2005 December

Here very recently, I had a concerned Gnomie ask me why I have such a beef with Norton products. And you know what, they brought up a great point: If I am to spend so much time ripping on them, would it not make sense to explain the specifics as to why? Works for me…

Backup logs contain logged information about backups. A log will contain information such as when a backup was performed, how long it took, what backup media were used, the number of files backed up, which files were backed up, and for the important part of the log, which files were mote backed up or resulted […]

PHIZ Biz Makeover Contest $25,000 Prize For Best Consumer Product.
New York, NY, JANUARY, 2006; Entrepreneurs striving to get their products on the shelves of America’s top retailers may have an opportunity to shorten their journey from factory to consumer. PHIZ, a consumer product marketing and sales management company, is offering a $25,000 business services package […]

Thin-and-Light Sentia m3400 Delivers Advanced Wireless Capabilities and a Built-In Webcam Packed into a 4.5 lb Design.
MIAMI - Dec. 30, 2005 - Alienware - the leading manufacturer of high-performance desktop, notebook, media center, server and professional systems - releases the new Alienware Sentia m3400 notebook, which includes a 14″ wide-screen LCD, Intel Centrino mobile technology, […]

The animated TECHTip Tutorial is available here.
This is a review of Cisco router switching modes. It is recommended that a review of Cisco’s router product line and a detailed understanding of the various router platforms such as small, medium and high-end routers be completed prior to any examination. Cisco uses various types of […]

Here recently, we had a concerned Gnomie write in with some very specific questions. Rather than bore you to death with the details, allow me to take each one as he asks them:

Could it be time for the PC repair folks of the world to dump the repair scene and begin looking into development? I am starting to think so and from the looks of things, I am not the only one, either.

Because the amount of time for a backup will vary each night, the number of backup media will also vary each night. Although the amount of time varies, it is still less than the times required for a differential backup during the span of a week.
When a differential backup is performed, the files that have […]

For a Microsoft Windows 2000 version of this article, see 306850.
When you start a program in Microsoft Windows Server 2003 or in Microsoft Windows XP, the program may run very slowly if the following conditions are true:

The animated TECHTip Tutorial is available here.
This is an animated tutorial on wireless RF [Radio Frequency] propagation critical to successful wireless transmission and reception.
Antenna Power Gain is the ratio of power input to the antenna to power output measured in dBi [decibels isotropic] which is a logarithmic to an isotropic antenna (a perfect spherical or […]

OK, here we go again. Yes, it ’tis the season for devices to break for unknown reasons. First my Tungsten E2 went south for no reason at all. Then just for good measure, my ReplayTV began to go on the fritz. Well, it seems that I will be ‘gifting myself’ here as I am sort […]

A company’s backup schedule depends on whether the backup time or restore time is more important. For most companies, if time permits, a full backup should be performed every night. This means that the backup could take quite awhile and is dependent in the regular backup schedule.
If there are five files, for example, the backup […]

This paper identifies the issues IT managers must consider to select the right KVM solution, exploring the types of access needed to manage server rooms and data centers - whether your IT resources work at the rack, across the hall, or around the world.
Today’s server rooms and data centers are challenging environments to control and […]

The animated TECHTip Tutorial is available here.
TECHtionary analysis is that most VoIP phones and soft phones require power. Customers should add power injectors, backup power, and generators to all critical functions including diverse wiring to emergency centers.
Electrical power is needed by more and more devices at the end of the network. VoIP […]

Could it be that Ninjas are really just geeks behind a mask? Well, just in case they take offense to such a question, I am not planning on asking any of them personally. Now for those of you thinking that Ninjas died off many, many years ago…that is not entirely true.

You know, I am going to go on record right here as saying that Windows Vista does look like they will have a lot to offer. Unfortunately, their official Website is very PR based and extremely short on details that I am interested in. And while this allows Microsoft to pull or add a feature […]

When backing up data, a company has a few different ways to back the data up, depending on time requirements during the backup or restore process. When a company is planning its backup and restore strategies, it must decide whether it wants a quick backup and slower restore or a slower backup and faster restore. […]

The popularity of Instant Messaging (IM) as a business communications tool has recently accelerated - along with the risks associated with its use. According to recent research by the Radacati Group, 85% of businesses use IM for business or personal use.
Nearly 3 out of 4 survey respondents indicated that IM would improve communication with […]

The animated TECHTip Tutorial is available here.
While 4-bit digital coding (words) offers 16 grey levels, 8-bit digital coding offers 28 256 grey levels. That is, white is 11111111 and black is 00000000. This type of light modulation process is called BPM [Binary Pulsewidth Modulation].
The tutorial offers a closer look at the chip level […]

Well, I managed to survive the weekend. Heck, I even braved the malls as the onslaught of bargain shoppers filled the streets in what some might compare to the opening credits for The Drew Cary Show.