21.12.09

Discover How To Easily Optimize Windows For Better Performance



by: Matt Garrett
“My system is too slow.”
“Look how much time it takes to install things.”
“My system slows down while playing games.”
“My software doesn’t function correctly.” 
 
These are some very common statements uttered by PC owners. You might be among one of these. Well if you are, here are some basic tips which can help you optimize the performance of your system by optimization of your operating system. 
 
Windows system optimization is the most basic tool which can maintain the performance of your system. You might be spending hours trying to adjust your CMOS settings, RAM frequency and even the registry setting of the windows. Well its time, you use some windows providing optimization tools for better performance of your system. 
 
Disk Errors 
 
Disk errors are most commonly prevalent in a majority of computer systems. And this is the most overlooked problem even by computer professionals. You often escape the disk error scanning which pops up after a bad shutdown. Well if you keep on escaping the disk error scanning, chances are that your hard disk would develop bad sectors. These bad sectors would initially hamper the proper functioning of your system and then can even lead to hard disk crash. 
 
You should make sure that you allow the disk error scanning option to run and correct any of the disk errors on your hard disk. Once in a week you should also go for the thorough scan disk option which scans the hard disk for errors and corrects them. You should check all the partitions of your hard drive. You can access this option by right clicking on your hard drive partitions and selecting scan disk from the tools options. 
 
Temporary File Cleanup 
 
Cleaning the temp folder in your windows is very essential to get rid of all the unwanted files. These files are the left-overs of the programs which you have uninstalled from the system or other unwanted files. If you do not delete the contents of this temporary folder, the files could gather up to 100 MB of practically no use. You should delete these files as it would help in saving the hard disk as well. To delete these files select the Run option and type %temp% and press O.K. After it displays all the files, select all and delete them. 
 
If you browse the internet with the help of explorer, the temporary cache files should be deleted from the temporary internet folder as well. 
 
Defragmentation 
 
Files which are stored randomly on your system tend to slow down its performance. Your system looks for the fragments of randomly distributed files from everywhere and eventually become slow. To bring back all the files of all programs together, use the windows de-fragmentation tool. This tool joins all the loose files and optimizes the performance of your window.
The Paging File
The paging file is widely known as the windows virtual memory file. This file is used by the system when the windows run short of the actual RAM. Windows keeps on increasing and decreasing the size of the page file, which in itself is not very efficient. This affects the accessibility of fragmentation of your files. You should rather define your own paging size. Select the minimum and maximum size of the virtual memory to be the same. A preferable size is about the double the RAM you have. 
 
By following these basic windows optimization methods you can maintain a good performance of your system. 
 
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Different Categories of Computer Games



by: David Chandler
Computer games can be categorized mainly into PC games that are played in your computer after installation using the CDs that contain the software, downloadable pc games, and the online games. Many websites provide you with the downloadable version of the PC games. 
 
Category based on permission to use 
 
The games can be categorized based on licenses. Some of the games are free and they can be downloaded on the internet free. Some pc games are free downloadable games but are shareware. Shareware games have limitations in the features. Some of the shareware can be used for only 30 days time and some are limited by the number of times that software is used. Trial versions of the software are also available which are time limited or feature limited. 
 
Online Games 
 
Online games are those that are played online. The user who is playing the online games should have an internet connection in his PC. You should be aware that your internet bill is on the rise during the time you play the online games. Yahoo games are one among the popular online games. Many websites provide you online games. Some of the sites require you to become a member to play these online games. Some charge you on per game basis for playing. 
 
PC Games 
 
PC Games are those that require an installation through a CD to play the pc games. Some of the games even require the CD to be present in the CD drive to play the game. These software CDs are to be purchased by the user. There are many pc games available like Tomb Raider that requires you to purchase the CD. Most of the games that contain Car races and Motorbike races require the software to be installed through the CD bought by you. 
 
