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First a little history….
In 1938, the first invention that would lead to the laser printer and toner cartridge was patented. The process, knows as “electro photography”, used a dry printing method, not that different than today’s laser printer. It was 1948, however, before the commercial application of electro photography because available.

In 1959, the first automatic reproduction machine, the Xerox 914, which used a dry printing process. In 1978, the fine-tuned technology was applied to the computer printing needs of business and private citizens. Physically large and with a large price tag as well, the Xerox 9700 laser printer that used a toner cartridge wasn’t affordable by individuals except the wealthy.

Everything changed in 1984 when Hewlett Packard began to market the “LaserJet” printer. This printer came with a replaceable toner cartridge that was not difficult to change, although it could sometimes bit a little messy. The really problematic part was that people who used the LaserJet had stacks of expensive but empty toners stacked in the storage room or wherever they could find to store the toner cartridges.

This problem was quickly resolved by environmentally aware designers by re-manufacturing the laser toner cartridge. This significantly reduced the cost of using laser printers.

What’s happening today?….
Nowadays we have the luxury of having a laser printer on our desk at home if we want that type of printing. The as well as the initial outlay for the printer has become quite affordable and provides a unique, very professional looking print out.

Today, laser printers are manufactured by many companies and the price tag is only slightly more than the common ink printer (though colour laser printers are still quite expensive the gap is getting smaller). The laser toner cartridge costs have been reduced so that it is reasonable to use the laser printer at home as well as at the office. In fact the toners are usually much cheaper when you take into account the larger number of pages you get for the amount you pay (the industry uses the terminology ‘cents per page’ or CPP)

Basically there are 2 types of cartridges, originals and non-originals and there are 2 types of non-originals being compatibles and remanufactured (this goes for inks also as does the information below). Otherwise known as non-genuine, after market this is how they work:-

- Compatibles are actually a brand new cartridge manufactured to work in the same way (without breaking the trademark, copy protection laws) as the same original cartridge with the same machines. The benefit you gain from these is obviously cost savings with at times massive savings up to around 50%. The downside is they are not as environmentally friendly as remanufactured toners and there are the occasional failures and complaints about lower quality (though failure rates for the top companies making these are within industry norms and not significantly higher than those of the original manufacturers themselves)
- Remanufactured toners however are a little different as they take an empty original (it should have only been used ONCE) and fill it with toner. As long as you buy from a reputable retailer it will have also been checked to determine if parts need to be replaced as well as toner refilled. You also get good cost savings as you do with compatibles but the environment wins out big time as you helping ‘close the loop’ by reusing an empty original. Once again the same applies as above with quality and failures (both negligible in my experience as a retailer in this industry)
NOTE: Its worth making a special note here that disposing of empty toners is a problem worldwide as the plastic they’re made of takes so long to break down and the toxicity of the toner inside. In many countries today there are programs available where you can get rid of your empties without just throwing them in the bin. In fact if you hunt around you’ll probably find a company will pay you for them as they need a constant stream of empties coming through so they can remanufacture them.

Something to keep in mind….
When purchasing a re-manufactured laser toner cartridge, be sure to read the box carefully and ensure you are selecting the right toner cartridge. The first time you purchase a re-manufactured toner cartridge, the box may look entirely different or very plain because these inexpensive toners are often not packaged in fancy, colourful boxes like the name brands. But then they don’t cost what the name brand toners do, either.

The bottom line….
If you use a reputable retailer for your home/office supplies they should have a clear policy in place not only about faulty toners but what happens if a cartridge has somehow caused damage to your machine (this would be very unusual by the way). Under these circumstances this policy should give you a full warranty to have the equipment repaired ASAP at no cost to you.

With my clients when they ask what I suggest I always recommend they try a non-original to see for themselves the quality etc. In any case the trick is to be able to make an informed choice with someone you trust so at least if something goes wrong the people you bought from haven’t skipped the country

Mr James has owned The Cartridge Specialists (Melbourne, Australia) since 2004 selling ink & toner cartridges, fax rolls etc & regularly writes articles about his industry http://www.cartridgespecialists.com.au

Running a business from home has its advantages, including no commute, a more accommodating work schedule, fresh coffee and home-cooked meals at any time you want.

