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Interactive Analysis Advantages

By John Parsons in Technology

The information overload is the fact that we have today – computers get more powerful and storage capacity just soars up every year, so data is produced at an awful rate.

However, it is growing much faster that our ability to analyze it. And still the analysis of the data (often inconsistent and messy) is a crucial in every field. Today there are many tools available to help analysts organize their data, and in many cases it greatly helps, however it cannot meet the demands of our age – the analysts just cannot react properly to the constantly changed situation.

It is here where interactive analysis stands out as the mean to better and faster derive insight to the data and thus make better and timely decisions.

The basic idea of data analysis is to represent information in a human-friendly way, highlighting useful information, suggesting conclusions and ultimately supporting decision making. Data analysis assumes many techniques that can be used to analyze business information: OLAP, data mining, business intelligence, visual analysis, etc. The final part of any data analysis technique is producing reports answering questions of interest. There are many report generating systems that help people get their data in most easy way, but many of them only represent information in a one-time slice form, and so the analysts may only see what they are given, possibly missing all-important recent info.
And here comes the idea of interactive reporting.

The key to the success in decision making is in having right and complete information when you need it. And here is the list of “must have” requirements for a report generator to make this possible. First, it must be able to take data from different data sources and combine them in a single report. So even if the data is located in different places the user must get them all in one place, combined and prepared as the author defined.

Then it should always provide “fresh” data. It means the report must be always actual and contain up-to-date information. Practically it means that the author should be able to define the way how and the time when the data in the report is refreshed. The end user simply does not have to know about it. What he needs is always having fresh data at hand.

Next, the report should be able to contain different elements or controls (widgets) combined in any order and possibly connected to different data sources. These widgets can display different or even the same data in different ways. Say, we want the report to display the same sales data as a sorted table and below have the diagram showing how these sales has changed over the given period of time.

Also there must be “active” or “live” widgets in the report. OLAP Grid can be a perfect example of the like, because it allows the user working within the control: choose the active data slice, “drill down” to more details, “drill through” the selected cell, and more. So it provides interactivity to the whole report and ability to select the data in view without generating another report.

And finally the report should allow different extents of freedom to different users. Depending on the viewer the report should give different levels of access to the data, different data sources, different widgets available, and different interactivity levels.

As a result the users get the full range of info they are really interested in, and they can actively use it to analyze in many possible aspects. If allowed, analysts can access more information as they go. The same report can be used by many users with different access levels. The levels can be controlled by the author of the report to address different audience. All this takes the analysis process to the next level of productivity and ultimately helps decision making.

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John Parsons is on the staff of Radar-Soft LLC. Founded in 2004, Radar-Soft is developing OLAP and Business Intelligence solutions for developers in different platforms (ASP.NET, NET Windows Forms, WPF, Silverlight) and analysts. Now Radar-Soft also offers a full-featured BI-reporting solution for end users called RadarBI. You can know more about the Radar-Soft at www.radar-soft.com.

Shortcuts on the Keyboard

By Chris Holgate in Technology

For years I have been perplexed by the people that use their mouse for absolutely everything when are a number of perfectly good keyboard short-cuts that will do the job in a fraction of the time. Why people don’t take advantage of these shortcuts is arguable however I personally believe the primary reason is that most just don’t realize there is another way, otherwise why else would you hunt around for an item on a menu bar if you can quickly hit a key and achieve the same effect?

Funnily enough, now that Microsoft has hidden or moved all my commonly used menus in Windows Vista I find myself relying on these short cuts a great deal more than I used to. I’m sure that trying to convey these to you in a list format probably isn’t going to make this one of the most exciting Click articles that I’ve ever written but I do know that it’s one of the most useful.

To point out the obvious, these short cuts usually require you to press two keys at once and the ALT, CTRL, Windows and Shift keys are all located down the bottom left hand side of the keyboard. I have split the shortcuts into several sections depending on where they are going to be applied and don’t worry about which version of Windows you own as most share the same shortcut keys.

