TAKE CARE OF YOUR LAPTOP IN 15 EASY WAYS

TAKE CARE OF YOUR LAPTOP IN 15 EASY WAYS

Source:  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

Taking care of your laptop is one of the most important things you should know. You would want to take advantage of its full life, don’t you? It might have cost you quite a bit out of your pocket so it is just proper that you’d do everything to take care of it and maintain its good health. Here’s what every laptop owners should do to protect and extend its life. 

1. Do not eat and drink while you’re in front of your laptop. Spilled liquids and fallen food crumbs and bits can easily damage the sensitive circuitry inside.

2. Do not touch the LCD screen. Close the lid gently by holding it with both hands when shutting it off. This is to avoid breaking it. It is also important to clean your monitor with approved cleaning materials only. Screen repairs don't come in real cheap so you may want to make sure the monitor is taken cared of properly.

3. Keep its temperature cooler by installing a laptop cooler or chill mat to reduce its operating temperature.

4. A laptop’s battery is like human muscles - if you don’t exercise it, it’d become useless. Use your laptop's battery until it tells you to recharge. At least once a week unplug it from the wall and let it run on battery power. This will make the battery life lasts much longer.

5. Do not let it run for straight two days, even on powerful laptops. Laptops can get very hot and leaving it on for a longer period of time may cause overheating. It is advisable to install software that automatically puts your laptop in a sleep or hibernate mode or even shut it down after a period of inactivity.

6. If you need to move and take your laptop more than a few feet away, shut it down or put it to sleep
before moving on. Do not walk with your laptop on because you are risking the hard drive with every stumble, stump, or jar you make.

7. Don't close anything inside your laptop. There is a little clearance between the screen and the keyboard and even a couple sheets of paper can put stress onto the screen. Also, avoid putting heavy objects on top of your laptop. These careless actions can damage and break the screen.

8. Always use the laptop carrying bag given by the company gave you to reduce the risk of breaks because of laptop being bumped to or dropped accidentally.

9. Cover your laptop, and also your keyboard, when you’re not using it, e.g. with a simple cloth, to protect it from dust, especially in dry and dusty areas.  However don’t forget to turn of the power first!  You can clean the keyboard from time to time with a little airpump.

10. Finally guard its health by using antivirus software and firewall.  Keep the installed antivirus updated. Your internet-connected laptop is always at risk of being infected with viruses, so you may want to take the necessary precautions. Data loss because of viruses can give you headaches.

11. Treat the laptop like you would your wallet. Don’t leave it lying around. Avoid leaving it in the car, or if you must, lock it in the boot.

12. Be sure nothing is stacked or thrown on top of the laptop.

13. Put the laptop on a solid surface if you are using it for a long time. Resting it on a pillow or other soft material might block the airflow vents and cause it to overheat.

14. Recharge the battery each night. While charging, place it on a hard surface like the dining table or kitchen bench. Don’t charge it near water.

15. Unplug the laptop if there’s an electrical storm.

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Types of viruses

Types of viruses

Like viruses that infect living beings, computer viruses infect your computer. They are software, and are often attached to other software or documents you might receive. When you run the virus's software or the file the virus has infected, the virus can infect your computer's software.

There are many types of viruses and terms for them, but we'll use the general term 'virus' to make things easy.

Types of viruses :-

The different types of viruses are as follows-

1) Boot Sector Virus :- Boot sector viruses infect either the master boot record of the hard disk or the floppy drive. The boot record program responsible for the booting of operating system is replaced by the virus. The virus either copies the master boot program to another part of the hard disk or overwrites it. They infect a computer when it boots up or when it accesses the infected floppy disk in the floppy drive. i.e. Once a system is infected with a boot-sector virus, any non-write-protected disk accessed by this system will become infected.
Examples of boot- sector viruses are Michelangelo and Stoned.

2) File or Program Viruses :- Some files/programs, when executed, load the virus in the memory and perform predefined functions to infect the system. They infect program files with extensions like .EXE, .COM, .BIN, .DRV and .SYS
Some common file viruses are Sunday, Cascade.

3) Multipartite Viruses :- A multipartite virus is a computer virus that infects multiple different target platforms, and remains recursively infective in each target. It attempts to attack both the boot sector and the executable, or programs, files at the same time. When the virus attaches to the boot sector, it will in turn affect the system’s files, and when the virus attaches to the files, it will in turn infect the boot sector.This type of virus can re-infect a system over and over again if all parts of the virus are not eradicated.Ghostball was the first multipartite virus, discovered by Fridrik Skulason in October 1989.
Other examples are Invader, Flip, etc.