Downloadable PC Games 
 
These games can be downloaded from the internet and can be installed in your computer. Most of the free game downloads are small enough to be downloaded from the internet. There websites like www.download.com that can be searched for free game downloads. A good search engine would give you thousands of links to free downloadable games. 
 
What you need in your PC to play these games? 
 
Most of the games can be played without any additional hardware. If you are having the latest configuration of the PC, which has the software pre-installed in your computer, then you might not need any additional software to be installed. Some of the online games require you to install plug-ins to run the online games. 
 
Plug-in is additional software that is required to run an application in your computer. You will be provided appropriate links to download the plug-ins required by your browser or your computer. You need to check the system requirements for the computer games that is downloaded or installed in your system and install them before you start playing the game. 
 
About the author:
For more information, visit http://www.ComputerGamesInfo.com
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20.12.09

Custom Gaming Laptops - Five Things You Must Consider When Building a Gaming Laptop



by: Laura Alter
Gone are the days when you would have been laughed at if you walked into an all-night LAN party carrying your trusty laptop and expecting to hang with the giant computer towers standing at everyone’s feet. The gaming laptop computers of today sport huge, crisp LCD screens, cutting-edge video cards and full-size keyboards. Not only can these gaming laptop computers hang with the standard clunky computer tower, but they can also be ordered fully custom to meet the exact specifications of any gamer. 
 
Since there are so many customizable components in these laptops, a standard practice has been to create what some call a “system builder.” This is the page where you get to add and subtract components through drop-down menus in order to create the best gaming laptop computer for your needs and your budget. This type of page can be overwhelming to someone just starting the gaming laptop shopping process, but it is very manageable if you take it just one component at a time. 
 
The Gaming Laptop GPU 
 
This is the heart of a gaming laptop computer. The GPU (graphics processing unit) is a component that will make or break your gaming experience. If your GPU isn’t up to snuff, your games won’t play. Without getting into specific models since they change all the time, the key is that the graphics card not share resources with the computer. A gaming laptop video card must have its own memory on board. Generally speaking, standard off-the-shelf laptops will not have this feature. The two current makers of laptop video cards are nVIDIA and ATI. 
 
Without the Screen, You Don’t Have Much 
 
What good is a gaming laptop without a screen that can actually render your games? Now certainly, you can connect an external monitor, but if you can’t actually play on your gaming laptop without that external monitor, then your laptop isn’t all that mobile. 
 
While the technology and terminology for LCDs (liquid crystal displays) could take up an entire article in itself, there are a few key points to keep in mind when choosing from available LCD options for your new gaming laptop computer: native resolution, aspect ratio, rise and fall time, contrast, viewing angle, and size. 
 
Native Resolution. The native resolution is simply the setting at which your screen will render the clearest images. Since games are constantly in motion, slightly soft edges may not bother most gamers, but keep in mind that while this is your gaming laptop, you will likely also use it for other things like surfing the Internet. If the resolution isn’t comfortable, you aren’t going to enjoy using it.
Aspect Ratio. As you probably know, a movie theater screen and a TV screen have different proportions. Likewise, there are widescreen format gaming laptops and there are laptops that have a standard aspect ratio –- like that of a TV. 
 
A widescreen format gaming laptop (a 16:10 ratio) has advantages and disadvantages. Many games today do not have a widescreen mode. This means that the game may stretch across the screen and become distorted or you may run it with black bars that fill in the sides. There are ways to get around this, but if you want an out of the box perfect experience, the widescreen format may not be for you. 
 
That said, a widescreen LCD does offer plenty of screen real estate for web surfing and other type of computer activities, and a game played in a wide format setting offers an expansive field of view. For this reason, there are some very loyal widescreen-loving gamers out there. 
 
Do your best to find a balance between current and future technology and what your computer habits are beyond gaming. Even with its limitations, the widescreen format is found on most of the best gaming laptop computers. 
 
Rise and Fall. The phrase ‘rise and fall time’ is used to describe how fast the LCD can respond to changes. In the past, LCDs have been plagued with the inability to render images as fast as computer games can spit them out. This presents a major problem for laptop gamers because if they can’t see the images properly, they can’t play the game properly. This lag can mean the difference between playing to win and barely playing. 
 
