1. ICONS

The icon is one word that used to be sacred among English words. It has been seldom used in our daily interactions to represent something or somebody before it was brought to the front by technology. The icon is a miniature image representing a program, a click on the icon launches a desired application to the desktop.

2 CLICK

The word click ironically is not the action of pressing the button of the mouse, rather the sound that it produced after that gentle press of the button. It would have suited the purpose if we say ‘press’ the button or ‘right-press’ the button. After all, a click sound however will occur. But the ‘press’ has been rather been nicknamed after the sound. I wouldn’t have used the word click anywhere because I don’t remember the last time I heard a click of something apart from the computer mouse.

3. BROWSE /BROWSER

This word sounds so sweet, a word for the elite, the selected few. Although browse has been gazetted as a dictionary word, was superfluous in spoken expression until the days of the Internet. The noun browser only had its relation to internet program. Although browse can be used as flipping through the pages of a newspaper, the noun browser cannot be referred to the person flipping the pages. It has only been used for the internet application in relations to the computer

4. FORMAT

The use of format appears in both hardware and software tasks but practically with one underlining definition. Whichever way formatting is used, it’s used to express configuration. When a flash disk is to be used for the first time, it needs to be configured for use. The same principle applies to text documents or images, either imported or inserted to a clipboard. It needs to be configured to suite the desired use with some available formatting tools. By this explanation, it is clear that format replaces widely used words such as prepare, configure or set.

5. DELETE

It appears the meaning of the word delete is unanimous to removing something from the computer, according to the dictionary. Although words like remove, cancel, purge and erase could have served the purpose, Delete was identified as the best option reserved for the computer lingua franca.

6. PASSWORD

Let me see by hand all those who would have had a password without the computer? Certainly, no one would have had a password for his door-lock or wooden cabinet without an electronic device. Password is the electronic adaptation of a physical key or code. Now the average computer user has a minimum of 3 passwords with different accompanying user-names operating from various electronic devices for various accounts.

7. OPERATING SYSTEM

Whenever you hear anything operating systems, you know it’s electronics. You think about technology and computer

8. DATABASE

A digital store of related information in reference to computers, but now a highly used word in reference to digital storage

9. INSTALLATION

Installation is now a key word amongst the IT fraternity. It has almost replaced words such as Induction and initiation. Every operating system uses installation for the procedure involving the fixing a program onto a pc.

10. PLUG AND PLAY

From the Microsoft team, Plug and Play (PnP) featured for the first time in Windows 95 and has come to stay in later operating systems. PnP doesn’t allow the user to prompt the computer to open a device plugged into the system unit. As the name goes, when you plug-in a device, the systems recognizes it and plays it automatically without user intervention. It has come to replace earlier systems where users have to prompt and open devices when added to the computer.

11. E-MAIL

A futurist once predicted that before man gets to the moon, letters would have taken seconds to travel from New York to China. Now, not only is it a reality now, the e-mail is the most popular and convenient means of sending letters and corresponds worldwide.

12. COMPUTER

Now, Computer is synonymous to technology, because it is by far the greatest invention resulting from technological advancement. The word computer never existed before technological dominion; it is a product of technology.

13. FAQs

Although this vocabulary is mostly a preserver to computers and the Internet, it is gaining popularity in the prints as well in recent times. Frequently asked questions (FAQs) are self prepared questions and answers that are mostly anticipated from visitors or users of computers.

14. PERIPHERALS

This word I concede, was not introduced by the computer, but seldom used but now a popular vocabulary in English language as a result of computers.

15. INTERNET

Could I have left the Internet out, of course not! Technology coined this word and now a major word cutting across many languages.

16. DESKTOP

The top of the office desk, never used to be called desktop, but now the desktop is used to portray electronic files and folders on the computer’s home screen.

I come across many professionals who own a computer and they can’t find their way around doing stuffs. They will only use one particular application and any other thing! Call some IT guy.

Their approach to the computer is more of cynicism, naïve or just fear of doing something wrong.

I wouldn’t do that!  What these people don’t know is that the operating system running the computer is a graphical user interface, bundled with a wizard.  Over the years, a lot of programming has gone to the designing of the over-all development of these systems, trying to address user concerns and make them more and approachable and user-friendly.

If you want to learn something new, follow me!

1.     PRINT DOCUMENT TO PDF (Portable Digital Format)

I don’t remember the last time I sent an application letter, a proposal or something very important to a friend or a corporate institute by mail in word format!

I used to read articles, white papers and policy documents on-line most at times and I asked myself, how do I also get my papers look like this? The documents look very professional, printers can’t change the font face, and moreover, I was unable to edit them when I downloaded them. These documents are digitally protected from modification, and that’s PDF do. Ordinary documents can always be modified, but when you convert to PDF, it becomes almost impossible for the recipient to do edit them.                                                                                            

2.     CREATING POWER POINT SLIDE

This should make you productive, especially if you have a career in training. PowerPoint presentations make your session very lively and attractive when they are well formatted. The come in slide show, and and it’s often said, that when there is no slide, there is no show. 

3.     INSTALLING SOFTWARE

Once again, the Operating System (Windows 200, XP, Vista, 7, MacOS etc) none was designed for any particular professional! Everybody who can read and write can use it effectively.

