do a search on “spam spider” and you will be amazed at what you get back. Interestingly, there is a site, WebPoison.org, which is an open source project geared to fight Internet "spambots" and "spam spiders", by giving them bogus HTML web pages, which contain bogus email addresses

A couple suggestions for you:

a) use form emails, which can hide addresses or also b) use addresses like sales@company.com instead of your full address to help battle the problem.

c) There are also programs that encode your email, like jsGuard, which encodes your email address on web pages so that while spam spiders find it difficult or impossible to read your email address.

Number 2: Get spam blocking software. There are many programs out there for this. (go to www.cloudmark.com or www.mailwasher.net for example). You may also buy a professional version. Whatever you do, get the software. It will save you time. The software is not foolproof, but they really do help. You usually have to do some manual set up to block certain types of email.
Number 3: Use the multiple email address approach.
There are a lot of free email addresses to be had. If you must subscribe to newsletters, then have a “back-up” email address. It would be like giving your sell phone number to your best friends and the business number to everyone else.

Number 4: Attachments from people you don’t know are BAD, BAD, BAD.
A common problem with spam is that they have attachments and attachments can have viruses. Corporations often have filters that don’t let such things pass to you. Personal email is far more “open country” for spamers. General rule of thumb: if you do not know who is sending you something, DO NOT OPEN THE ATTACHMENT. Secondly, look for services that offer filtering. Firewall vendors offer this type of service as well.

Number 5: Email services now have “bulk-mail” baskets. If what you use currently does not support this, think about moving to a new vender. The concept is simple. If you know someone, they can send you emails. If you don’t know them, put them in the bulk email pile and then “choose” to allow them into your circle. Spam Blocking software has this concept as well, but having extra layers seems critical these days, so it is worth looking into.

Fighting off Viruses: Advancements in Antivirus Software Suites

Protecting your computer from a virus is getting harder and harder each day. While it may border on the paranoid, it goes without saying that you can’t leave your guard down for one second. Even corporate giant Microsoft has found its own systems compromised on more than one occasion.

Remember the “good old days”, before the advent of the Internet and downloadable programs? Life was simple then in terms of computer viruses. With the primary way in which a virus could be transmitted being limited to floppy disks, the ability to catch and eradicate the virus was a lot easier. By today’s standards, it used to take quite a while before a virus was able to infect a computer and slow down the system. The antivirus software of that time was typically able to identify and eradicate viruses before they caused too much damage. Additionally, computer users were pretty savvy on how to protect themselves in terms of scanning all floppy disks before copying them to our desktop.

The Internet helped change all that. The Internet provided a conduit by which viruses could move from host to host with lightening speed. No longer could a computer user just worry about floppy disks as points of entry, but they now had to worry about email, email attachments, peer-to-peer file sharing, instant messaging, and software downloads. Today’s viruses can attack through multiple entry points, spread without human intervention, and take full advantage of vulnerabilities within a system or program. With technology advancing everyday, and the convergence of computers with other mobile devices, the potential of new types of threats also increase.

Protecting Your Computer
Luckily, the advancement of antivirus software has kept pace with current virus threats. Antivirus software is essential to a computer’s ability to fend off viruses and other malicious programs. These products are designed to protect against the ability of a virus to enter a computer through email, web browsers, file servers and desktops. Additionally, these programs offer a centralized control feature that handle deployment, configuration and updating.
A computer user should remain diligent and follow a few simple steps to protect against the threat of a virus:

1. Evaluate your current computer security system.
With the threat of a new generation of viruses able to attack in a multitude of ways, the approach of having just one antivirus software version has become outdated. You need to be confident that you have protected all aspects of your computer system from the desktop to the network, and from the gateway to the server. Consider a more comprehensive security system which includes several features including antivirus, firewall, content filtering, and intrusion detection. This type of system will make it more difficult for the virus to penetrate your system.
2. Only install antivirus software created by a well-known, reputable company.
Because new viruses erupt daily, it is important that you regularly update your antivirus software. Become familiar with the software’s real-time scan feature and configure it to start automatically each time you boot your computer. This will protect your system by automatically checking your computer each time it is powered up.
3. Make it a habit to always scan all new programs or files no matter from where they originate.
4. Exercise caution when opening binary, Word, or Excel documents of unknown sources especially if they were received during an online chat or as an attachment to an email.
5. Perform regular backups in case your system is corrupted. It may be the only way to recover your data if infected.