General

Alt+Enter View properties for the selected item

Alt+Esc Cycle through windows in the order they were opened

Alt+F4 Close the active window

Alt+Spacebar Open the shortcut menu for the active window

Alt+Tab Switch between open windows

Shift+Insert Hold this down whilst inserting a CD and it WON’T autoboot

End Display the bottom of the active window

Home Display the top of the active window or move to the begining of the line if you are typing

Windows key Displays the start menu

Windows key+D Minimizes all windows

Windows key + E Opens a new Explorer window

Windows key + F Displays the find all files box

Windows key + L Locks your computer

Windows key + R Displays the Run command box

Explorer

Shift+Delete Delete the selected item permanently without placing the item in the recycle bin

Left arrow Collapse the current selection if it is expanded, or select the parent folder

Right arrow Expand the current selection if it is collapsed, or select the first sub folder

Clipboard

Ctrl+C Copy an item to the clipboard

Ctrl+X Cut an item to the clipboard

Ctrl+V Paste an item from the clipboard

Internet Browsing

F11 Full screen mode

Ctrl+Mouse wheel forward Zoom in

Ctrl+Mouse backward Zoom out

Ctrl+0 Reset zoom level

Alt+Home Go to homepage

Ctrl+T Open a new tab

Ctrl+Tab Switch between tabs

Ctrl+W Close tab

Alt+D Go straight to the address bar

Alt+Left Go back to the previously viewed page

Alt+Right Navigate forward through viewed pages

Navigating to menu options within programs is also easy when using keyboard short-cuts. To select the edit menu press ‘Alt+E’ together, for the file menu press ‘Alt+F’ and so on then once the menu option has been opened you can navigate around them using the cursor keys then select an option with the enter key.

I did say that this wouldn’t be Shakespeare, but cut out the list above, have a play around, and I promise you’ll find at least some of these key combinations useful. Once you’ve used them a couple of times it will then become second nature to hit the keyboard shortcut rather than relying solely on your mouse.

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Chris Holgate writes a weekly article of all things tech related. He is a director and copywriter of the online computer consumables business Refresh Cartridges An archive of the articles can be found at www.computerarticles.co.uk,/a>.

Internet Network Terminology Explained

By Dirik Hameed in Technology

If networking terms puzzle you, this should hopefully explain some of the main ones.

ADSL – Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, is the most popular form of net connection in the UK

IPTransit – an internet connection provided by a transit provider.

Atom – is like traditional RSS, but with more options. It is still being developed but is becoming more common place. The technology is based on RSS.

Bandwidth – refers to data transfer from one location to another. Bandwidth is generally measured in megabits per second.

Blog - similar to an online diary where a person or society may publish its thoughts or opinions, but can also publish facts. Most bloggers update once a week, where blogs are chronologically arranged.

A generic high speed internet connection – faster than a standard modem.

Co-location – where an ISP hosted an individual or companies server or hardware on their behalf.

DHCP – Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol distributes IP addresses dynamically to clients on a network.

DNS – Domain Name System is used to translate domain names into IP address, with a DNS server providing the translation service.

Domain name – all websites have a unique domain name. Domain names have three sections to them- in the center a dot, separating the name, and at the end a tld or domain ending such as .com.

Ethernet – a standard networking method via a LAN, with varying speeds.

Firewall – can be either hardware or software based to prevent access to another network for security reasons.

FTP or File Transfer Protocol – is a method used to transfer files to and from the internet.

Host – a client on a network that provides services to other computers or clients on that network.

HTTP – HyperText Transfer Protocol is used for moving hypertext files around the internet. HTTP is best known for loading websites.

IMAP – is gradually replacing POP as the main protocol used by email clients in communicating with email servers. Using IMAP, an email client program can not only retrieve email but can also manipulate content stored on the server, without having to actually retrieve the messages. So messages can be deleted, have their status changed, multiple mail boxes can be managed, etc.

IPv4 – Internet Protocol version 4, this is the most widely used version of the internet protocol. IPv4 has a maximum of four billion IP Numbers (technically 232) but due to the way it was designed this is actually less than that due to some inefficiencies.