Installing any software comes with a wizard, you only need to follow instructions, and you realise that, all you really need to do is to click ivacy policy and that’s that. Just click. The software knows where to be installed, it’s a wizard. Try it, it’s a nice experience. By default, the software knows where to be installed by your permission.

4.     FORMATTING MY PEN DRIVE

Formatting pen-drive isn’t like formatting the hard disk. Right click on the desired drive located at My Computer and click Format… it’s that easy!

When your Pen drive is infected with some virus and it becomes very unsafe to use the most ideal thing is to format it and have available space prepared.

When you format a disk, you create a blank space prepared for use.           

5.     GOOGLE

One thing that is part of me is GOOGLE. Google is part of me, it has made me who I am today, so much of what I know, I credit Google. You can’t keep all websites in your files. All you need are some keywords and Google will do the rest. Searching with Google is something you should always do.

6.     UPLOADING MY PICTURES ON FACEBOOK

Nowadays everybody’s on facebook. The other day somebody gave a voter’s ID to scan for him, well I didn’t’ ask any question I did the scanning for him alright then later he got furious! “How can you scan the whole ID Card, I only needed the picture for facebook” everybody can create a facebook account but the task is to learn how to create albums and upload pictures yourself. It’s very easy. 

7.     BLOGGING

A lot of IT guys in this part of the world are not bloggin. Blogging is not a tool for IT but IT guys are using it to share knowledge and get resources. Blogging is one thing every professional should do, students as well. Share knowledge, share ideas.

I keep saying that, it’s so weird that you browse on the Internet for years, and nobody can actually type your name in any search engine and see something about you! Blog can make it possible and its free…….

8.     CD BURNING

Okay! Burning a CD, you need to be somehow exploratory, like getting the right software installed. Then that’s all you need. The other aspect of it is the wizard, where you read and click on.

It’s not difficult after all……

9.     ORGANISING FILES AND FOLDER

This is one security lapse, most people are faced with. Nowadays, peoples sensitive documents and files are either being deleted mistakenly or being leaked mischievously.

Arranging you folders and folders is just as doing same in you office desktop. You place vital files in specific folders where you are sure they are safe. The computer as folders already prepared which you can make use of in ‘My document’, the user is not limited at all, and several more folders can be created to save or drag your files and folders in them. Why keep everything on the desktop?

10.                       SCAN MY COMPUTER FOR VIRUSES

Use a trusted anti-virus, and learn how to scan the pen drive when you plug-in (don’t say insert).

Update is essential to any antivirus, and be reminded that any trusted anti-virus without a current definition /signature update is not protecting any current threat.

I have identified certain areas that are rarely mentioned but may bring your career down if you are unable to them get done. Arguably, you were not taught in your school, but these are tasks that you need to know to save the situation and your profession.

1. Map Network Drive

This is one of the easiest tasks with one of the biggest benefits (at least in the eyes of the end-user). Mapping drives makes finding data on remote locations such as the server or a PC on the network so much easier for the user. And successfully mapping drives means you won’t be called out again because the user can’t seem to locate the data on the server any longer. The drive(s) when mapped successfully will be displayed in your computer.

2. MSCONFIG (Microsoft Systems Configuration Tool)

MSCONFIG is one powerful tool in the windows environment. It’s a simple interface, which can change the behaviour of the computer. It has options that control the computer systems. i will discuss two options we will find in MSCONFIG.

i. Start-Up

Some software when installed on your computer, are enabled to run on start-up; meaning that, whenever the computer boots up, they will be launched in the start-up tray, ready before you call, and if you know the number of software that behave this way, then you can tell why your computer takes a very long time to boot. Now, this is one thing you have the option to change in MSCONFIG

ii. Boot Management

If you want to change the boot sequence, which drive boots first, i.e the CD Drive, USB Drive then the Hard drive, that can be changed in set-up. But probably your hard disk is partitioned with two operating systems, normally, during booting; it takes about 30 seconds displaying both options for you to choose. That’s one of the things you can change here, the waiting time, even deleting the other Operating systems if you don’t need it

3. CREATE WORKGROUP AND SHARING

This comes up very frequently. Even the accountant can ask you why you can’t do something so that the computers in his officer can all print to one printer.that’s  Sharing resources

How can that be done? Create a workgroup!

4. ADD A WORKSTATION TO A DOMAIN

Domain is the advanced level of workgroup. With the domain, not only can you see other computers that reside on the network, login credentials are contained on a single machine so users can log in from any machine on the domain. The process of joining a domain is similar to that of joining a workgroup. The only difference is there should be a domain controller on the network.

5. UNINSTALL ANTI-VIRUS

Installing anti-virus is not a yo-man’s job, most of them are very complicated uninstalling them, considering the fact that they have quarantine folders separated, certain processes may be running in the background which may have to be stopped. Live update as well may be uninstalled separately.

6. REPLACE HARDWARE COMPONENTS

There are some people who, when faced with replacing a CPU, will toss up their hands and tell their boss they have to purchase a new machine. These days, even purchasing a hard disk comes with some trouble, gone were the days when we only had the IDE to use, now there’s the SATA and it comes in several speed from 1.5Gb/s to 6 Gb/s. Faster USB 3.0’s are now replacing the 2.0’s and so on…..