Fortunately, gaming laptop LCDs have come a long way and they are only getting better. While once it was impossible to game on a laptop screen, the gaming laptop LCDs of today offer 25 milliseconds or less rise and fall time while generally off-the-shelf laptops have 40 milliseconds or less rise and fall time. 
 
Contrast. If a gaming laptop LCD has poor contrast, that means that the black areas aren’t quite as black as they should be and the white areas aren’t quite as white. This is important to a laptop gamer because you have to see the game properly -– as it was intended to be seen -– in order to compete effectively. Look for a contrast ratio of 400:1 or higher in a custom gaming laptop computer. 
 
Viewing Angle. This is an often-overlooked LCD feature, but it must be considered if you are building a gaming laptop computer. Many high quality LCDs on the market are difficult to see clearly at any angle other than straight on and at the right height. This can be a big drawback to gaming on a LCD screen because a screen with poor viewing angles won’t allow others to watch the screen as you play and also hurts your view when doing something as simple as adjusting your seating, which can require you to then adjust to position of your laptop screen to see it properly again. 
 
But gaming on a laptop does not mean that you are doomed to have poor viewing angles. There are LCDs on the market that have amazing viewing angles –- up to 120 degrees. These screens not only allow gaming onlookers, but they also allow you to use that giant, crisp screen to do things like play movies and even make presentations. 
 
Size. In a gaming laptop computer, size is everything. Most gaming laptops are large, robust pieces of electronics. Having a machine of this stature means you also get to have a large screen. The best gaming laptop computer LCD screens out there are at least 15 inches. A crowd favorite is a 17 inch widescreen (even with the challenges that widescreens present). Largr 19 inch laptop screens are just starting to be talked about with consumers expecting to see 19 inch or even large models on the market in the near future. 
 
The best way to really get a feel for what laptop LCDs are all about is to take a trip to a local box store and play with the LCDs on the display laptops while keeping in mind what you have read here. While these laptops are not custom gaming laptops, you can see what the sizes really look like, what different resolutions look like, and what the viewing angles truly are so you can start to develop your own preferences. 
 
The RAM – What Type and How Much? 
 
The RAM (random access memory) found in laptops is called SODIMM (small outline dual inline memory module). The RAM is responsible for your processing power. If you are shopping for a custom gaming laptop, you will generally be offered DDR2 RAM with the choice of how much you want in your computer. 
 
Most high-end games being released today need 1GB of RAM for optimum, lag-free game play. Some people are going with 2GB to ensure that they can run multiple applications along with the game and not experience any slow down in response time. This is a large investment and you want to be able to use this gaming laptop for some time in the future. Most custom laptops are user upgradeable, but this should be left up to professionals. 
 
The CPU – Not Just Mobile Technology 
 
The CPUs (central processing units) found in many custom gaming laptops are identical to those found in desktops. These chips require a great deal of cooling power, which in turn can make your laptop louder than light weight, lower power ultra portables when the fans kick on and it can become somewhat warm to the touch. 
 
Don’t be alarmed by this -– it is normal. And with these desktop processors comes screaming power! Don’t waste your money on the latest CPU release that likely has an inflated price tag (and that price will likely come down before long). Stick with a current CPU speed that is offered by a reputable custom gaming laptop reseller, and you really can’t go wrong. 
 
The Gaming Laptop Hard Drive 
 
This is the final component to consider when building a gaming laptop. Laptop hard drives come in a variety of speeds and capacities ranging from 4200 to 7200 RPMs and 40 to over 100 GBs. For the most part, this is user preference. Whenever possible, go for a 7200 RPM hard drive, but if you need a capacity not offered in this speed, it’s okay to go for the 5400 RPM drive. Take a look at your current computer, and buy your capacity based on this. Also keep in mind that with many custom gaming laptop manufacturers, you have the ability to upgrade or add another hard drive at a later date. 
 