But running a business from home using a home wireless local area network (WLAN) with your computer may lead to thievery of confidential information and hacker or virus penetration unless proper actions are taken. As WLANs send information back and forth over radio waves, someone with the right type of receiver in your immediate area could be picking up the transmission, thus acquiring access to your computer.

Here is a list of things that you should consider as a result of implementing a home wireless network setup used your business:

Viruses could be loaded onto your laptop which could be transferred to the company’s network when you go back to work.

Up to 75 per cent of home wireless network WLAN users do not have standard security features installed, and 20 per cent are left completely open as default configurations and are not secured, but are made for the users to have their network up and running ASAP.

It is recommended that home wireless network router/access point system setups be always done though a wired client.

Always change the default administrative password on your home wireless network router/access points to a secured password.

Enable at least 128-bit WEP encryption on both card and access point. Change your WEP keys periodically. If equipment does not support at least 128-bit WEP encryption, consider replacing it. Although there are security issues with WEP, it represents minimum level of security, and it should be enabled.

Change the default SSID on your router/access point to a hard to guess name. Setup your computer device to connect to this SSID by default.

Setup router/access points so as to not broadcast the SSID. The same SSID needs to be setup on the client side manually. This feature may not be available on all equipment.

Setup your home wireless network router to block anonymous internet requests or pings.

On each computer having a wireless network card, network connection properties should be configured to allow connection to Access Point Networks Only. Computer to computer (peer to peer) connections should not be allowed.

Enable MAC filtering. Deny connection to wireless network for unspecified MAC addresses. MAC or physical addresses are accessible through your computer device wireless network connection setup and they are physically written on network cards. When adding new wireless cards / computer to the network, their MAC addresses should be registered with the router /access point.

Your home wireless network router should have firewall features enabled and demilitarized zone (DMZ) feature disabled. Periodically test your hardware and personal firewalls using Shields Up test available at Gibson Research Corp. web site. All computers should have a properly configured personal firewall in addition to a hardware firewall.

Update router/access point firmware when new versions become available.

Locate router/access points away from strangers so they cannot reset the router/access point to default settings. Also, locate router/access points in the middle of the building rather than near windows to limit signal coverage outside the building.

You should know that nothing is 100%. While none of the actions suggested above will provide full 100% protection, countermeasures do exist that will help. The good collection of suggested preventative actions contained herein can help you deter an intruder trying to access your home wireless network. This deterrant then makes other insecure networks easier targets for the intruder to persue.

Greg Lietz is a freelance writer and internet businessman. His main website is http://www.theonlinebizplace.com where he provides content about internet business opportunities. He owns the website http://www.theonlinearticleplace.com which is a new article directory.

The arrival of this miniature hard disk was a great timing just as computing is in need for memory drives that can solve the problem of the aging floppy disk.

But there are other things that the USB memory can do.

Provided your motherboard is equipped with USB booting devices, a USB Memory that is correctly formatted will start your system like any other hard drive. The following will show how you can boot your system for trouble shooting into DOS, BIOS flashing and other kinds of uses for the USB memory drive.

The arrival of the USB has turned the once very essential floppy disks to obsolescence. Before, the floppy disks are vital to “clean boot” your personal computer into DOS, BIOS updating, and trouble shooting your PC. Now, this easily transportable drive does the same things with much higher capacities, flexibility and durability.

This is how:

Finding an available port for your computer peripheral could be very difficult especially if you require several ports for your numerous devices. And the difficulty gets bigger if what you are looking for are ports with serial, parallel and non-USB connectors since modern computers have either reduced or removed the use non-USB ports.

So if you cannot locate any available non-USB ports, you can still make use of your non-USB devices. Simply buy USB adapter. You wonder: Is a USB adapter better than the conventional expansion card? Here are the advantages of using a USB adapter:

1. Universality. During the past, there are certain ports that are only compatible with specific devices like printers and modems particularly for printer ports. USB Adapter accommodates all (depending on the type of USB adapter) non-USB connectors of any computer peripherals. This would include joysticks, modems, keyboards, and mouse with 9- or 25-pin serial connectors.

2. No additional expansion cards required. Usually, when you link devices with non-USB connector to you computer you would require additional expansion card for each of these. So if you would add a joystick and a modem or any peripheral with non-USB connectors, you have to add an equal number of expansion cards for individual use. With USB adapter, all you need is a USB port to link any non-USB device to your computer.