7. ESTABLISH A REMOTE CONNECTION

Have you ever sat in your office to administer a problem on a client’s computer remotely? Try it. Right click My Computer and click Properties, on the Remote Assistance option, check “Allow Remote Assistance Connection to this Computer” (this must be done on the client computer). Remote connections are the reason some servers don’t come with monitors. What are you going to do in the server room when you can actually have access to it from you local computer?

8. BACK-UP & SYSTEM RESTORE

i. These days, back-ups are part of the daily routine of the IT Professional. Creating an effective back-up schedule of files and retrieving them when needed.

ii. One other thing is that you may one day have to restore your computer to an earlier point to over-come some persistent software misshapen. Creating a restore point in system restore is the remedy

9. Run CHKDSK CHKDSK

you may think is defunct, but you can prove a point with some old computer with bad drive sectors on the hard disk. Mind you it’s still an effective windows command and I still run it.

10. RESTORE “TASK MANAGER DISABLED BY YOUR ADMINISTRATOR” ERROR

I usually come across this situation on Computers where the users have a bad attitude on the internet clicking every pop-up and adverts just because they are free! They end up infecting spams and spywares to the workstation which slows down the systems and disable certain vital commands that can be used to eliminate them. The task manager is a victim to such attacks and when you right-click the task bar to open task manager, the system tells you, Task Manager has been disabled by your Administrator….. When you don’t have recommended pop-up blockers like firefox in-built blocker or Browser Helper Objects (BHO) options in your anti-virus suite, be very careful of the websites you visit

If you encounter similar problem, try fixing it with this manual step

1. Click on Start, Run, and type Notepad and press Enter
2. Copy and paste the information between the dotted lines into Notepad and save it to your desktop as taskmanager.reg

————————————
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
“DisableTaskMgr”=dword:00000000
————————————-

……………………………………………….