At the end of the day, gaming laptop computers are all about power. Don’t expect a twelve-pound notebook with a desktop processor, numerous fans, a giant heatsink, and independent video card to last on battery power all that long. But do make sure to enjoy the jawdrops that you’ll get as you walk into your regular LAN party location with your new, screaming-fast gaming laptop computer. Crack that puppy open, fire it up, and stand clear of the drool as you take on your favorite game with fellow gamers gathered around to take in the action. Gaming is not just for desktops anymore! 
 
About the author:
Visit www.PCTorque.comfor the latest in custom laptop news and technology. Make sure to stop by one of our system builders to 'virtually' build a fully custom laptop with real time pricing updates. 

Copying XBOX Games



by: Terry Dunn

There really is no shortcut to copying XBOX games. In fact, this is a mightily complicated process and has stumped some really techie people. This is evident with the prevalence of the question on copying XBOX games in Internet message boards and tech chat rooms. But why does one need to be going about there and copying XBOX games? Is this not legal? 
 
If you have an XBOX and you have purchased original games to play on it, chances are you must have ran through a huge chunk of your savings. Original games are very expensive and because CDs are not exactly immortal, you can eventually wear out a game especially if you use it every minute of the day. 
 
To give value to consumers, most countries allow original CD buyers to make back-up copies of their XBOX games in case their original got damaged or got lost provided that they are aware of the law against pirated software and that they actually own an original cd and are only copying XBOX games for their personal use only. 
 
While it is relatively easy to do the copying of XBOX games, the same cannot be said in actually using the XBOX games that you have copied. Most software contain an encryption that must be met when inserted in an XBOX. Copying an XBOX game, however, does not copy this encryption. This is a protection system that most XBOX consoles have as protection against flagrant copying of XBOX games. 
 
To be able to run XBOX games that you have copied, you need to modify your XBOX. This can be a daunting task especially to beginners who are afraid of destroying their XBOXes with their tinkering. 
 
According to most tech experts, there are a lot of ways to modifying your XBOX in order to accommodate the practice of copying of XBOX games. Some are quite complicated and only a tech expert could do while other ways can be expensive but easy. 
 
One is to buy and install a MOD-chip. This will allow your console to play XBOX games that you have copied as well as play imported games from other countries with perfect sound and video with no problem at all. While it may seem that all you have to do is purchase a MOD-Chip and then voila, you have another think coming. There are actually a lot of things that you should consider when buying a MOD-Chip. Most recommend the Divineo Modchips, which are purported to be really reliable. Some of the popular brands are the Xecuter 2 and 3, Xenium, SmartXX, X-bit, Alladin, Chameleon and Xchip. 
 
Another way in copying and using XBOX games is to change the BIOS of the XBOX so that it will no longer read the requirements of the digitally-signed software. This is basically reprogramming the whole BIOS. 
 
You might also consider purchasing a bigger hard drive and just save all your games inside the XBOX. This way, you already have copy of your favorite games inside and would no longer need to swap CDs. 
 
The third way is to do the game swapping technique, wherein you will first boot the original CD and then swap the copy once it has already booted up. This might be very complicated and will not actually serve your purpose in copying your XBOX games… that is to preserve your original CDs. 
 
About the author:
Terry Dunn is webmaster of http://www.Copy-Xbox-Games.bizan informational resource on software to Copy Xbox Games. 
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Copy any DVD movie with EZ DVD Copy™



by: Johnathan Crews

Have you ever wanted to copy a DVD movie that you own? Now you can with EZ DVD Copy™. Our powerful, easy-to-use software will allow you to copy virtually any DVD, using a CD-R or DVD-R! EZ DVD Copy allows you to extract all of the features that are available on the original disc. Or you may leave off extras so you can fit your entire DVD movie on to just one blank disc. 
 
You don't have to split your DVD movie across two separate discs. Finish copying in less than an hour! All you will be using is either your CD-R or DVD-R burners and blank media to record! For less than the cost of few DVDs, you will have everything you need to copy your favorite collection in one easy to use software program! EZ DVD Copy is the fastest and easiest way to copy DVDs!