Recommended Antivirus Software

There are numerous applications available to consumers. With a little research, you can pick the program that is right for you. Many programs provide a trial version which allows you to download the program and test its abilities. However, be aware that some anti-virus programs can be difficult to uninstall. As a precaution make sure to set up a System Restore point before installing.

Here are a few programs which typically receive high marks in terms of cost, effectiveness, ease of use, and customer service.

The Shield Pro 2005™ provides virus protection and hacker security through ongoing support and updates. When a virus breaks out, The Shield Pro 2005™ promises to provide a patch within 2-3 hours and a fix for the virus within 5 hours. You can set your computer to update viruses weekly and run a complete virus scan.

BitDefender 9 Standard provides antivirus protection, as well as Peer-2-Peer Applications protection, full email protection, and heuristics in a virtual environment. This provides a new security layer that keeps the operating system safe from unknown viruses by detecting malicious pieces of code for which signatures have not been released yet.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal 5.0 program is simple to install and use. The user only needs to choose from three levels of protection. It allows updates as frequently as every hour while promising not to disrupt your computer. The program also offers a two-tier email protection feature and round-the-clock technical support.

PC-cillin Internet Security combines antivirus security and a personal firewall—for comprehensive protection against viruses, worms, Trojans, and hackers. It also detects and removes spyware and blocks spam. It even guards against identity theft by blocking phishing and pharming attacks.

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is a free downloadable antivirus program that has received high marks for its reliability. In the past, free downloadable antivirus programs have been viewed skeptically because of issues relating to its reliability. However, AVG from Grisoft, remains one of the best-known free anti-virus programs available. While AVG can not be installed on a server operating system and there is no technical support, it still makes a good choice for many home computer users. The best part is that since it is free, you can try it with no further obligation necessary.

Department of Defense Crackdown on Security

The top commander of the department of Defense network operations just ordered a crackdown on security. According to a recent article by NetworkWorld on January 16,2006, Lt. General Charles Croom is quoted as saying, “The attacks are coming from everywhere and they’re getting better.” His talk was the keynote address at the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Conference held on January 9 - 14, 2005 in Clearwater, Florida. The event is sponsored by the Defense Cyber Crime Center and the Joint Task Force. Over 500 computer crime specialists from the FBI and the military attended the event.

The crackdown was related to a recent arrest of a “Computer Virus Broker” named Jeanson James Ancheta. On further investigation, a Department of Justice press release from Nov 3rd, 2005 offered the following information on this incident, “In the first prosecution of its kind in the nation, a well-known member of the “botmaster underground” has been indicted on federal charges for profiting from the use of “botnets” – armies of computers that are under the control of the botmaster and are used to launch destructive attacks or to send huge quantities of spam across the Internet.

Jeanson James Ancheta, 20, of Downey, California, was arrested this morning by special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Ancheta was indicted yesterday in two separate conspiracies, as well as substantive charges of attempting to cause damage to protected computers, causing damage to computers used by the federal government in national defense, accessing protected computers without authorization to commit fraud and money laundering.”
The press release goes on to describe more details of this scheme that clearly show why the

Deparment of Defense is so concerned (for more information go to:

http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/anchetaArrest.htm )

“Ancheta had become an affiliate of several different advertising service companies, and those companies paid him a commission based upon the number of installations. To avoid detection by network administrators, security analysts and law enforcement, Ancheta would vary the download times and rates of the adware installations. When companies hosting Ancheta’s adware servers discovered the malicious activity, Ancheta redirected his botnet armies to a different server he controlled to pick up adware. To generate the roughly $60,000 he received in advertising affiliate proceeds, Ancheta caused the surreptitious installation of adware on approximately 400,000 compromised computers. Ancheta used the advertising affiliate proceeds he earned to pay for, among other things, the multiple servers used to conduct his schemes.