Friends, comrades and fellow South Africans.
I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all.
I stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people. Your tireless and heroic sacrifices have made it possible for me to be here today. I therefore place the remaining years of my life in your hands.
On this day of my release, I extend my sincere and warmest gratitude to the millions of my compatriots and those in every corner of the globe who have campaigned tirelessly for my release.
I send special greetings to the people of Cape Town, this city which has been my home for three decades. Your mass marches and other forms of struggle have served as a constant source of strength to all political prisoners.
I salute the African National Congress. It has fulfilled our every expectation in its role as leader of the great march to freedom.
I salute our President, Comrade Oliver Tambo, for leading the ANC even under the most difficult circumstances.
I salute the rank and file members of the ANC. You have sacrificed life and limb in the pursuit of the noble cause of our struggle.
I salute combatants of Umkhonto we Sizwe, like Solomon Mahlangu and Ashley Kriel who have paid the ultimate price for the freedom of all South Africans.
I salute the South African Communist Party for its sterling contribution to the struggle for democracy. You have survived 40 years of unrelenting persecution. The memory of great communists like Moses Kotane, Yusuf Dadoo, Bram Fischer and Moses Mabhida will be cherished for generations to come.
I salute General Secretary Joe Slovo, one of our finest patriots. We are heartened by the fact that the alliance between ourselves and the Party remains as strong as it always was.
I salute the United Democratic Front, the National Education Crisis Committee, the South African Youth Congress, the Transvaal and Natal Indian Congresses and COSATU and the many other formations of the Mass Democratic Movement.
I also salute the Black Sash and the National Union of South African Students. We note with pride that you have acted as the conscience of white South Africa. Even during the darkest days in the history of our struggle you held the flag of liberty high. The large-scale mass mobilisation of the past few years is one of the key factors which led to the opening of the final chapter of our struggle.
I extend my greetings to the working class of our country. Your organised strength is the pride of our movement. You remain the most dependable force in the struggle to end exploitation and oppression.
I pay tribute to the many religious communities who carried the campaign for justice forward when the organisations for our people were silenced.
I greet the traditional leaders of our country – many of you continue to walk in the footsteps of great heroes like Hintsa and Sekhukune.
I pay tribute to the endless heroism of youth, you, the young lions. You, the young lions, have energised our entire struggle.
I pay tribute to the mothers and wives and sisters of our nation. You are the rock-hard foundation of our struggle. Apartheid has inflicted more pain on you than on anyone else.
On this occasion, we thank the world community for their great contribution to the anti-apartheid struggle. Without your support our struggle would not have reached this advanced stage. The sacrifice of the frontline states will be remembered by South Africans forever.
My salutations would be incomplete without expressing my deep appreciation for the strength given to me during my long and lonely years in prison by my beloved wife and family. I am convinced that your pain and suffering was far greater than my own.
Before I go any further I wish to make the point that I intend making only a few preliminary comments at this stage. I will make a more complete statement only after I have had the opportunity to consult with my comrades.
Today the majority of South Africans, black and white, recognise that apartheid has no future. It has to be ended by our own decisive mass action in order to build peace and security. The mass campaign of defiance and other actions of our organisation and people can only culminate in the establishment of democracy. The destruction caused by apartheid on our sub-continent is in- calculable. The fabric of family life of millions of my people has been shattered. Millions are homeless and unemployed. Our economy lies in ruins and our people are embroiled in political strife. Our resort to the armed struggle in 1960 with the formation of the military wing of the ANC, Umkhonto we Sizwe, was a purely defensive action against the violence of apartheid. The factors which necessitated the armed struggle still exist today. We have no option but to continue. We express the hope that a climate conducive to a negotiated settlement will be created soon so that there may no longer be the need for the armed struggle.
I am a loyal and disciplined member of the African National Congress. I am therefore in full agreement with all of its objectives, strategies and tactics.
The need to unite the people of our country is as important a task now as it always has been. No individual leader is able to take on this enormous task on his own. It is our task as leaders to place our views before our organisation and to allow the democratic structures to decide. On the question of democratic practice, I feel duty bound to make the point that a leader of the movement is a person who has been democratically elected at a national conference. This is a principle which must be upheld without any exceptions.
Today, I wish to report to you that my talks with the government have been aimed at normalising the political situation in the country. We have not as yet begun discussing the basic demands of the struggle. I wish to stress that I myself have at no time entered into negotiations about the future of our country except to insist on a meeting between the ANC and the government.
Mr. De Klerk has gone further than any other Nationalist president in taking real steps to normalise the situation. However, there are further steps as outlined in the Harare Declaration that have to be met before negotiations on the basic demands of our people can begin. I reiterate our call for, inter alia, the immediate ending of the State of Emergency and the freeing of all, and not only some, political prisoners. Only such a normalised situation, which allows for free political activity, can allow us to consult our people in order to obtain a mandate.
The people need to be consulted on who will negotiate and on the content of such negotiations. Negotiations cannot take place above the heads or behind the backs of our people. It is our belief that the future of our country can only be determined by a body which is democratically elected on a non-racial basis. Negotiations on the dismantling of apartheid will have to address the over- whelming demand of our people for a democratic, non-racial and unitary South Africa. There must be an end to white monopoly on political power and a fundamental restructuring of our political and economic systems to ensure that the inequalities of apartheid are addressed and our society thoroughly democratised.
It must be added that Mr. De Klerk himself is a man of integrity who is acutely aware of the dangers of a public figure not honouring his undertakings. But as an organisation we base our policy and strategy on the harsh reality we are faced with. And this reality is that we are still suffering under the policy of the Nationalist government.
Our struggle has reached a decisive moment. We call on our people to seize this moment so that the process towards democracy is rapid and uninterrupted. We have waited too long for our freedom. We can no longer wait. Now is the time to intensify the struggle on all fronts. To relax our efforts now would be a mistake which generations to come will not be able to forgive. The sight of freedom looming on the horizon should encourage us to redouble our efforts.
It is only through disciplined mass action that our victory can be assured. We call on our white compatriots to join us in the shaping of a new South Africa. The freedom movement is a political home for you too. We call on the international community to continue the campaign to isolate the apartheid regime. To lift sanctions now would be to run the risk of aborting the process towards the complete eradication of apartheid.
Our march to freedom is irreversible. We must not allow fear to stand in our way. Universal suffrage on a common voters’ role in a united democratic and non-racial South Africa is the only way to peace and racial harmony.
In conclusion I wish to quote my own words during my trial in 1964. They are true today as they were then:
‘I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.’
.

Lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries, which are commonly found in today�s cellular phones, have a lot of energy in a small package, the commission notes. Li-Ion batteries are more sensitive to physical stress than alkaline batteries found in toys and flashlights and need to be treated with more care.

Neither CPSC nor the cell phone lobbyists made any mention of British researchers’ warnings that children should avoid using cell phones because of the risk of brain tumors from long-term exposure to radio frequency emissions.

Here are the safety tips from the CPSC and the cell phone industry’s lobbying arm:

1. Do not use incompatible cell phone batteries and chargers. Some Web sites and second-hand dealers, not associated with reputable manufacturers and carriers, might be selling incompatible or even counterfeit batteries and chargers. Consumers should purchase manufacturer or carrier recommended products and accessories. If unsure about whether a replacement battery or charger is compatible, contact the manufacturer of the battery or charger.

2. Do not permit a battery out of the phone to come in contact with metal objects, such as coins, keys or jewelry.

3. Do not crush, puncture or put a high degree of pressure on the battery as this can cause an internal short-circuit, resulting in overheating.

4. Avoid dropping the cell phone. Dropping it, especially on a hard surface, can potentially cause damage to the phone and battery. If you suspect damage to the phone or battery, take it to a service center for inspection.

5. Do not place the phone in areas that may get very hot, such as on or near a cooking surface, cooking appliance, iron, or radiator.

6. Do not get your phone or battery wet. Even though they will dry and appear to operate normally, the circuitry could slowly corrode and pose a safety hazard.

7. Follow battery usage, storage and charging guidelines found in the user�s guide.

CPSC handled three recalls last year — the Kyocera Smartphone, Kyocera Slider, K400 and 3200 Series and Verizon Wireless LG-brand cell phones.