IPv6 – Is the next generation of IPv4 with over a sextillion addresses (theoretically 2128) deployment of IPv6 is slow currently but will get great when more and more devices cover it.

LAN – Local area network, which is normally defined as being inside the same building or floor of a building.

Network – when two or more computers are connected together to share resources.

Where would a company find these services? IP transit provider would be able to provided these hosting services for a company or individual.

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Goscomb Technologies are experts in hosting such networking services as metro ethernet at www.goscomb.net/connectivity/metro-ethernet .

Your Options in USB External Hard Drives

By Ed Molino in Technology

When speaking of computer technology, there is one aspect that is almost impossible to overlook. It has become so commonplace that it has been accepted as the norm. This is USB technology, a method designed to allow peripheral devices to connect seamlessly with desktop computers and laptops. In fact, this technology has become so widespread that many people do not remember a time before USB was available. However, in order to understand the changes in this connection technology, as well as new developments on the horizon, it is important to delve into the history of computer connectivity.

Ancient History

Once upon a time, peripheral devices (mice, keyboards, storage devices, printers, etc.) all connected to a computer in different ways. Keyboards connected with a round connector, as did mice. Printers used an LPT (parallel) connector. Each of these had to have a connection spot on the back of a computer. In addition, each had to have its own card seated in a slot on the motherboard.

One of the more immediate problems created by these different types of connectors was the fact that there was really no standard means of connecting different peripherals. This meant pain and frustration for computer users, as well as difficulty in finding the right peripherals for their machines.

Another problem here was a lack of transfer speed for data from a peripheral to the host computer. Consider digital cameras for instance. As these devices became more commonplace, the need to transfer image data from the camera to the computer in a timely manner became more acute. The same can be said for modern printers and other peripheral devices.

The Beginning of A New Era

In 1996, things began to change. This marked the debut of USB 1.0. While the original USB technology wasn’t particularly fast, it did offer some benefits. It allowed numerous types of peripherals to connect to a computer via the same type of connection. This replaced a host of serial and parallel ports on the computer, helping to lead to a more streamlined, functional device.

Of course, USB 1.0 didn’t last very long. In fact, in 1998, USB 1.1 appeared, which offered enhanced data transfer speeds. Over time, this connection type became the standard for a vast variety of peripheral devices. Consider for a moment the number of devices that you connect to your PC or laptop with a USB cord. You might connect your cell phone, your mouse, your keyboard, an external hard drive or a monitor. Almost anything can be connected via this method in the modern world.

However, one of the most important developments that USB enabled was that of modern mass storage. You are not doubt familiar with thumb drives, but external hard drives have made use of this technology for a long time, as well. This is an important evolution in the technology world, as it has provided consumers around the world with a simple, easy means of storing their data securely, in a portable device.

The Advent of USB 2.0

April 2000 marked another milestone in USB technology. This was the release of USB 2.0. Compared to USB 1.0, the new generation offered numerous advantages to consumers. However, one of the most important was an increase in data transfer speeds.

Older 1.0 applications were limited to 1.5 MB/s. However, USB 2.0 was capable of delivering (theoretically) speeds of up to 480 MB/s. Of course, this was not exactly accurate, as much of the speed was lost in overhead communications between the USB controller and the host computer. However, there was a significant amount of speed gained with the new technology.

As USB 2.0 matured, more and more devices began to make use of the technology. While USB 1.0 laid the groundwork for this evolution, the new generation saw it come to fruition. In fact, during the reign of the second generation, it seemed like almost any peripheral a consumer could need was available with this connection type. This was most obvious in the number of external hard drives that became available with it. In fact, 2.0 remains the industry standard to this day, though things are beginning to change once again.

The Future of USB Technology

In 2008, a new USB technology was developed. USB 3.0 was announced by the industry. However, it was not until early 2010 that the first consumer devices were developed that made use of this new technology. What does this mean for consumers? What differences exist between the two types of USB technology?