4) Stealth Viruses :- These viruses are stealthy in nature means it uses various methods for hiding themselves to void detection. They sometimes remove themselves from the memory temporarily to avoid detection by antivirus. They are somewhat difficult to detect. When an antivirus program tries to detect the virus, the stealth virus feeds the antivirus program a clean image of the file or boot sector.

5) Polymorphic Viruses :- Polymorphic viruses have the ability to mutate implying that they change the viral code known as the signature each time they spread or infect. Thus an antivirus program which is scanning for specific virus codes unable to detect it's presense.

6) Macro Viruses :- A macro virus is a computer virus that "infects" a Microsoft Word or similar application and causes a sequence of actions to be performed automatically when the application is started or something else triggers it. Macro viruses tend to be surprising but relatively harmless.A macro virus is often spread as an e-mail virus. Well-known examples are

7) Concept Virus and Melissa Worm.:Computer Virus is a kind of malicious software written intentionally to enter a computer without the user’s permission or knowledge, with an ability to replicate itself, thus continuing to spread. Some viruses do little but replicate others can cause severe harm or adversely effect program and performance of the system. A virus should never be assumed harmless and left on a system. Most common types of viruses are mentioned below:

8) Resident Viruses:This type of virus is a permanent which dwells in the RAM memory. From there it can overcome and interrupt all of the operations executed by the system: corrupting files and programs that are opened, closed, copied, renamed etc.
Examples include: Randex, CMJ, Meve, and MrKlunky.

10) Direct Action Viruses:The main purpose of this virus is to replicate and take action when it is executed. When a specific condition is met, the virus will go into action and infect files in the directory or folder that it is in and in directories that are specified in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file PATH. This batch file is always located in the root directory of the hard disk and carries out certain operations when the computer is booted.

11) Overwrite Viruses:Virus of this kind is characterized by the fact that it deletes the information contained in the files that it infects, rendering them partially or totally useless once they have been infected.The only way to clean a file infected by an overwrite virus is to delete the file completely, thus losing the original content.
Examples of this virus include: Way, Trj.Reboot, Trivial.88.D.

12) Boot Virus:This type of virus affects the boot sector of a floppy or hard disk. This is a crucial part of a disk, in which information on the disk itself is stored together with a program that makes it possible to boot (start) the computer from the disk.
Examples of boot viruses include: Polyboot.B, AntiEXE.

13) Macro Virus:Macro viruses infect files that are created using certain applications or programs that contain macros. These mini-programs make it possible to automate series of operations so that they are performed as a single action, thereby saving the user from having to carry them out one by one.
Examples of macro viruses: Relax, Melissa.A, Bablas, O97M/Y2K.

14) Directory Virus:Directory viruses change the paths that indicate the location of a file. By executing a program (file with the extension .EXE or .COM) which has been infected by a virus, you are unknowingly running the virus program, while the original file and program have been previously moved by the virus.Once infected it becomes impossible to locate the original files.

15) Polymorphic Virus:Polymorphic viruses encrypt or encode themselves in a different way (using different algorithms and encryption keys) every time they infect a system.This makes it impossible for anti-viruses to find them using string or signature searches (because they are different in each encryption) and also enables them to create a large number of copies of themselves.
Examples include: Elkern, Marburg, Satan Bug, and Tuareg.

16) File Infectors:This type of virus infects programs or executable files (files with an .EXE or .COM extension). When one of these programs is run, directly or indirectly, the virus is activated, producing the damaging effects it is programmed to carry out. The majority of existing viruses belong to this category, and can be classified depending on the actions that they carry out.

17) Companion Viruses:Companion viruses can be considered file infector viruses like resident or direct action types. They are known as companion viruses because once they get into the system they "accompany" the other files that already exist. In other words, in order to carry out their infection routines, companion viruses can wait in memory until a program is run (resident viruses) or act immediately by making copies of themselves (direct action viruses).Some examples include: Stator, Asimov.1539, and Terrax.1069

18) FAT Virus:The file allocation table or FAT is the part of a disk used to connect information and is a vital part of the normal functioning of the computer.This type of virus attack can be especially dangerous, by preventing access to certain sections of the disk where important files are stored. Damage caused can result in information losses from individual files or even entire directories.

19) Worms :A worm is a program very similar to a virus; it has the ability to self-replicate, and can lead to negative effects on your system and most importantly they are detected and eliminated by antiviruses.
Examples of worms include: PSWBugbear.B, Lovgate.F, Trile.C, Sobig.D, Mapson.

20) Trojans or Trojan Horses:Another unsavory breed of malicious code are Trojans or Trojan horses, which unlike viruses do not reproduce by infecting other files, nor do they self-replicate like worms.