Our updated software includes the following features:
Built-In CSS Decryption Ripper
Watch copies on your DVD player or computer
Fit your entire movie to a single disc
Copy a movie in less than an hour!
FREE ONE YEAR software updates.
FREE Helpdesk Support.
Available for instant download.
Supports both NTSC and PAL DVDs.
30 Day Money Back Guarantee! 
 
Don't wait for theaters... Download all the movies you want on the Internet today! With our EZ Download Club, you could search and watch unlimited movies (even titles that are still in theaters). We even show you how to find video games. Want to download ANONYMOUSLY and have access to UNMONITORED archives of files? Our EZ Download Club is the answer. Below is a small list of the DVDs that are now available for download. 
 
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Matchstick Men House Of The Dead Secondhand Lions The Italian Job Pirates of the Carribean Thirteen American Splendor Uptown Girls Out of Time S.W.A.T. The Order The Medallion Freaky Friday Assassination Tango Bad Boys II Gigli How to Deal Seabiscuit Rugrats Go Wild The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Anything Else Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of Black Pearl X2: X-Men United Bruce Almighty Lara Croft Tomb Raider: 
 
The Cradle of Life Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas The Santa Clause 2 Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines American Wedding The Matrix Reloaded
Discover how to backup any Xbox, PlayStation 2, PSX, Dreamcast and PC video games with our EZ Video Game Copy. No more scratches, cracks or buying games you used to own. Protect your gaming investment with our step-by-step guide to copying your games. 
 
Want to record your favorite TV programs and movies on to CDs that you can watch on your PC or DVD Player? With our comprehensive instructions, step by step guidance and screen shots - you can kiss your outdated analogue video good bye! 
 
With EZ VHS Copy, you will be able to convert all your old VHS movies to CD or DVD. Our software will help you to transfer your VHS tapes to digital format! No more clutter of tapes lying around. Never worry about your precious home movies becoming corrupt. 
 
Transfer your old vinyl records or cassettes to CD. You can turn that old musical format into digital and copy your LPs to CD-R or even DVD-R media. We’ll show you how to do it with our detailed instruction guide. All you need is your stereo equipment, PC and RCA cables. Start enjoying again the music you love, in your car or home with great sound quality. Preserve your collection of LPs and cassette tapes now, before they become too deteriorated. 
 
Tired of paying high prices for your favorite DVDS and video games? Now you can buy popular titles and new releases from our wholesale sources for as low as $3.00. All DVDs and video games are brand new and are made by the actual manufacturers. Our DVD Wholesalers List comes with e-mail contacts, websites, phone numbers and physical mailing addresses in the USA and the UK. This is not some useless and outdated directory you have seen on the Internet. This list has current sources and has been compiled in June of 2003. 
 
About the author:
Jonathan Crews is a successful affiliate marketer.
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Computer War Games: How To Estimate Decisions Made By C & C Trainees



by: Donald Jones
Now that the Russian military is cash-strapped and can afford only a limited number of field preparation exercises, computer warfare games (CWG) ar of special importance for in operation(p) grooming of C & C agencies and elements because they make it potential to upgrade career-area skills of officers and rehearse modern C & C methods. Estimation of decisions made in the procedure by members of missile forces and artillery (MF & A) C & C authorised personnel department presents the hardest part of it. 
 
Modern theory and methods of estimating the results of CWG education numerous on the one hand and, on the other, there no sufficiently studied and in general accepted methods and templates to estimation decisions being interpreted. This can be put down first of all to objective difficulties involved in formalizing the outgrowth of estimating the decisions of commanders (persons in authority): the complexity of initial operating(a)-tactical situations; considerable uncertainty of stimulation information; the numerous criteria used in estimating the trainees' decisions and the need for reducing the -making values to one generalized value. 
 