“CPSC has received reports of incidents and injuries involving cell phones batteries and chargers in a variety of environments,” said CPSC Chairman Hal Stratton. “CPSC will continue to do its part by investigating and recalling batteries that present a safety hazard, and we ask that consumers do their part by following some basic safety steps in their day-to-day use of cell phone batteries.”

Credit: Consumer Affairs
First published: May 13, 2005 on Consumeraffairs.com

Your computer may be slow because you have inadequate RAM; perhaps your computer’s processor is not fast enough. All things being equal, your computer should not take too long to start-up.

I have done a lot of things in the past to boost the performance of my computer, it works out well, performance is improved but then you realize that, it takes a very long time for windows to start after all you have done.

When you experience this frustration, then this can really work for you. You can also try this out to satisfy your curiosity as well.

The Prefetch Directory

There is a windows directory by name prefetch. This directory stores files that are used to start Windows and other applications. Windows read into the prefetch to cache data that is expected to be requested. As programmes are installed and deleted, some data in prefetch directory become redundant. Some data in the prefetch directory may as well be useless and as data keep piled up, windows keep reading them into cache in the anticipation that they will be used. When it windows keep caching the prefetch directory, it takes longer time for the windows to load, the boot process becomes so slow

When the prefetch directory is empty, you will experience a faster Windows start-up, windows will boot faster with ease. You need to have an administrative privilege to empty the directory.

Method 1

Click on run from the start command and type prefetch. Now the prefetch window displays, delete the entire content of the folder.

Method 2

If you are very comfortable in working in the registry, you can also edit the registry keys.

Within the registry, you can set prefetch to function in several different ways. Prefetch can cache applications, boot up files, both, or you can disable it completely.

Click start, then click run

Type regedit

In the registry editor console, follow these steps

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters\EnablePrefetcher

To improve boot speed, set the following value in the registry to a value of 2.

Now, restart the computer and see access the boot performance

Sixteen months have passed since we first stood together on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois.

Thousands of miles have been travelled. Millions of voices have been heard.

And because of what you said – because you decided that change must come to Washington; because you believed that this year must be different than all the rest; because you chose to listen not to your doubts or your fears but to your greatest hopes and highest aspirations, tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another – a journey that will bring a new and better day to America.

Because of you, tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States of America.

I want to thank all those in Montana and South Dakota who stood up for change today. I want to thank every American who stood with us over the course of this campaign – through the good days and the bad; from the snows of Cedar Rapids to the sunshine of Sioux Falls.

And tonight I also want to thank the men and woman who took this journey with me as fellow candidates for president.

At this defining moment for our nation, we should be proud that our party put forth one of the most talented, qualified field of individuals ever to run for office.

I have not just competed with them as rivals, I have learned from them as friends, as public servants, as patriots who love America and are willing to work tirelessly to make this country better.

They are leaders of this party, and leaders that America will turn to for years to come.

Made history

And that is particularly true for the candidate who has travelled further on this journey than anyone else.

Senator Hillary Clinton has made history in this campaign not just because she’s a woman who has done what no woman has done before, but because she is a leader who inspires millions of Americans with her strength, her courage, and her commitment to the causes that brought us here tonight.

Senator Obama praised Hillary Clinton for her strength and commitment

I congratulate here on her victory in South Dakota and I congratulate her on the race she has run throughout this contest.

We’ve certainly had our differences over the last 16 months.

But as someone who’s shared a stage with her many times, I can tell you that what gets Hillary Clinton up in the morning – even in the face of tough odds – is exactly what sent her and Bill Clinton to sign up for their first campaign in Texas all those years ago; what sent her to work at the Children’s Defense Fund and made her fight for health care as First Lady; what led her to the United States Senate and fuelled her barrier-breaking campaign for the presidency – an unyielding desire to improve the lives of ordinary Americans, no matter how difficult the fight may be.

And you can rest assured that when we finally win the battle for universal health care in this country, and we will win that fight, she will be central to that victory.

When we transform our energy policy and lift our children out of poverty, it will be because she worked to help make it happen.

Our party and our country are better off because of her, and I am a better candidate for having had the honour to compete with Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Inspired a nation

There are those who say that this primary has somehow left us weaker and more divided.

Well I say that because of this primary, there are millions of Americans who have cast their ballot for the very first time.

There are Independents and Republicans who understand that this election isn’t just about a change of party in Washington, it’s about the need to change Washington.

There are young people, and African-Americans, and Latinos, and women of all ages who have voted in numbers that have broken records and inspired a nation.

All of you chose to support a candidate you believe in deeply.

But at the end of the day, we aren’t the reason you came out and waited in lines that stretched block after block to make your voice heard.

You didn’t do that because of me or Senator Clinton or anyone else.

You did it because you know in your hearts that at this moment – a moment that will define a generation – we cannot afford to keep doing what we’ve been doing.

We owe our children a better future. We owe our country a better future.

And for all those who dream of that future tonight, I say – let us begin the work together.

Let us unite in common effort to chart a new course for America.

Republican agenda

In just a few short months, the Republican Party will arrive in St Paul with a very different agenda.

They will come here to nominate John McCain, a man who has served this country heroically.

I honour, we honour, the service of John McCain, and I respect his many accomplishments, even if he chooses to deny mine.