First, because USB 3.0 is still quite new, there are numerous computers on the market that do not have the capabilities to use it. For instance, a laptop manufactured in late 2009 would still have USB 2.0 connectivity. However, most manufacturers began offering USB 3.0 connections on their devices built during the late first quarter of 2010. Of course, this technology is backward compatible with older computers, but in order to realize all the benefits offered by this new development, the host computer, the cable and the peripheral device must all be USB 3.0 compliant. What benefits can be found here?

The first benefit is a dramatic increase in data transfer speed. Where USB 2.0 offered 480 MB/s, the new generation offers a raw throughput rate of 4 GB/s. This is an incredible increase in transfer speed, and was designed to help with high-definition multimedia files, as well as better backup speeds for external hard drives and other mass media storage devices.

Another benefit found with USB 3.0 is the fact that it allows two-way communication. In older applications, all communication had to be initiated by the host computer. However, with 3.0 technology, the peripheral can initiate communication with the host computer.

An important note about the newest version of USB technology is the fact that it challenges eSATA connection types. For some users and manufacturers, eSATA has become the best option, but new USB technology promises to challenge this with comparable data transfer speeds, as well as wider applicability. In short, more devices can use USB 3.0 than eSATA connections, including external hard drives, TVs, Blu-Ray players and numerous other options.

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Ed Molino is a staff member of smalldrives.com specializing in the support of their network hard drives. Fancy an external hard drive? Find quality drives at www.smalldrives.com

Computer Support Tips For Silver Surfers

By Dave Talbot in Technology

As much as we like to think that we know all that we need about the computers that we use everyday, the new operating systems, software and even hardware can cause unforeseen problems for people and even companies that rely heavily on their computers for work and entertainment.

Like a lot of other things on the Internet, computers have come a long way and the need for computer support services that deal with hardware issues is not as in demand as it once was. Today’s issues tend to be more software centric rather than hardware although it’s good to have an expert on your side that can deal with all the issues that you might face.

Whilst youngsters who have been bought up with computers generally have a very firm foundation of knowledge about operating systems and other computer programs the older generations (or silver surfers as they are affectionately known) often just want to switch on their Pc and do what they need to do, so if they hit a snag it can prove difficult for them.

Computer companies are not all about hardware repairs and some even specialize in computer help and computer skills for silver surfers so if this is you you’ll want to make sure that the local expert you look to has several core service offering including:

=> Great customer service. Gone are the days when just having a telephone number was enough? In today’s world you need to be sure that you’ve got several different ways that you can contact the computer support people that you need to. Its’ important that you have the opportunity to either call or email them either on a land-line or a mobile phone.

=> Computer help and advice services. Does your computer repair specialist offer software help, guidance and advice or can they offer basic computer training as a regular service offering. Sometimes all that you may need is friendly help and guidance or a little low level hands on training to solve your issue.

=> Security Services. Many of the best computer support companies will be able to help you with a variety of security features as well that will either keep you system from getting infected or help you to get rid of the offending malware after the incident. Virus and malware are very common causes of computer problems.

=> Network Configuration. Home networks offer many benefits and although sometimes a self install goes smoothly, when it doesn’t unless you know what you are doing you could spend days trying to work through it which can be very frustrating.

Finding the right computer support company is a lot less complicated than you might have imagined at first, but as long as your PC is still connected the internet is a good way to find local suppliers. That said although this is still a new way of doing business to many people some of the age old rules still apply.

Whilst flashy websites may look appealing they are not everything and, reputation is still a big part of any company offering computer services. You can check on this aspect by reading customer testimonials on the site of the company you are considering. When you find favorable reviews, you can rest assured you’ve found a company that suits both your budget and needs. With that out of the way, you’ll be able to rest easy knowing that help is usually only a phone call away.

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By Dave Talbot: Computer technology is constantly moving forward so keeping up can prove challenging for the silver surfer generation without computer help and support. For local computer help in Berkshire visit >> www.computer-help-4u.co.uk.

Google Earth – Free Download

By Chris Holgate in Technology

I couple years back I came across a program named Google Earth, an application that lets you see almost every inch of the planet thanks to satellite imagery and you don’t even have to leave your chair. This is indisputably one of the greatest things I have ever found online and strangely, it is 100% free.