Moreover, existing methods of processing the results of CWG breeding not quite adequate for dealing with uncertain stimulus ; the many criteria used in estimating decisions made by authoritative personnel office of C & C agencies of MF & A during state of war games either not into history or into chronicle without due thoughtfulness. 
 
This, as a rule, reduces estimate objectivity. In order to achieve the main objective of CWG--to train C & C staff office of MF & A and pinpoint their errors--the CWG headquarters should have tools to promptly and objectively approximation the decisions ; to idea the caliber of work by C & C agencies in the main and by person members of its force; to appraisal the performance of trainees on a leg-by-microscope stage basis. 
 
Meeting these requirements calls for careful preparations of CWG, designing appropriate methods of estimating the performance of C & C agencies and someone members of the who undergo . Continued from page 1. Estimation of armed combat employment plans is based on decisions made at the stagecoach of preparation for the functioning of MF & A subsystems: reconnaissance, command and control, effective engagement and support. 
 
To this end, we take indicators of the selected system for stimulant , whereas indicators of the other subsystems selected and normalized to match the computed units. This organization of the modeling cognitive process makes it conceivable a more complete gauge of the calibre of decisions made by C & C trainees in provision the functioning of MF & A subsystems. 
 
Thus, comparative approximation of decisions made by C & C and the drafting of recommendations for upgrading these decisions include: the assignment of problem (formulation of basic characteristics of decisions to be made of C & C trainees); for variants of computation experiments (determination of the functional-tactical background, usable-tactical scenarios of MF & A fight trading operations, forecasts of enemy fighting ); the development of an integrated information model ( squad versus supporting team up); determining the values of indicators essential for idea of decisions related to variants of scrap under considerateness; analysis of values of the indicators essential for estimations; of decisions for every of C & C trainees; the selection of the best arrived at by the trainees; analysis of mistakes made by the trainees and the drafting of recommendations for upgrading their decisions. 
 
The suggested methodological approach makes it imaginable to upgrade the timbre (validation and speed) of of decisions made in various forms of useable of C & C agencies, such as games, command post exercises and during the course of solving somebody problems of battle employment of MF & A in army (corps). 
 
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Computer Software Genres That Help Students Think!



by: Harold Lederer
A music genre is a classification system that places different instructional materials into neat categories that help teachers choose what to use and when. Content area, developmental floor, and student interests often drive these decisions. Similarly, computing machine software system tin be placed within genres to aid teachers in selecting the best resource for a particular thought skill or process. Core cerebration skills, for example, used for surface-storey intellection, such as organizing a list of supplies and resources needed for a science undertaking. 
 
Complex processing would be required to generate a display describing the task's hypothesis, method of investigation, and summary of conclusions. Each story of processing is important for successfully completing a science labor. Once preparation computing device-amalgamated lessons associated with various levels of mentation, teachers should consider which software package is most appropriate. Core skills often matched with package genres that promote quick recollection of staple facts and that rich person great potential for automatizing certain skills (Sewell 1990). 
 
Mental vigor used to rehearse the steps of a procedure or reminiscence the attributes of a simple concept drains the energies needed for higher-spirit level processes (Mayer 2002). students tin can complete a task automatically (e.g., steps in long division) and callback necessary facts efficiently (e.g., multiplication tables), the cognitive load is reduced, leading to increased mental vigour and capacity (Park and Hannafin 1993). 
 
Software categories within this writing style include drills, multimedia system tutorials, acquisition games, reading management programs (e.g., Accelerated Reader(TM)), and intermingled eruditeness systems. exploitation mixed erudition systems (e.g., SuccessMaker® Enterprise by Pearson; Academy of READING55 by AutoSkill®), the classroom might consider presenting the tutorial example victimization a digital projector or large-screen monitor for whole-class or small-group teaching. 
 
Most structured learnedness systems wealthy person options for altering or delaying the sequence of skills, which allows the to guide class discussion while progressing through the . Continued from page 1. Most teachers hard-pressed to successfully incorporate both trouble solving and BASIC skill mastery during the instructional minutes available during the school week. 
 