3. Compatibility. Whether you would like to connect the serial, parallel port, or any other non-USB ports to your computer using the USB adapter, you wont have any problem for they would run. The USB adapter makes your devices work if connected to a USB port.

4. Multipliable. Since a single USB port can accommodate up to 127 devices (hubs included), you can attach several non-USB devices without the need of expansion cards. This means that when you have several non-USB devices, all you need to do is to provide each with USB adapter and a hub to connect them to the source.

5. Practicality. While most of the devices on the market have USB connectors, computers and other hosts have also used USB ports. And since non-USB ports are harder to find, you can resort to USB adapter connect your non-USB devices to your computer.

6. Price. Buying an expansion card is more expensive than buying a USB cable.

7. Availability. USB adapters are more abundant than expansion cards and in turn, they are easier to locate. A local computer store and even the Internet could be a rich source of these.

8. Easy installation. If you prefer to use an expansion card for your single device, you have to remove the whole computer assembly in order for the expansion card to be installed on your motherboard. But that is not all. You still have to turn of your computer and booth it several times for the card to start working. With USB adapter, all you have to do is to attach the connector of your non-USB device to the adapter, connect the adapter to the USB port of your computer and in no time, your device is working- even while your computer is turned on.

With all these lay down, would you still prefer using expansion cards for your non-USB devices? Certainly not! The availability of USB adapters has made connecting devices to your computer faster, cheaper, and easier.

S. Stammberger is the owner of Computer Geek Blog. On her blog you will find helpful computer info for anyone. Don’t get stuck on a problem again.

http://www.computergeekblog.com/

Bluetooth USB: Linking History with Technology

In the 10th century, a Danish king united into a single kingdom some parts of Norway and Denmark (Scandinavia). He then introduced Christianity in Denmark. However, in the year 986, he was killed in a battle with Svend Forkbeard, his son. But before the event, he was able to construct a big monument for his parents, it was named the Jelling Rune Stone. His name was Harald Blatand ( the surname roughly means Bluetooth if translated in English).

The name was chosen to stand for the significance the Baltic Regions in the communications industry have ( including Sweden, Denamark, Finland and Norway from which the leading companies in the industry came from), though the term Bluetooth has little or no connection at all with how the technology applies. Also, Blatand’s historical significance neatly resembled how the Bluetooth technology unites companies, industries and devices.

The technology was first conceptualized and researched by Ericsson. However, the Bluetooth technology (and Bluetooth USB) were duly credited to the SIG or Bluetooth Special Interest Group. The core group is composed of the companies- Ericsson

If you remember the days of Atari and “Pong,” you probably also remember the personal computer‘s first sound: beep. Yes, you are correct, in the early stages of computing, computers were only able to utter a beep. This sound was used as a warning to the user that something might be amiss. Later on, technicians were able to toy with the length and frequency of the beep, thus creating a bit more variety to the listener.

Fast forwarding to today, special sound cards now enable computers to play 3-D audio, which is extensively used for games, as well as surround sound playback for actual DVDs. Some sound cards even enable computer users to record the sounds around them and create almost professional audio recordings!

Sounds cards’ most basic function is the translation of analog sound waves into digital computer data that may be manipulated in any number of ways. While this sounds fairly straight forward, it is imperative to remember that not all sound cards are created equal, and depending on the extensiveness of your need for this little device, there are some things to consider. Let us take a quick look at the top three things to consider when considering which sound card to use:

Consider the sound card’s bit-rate. No matter what use you will have for your sound card; the bit-rate will affect your enjoyment of the sound. Usually, these cards rate anywhere from eight to 16 bit; however, the most advanced technology now supports 24-bit sound quality. While the numbers appear close, this is the time to remember that the bit-rate is directly related to the clarity and “detail” you will be able to discern when listening to the sounds. Akin to the way resolution of a picture is measured in pixels (and the more pixels the higher the resolution, the crisper the picture), clarity of sound may be expressed via the bit-rate.