I was prompted to revisit this piece of software for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the map data has been completely updated and so whereas before the level of detail for Torbay and the surrounding areas was a little poor, you can now get right down to street level – I was even able to pick up the pot plants on the roof of Refresh. Additionally the Herald Express have kindly agreed to let me use pictures in future articles and because a picture is apparently worth a thousand words, I thought more would be encouraged to download it by seeing the application in action.

Google Earth can be found for free and downloaded directly from http://earth.google.com and as all of the images from the satellites are streamed straight from the Internet the programme itself is only 13mb in size. When you first start up you will be given a picture of Earth, as it is seen from space. From then on you rotate the whole planet to the specific part you wish to view by dragging it to a specific continent or zooming in.

The most remarkable aspect in my opinion is that it is all works faultlessly; so if you zoom in to Paignton for instance you just turn the globe to the UK and then begin zooming in and then as you get nearer adjust your course so that you are looking the West Country, then Torbay before you get down to street level. It would have been much simpler for Google to control your view in set stages, from 20,000km altitude right down to the closest zoom level of 8m but instead they allow you to zoom metre by metre which is more than welcome.

Literally every area of the world has been charted, and as such even if you look out in to the middle of the Sahara desert or Antarctica they are all meticulously photographed. Of course these areas all look the same to the human eye from above, but it is still impressive that satellites have photographed every square inch of the globe.

There is in built functionality for you to speedily and effortlessly find a certain area, postcode or landmark and rather than relying purely on the imagery and your geographical knowledge, Google Earth can also highlight points of interest. They range from photographs, Wikipedia articles, and data pulled from the Internet like local business information or even representations of the buildings that you’re seeing in 3D.

Rather remarkably you can flip the view around so that you’re viewing the sky from your current position on the Google Earth map and explore the universe using exactly the same interface and it’s at this point where the power of this application really does start to sink in. You are sat on your computer, using a free 12mb application and suddenly you can view any place on this Earth or if you’d prefer, take your pick of millions of stars and galaxies…. incredible.

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Chris Holgate writes a weekly article of all things tech related. He is a director and copyrighter of the online computer consumables business Refresh Cartridges who sell cheap ink cartridges, toner cartridges, computer hardware and other computer consumables online. An archive of his work can be found at www.computerarticles.co.uk.

iPAD killed the Photocopier

By Jennifer Robinson in Technology

Not since the IBM PC was developed has a computer hit the market that can change the way we view the world. While people talk about Apple’s Tablet PC, the iPAD, being a competitor to the notebook, there are larger implications. The iPad is the first computer that can change the way we view documents. It combines the visual appeal of print and the interaction of the web together in a way no product has done before. The iPAD is the first step into a paperless world where all documents are viewed as data.

In the first 28 days since its release, Apple sold one million iPADS. This figure is even higher than iPHONE sales when it was launched. The iPAD succeeds where previous products such as Amazon Kindle have failed, but it was not greeted with universal approval when launched. “Isn’t it just a big iPHONE?” was the most common remark, whilst others tagged it ‘iLAME’. Dom Jolly even revamped his mobile phone sketch using the iPAD. The iPAD name, which Apple purchased from Fujitsu, has also been the butt of jokes on twitter, where users made fun of its resemblance to a feminine hygiene product. One twitter user posted “I am already going through 4 – 5 iPADS a day due to my heavy workflow”. However, Apple have a loyal following in desktop publishing with the Steve Jobs/Jef Raskin Apple Mac, and the iPAD appears to be exactly what Apple fans have been waiting for.

The tablet PC has been around for a while. Bill Gates’s Microsoft made the term popular in 2001 when it launched Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. HP-Compaq developed the TC1100 series. In 2007 Axiotron produced a Modbook, this was a heavily modified Apple MacBook Tablet. Frontpath manufactured a Linux based tablet called the ProGear.