Ancheta used programs powerful enough to cause the infection of computers at the Weapons Division of the United States Naval Air Warfare Center in China Lake, as well as computers belonging to the Defense Information Systems Agency, a component of the United States Department of Defense. Both networks are used exclusively by the federal government in furtherance of national defense. After being arrested this morning at the FBI Field Office in Los Angeles, Ancheta was transported to United States District Court in Los Angeles. It is unclear if he will make his initial court appearance this afternoon or tomorrow. Ancheta is charged with two counts of conspiracy, two counts of attempted transmission of code to a protected computer, two counts of transmission of code to a government computer, five counts of accessing a protected computer to commit fraud and five counts of money laundering. Count 17 of the indictment seeks the forfeiture of more than $60,000 in cash, a BMW automobile and computer equipment that the indictment alleges are the proceeds and instrumentalities of Ancheta’s illegal activity.”

Some recent news. Ancheta pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to violate anti-spam and computer misuse laws, and fraud and will serve from 4-6 years in prison, under the plea agreement - plus heavy fines.

Computer Viruses that Come a Callin’

Every day new computer viruses are created to annoy us and to wreck havoc on our computer systems. Below are ten viruses currently cited as being the most prevalent in terms of being seen the most or in their ability to potentially cause damage. New viruses are created daily. This is by no means an all inclusive list. The best thing you can do is to remain vigilant, keep your anti-virus software updated, and stay aware of the current computer virus threats.
Virus: Trojan.LodearA Trojan horse that attempts to download remote files. It will inject a .dll file into the EXPLORER.EXE process causing system instability.

Virus: W32.Beagle.CO@mmA mass-mailing worm that lowers security settings.

It can delete security-related registry sub keys and may block access to security-related websites.

Virus: Backdoor.Zagaban

A Trojan horse that allows the compromised computer to be used as a covert proxy and which may degrade network performance.
Virus: W32/Netsky-PA mass-mailing worm which spreads by emailing itself to addresses produced from files on the local drives.

Virus: W32/Mytob-GHA mass-mailing worm and IRC backdoor Trojan for the Windows platform.

Messages sent by this worm will have the subject chosen randomly from a list including titles such as: Notice of account limitation, Email Account Suspension, Security measures, Members Support, Important Notification.

Virus: W32/Mytob-EXA mass-mailing worm and IRC backdoor Trojan similar in nature to W32-Mytob-GH.

W32/Mytob-EX runs continuously in the background, providing a backdoor server which allows a remote intruder to gain access and control over the computer via IRC channels. This virus spreads by sending itself to email attachments harvested from your email addresses.

Virus: W32/Mytob-AS, Mytob-BE, Mytob-C, and Mytob-ER

This family of worm variations possesses similar characteristics in terms of what they can do. They are mass-mailing worms with backdoor functionality that can be controlled through the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) network. Additionally, they can spread through email and through various operating system vulnerabilities such as the LSASS (MS04-011).

Virus: Zafi-DA mass mailing worm and a peer-to-peer worm which copies itself to the Windows system folder with the filename Norton Update.exe.

It can then create a number of files in the Windows system folder with filenames consisting of 8 random characters and a DLL extension. W32/Zafi-D copies itself to folders with names containing share, upload, or music as ICQ 2005a new!.exe or winamp 5.7 new!.exe. W32/Zafi-D will also display a fake error message box with the caption "CRC: 04F6Bh" and the text "Error in packed file!". Virus: W32/Netsky-DA mass-mailing worm with IRC backdoor functionality which can also infect computers vulnerable to the LSASS (MS04-011) exploit.

Virus: W32/Zafi-B

A peer-to-peer (P2P) and email worm that will copy itself to the Windows system folder as a randomly named EXE file. This worm will test for the presence of an internet connection by attempting to connect to www.google.com or www.microsoft.com. A bilingual, worm with an attached Hungarian political text message box which translates to “We demand that the government accommodates the homeless, tightens up the penal code and VOTES FOR THE DEATH PENALTY to cut down the increasing crime. Jun. 2004, Pécs (SNAF Team)”

Bluetooth And Apple

The new Apple powerbook G4 are among the first computers to offer Bluetooth technology 2.0+EDR. The 2.0+EDR technology, which still backwards compatible with 1.0, is up to three times faster than previous versions, offering maximum data rate transfers of up to 3 MBps. Being the first company to certify a system with 2.0+EDR, Apple continues to make great use of the Bluetooth technology.