My differences with him are not personal; they are with the policies he has proposed in this campaign.

Because while John McCain can legitimately tout moments of independence from his party in the past, such independence has not been the hallmark of his presidential campaign.

It’s not change when John McCain decided to stand with George Bush 95% of the time, as he did in the Senate last year.

It’s not change when he offers four more years of Bush economic policies that have failed to create well-paying jobs, or insure our workers, or help Americans afford the skyrocketing cost of college – policies that have lowered the real incomes of the average American family, widened the gap between Wall Street and Main Street, and left our children with a mountain of debt.

It’s not change when he promises to continue a policy in Iraq that asks everything of our brave men and women in uniform and nothing of Iraqi politicians – a policy where all we look for are reasons to stay in Iraq, while we spend billions of dollars a month on a war that isn’t making the American people any safer.

Foreign policy

So I’ll say this – there are many words to describe John McCain’s attempt to pass off his embrace of George Bush’s policies as bipartisan and new.

But change is not one of them.

Because change is a foreign policy that doesn’t begin and end with a war that should’ve never been authorized and never been waged.

I won’t stand here and pretend that there are many good options left in Iraq, but what’s not an option is leaving our troops in that country for the next hundred years – especially at a time when our military is overstretched, our nation is isolated, and nearly every other threat to America is being ignored.

We must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in – but start leaving we must.

It’s time for Iraqis to take responsibility for their future.

It’s time to rebuild our military and give our veterans the care they need and the benefits they deserve when they come home.

It’s time to refocus our efforts on al-Qaeda’s leadership and Afghanistan, and rally the world against the common threats of the 21st century – terrorism and nuclear weapons; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease.

Understanding struggles

That’s what change is.

Change is realising that meeting today’s threats requires not just our firepower, but the power of our diplomacy – tough, direct diplomacy where the president of the United States isn’t afraid to let any petty dictator know where America stands and what we stand for.

We must once again have the courage and conviction to lead the free world.

That is the legacy of Roosevelt, and Truman, and Kennedy.

That’s what the American people demand.

That’s what change is.

Change is building an economy that rewards not just wealth, but the work and workers who created it.

It’s understanding that the struggles facing working families can’t be solved by spending billions of dollars on more tax breaks for big corporations and wealthy CEOs, but by giving a middle-class tax break to those who need it, and investing in our crumbling infrastructure, and transforming how we use energy, and improving our schools, and renewing our commitment to science and innovation.

It’s understanding that fiscal responsibility and shared prosperity can go hand-in-hand, as they did when Bill Clinton was president.

John McCain has spent a lot of time talking about trips to Iraq in the last few weeks, but maybe if he spent some time taking trips to the cities and towns that have been hardest hit by this economy – cities in Michigan, and Ohio, and right here in Minnesota – he’d understand the kind of change that people are looking for.

Maybe if he went to Iowa and met the student who works the night shift after a full day of class and still can’t pay the medical bills for a sister who’s ill, he’d understand that she can’t afford four more years of a health care plan that only takes care of the healthy and wealthy.

She needs us to pass health care right now, a plan that guarantees insurance to every American who wants it and brings down premiums for every family who needs it.

That’s the change we need.

Our children

Maybe if John McCain went to Pennsylvania and met the man who lost his job but can’t even afford the gas to drive around and look for a new one, he’d understand that we can’t afford four more years of our addiction to oil from dictators.

That man needs us to pass an energy policy that works with automakers to raise fuel standards, and makes corporations pay for their pollution, and oil companies invest their record profits in a clean energy future – an energy policy that will create millions of new jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced.

That’s the change we need.

And maybe if he spent some time in the schools of South Carolina or St Paul, Minnesota, or where he spoke tonight in New Orleans, Louisiana, he’d understand that we can’t afford to leave the money behind for No Child Left Behind; that we owe it to our children to invest in early childhood education and recruit an army of new teachers and give them better pay and more support and finally decide that in this global economy, the chance to get a college education should not be a privilege for the wealthy few, but the birthright of every American.

That’s the change we need in America.

That’s why I’m running for president.

Americans first

The other side will come here in September and offer a very different set of policies and positions, and that is a good thing, that is a debate I look forward to.

It is a debate the American people deserve on the issues that will help determine the future of this country and the future of its children.

But what you don’t deserve is another election that’s governed by fear, and innuendo, and division.

What you won’t hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon – that sees our opponents not as competitors to challenge, but enemies to demonize.

Because we may call ourselves Democrats and Republicans, but we are Americans first.

We are always Americans first.

Despite what the good Senator from Arizona said tonight, I have seen people of differing views and opinions find common cause many times during my two decades in public life, and I have brought many together myself.

I’ve walked arm-in-arm with community leaders on the South Side of Chicago and watched tensions fade as black, white, and Latino fought together for good jobs and good schools.

I’ve sat across the table from law enforcement officials and civil rights advocates to reform a criminal justice system that sent 13 innocent people to death row.

I’ve worked with friends in the other party to provide more children with health insurance and more working families with a tax break; to curb the spread of nuclear weapons and ensure that the American people know where their tax dollars are being spent; and to reduce the influence of lobbyists who have all too often set the agenda in Washington.