The iPAD is the start of a new era that will see the transition from Print to Pixels, bringing the worlds of print and web publishing together. Beautiful pages where typography and design are not compromised can now be produced with interaction, animation and video streaming alongside articles. Notebooks don’t offer the same portability of the iPAD, and the iPAD is the best in the field for screen based reading.

Printers and Photocopiers could become a thing of the past in a few years with less and less output to paper. Books, newspapers and magazines will be completely reinvented online. By changing how we read documents, Apple have created the next big hardware battle. Already Chinese manufactured iPAD clones, working on Google’s Android Software, have started to appear. Microsoft Courier is set for release soon, a 7 inch dual screen booklet that will see Microsoft making further strides into hardware manufacture following on from Zune and Xbox.

The battle for the Screen Based Reader audience is unlikely to be defined by the operating system but by the hardware itself. Imagine a iPAD that is wafer thin and you can roll up and put in your back pocket like a magazine. That is what the future holds.

Flexible screen technology is very close to production with a team in Ireland close to a touch screen prototype. Samsung unveiled their 7 inch flexible LCD screen in 2005 and Fujitsu have a 3.8 inch flexible LCD panel that does not require a power supply. Ultimately, it’s the flexible screen technology in the near future that will see users finally turn away from paper based publishing. Apple have won ’round one’ of the screen based reader and have brought their product to market before Microsoft’s Courier, but this hardware battle has a long way to run. Google have already produced the Nexus One, an internet mobile dubbed the Google Phone, and the Android operating system may yet enter into screen based readers as well. Amazon potentially have the most to lose if the iPAD continues to grow, with Apple’s iBOOKS directly competing with another part of their core business, following the success of iTUNES, so presence in the screen reader market will be essential for Amazon.

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Jennifer Robinson writes for Online Connect, specialist suppliers of document solutions and digital office photocopier machines visit their website for colour photocopiers.

Free Tools For Your Online Business

By Kathy Dobson in Technology

Internet marketing is simply exploding on the web and along with that explosion is access to many free products that will help you to succeed online. These tools save time, which in the end translates to making more money…and, isn’t that why we’ve entered this online marketing world in the first place? I’ve included a list of valuable tools that I have used to help you with your online marketing and the best thing about it is they are free!

Google Alerts: You can do so many things with this tool,not he least of which is the ability to “see” who is publishing your material, if anyone is talking about you and which sites have picked up your Ezine articles. If you are targeting certain keywords, you can set it up to show you when something has been posted on a website regarding the keywords you are targeting. Navigate to google.com/alerts and enter the keywords you want to track.

Google Analytics: Another great tool provided by Google. With this tool, you can track the kind of activity your site is receiving such as…who is visiting, where they are from, how long they stayed on your site and the best part…which keywords they used to find you. It is very easy to install…just follow the prompts and paste the code exactly where they tell you to on your website.

Google Adwords: Here’s Google again If you are not already tracking certain keywords for your blog or website, then you should begin doing so. Great search engine optimization requires finding the best keywords and long tail keywords. There is a lot involved with SEO, but learning how to find the right keywords is a must if you want to experience serious success.

CamStudio: There is no question about it…the popularity of video on the Internet has exploded. CamStudio gives you the ability to learn and apply your video making skills before you move on to a paid program such as Camtasia. Obviously with Camtasia you are going to get more features, but CamStudio is a great starting place, and a good place to practice your video skills. Eventually, you will probably move up to a paid program, but you can’t beat free for starters!

FTP: FTP stands for file transport protocol. Simply put, it is what you use to transfer your files from your computer to your host/server. My own personal choice…the that I use is Filezilla. It is open source and free to use, but there are many more available such as Smart FTP. Just do a seach on FTP choices and study your options.

RSS reader: We all have favorite blogs that we like to return to and read the content, but trying to keep up as to when these blogs are updated can be a daunting task at best. An RSS reader will notify you of any new posts on your favorite blogs. Additionally, it will save you valuable time navigating to these blogs only to find out they have nothing new to offer yet. Google Reader is a good one and its free to use. Having access to RSS on your blog or website is equally important to your readers. You want them to have the ability to receive your blog posts when they are new. This tool will save you time and also save your readers time.