Full support

In addition to the powerbook G4 portables, there are other Bluetooth enabled computers available from Apple, including the iBook, iMac G5, eMac, and the Power Mac G5.

Making life easier
When you turn the Bluetooth feature on, your Mac can easily perform a file transfer or even a synchronization. From the Bluetooth selectionmenu, you can choose to either send a file or browse devices, quickly and easily. Or, you can click the sync button in iSync to update your cell phone or Palm OS handheld.

The Mac and GSM/GPRS mobile phone with Bluetooth work to make each other more useful. By using iSync, you can keep your phone updated without having to type any info, as you can keep the information in the more manageable address book on your Mac instead.

You can also use your Bluetooth enabled Mac to print documents and digital images to select a printer that also supports the technology of Bluetooth. Or, you can also use a headset to talk to your friends during an iChat session.

Your Mac also has the ability to use Bluetooth technology to communicate with your Palm OS handheld. This way, you can perform a HotSync operation without using any cables. You can also send your business card or calendar events directly to someone else's handheld usingthe technology of Bluetooth.

The implementation of Bluetooth by Apple is the latest in a series of moves that have caused great shift in the computer industry. Apple established USB as the standard interface with the launching of the first Mac back in 1998.

Since then, Apple established the 802.11 wireless standard of networking with the launch of the iBook and AirPort in 1999. During 2003, Apple launched AirPort Extreme, which was based onthe new 802.11g high speed technology of wireless.

Now, Bluetooth helps to further strengthen the dominant position of the Mac in wireless communications, helping to preserve Apple's reputation for being the first to market with innovative technology that integrates right into the operating system.

Just what is Intelligent Explorer? For your safety, you really need to know

I recently hit, by mistake, what I thought was an Explorer upgrade option. It turned out to be a pop-up appearing legitimate but really was not. It uploaded a product called Intelligent Explorer on my machine. What a nightmare!

I did some research on the web and found messages like this one from a BullGuard Antivirus Forum,

"PLEASE HELP!!! I HAVE A SPYWARE, TROJAN AND HIJACKER ON MY COMPUTER. I HAVE RUN BULLGUARD, CWSHREDDER AND AD-AWARE. ALL HAVE PICKED UP THE VIRUSES AND SAID THAT THEY HAVE BEEN MOVED/REMOVED BUT WHEN I LOG ONTO THE INTERNET THAT DAMN INTELLIGENT EXPLORER TOOLBAR IS SHOWING"

Another message from spywareinfo Forum goes something like this:

"Hey I'm having issues with something called Internet explorer toolbar - Intelligent explorer. I can’t find a way to remove it from my comp and I really don’t want to reinstall windows. I've used spybot, ad-ware, and cw shredder but nothing seems to work."

It appears that Intelligent Explorer allows other software to be downloaded to your machine and this is where the problem occurs. What is even more remarkable is that by downloading Intelligent Explorer, their license grants them the right to install software add-ins on your computer at their will. Take a look at what the software license for Intelligent Explore says (go to http://www.ieplugin.com/terms.html to read it all):

"You grant to us the right, exercisable by us until you uninstall the Software or this agreement is otherwise terminated, to provide to you the Service of downloading and causing to be displayed advertising material on your computer, through ‘pop-up’ or other display while you use your browser. You acknowledge and agree that installation of the Software may automatically modify toolbars and other settings of your browser. By installing the Software you agree to such modifications."

The company, IBC incorporated, is incorporated in Belize. I really can't believe this license!


One end user found highly objectionable pop-up advertisements generated by this software bundled with Intelligent Explorer in the form of extreme pornography.

I have yet to break this.


Intelligent Explorer is a plug-in, which can create a new home page, as well as start up and endless loop of pop-ups. You can remove the view bar, but then starting up Internet Explorer will cause it to reappear. I asked some friends to help, and no one could tell me what to do.

This is what I did:

I bought a copy of a program called XoftSpy and it removed the software. It took two scans and a reboot to do it. This is not an advertisement for this product. They advertised it was free, which it was to run, but then I had to buy it to actually fix anything. It cost me $40 and I am sure that there are freeware products out there as well, but that is what ended the nightmare for me. Other spyware products I have seen out there include spybot, NoAdware, Spyware Eliminator, Pal Spyware Remover, and Spyware C.O.P.