21) Logic Bombs:They are not considered viruses because they do not replicate. They are not even programs in their own right but rather camouflaged segments of other programs.Their objective is to destroy data on the computer once certain conditions have been met. Logic bombs go undetected until launched, and the results can be destructive.
Install a good antivirus to avoid infections and effective removal.I have posted a topic on antivirus in the blog.

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A SHORT HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE

A SHORT HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE

It began with a little bean
The history of chocolate dates back to early Mesoamerican civilizations. As early as 1500 BC, the Olmec Indians were growing cacao beans. The Mayans and Aztecs also grew cacao and developed chocolate drinks.  Christopher Columbus, among many other  explorers, claim the credit for being the first  person to bring cocoa beans to Europe in the   early 1500s, and chocolate drinks became popular in Spain. But it wasn’t until nearly 100 years later that the flavor spread to other parts of Europe.

Chocolate Spreads Across Europe
In 1657, a Frenchman opened the first chocolate house in London. The shop was called the Coffee Mill and Tobacco Roll, and due to the cost of the drink, chocolate was a beverage that could only be enjoyed by the upper class. Chocolate’s popularity continued to grow, however, and by 1674, it had become an ingredient used in cakes and rolls. The spread and production of chocolate reached another milestone in 1732, when Monsieur Dubuisson of  France invented a table mill that could grind chocolate.

The Invention of the Chocolate Bar
Joseph Fry of Bristol, England, made the next major leap, with the invention of a steam engine for grinding the beans. This allowed chocolate to be manufactured on a larger scale. Fry & Sons (which would later merge with Cadbury) can also claim one of the most important inventions in the history of chocolate - the modern chocolate bar in 1847.Before Fry & Sons could create the chocolate bar, however, Dutchman Conrad J. van Houten invented a hydraulic press in 1929 that was used to create cocoa powder. Today this process is known as “Dutching.” From there, chocolate took off. Richard Cadbury is said to have created the first known heart-shaped box for Valentine’s Day in 1861, and Daniel Peters of Switzerland produced the first milk chocolate bar in 1875, using powdered milk that had been invented by Henri Nestle a few years earlier. Rudolphe Lindt kept things moving by inventing a process called “conching,” which improved chocolate by making it more blendable.

Now it’s Everywhere!
Now chocolate comes in all flavors (milk, dark, white), with nuts, caramels, cherries and all other kinds of goodies, in cakes, pies, and cookies, and in all shapes and sizes, from bite-size pieces to monster-sized chocolates shaped like Santa, the Easter Bunny or other creatures. You can find chocolate fountains, chocolate fondue, cookbooks devoted to nothing but chocolate. It’s everywhere! And to think it all started with a simple little bean.

COCOA (Also known as Cocoa Powder, Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, Unsweetened Cocoa) - Made by slamming chocolate liquor with a hydraulic press to expel the fat, i.e. the cocoa butter. What’s left is allowed to harden, and then it is crushed into a powder. There is roughly 10-20% fat remaining in the powder. Cocoa powder is often used in low fat cooking because it retains the chocolate flavor but has much of the fat removed.

GROUND CHOCOLATE (Also known as Powdered Chocolate) - Not to be confused with cocoa powder, this is regular eating chocolate that’s been ground to make a powder. It is generally used for making drinks, and should not be used in place of unsweetened cocoa powder in recipes.

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101 Ways of Saying 'I Love You'