The pressure of preparing students for remember and application of knowledge toilet be reduced by provision educational activity around core and complex processes. Students need both levels to be successful job solvers and to master basal knowledge and skills (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory 1999). 
 
To effectively integrate computers into teaching, students' skills must be a priority. The goal is to align processes appropriately with the 's function. By categorizing by literary genre and matching it to the desired skills, teachers lavatory plan deterrent example activities which discrete skills as well as complex processes that will prepare students for a lifetime of solving. The power of portfolios: What children con us about scholarship and assessment. 
 
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Cognitive theory and the designing of command: An example of the two-way street between cognition and statement.
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27.11.09

Computers and Internet: Inspiring Us To Create



by: Daniel Punch
The Internet is sometimes criticized (usually by parents who think their kids need to be outdoors more often) as leading people to be sitting in front of their computers all day growing bulbous, lethargic and (depending on who you talk to) stupid. I think that the opposite can often be true. My friends and I have recently been inspired to new creative ventures through the time spent online.
 
I have long been a fan of movies, martial arts movies in particular. It has been said that they’re kind of like the modern musical with finely choreographed dances (although in this case the ‘dance’ is a fight) showing fantastic physical ability, timing, and grace. Recently I have found that there are many online groups of people dedicated to making their own martial arts films. Most of these guys are really talented and I’ve seen film fight scenes that are better than the majority of the American made ‘martial arts’ movies. 
 
Where the commercial films focus on special effects, from wirework (attaching wires to an actor in order to allow them to do extraordinary feats) to computer rendered effects (sometimes even using a computer animated actor in fights as seen in ‘The Matrix Reloaded’), these independent groups get out there and make impressive films through sheer physical exertion and amazing ability. 
 
It’s amazing what a bit (well, a lot really) of hard work can do for you. These independent action crews perform wall runs, flips, falls, tumbles, and flying kicks without the use of wires or special effects. There’s no insurance to worry about or studios to get sued so they try some pretty incredible and dangerous things. 
 
My favorite stunt crews are ‘The Stunt People’ who can be visited at http://www.thestuntpeople.com, and Zero Gravity Stunts who have their homepage at http://www.zgstunts.com. There are also Jabronie Pictures (http://www.jabroniepictures.com) and VJ Films (some of whose videos can be found at http://www.my5minutes.com/thumbnails.php?album=1115) that are both worth a mention. These sites also provide many links to other similar websites, so your collection of independent short films can be built up to a fearsome size quite quickly.

So, I’ll now get back to the original topic of this article, that being the Internet as a medium to inspire people to become active and creative. These films got me pretty excited. I’d never really thought about just trying to make my own short martial arts film. The world’s largest short film festival held in Australia called ‘Tropfest’ provided a group of friends and I with a valid excuse to behave silly in front of a video camera. 
 
I’m not going to lie; the film we produced was relatively low quality. One of the fights we filmed was, well, not bad! There was a decent amount of good mixed in with the not so good, and I have great memories of spraying false blood out of a hose that was wound around a friend’s chest all over my parent’s house when simulating a gunshot. 
 
We had no flips and very few tumbles (I myself having the gymnastic ability of a dead walrus) but the point is we got in there and had a great time with an entertaining outcome. We have plans to make more movies and a few other film festivals on the horizon that we may enter. Maybe one day our films will be good… 
 
The Internet has inspired us in other ways as well. In the past I ran a webcomic that unfortunately is now all but dead. However, it too was a lot of fun while it lasted. A friend of mine is currently setting up a web-based design company because he realized just how easy the Internet makes it to go into business for yourself, instead of working your way through university through a variety of often low paying and uninteresting casual job positions. I currently waste too much time playing other people’s games so my newest plan is to learn Flash and make my own online games. 
 
So, while I’m trying to inject some form of gymnastic ability into my gargantuan frame as I attempt to make short films with a decent story, acting, camerawork and so on, why don’t you find something that gets you excited and try it out for yourself? If someone like me can do it, then you can probably work it out with a just a little bit of effort. 
 