UNDERWATER DIGITAL CAMERA: CAPTURING MOMENTS UNDERWATER

Memories are created just about anywhere. And when I say anywhere, I mean that memories are even created underwater ?so the creation of underwater digital camera.

An underwater digital camera is not just used to capture underwater memories; some professional marine photographers also use underwater digital cameras in their business. Even marine biologists and scientists use underwater digital cameras to capture marine life and thus be able to study the life and properties of the marine life. But I think it is safe to assume that you, my reader, are neither a marine scientist nor a professional photographer. Like me, you are just some photo junkie who wants to capture underwater moments and just cant figure out how without ruining your cameras.

Please listen to me when I say that even waterproof cameras cannot withstand underwater photography. To be waterproof is to resist the water in certain levels, submerging in under the water to get the perfect shot is like throwing it out of the window expecting a pick-up truck to pass by and run over it.

Now if you're really serious about using an underwater digital camera to capture those wacky and funny moments underwater, I suggest that you buy specialty cameras.

There are rarely underwater digital cameras, as cameras are electronic and cannot withstand water and water pressure. The closest electronics has ever got to producing underwater digital cameras are producing underwater casings for digital cameras. These casing will turn your conventional digital camera into an underwater digital camera.

If you are shooting with your underwater digital camera, you need to take note of a few things to help you come up with the best images underwater.

Remember that as you farther under water, light diffuses. This means that your underwater digital camera will produce images darker than those images you took while on land ?this is because of the light diffusion the red spectrum seems darker. To avoid this, use white balance come up with natural colors. Also, pictures taken underwater will come up larger than pictures taken on land with the same zoom effect. Be sure to check your underwater digital camera viewfinder to check the right picture angle and size that you want.

An underwater digital camera with its built-in flash will produce marine show phenomenon. It is a phenomenon wherein your pictures come out as blurry and with white particles floating above it, to avoid this phenomenon it is advisable to use external flash for your underwater digital camera.

Before using your underwater digital camera, submerge the camera in the water first for several seconds then check if there are leaks through the case. Make sure that no grain of sand or piece of hair is stuck in between the seal to make sure that water will not permeate the case and thus wet your camera in the process. It is also advisable to put silica gel or two inside the case of your underwater digital camera as long as they don disturb the camera operation. (Silica gel will keep the moisture from forming inside your camera case.)

Most underwater digital cameras come with optional lenses. Don't be afraid to add these lenses to your underwater digital camera kit. Macro lenses will help you capture small things without getting too close and startling your subject.

Also, remember to always wash of salt when you're used it under salt water. If the salts are not washed off, in time they will crystallize; act as sands and cause leaks for your camera case. In cases when sands seem to get into the case, they are better washed off with streams of water.

Check out Sony, Nikon and Canon website for available underwater cases for your digital cameras.

SONY DIGITAL CAMERA: EMBRACING PERFECTION

Known for producing quality electronics, Sony is also one of the pioneers and the best producers of digital camera. Truly using a Sony digital camera is embracing perfection with its many features exclusive to a Sony digital camera.

Indeed, one of the best ways to capture your memories forever is thru photos and what better to do it than with a Sony digital camera. Photos are used to remember or when we reminisce of the wonderful times of our lives. And only vivid and detailed photos can help us bring back all those memories. And quality photos are exactly what a Sony digital camera offers to its consumers.

Equipped with the best optics and imaging technology available, the Sony digital camera line ensures its consumers that a Sony digital camera will only capture more detail, more color and more brightness imaginable.

Every Sony digital camera has an exclusive Sony technology that enhances photo capturing experience. Armed with the Real Imaging Processor (RIMP), any Sony digital camera allows high digital processing that reduces picture noise and delivers smoother and more detailed images. The RIMP is an intelligent Sony digital camera technology that allows faster shooting time, swifter burst shooting and almost simultaneous processing of your images (enables immediate display of your image) for your Sony digital camera.