In our country, I have found that this cooperation happens not because we agree on everything, but because behind all the false labels and false divisions and categories that define us; beyond all the petty bickering and point-scoring in Washington, Americans are a decent, generous, compassionate people, united by common challenges and common hopes.

And every so often, there are moments which call on that fundamental goodness to make this country great again.

Our time

So it was for that band of patriots who declared in a Philadelphia hall the formation of a more perfect union; and for all those who gave on the fields of Gettysburg and Antietam their last full measure of devotion to save that same union.

So it was for the Greatest Generation that conquered fear itself, and liberated a continent from tyranny, and made this country home to untold opportunity and prosperity.

So it was for the workers who stood out on the picket lines; the women who shattered glass ceilings; the children who braved a Selma bridge for freedom’s cause.

So it has been for every generation that faced down the greatest challenges and the most improbable odds to leave their children a world that’s better, and kinder, and more just.

And so it must be for us.

America, this is our moment. This is our time.

Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past. Our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for this country that we love.

The journey will be difficult. The road will be long.

I face this challenge with profound humility, and knowledge of my own limitations.

But I also face it with limitless faith in the capacity of the American people.

Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth.

This was the moment – this was the time – when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals.

Thank you, Minnesota, God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.” <!–[if gte vml 1]&gt; &lt;![endif]–><!–[if !vml]–>

There have been talks and debates as to the extent to which a malicious code or virus can affect the computer hardware.

The debate is that, some powerful viruses when executed can crash the hardware (Hard disk, BIOS Chip, Memory etc) of the host machine and can never be repaired.

I am aware of the fact that many people have had cause to believe that viruses really destroy hardware especially the hard drive or the BIOS chip!

I disagree entirely in principle to this notion and I intend to raise the arguments for, and against this technically inclined issue so that you can judge for yourself.

As I seek to dissect this issue, I know we can all learn something new from this very important issue [I hope this article would not be too technical, I would not be making myself clear when not making some technical clarifications though]

The Virus effect

When your computer is infected with a virus and your data is corrupted, is the hardware at risk? (I will not explain the types of Viruses and their effects here since they can be ‘goggled’)

Computer virus is a term applied to any program that is designed to damage data stored on a computer system or network. The virus may infect documents, applications or worst of all system files that are essential to the correct running of the computer system.

A virus itself is programme software and has effect basically on software and not hardware. It could have effect on the systems or Application software to execute specific instructions on the hardware.

Virus Fact

People argue that the Virus can affect hardware, because some viruses when they infect, the computer can shut down, restart, even open the CD ROM tray or manipulate other peripherals like the Keyboard! Of course they do, but technically they do not operate on them as you would want to think they do, they instruct the software or drivers to perform. So should those software or device drivers not installed on the System, the virus could be redundant on the System whilst the hardware exist.

There are instances when upgrades from previous system or application software versions have ‘paralyzed’ viruses to malfunction on target computers. Should viruses have effect on hardware; open CD ROM tray, shut down Computers etc., they should do those when the software is upgraded so long as the hardware exist.

What happens is, they are unable to be compatible with the new upgrades signature to make them execute those instructions. I once rendered a computer useless, I asked the user to replace the motherboard of the PC if he still want to use it because a virus have erased the BIOS and displays some funny characters after which it hung. I was stunned.

What BIOS Does

Without the BIOS, the Computer can not function since the Processor on its own do not get to the Hard disk where the Operating System is residing.It is the BIOS which provides the instructions for the POST (power-on self-test).Of course it is the same BIOS that oversee that other chips (Hard drives, Memory, CPU) functions together.

The BIOS Controls the entire functionality of the motherboard. You can imagine! Should a virus get to the BIOS and erase the BIOS. Think about it!

The Computer would be dead.Don’t get me wrong, the BIOS is not hardware; it is a setting or set of instruction programmed by the computer manufacture.

Coming to Basics

When a BIOS is corrupted, does it mean a hardware (Motherboard, Hard drive, BIOS Chip) is damaged? or a software instruction failure!Unfortunately there was little i could do once upon a time and I rendered a Pentium III Computer useless. The motherboard had to be replaced because the BIOS has been erased by a virus. The current was flowing and all other hardware components such as heat sink and fan and power on lead were on but the Computer was dead!

The fact of the matter is that the BIOS Component on some early motherboards with low processor speed (486, Pentium I, II, III) was on board or embedded( on the mother board) so when they are erased by a virus it could not be recovered and you have to replace the motherboard.

Today, nearly all computers manufactured have their BIOS specially designed on Chips based on flash technology which are detached to the motherboard.

The essence of the BIOS Chip is specifically designed to allow the BIOS (which are set of instructions) to be backed up, repaired and analyzed when corrupted or damaged.

These days manufactures have listed for download online, BIOS updates and utilities http://www.wimsbios.com/biosupdates.jsp and it’s making it very useful to bring computers back to life when virus affects the BIOS which was not so some time back, and ignorantly people kept on saying ‘virus has crashed my Computer’, There are also BIOS kits designed to redeem your computer. Since the BIOS is not a hardware, the manufacturer provides software to recover them whiles the chip is still intact.