You may never be as good as the things that inspire you, but it’s a lot of fun trying to emulate them or create your own. Another positive point to mention is that when you get stuck the Internet is full of tutorials written by those in the know to get you through your difficult spots. Even I can try and learn from Tricks Tutorials (http://www.trickstutorials.com). So, see the great possibilities in the Internet and go and have fun broadening your horizons! 
 
About the author:
Daniel Punch
M6.Net Web Helpers http://www.m6.net
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26.11.09

Computer Monitor Buying Guide



by: Peter Stewart
Although a monitor makes some of the least difference in terms of your computer's speed, it can make some of the biggest differences in terms of comfort and productivity. This guide aims to give you the details you need to know to choose the best monitor for what you need it for. 
 
LCD flap panel monitors have become all the rage, in a matter of just a few years, the old CRT monitors have nearly become obsolete, expecially on new computers. The old monitors are not bad. There is much to be liked, especially in terms of value for money, and in terms of performance. But you can't fight the change. We will focus on the LCD flat panel monitors as there is often more to be considered. 
 
Firstly there is the connection to the computer. Older monitors utilised a VGA cable that carried the signal from the computer to the monitor. The signal that goes along there is an analogue signal and it can become slightly degraded, and is just an old technology. Many flat panel monitors support this old style, but that is usually just for backwards compatibility. The newer cable type is a digital kind which is designed to be used for LCD monitors. The performance from this newer kind is better, but if you are upgrading an old computer, make sure your computer can run that monitor. 
 
Secondly is the screen resolution. This is how many pixels can be displayed on the monitor. The higher the resolution, the more can be fit on the screen. This means clearer images with much smoother textures, but it also means that things appear smaller as an increase in resolution does not increase the physical dimensions of the monitor. 
 
Usual nowadays is 1024 x 768 or even 1280 x 960. Computers used to have 800 x 600, but that has all but disappeared, except on very old computers or those that are not maintained properly. I run 1280 x 960 as it gives room for a lot of working space on the monitor, but with less than a 19 inch monitor, 1024 x 768 would be more suitable. 
 
Screen refresh rate is another factor that comes into play. CRT monitors used a process of changing the pixels on the screen to show the new images, updating from top to bottom in lines, at a certain rate per second. With that old style 60MHz (60 refreshes per second) would be the minimum before the screen started to flicker. 
 
LCD monitors do not have this problem and will look fine at 60MHz.When running games a refresh rate higher than that is required, often up to 85MHz or more. Make sure the monitor you plan to use supports at least 60MHz at your desired resolution for normal use and 85MHz if you want to play games. 
 
A specification that is new for flat panel monitors that didn't effect CRT monitors is latency. Although the refresh rate may be high, the table of little dots that make up the LCD panel take a small time to change, that change is the latency. Obviously if this latency is too high it is possible that you get shot in games before you even know it, which is no good. Latencies have improved, but only monitors claimed with 8ms latency have been really good for games. Latencies tend to be exagerated and a latency of 8ms actually averages out to 12ms. With most ratings multiply by 1.5 to get an average rating. 
 
The actual brightness of the screen can vary from spot to spot on the screen. Certain monitors have obvious bright parts and dull parts while others are more consistent. Most have some variation, but the less, the better. Name branded monitors tend to give better results than cheaper no name brand versions. 
 
Extras like little speakers are not worth talking about much. They have limited use and I would rather have seperate speakers and keep the monitor simple. After considering these, you should have enough to make a good purchase decision. Remember that a little extra money spent on a monitor is a good investment, and unlike many other computer parts, upgrades are not needed that often. 
 
About the author:
Peter Stewart is a computer enthusiast, his interest in computers and focus on practical down to earth advice inspired his two websites.
http://computer-buying-guide.com - Practical buying tips
http://computer-reviews.net - Fair and honest reviews and opinions 
Data Recovery Tips, please visit us,  and Computer Virus Tips, read here
 
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