Consider the sound card’s connections. At the basic level, sound cards will permit for the connection of a microphone and of speakers. Yet those users, who need additional connectivity for recreational or even professional use, have caused the development of a whole host of additional input and output connections. For example, depending on the card, some now offer connections for multiple speakers to support 3-D and also surround sound. Other connections allow for the connection of synthesizers and other electronic instruments to the computers’ sound cards. The specific form of connector is referred to as musical instrument digital interface (MIDI). USB connections also allow for the hook up of digital audio and video recorders to the sound cards.

Last but not least, consider compatibility with the software you use. The sound card is designed to give the audio portion of your data its due, but if your sound card will not support your software, you will be frustrated at best. For example, if you are a serious computer gamer, you are familiar with DirectX software. This software is a standard for Windows based games, and as such it is updated frequently by Microsoft. Purchase of an older model sound card may not support the latest software update, and thus be useless. For those who are strict music lovers and notice the lack of tuning the second violin in the orchestra has received, there are some other ratings that will be of interest to you. First there is the signal to noise ratio (S2N) which may be measured in DB’s. The lower the signal to noise ratio, the lower the sound quality will be. At the lowest end of the spectrum you may hear humming or whistling in addition to the sound. Secondly, you may wish to evaluate the total harmonic distortion (THD) offered. The higher the THD, the worse the sound quality is expected to be.

Obviously, computers have come a long ways from the original “beep” many of you will remember. With this loss of simplicity, we now find ourselves at a point where it is up to the users to define just how much of this technology they will need, which aspects are the most crucial in compatibility, and how the technology needs to be configured to best benefit the individual user.

Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16 year old son. For all your business communication needs go to http://www.businesscommunicationsolution.com

Kids love to mimic the adults in every whatever fashion that they see adults do. They see their elders tinker on computers; they’d love to bang on the computer as well. Parents would love nothing more than to indulge their kids in everything that could be useful to them. The dilemma that parents usually face is if the kid computer games that they are after are really kid friendly. So how can parents choose from among the hundreds of computer games that are circulating in the market?

The following suggests upgrading your computer to suit the computing ability of your children followed by suggested kid computer game tips.

If your computer has seen its days it will be better to upgrade your computer so it runs on newer versions. Nowadays, a $600 machine will serve the purpose (you may even find one that throws in a printer. For a few dollars more, you can add the software and needed pheriperals. What you should be looking for are machines that have a 40 gigabyte HDD, with 256 megabytes of memory.

Equip the PC with a cute mouse. While a regular mouse will work with your children, a specialized smaller mouse will help them navigate through your PC better.

How much video time? While it is important that a child spends time with a computer, it is just as good if their screen time is monitored. Two hours of video time including TV time is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Suggested software.
MyABCD – animated and educational children’s software program.
IncrediBubble – colored cube puzzles.
QBz – Clear the board of colorful QBeez characters. This is a brain buster with attitude.
BabyKeys – designed to satisfy the curiosity of children age’s 6 months through 3 years.
Sveerz Deluxe – a musical matching game that bounces to the beat.
Dinos and Bubbles – Cute dinosaurs out on a magical quest of fire.
Origami Master – a magic paper art for children.
Creative Painter – a magic drawing software.
Cynthia’s wedding, Henry & Harley, Nina’s Wish – are magic story game of the loving box series.
Fox Jones: The Treasures of El Dorado – development of the Bombermann and Eric and Floaters games.
Foosball Play – play Table Football against the computer or against up to 8 people on a network.
Quest Pro – creating you own adventure games easily.
Gutterball Game – a 3D bowling game. Realistic, fun and attitude filled fast paced game.
Flip Words You’ll flip over our new word game: Gets the child flipping words and solving familiar phrases.
Best Friends – Guide Petey and Patty through the jungle world, ice world and dream world.
Aqua Words – Aquatic (the Hero) guides kids to solving puzzles.
Spelvin – A spelling game for kids that will take him to a land of glitter and lights.
Cactus Bruce – Corporate monkeys against evil corporate monkeys, Cactus Bruce uses his one ton claw machine.
BattlePets: The kid will have fun in catching training and battling against little creatures.

Hundreds more are out there! Another alternative would be downloading demo games, or shareware games. These games are advertised online so that you may try out the game first before deciding to buy.

S. Stammberger is the owner of A1 Computer Games. A daily updated blog dealing with video and computer games. http://www.a1computergames.co.uk