All Sony digital cameras are furnished with Carl Zeiss lens. Carl Zeiss lenses are world renowned for their quality brilliance, outstanding accuracy of colors and enhanced definition with almost zero distortion. With a Carl Zeiss lens, flawless imaging is truly embracing perfection with a Sony digital camera.

Sony has its own Cyber-shot line of digital camera for all photo fanatics out there. One of the lower ends of their Cyber-shot series of the Sony digital camera is the DSC-L1. The L1is a 4.1 mega pixel camera with a 3x optical zoom and plays MPEG Movie Vx. It is also supplied with a Vario Tessar lens from the Carl Zeiss line.

A higher version of the L1 is the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P200. Almost same in all respect with the L1 expect this baby is a 7.2 mega pixel Sony digital camera.

For those who are serious in their craft, the right Sony digital camera for you id the Cyber-shot DSC-F828. Designed for professional photographers, the F828 has a 28-200mm equivalent of a Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar lens, which makes it excellent for action and low-light shots. An 6 mega pixel Sony digital camera, it is outfitted with 7x optical zoom and a 1.8 inch LCD screen where you can review the pictures that you just took. The DSC F828 has a four color system that includes RGB+emrald colors and enables night shot/night framing system. The F828 even allows manual exposure, zoom and manual focus controls for your customization needs.

For the younger and trendier generation, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M1 is the right Sony digital camera for you. The M1 is a digital camera and a camcorder in one. It can record either up to five seconds MPEG 4 playback or unlimited video recording, depending on your preferred setting. Shooting with 30 frames per second, it is 5.1 mega pixel camera with a 640 x 480 maximum pixel resolution. It has 3x optical zoom and 2x digital zoom.

Very lightweight at only 6.5 oz. the M1 is very portable and is only 2x1.1x4.5 inches (dimensions). A USB 2.0 compatible and with PictBridge support, the M1 makes file transferring from your Sony digital camera to your computer as easy as taking pictures.

Available with accessories such as wrist strap, docking station and a 32MB memory Stick Duo, the M1 comes with an expansion slot that lets you upgrade up to 512MB of memory for further picture taking or video playback. It even has a built in features such as stereo surround, built-in mic and a 2.5inch TFT active matrix LCD display.

Check out Sony's website at www.sony.com to look for other available Sony digital camera models that will fit you and your lifestyle.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA: PROFESSIONAL CAMERAS GO DIGITAL

Olympus has always been known to produce quality cameras, either point and shoot or professional cameras. However, these days Olympus has joined the digital scene by producing their own line of digital cameras.

Olympus digital cameras are best known for producing DSLR cameras. These digital cameras are the kind that professional photographers use in their craft. Although this is for a fact, this company has also produced their own line of point and shoot Olympus digital cameras.

First up is an Olympus digital camera called the MJU-mini. A 4.0 mega pixel Olympus digital camera, it is cute, portable and can capture great pictures. Also, a tough Olympus digital camera, it is made with a metal frame and known for its solid weight - this is great because hands get too shaky when a camera is too light. With 2x digital zoom, a 5.8-11.6mm Olympus lens, this baby is your best bet for your personal Olympus digital camera.

Another personal Olympus digital camera is the MJU 500, obviously the higher version of the MJU-mini. the MJU 500 is a 5.0 mega pixel Olympus digital camera that is easy to use and one favored by consumers who are looking for a digital camera within this particular price range. (The MJU 500 is around $400-$500). The first notable feature of the MJU 500 is its large 2.5-inch HyperCrystal LCD screen. With its 160-degree wide view range, this large LCD screen enables its users to view subjects at extreme angles (though it does not feature the flip or rotate like other LCD screens from other digital cameras). Made from durable lightweight metal with rubber gaskets in its interior and weighing only 3.0 lbs., the MJU 500 is also weatherproof. Meaning that this Olympus digital camera can withstand a few splashes here and there. (Note: it is weatherproof and not waterproof, there is a big difference between the two - splashes and not water). The MJU 500 of the Olympus digital camera line, introduces an alternative design apart from the curvy MJU series with its new flat surface and smooth and round edges. It is so compact, with its 3.9 x 2.2 x 1.2 inches dimension, it can easily fit in your handbag or the back pocket of your pants (just be careful not to sit on it). This Olympus digital camera also features 23 shooting modes, one of which will enable its users to shoot in consecutive sequences and just choose the best one later. Another one of its many features is its ability to record and playback those videos and sounds. It has an expandable memory card slot, but when you buy the package, you would have to settle with temporarily with the 32MB xD card that comes with the package. this fashionable Olympus digital camera comes in two colors - silver and blue.