Traffic Virus 2.0: Traffic Virus 1.0 was one of the web’s first traffic generating pieces of software designed to launch your own viral advertising campaign. The newer 2.0 version is now available and the best part about it is it remains free…even though it has been improved upon with better features. You can’t beat that deal!

This is just a partial list of the free tools that I have taken advantage of to keep my own Internet marketing business running smoothly. As you can see, there is no shortage of free programs and material out there to get your business up and running on the web in no time. It’s up to you to take action.

For more free tools, just Google “free Internet marketing tools”…you might be surprised at what’s out there!

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Kathy Dobson is a free spirited business owner and entrepreneur dedicated to helping others achieve financial and personal freedom through Internet marketing with an emphasis on membership sites.  For further tips and resources and to get your own free rebrandable report “Membership Sites are Hot” visit: http://www.kathydobson.com

Corporate Business Gifts – Will E-Readers Be The Top Tech Gifts This Christmas?

By Titus Hoskins in Technology

E-Readers which are also called digital or electronic readers, lets users wirelessly download books and read them on hand-held devices resembling a glorified etch-a-sketch. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but these handy little digital readers have become extremely popular; according to a recent Time article, Amazon has already sold 1.7 million of the Kindle E-Reader since it was introduced in 2007.

And according to the same article, the Association of American Publishers states total revenue from digital-book downloads has risen 149% this year, while they estimate e-book readers sales to top 3 million by Dec. 31. Plus, according to Forrester Research around 1 million of these gadgets could be sold this holiday season, and sales in 2010 are projected to double, to 6 million.

“The year 2009 is a breakout year for e-readers,” says Sarah Rotman Epps, an analyst with Forrester Research. “But we’re still in the early stages.”

Those make for very impressive numbers and it could point to E-Readers as “the” hot Christmas gift this Holiday Season; at least where tech gadgets are concerned. Given its well received features and programs, an E-Reader could make for an excellent corporate business gift, especially if you could brand them with your company logos and stream them with your company’s newsletters and RSS feeds.

Then we also have the recent launch of the NOOK from Barnes & Noble which will give the Amazon Kindle some competition. The Nook has a 6-inch paper-like display which uses a 16-level grayscale that can support up to five fonts. You can use it to read PDFs, in addition to over 1 million books, newspapers and magazines available in Barnes & Noble’s eBook store. The Nook is currently priced at around $260.

How is it different from the Kindle: besides the flashy color icons, designer cases and color customizable back panel; the Nook does have some nice features such as a virtual bookmark called Reading Now that lets you pick up where you left off reading on the Nook, and it has Wi-Fi radio which customers can use at 700 Barnes & Noble’s locations and at 600 college stores in 50 states. There’s enough memory for holding 1,500 books (2 GB) and there’s a microSD slot which could give you another 16 GB more.

But this holiday season, gift buyers (corporate or otherwise) will have many more E-Readers to choose from other than the Kindle and the Nook. Where there’s a profit to be made, other companies will follow. Just like when Asustek invented the category of Netbook with its ASUS Eee-PC in 2007, other laptop makers and sellers quickly jumped on the bandwagon and the marketplace was flooded with netbooks or mini-laptops.

This recent trend towards E-Readers will prove no different; take for example Sony, who introduced the first electronic reader way back in 2004, will be introducing three new devices according to the Time’s article. The Sony Reader will have a Pocket Edition ($199), sporting a 5-inch-diagonal screen, Touch Edition ($299) which will be touchscreen-equipped and the Daily Edition ($399), which will feature wireless capability.

Asus is also entering the E-Reader market with a product called the Eee-reader which should be on the market for Christmas. Then there is the Fujitsu FLEPia which is the only commercially available E-Reader which has a color display. It’s only available in Japan and costs around $1,100. Ouch!

For the more modest consumer, the Irex Digital Reader will be hitting U.S. stores this month, October 2009. The DR800 will have an 8.1-in. touchscreen with wireless connectivity and will sell for $90 less than the similarly sized Kindle DX, which will set you back around $489. This is the price at the time of writing, expect those prices to drop as competition heats up.