101 Ways of Saying 'I Love You'

1.  Go get a fair trade organic coffee together 
2.  Pick them a flower 
3.  Email each other 
4.  Send a romantic text 
5.  Call each other on the phone 
6.  Go to a cafe
7.  Be willing to compromise
8.  Kiss when no-one’s looking
9.  Read to each other 
10. Find a hobby to do together 
11. Hug each other 
12. Kiss 
13. Lay in the park cloud spotting together 
14. Share an ice cream
15. Go to a concert 
16. Snuggle 
17. Share your dreams 
18. Hold her hand 
19. Check out a museum 
20. Take care of each other when you are sick 
21. Meet their friends & family 
22. Gently nibble their ear 
23. Brush their hair 
24. Take a walk by a river 
25. Go see a movie 
26. Go for a bike ride 
27. Go out to dinner 
28. Watch TV together 
29. Give them space to see their friends 
30. Hold hands
31. Be nice even if you are in a mood 
32. Talk honestly with them 
33. Lend a listening ear 
34. Write each other love notes 
35. Paint together 
36. Trust each other 
37. Be proud of your partner 
38. Feed each other fairtrade organic chocolate 
39. Go dancing 
40. Surprise them with a present
41. Run in the rain
42. Study together  
43. Hang out with friends 
44. Make dinner together 
45. Visit the bookshop 
46. Go to the library together 
47. Go shopping together 
48. Make a CD of your favourite songs 
49. Smile 
50. Read a novel together 
51. Go camping 
52. Make chocolate cake 
53. Make sure they are safe 
54. Give them a piggy back ride 
55. Leave them a message on their pillow 
56. Go see a play 
57. Go to the zoo 
58. Go for a boat ride 
59. Go swimming 
60. Laugh together 
61. Read each others’ horoscopes
62. Feed each other grapes
63. Do laundry together  
64. Tell them you love them! 
65. Send them a rose 
66. Surprise them 
67. Bake them cookies 
68. Compliment them 
69. Lay out on a beach together 
70. Make them a gift 
71. Go for a picnic 
72. Name a star after them 
73. Write them a poem 
74. Offer to massage their feet 
75. Help them with their problems
76. Dedicate time alone together 
77. Do something fun and have a laugh together 
78. Write their name in the sand 
79. Go jogging together 
80. Go ice skating 
81. Take them somewhere that is special to you 
82. Make a photo album together 
83. Give them a loving cuddle
84. Talk about your feelings  
85. Watch the sunset together 
86. Be genuine 
87. Go somewhere new together 
88. Window shop together 
89. Go to the city for the day 
90. Buy them a piece of the moon
91. Do yoga together 
92. Tell them what you love about them 
93. Watch a movie together 
94. Cook them their favourite meal 
95. Swap a piece of jewellery 
96. Fly a kite together 
97. Never cheat on them 
98. Eat by candle light 
99.  Learn to say I love you in 10 different languages 
100. Take them to the place you first met
101. Say ‘I love you’! 

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"7 Destructive Habits of Highly UNsuccessful People"

"7 Destructive Habits of Highly UNsuccessful People"

1. They get "Hung" by their own "Tongue"
a. Are you thinking from lack or scarcity?
b. Disempowering thoughts turn into disempowering language.
c. When you look at an opportunity, are the first things you see roadblocks? Conversion of positive into negatives and your language reflects that.

2. They are Chronic Complainers
a. These are people who complain that the sun is hot.No matter what happens, it is always about how it could have been better.
b. Present an opportunity that something will change their life, and the response is that you are money hungry. And the very same day they will complain that they do not have enough money.

3. They are Unrationally Paranoid
a. They think that everyone and everything is against them.
b. Mistakes cause depression instead understanding the greatness of the learning process. They become discouraged easily.
c. They regard failures as catastrophes.
d. Fear runs their lives...they rather stay in their "known zone" than expand it. Thus, their comfort zones become their failure zones.

4. They are Blabber Mouths
a. They talk much more than they listen.
b. They want to be "the issue"...the star of the show.
c. When others advise them, they tend not to listen because they don't like their mistakes acknowledged...or are not so willing to grow.This type of "pride" typically keeps them broke, busted and disgusted.
d. In their mind, they are always correct.

5. They are Miserable and They are Looking for "Company"
a. In other words, they try to bring other people down to their level.
b. People who are Consistently Unsuccessful and are deciding to stay that way (either intentionally or unconsciously) envy successful people.
c. Instead of learning from successful people, or putting in the "smart" and "hard" work that successful people have put in, they find it easier to criticize, despise, spread rumors about those successful ones.
d. What could they do instead?
Think of all the habits you have that do not serve you...Now, what habits can you switch them out for? Successful people change, and work for change all the time.

6. They are "Wimps"
a. They are always seeking the "magical" instant "pill" that will relieve them of having to actually experience "Life in the Jungle" in an effort to make it their very own "Land of Paradise."
b. They would rather take the wide road to lessor rewards than the narrow road to great rewards.
c. They don't want any hardships. They simply want to get healthy wealthy and wise without "fighting" for it. If only they would fight for it they would be more likely to get the "title."

7. They Give up Easily
a. Successful people look at failures as stepping stones to success. Temporary setbacks tend to stop unsuccessful people in their tracks.
b. They jump in very excited and then their excitement falls off with a few "No's" and they lose interest when it looks so much harder.
c. Then they go search for a new opportunity that would be much "easier." But guess what? The next one isn't any easier; they typically get stuck over the same issue...themselves.So, how do you join the ranks of those who have made it to the "Land of Paradise?"
CHANGE...look at these 7 Habits and never engage in them. Look at Stephen Covey's 7 Habits, and live them. You will be incredibly successful in your life!

“7 Habits of Highly Successful People"
1. Be Proactive
2. Begin With the End in Mind
3. Put First Things First
4. Think Win/Win
5. Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
6. Synergize
7. Sharpen the Saw 

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