for a professional Olympus digital camera, the Olympus 5300 is the right DSLR for you. it is the first 8-mega pixel camera out in the market. with a 7-14mm lens, it gives the equivalent of a 14-28mm lens. also, a first for this Olympus digital camera is its side-swing mirror that doesn't need a pentaprism, giving you a smaller and sleeker camera. another unique feature is the Super Sonic Wave Filter (SSWF) that shakes off the dusts in your sensor, this way dust can never accumulate in your camera. with features like four exposure modes and 14 scene modes, this USB 1.1 compatible Olympus digital camera is one of the best DSLR cameras in the market.

another Olympus digital camera is the Olympus CaMedia C-70. It is also a small and compact digital camera but equips a 7.0 mega pixel camera that gives you power and portability at the same time. Packed with 5x optical zoom and, it start up fast and auto focus even quicker than most digital cameras in the market. It has a 2.0-inch LCD screen, a xD picture card slot and furnished with a 7.9-39.5mm Olympus lens that has 5x optical zoom. The CaMedia C-70 is the perfect choice for high quality shots, good features, great build and excellent portability.

Visit Olympus' website at www.olympus.com to look for other Olympus digital cameras and other Olympus products available in the market.

Samsung cellular phone, a basic phone

Cellular phones are now getting to be a necessity in this modern society. This is not how they foresee the cellular phone future some years back. Luckily, manufacturers are quick to recognize the booming cellular phone industry. Thus, they are able to answer the growing demands for this functional toy. Additionally, the introduction of various functional features for cellular phones by huge cellular phone companies makes cellular phones more a need to perform specialized tasks. Because of this, the use of a cellular phone is getting to be a requirement for business executives in going about their various tasks as they go about their business. However, not everybody needs these special functions, some only needs cellular phones for basic use like sending and receiving calls. If you do not require these high technology functions, buying a cellular phone for basic use may only be what is necessary. Some cellular phones are for basic use including Samsung cellular phones. It is more reasonable to buy basic cellular phone models if you do not need to play with your cellular phone and Samsung cellular phone may be what is the best for your.

Samsung cellular phones are generally of good design. They have wide and clear display, which is beneficial especially for sending and receiving text messages. Samsung cellular phones have good battery life compared to other cellular phone units. As already mentioned, these cellular phones are good cellular phones for basic use. Samsung cellular phones have beautiful designs; you may be pleased to choose one among the various models that will fit your need. You will not despair buying a cellular phone from Samsung if you only require the basic features; beauty of the product is thus a bonus. However, if you are looking for functional cellular phones more than the basic sending and receiving calls and text messages, Samsung cellular phone is not the one for you. People who want to play and require so many functions and features will not enjoy a the cellular phone from Samsung.

Some basic complaints encountered with Samsung cellular phone, which happens only to very few users, are choppy calls and scratchy and distorted volume generation. This only happens to very few users, and to ensure you will not experience this in a Samsung cellular phone, you may ask the recommendation of the friendly Samsung staff.

Some who endeavor to find functionality in a Samsung cellular phone give it a nickname ery good yet slightly bad phone. It is very good because the designs are superb and the battery life is good. Slightly bad because some high-tech features fail in Samsung cellular phone, precisely it is a cellular phone for basic use.

Do not expect Samsung cellular phone for other features rather than the basic ones, no picture transfer, no internet communication and some phone do not support blue tooth usage. Not a techy choice indeed. Some people who buy this phone feel that with the superb design, it should include additional feature and functionalities. The company is on its way to developing the phone you require, researches and product development are now on the drawing board.

For some who could not wait, buying Samsung cellular phone is still a neat choice because the designs are upbeat and beautiful. The added bonus is that the battery life is longer than other cellular phones. Enjoy the basic functions and beautiful designs with Samsung cellular phones.