On the horizon, there are many different versions of the e-reader that will hit the market. There is even a fold up model which will open like a book and another one called the Polymer Vision Readius which is also a phone but it has a flexible screen that folds up around the phone to make it extra portable.

Then we have the looming debut of Apple’s fabled iTablet which could be a game changer in the whole E-Reader arena. It could also be a Kindle or Nook Killer given Apple’s enormous popularity with tech savvy consumers who only want the latest gadget on the market.

One really has to question why all this popularity for the E-Reader, especially since we already have the small portable netbook on the market, which can be easily used for reading books. More specifically, we already have Tablet PCs which could easily fulfill this reading function. Granted they may be slightly larger, but they also offer all the features of a laptop, so why not just convert/use this device as an E-Reader?

Regardless, the E-Reader seems to be gearing up to be a top tech gift this holiday season. The perfect gift for family members, friends and employees alike… especially for the book-reading fanatics in your family or company. E-Readers are also the ideal gifts for those who simply must have the latest and newest tech gadget on the market.

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For the latest corporate gift ideas and a handy Amazon gift-organizer try here: Corporate Business Gifts For Timely Special Savings/Deals/Coupons on Corporate Gifts…click here:
Executive Business Gifts Copyright 2009 Titus Hoskins. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

Friendster Login Refused? — Friendster and Facebook Proxy Options

By Peter Nisbet in Technology

If your Facebook or Friendster login has been refused then you will need a Friendster or Facebook proxy to get you into the site. The same is true of MySpace and YouTube. Why is it that so many people are seeking proxies for these social networking sites?

Not so long ago, as employers took on younger people, they also appear to take on their habits. Many young employees believed (still do) that when they start to work for an employer they can take their surfing habits with them. At every opportunity they would use the company computer to access their Friendster account, login to Facebook or find what the latest big video was on YouTube. Obviously, their employers did not like this.

The result was that employers blocked certain URLs. This wasn’t difficult because the vast majority of companies use an intranet system, so all they had to do was block the server from accessing these websites. As company networks became more sophisticated it was even possible to identify the computer from which the Friendster login attempt originated.

Universities and colleges soon followed, and it finally became obvious that private computers, or at least those operated by private concerns such as educational and government establishments, and businesses, were no longer willing to tolerate their staff using their computers or terminals to access social networking sites. Friendster login was refused, and those of other social networking sites.

This seemed unfair to many, and still does, because such sites are a means of communication just as cell phones are, and many use Twitter for example to send small messages to their friends. So what was the answer?

Simple when you think of it. The colleges and employers and whoever else blocks the URLs you visit, can only see one deep. So, if you visit a website that is not blocked, your company’s server won’t block you. You can log on to that site. Now, take it a step further. If you now use that website to log on to another website, your firm or college’s spying software can’t see that. It still thinks you are on the original innocuous website. Nobody except you knows that you are actually logged on to Friendster.

In basic terms, when it is used to log on to Facebook it is known as a Facebook proxy, and it can also be used as a Friendster login. A search box on another website can be used as a proxy to enable you to access any other website at all. It need not be YouTube, Friendster or, but any URL you want to access.

The problem with proxy sites is that once they have been used for a period of time, they are found, and that URL is then added to the list of banned sites. “Banned” does not mean that you should not access them: it means that you CANNOT access them. They too are blocked from you in the same way that a Friendster login is blocked.

That is why you need a regular source of proxy sites – finding one by accident seems great because you can log on to Friendster, and that Facebook proxy is allowing you to contact your buddies from work, but it won’t last. Once it has been blocked then what do you do?

Better by far to find a website that offers a free Friendster login or a Facebook proxy that you can rely upon. Such sites will carry out checks on the proxies they offer, and change them when they have been found out. You will always have a tried and tested proxy that works.

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For more information on Friendster login and Facebook proxies, visit Pete’s web page Friendster Login where you will also find great info on Twitter, MySpace and blogging.

© Copyright 2012 All rights reserved. Jayde Online, Inc.

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