Conclussion

One known virus that corrupts the Computer BIOS is the Chernobyl virus or the CIH Virus and this has been designed to corrupt older Windows 9x (95, 98, Me) operating systems.In the later part of 1998 the KILL_CIH tool was released by Symantec as the antidote.

Indeed, there would not be a need for a virus removal tool, an anti virus, an antidote, because they don’t repair hardware. Ironically all known Virus have got some sort of antidote even the CIH Virus which erases the BIOS.

I base this argument solely on the Microsoft Windows platform because viruses are platform based, i.e. A Symbian OS, Windows OS, Linux OS, Mac OS Virus can not be transferred to the other to execute.

When i was introduced to the Internet about 8years ago, I was hooked up to the most popular site Yahoo mail which still ranks the number 1 website till date. It was an ultimate mail service at that time for me and many subscribers. I had my yahoo chat which I frequently use, and other additional services which were of great benefit to me, yahoo photos and briefcase. What was sweet was the fact that, I could only log on to yahoo.com and access all I need on the internet with my user account.

As if that was not enough, my quest for more free services got me hooked to other mail services such as excite mail, killamail and Hotmail which i know have expired now! ‘I don’t need them anyway’, because all I received were junks and spams from don’t know who’s. I love the internet and the more i got involved with lots of online freebies, I’m like, ‘yeah that’s cool’. I keep following threads from inbox to sign up to lots of websites for certain bla bla and these and the gunks were in my inbox more than legitimate mail i received and I got to know they could make my Computer vulnerable to spies who create log files and send them to the programmer, then i started deleting all mails which did not know the sender without reading them.

I was not a fun of junks and playing games online, I do what I got to do online, and leave, yeah! I check my yahoo mail, compose a message two, get to yahoo chat or msn messanger, when it’s boring I leave. When i don’t have any programmes to download or any research to make I’m done with the Internet.

I began to use other yahoo services such as yahoo briefcase which has about 30 mb of some of my documents and yahoo photos with unlimited disk space, now Yahoo Inc bought flickr and I have an option to migrate my over 140 pictures to flickr. Flickr was better than yahoo photo by far and I enjoyed the service. The idea of me being able to log into my flickr account with my yahoo account details was the sweetest.

You see I use msn messanger, by Microsoft Corporation. This company owns hotmail, msn, passport.net and msn chat, I have a hotmail account which I forgot the password and I went ahead to create an account for msn messanger, not mail because I preferred yahoo mail, it’s amassing, I’m not able to log onto hotmail or any of Microsoft’s e-mail account except for my passport.net messenger. I have made several reports to them by e-mail in the past and now it’s an error i’m having to accept.

As if that was not enough I keep receiving friend requests to join various freebies and networks which I declined anyway because I was just okay with what I had, Until recently I joined wordpress, I became an overnight addict. I’m now a blogger and it took most of my productive time at workplace reading intersting posts and adding comments. I had wondered why I did not see the need to join blogger.com some three years ago when it was introduced to me! I thought I had missed alot fun.

WordPress became my new freak, then I wanted to add some slide effect to some article I work on, flickr could not do slide and I was introduced to picasa by google, it was so cool I had my slides there, infact picasa was better than flickr, ‘thats what I think’, so i loaded all my photos and joined picasa web album, made some comments, etc. the usual things.

When I added my slides to my article on wordpress, it did not take effect! whops! I was eager to get add my slide on my post so I tried slide.com, and that was real cool!

Slide.com was the real thing, it was compatible with almost everything, i made my slide and embedded on wordpress perfectly. I was so happy I didn’t know what to do with picasa and flickr anymore! I don’t really need their lousy service. Yeah I have had enough with lots of websites.

The good thing in recent time’s the fact that I was introduced to open source and I embraced mozilla firefox because of the tabbed browsing and I don’t have to open so many browsers as i used to do, I hate to use version 5 of microsoft internet explorer, the number 1 sucker.

Now I can browse so many in one firefox window, I’m a fun of facebook, infact facebook occupies my productive man hours than any other website. I recently came across a facebook buddy with 58 groups! ‘what! what the hell do you do in 58 groups’ These sites only waste productivity in my view, people eat flickr, eat skype, eat yahoo messenger and while at it, they’re still hungry for blog.

Spammers take the advantage and recently firefox is having problems with hacker, its not safe to keep passwords in cookies, gmail is under threat, these were more secured.

So what’s all these complains ?

Now I am fed up with all of these things, when I had yahoo alone I could use one account to acess all available services, now I create accounts for so many things almost like a daily routine, I have corporate mail accounts I do not even check them for mails. The fact that I have to always create user accounts here and there and do almost the same thing in other places sucks the more!

I guess you have some suggestions?

There should be a regulator, an open standard for these sites, the web promises to be a big waste of time in the new future, for the fact that 20 most popular websites are social networks! CNN, BBC, Reuters, HP and other resourceful websites do not take prominence these days in our browser history.

Some of these social networks should be able to merge, they do the same thing with no value, some are not clean with lots of pop ups, spies stealing our information. There should be a regulator in these multi-million business if there is, we need to know so that we report complains. Too many sucker online, I’m done