How To: Optimize Your Computer

How To: Optimize Your Computer

A computer is almost like the best friend you never had. It stores all the information you want; allows you to play games whenever you feel like it; gives you access to a whole world wide web of information; has new functions that you discover on a daily basis; and best of all, it never talks back.
How do you plan to care for this friend of yours, the one that always seems to be there and readily at your service? Get the most out of your computer by ensuring that it remains virus-free and does not lose potential space and memory.
optimize your computerHere

are some basic ways to optimize your computer's functions, so that it works as quickly as possible.

Defragmenting

This is something that should be done every couple of weeks, to ensure that you save space on your hard drive and ensures a longer life for your hard drive.

Keep it on

Avoid shutting down and rebooting your computer at the end and start of every computer session. Don't be afraid to keep your computer on for long periods of time; simply re-start your computer weekly to make sure your RAM is cleared.
If you do keep it on, set your computer to go into "sleep mode". Similar to a screen saver, your computer will go into sleep mode after a given period of inactivity (a longer period than for activating a screen saver).
Your computer will go right back on with a touch of a key, or with the slightest move of your mouse. By setting your computer to go into "sleep mode," you are not only saving energy while leaving your computer on, but you are also preventing your hard drive from spinning.

Screen saver

Install a screen saver onto your computer to activate after a few minutes of computer inactivity. This is good for your monitor, as it prevents images from "burning" your computer screen.

Firewall

If you are always logged on to the Internet with a constant connection, make sure to install a "firewall" to prevent people from getting into your computer via the Net. ZoneAlarm by Zone Labs is a popular and highly recommended brand of firewall.
This will ensure that your computer remains secure from possible intruders. To check it out, visit Zone Labs.
Similarly, if you use instant messaging software such as ICQ or MSN Messenger, exit the program every time you leave your computer. Keeping these on for extended periods of time increases the chances for another Internet user to gain access to your computer and get information such as your IP address. If you aren't on the computer, you're better off closing these programs.

Clear your cache

Your cache stores all temporary Internet files on your computer, which end up there whenever you download or visit a page on the Net. Clearing this every once in a while is a good idea, as these files are unnecessary.

Scan disk

Run a scan disk on your computer every now and then to make sure that everything is safe and sound on your computer. The scan disk can detect bugs, errors and even possible viruses.

Minimize fonts

Although having a wide range of fonts is fun and adds variety to your documents, limiting the amount of fonts you have on your computer is a good idea; fonts take up memory on your computer.

How to bring visitors to your Web site

How to bring visitors to your Web siteBy Bob Palmer

Everyone with a Web site wants more visitors. In the last few months, I've spoken several times to different groups about this topic. It seems to be a popular topic, since many people aren't happy with the number of visitors their sites log. I'll try to explain how to get visitors to a Website and will be a tutorial as much as anything else.

Promote Your Web Site In Your Current Advertising
One of the first things you should do is put your Web site address on everything. Put it on business cards, stationery, print advertisements, brochures, product literature, mailing labels, envelopes, hats and jackets. Put it in your TV ads and radio spots. If you can get your salespeople to agree, tattoo it on their foreheads. Don't forget things like billboards, signs, tradeshow booth materials, vehicles, and banners. In short, put the Web address everywhere.
Frankly, this alone won't generate much traffic to your Web site, but it will reinforce the other things that you're doing. If you really want major increases in Web site visitors, you'll have to do something else.

Design Special Advertising To Promote Your Web Site
You should begin to think about your Web site as another business destination-like a storefront in a strip mall. You will get a few visitors wandering by and stopping in, but the traffic will increase greatly if you give the visitors a reason to visit you. Remember that inertia is a great motivator. Just because you announce that your site is open for business doesn't mean that you'll have lots of visitors-you'll have to overcome their tendency to sit still.

Here's a suggestion: think direct response advertising in everything that you do to generate Web traffic. Develop an offer (something that the consumer can have if they respond), and be sure to ask for action. Let's start with the concept of an offer. A jewelry store might offer a "free ring" to the first 50 who register on the site after seeing the ad (and keying in a special code to identify the ad they saw). A law firm might offer the brochure, "How To Keep Your Inheritance Away From The IRS." A realtor might offer the brochure, "How To Sell Your House Fast For Top Dollar." A distributor might offer free shipping.
The idea is not to spend a bunch of money on giveaways. The idea is to overcome inertia and get the customer to the Web site.

Once you have the offer, asking for action is easy: "Come to our Web site at www.great-deals-for-u.com (not a real Web site) and get our special deal."

ASP.NET enhancements debuted

ASP.NET enhancements debuted

Pasadena-based ASP.NET and SQL hosting company DiscountASP.NET introduced ASP.NET hosting enhancements targeted for developers with the launch of an on-demand application pool recycling tool and a real-time Web site stop/start tool. These new tools are additions to the IIS Management Tool Suite available in the DiscountASP.NET Control Panel.

The Application Pool Recycle Tool allows customers to shut down the process hosting their web application and spawn a new process. This tool is extremely useful to recycle a hung application, release locked files or databases, or to reset session variables. DiscountASP.NET hosts each web site in its own isolated application pool, so it can be used without affecting other customer sites. IT worker confidence plunges worker confidence among IT professionals fell substantially in August, as the sector's Hudson Employment Index dropped 9.4 points to 103.1 in August. Despite the decline, the latest reading is substantially higher than last August, when it registered 97.5. Based on responses from approximately 9,000 workers nationwide across all industries, the composite index rose one point to 102.9 in August.

The Hudson Index for IT workers also showed:
* After a record-high 21 percent of workers rated their finances as excellent in July, only 14 made that statement in August. There was also a five-point drop to 44 percent in the number of workers who said their financial situation was improving.
* Similarly, the number of workers expecting their employer to hire fell from a near record-high of 40 percent to 31 percent.
* While only one-quarter of the work force was concerned about job security in July, 28 percent shared that sentiment in August.

BrightCom gains IntelliNet contract Los Angeles integrated conferencing company BrightCom Inc. was selected as the Web conferencing vendor for IntelliNet, a provider of global network management services.
As a fully integrated "plug and play" network appliance, The Visual Collaboration System is optimized for hosting rich, interactive, live collaborative meetings via a Web browser.
BrightCom also said it had been selected as the video conferencing vendor for Medical Mutual of Ohio. Medical Mutual has over 1.5 million customers throughout the Midwest.