Monday, November 29, 2004
LG’s 'foolish' old man
LG’s 'foolish' old man
By Aloysius Choong, CNETAsia
November 18, 2004
In the village of Jizhou, there once stood the two mountains of Taixing and Wangwu. Yu Gong, a 90-year-old grandfather, lived to the south, and often had to travel long distances to get around the mountains. He was deeply troubled by it.
One day, he decided to level the two mountains: grain by grain, rock by rock. "You are deluded, Yu Gong," Hequ's Zhi Sou told him. "You are already so old and weak. You cannot even pull out a blade of grass. How will you be able to shift the mountains?"
Undeterred, Yu Gong replied: "Your mind is too inflexible. Even if I die, I have my children, my grandchildren and all their scions. My line will go on and on, but those two mountains can never get taller or bigger--what do I have to worry about?" With this, he silenced Zhi Sou.
The story of Yu Gong is one that LG Electronics CEO Kim Ssang Su often alludes to. He wants to see Yu Gong's grit and determination in his employees.
"If one steadily strives in his work, he will eventually achieve something great," he said in this interview with CNETAsia.
At the same time, Yu Gong-whose name literally translates to "foolish old man"– might not have been as smart as Zhi Sou (meaning "intelligent gentlemen"). But perhaps because of this, he was not constrained by the preconceptions of smarter people.
The two values are very much evident in Kim himself. He admits that he "works very hard", waking up at 5.30 sharp each morning to exercise and prepare for the day. "When I think about how my judgment and actions as a CEO will determine the lives of tens of thousands of people, I cannot stop working, even for a moment," he writes on his personal Web page.
He is also well-known for declaring that a 5 percent productivity gain is difficult, but a 30 percent target is, ironically, achievable.
The reason? A seemingly impossible problem forces executives to think outside the box for a solution.
In the story of Yu Gong, the Heavenly King himself eventually heard about the incident. He was so moved by Yu Gong's will that he dispatched two deities to carry the mountains away.
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In his career at LG which spans 35 years, S.S. Kim has outgrown his rural beginnings to become the CEO of a top global enterprise.
Some might say that, in the business world, he has moved mountains himself.
Q: Which Asian values do you firmly believe in? How do you apply these values to your business?
Q: In Korea, where Confucian ideas are prevalent, family ties, priority of community/group over individual, enthusiasm for education and diligence are prioritized. I firmly believe in the priority of the whole over individuals, which lays emphasis on "We, not I".
What is the biggest challenge when expanding overseas? Our goal is to be among the top three in electronics, information and communications by 2010. In order to be one of the global top three companies, we should not only be so in outward appearance but also in all areas of management. Therefore, our branding will become especially important in realizing our vision and goal.
Since I became CEO of LG Electronics, I have always emphasized making our brand a premium brand.
For a while, LG Electronics was relatively unknown in the global markets. Now, however, LG Electronics has become one of the most favored brands in many countries and, in some countries, LG has been selected as one of the national brands. We still have more work ahead in securing a premium brand position.
How would you describe your management style?
My management style focuses on three areas: early innovation, stretch goals and field management.
Early innovation means that we should innovate in advance and put it into action earlier, thereby maximizing our performance. One such early innovation process is TDR (Tear-down & Redesign).
We occasionally repeat the same inefficient and unproductive processes, due to limited resources and time. TDR enables us to solve existing problems on a different level while finding innovative solutions, thus maximizing the creation of value and minimizing losses.
Stretch goals are an essential part to LGE's global success. I like to tell my people that 5 percent is impossible but 30 percent is possible. Using past methods, we barely achieved even a 5 percent improvement.
However, if we change the approach to induce innovative ideas, a 30 percent innovation can be achieved. If we set a 30 percent stretch goal, we can take a fundamentally different approach; since we have to change the very idea and methods for innovation. We should take a creative approach in order to gain results that are greater than expected.
I am also a firm believer in field management. Reports submitted by LGE managers are what I refer to as taped recordings of what happened from someone else's perspective.
Being actively involved in the field allows me to witness the action live and make a decision right there on the spot.
What is your definition of "right" people and what qualities do you look for?
An ancient Chinese proverb says, "A foolish old man (Yu Gong) can move mountains". This implies that if one steadily strives in his work, he will eventually achieve something great. I refer to people like Yu Gong as the "right people".
The "right people" are the very people who delve into what they are assigned to do and move forward persistently to accomplish their goals.
Also, the "right people" will become "great people", when they grow mature and come up with substantial achievements, and are armed with unrivalled abilities.
I also believe that the "right people" should be assigned to the right place at the right time to realize fast growth and fast innovation as well as substantial achievement. This also means that the company needs the "right people" who share the company's values, challenge themselves persistently and boldly with lofty goals, and have the passion to work.
What do you hope to be remembered for when you leave your company?
I have been with LG Electronics for the last 35 years. I first entered LG Electronics as a mechanical engineer and have spent most of my career in the field. I watched our company grow from a small Korean company to a global company that it is now, and I feel proud that I took part in it. Because I have been with LG for so long and because I feel very much at home with LG, I truly enjoy my work and being at the forefront in the field work.
When I leave my company, I want to be remembered as a global CEO who brought LG Electronics further into the stratosphere of global brands. My agenda remains in making LG Electronics into a global top three company.
There is a saying that goes: when a tiger dies, it leaves its skin. A man leaves his name. I want to go down in LG history.
How do you motivate yourself and your employees?
I motivate myself and employees by setting high goals such as Global Top 3 by 2010.
In order to produce a winning organization I motivate myself and employees by creating a corporate culture that continuously challenges higher goals and the word "no" is not an option.
Who do you look to for inspiration?
I admire Jack Welch as a CEO and Toyota as a company. When we had a strategic alliance with GE, I had a chance to meet with Jack Welch and I was very impressed with him.
When we met, most of our discussion involved business. He was very businessoriented, just as a CEO of a global company should be. And we both shared a passion for working and making decisions in the field, and stretching goals.
I want my company to be more like Toyota. We want to be a great, strong company that does not stop in generating growth and one that is not susceptible to external factors. There has not been a labor strife at Toyota for the past fifteen years and we have not had one in the last thirteen years. I found that we have many similarities in innovation and production strategies.
By Aloysius Choong, CNETAsia
November 18, 2004
In the village of Jizhou, there once stood the two mountains of Taixing and Wangwu. Yu Gong, a 90-year-old grandfather, lived to the south, and often had to travel long distances to get around the mountains. He was deeply troubled by it.
One day, he decided to level the two mountains: grain by grain, rock by rock. "You are deluded, Yu Gong," Hequ's Zhi Sou told him. "You are already so old and weak. You cannot even pull out a blade of grass. How will you be able to shift the mountains?"
Undeterred, Yu Gong replied: "Your mind is too inflexible. Even if I die, I have my children, my grandchildren and all their scions. My line will go on and on, but those two mountains can never get taller or bigger--what do I have to worry about?" With this, he silenced Zhi Sou.
The story of Yu Gong is one that LG Electronics CEO Kim Ssang Su often alludes to. He wants to see Yu Gong's grit and determination in his employees.
"If one steadily strives in his work, he will eventually achieve something great," he said in this interview with CNETAsia.
At the same time, Yu Gong-whose name literally translates to "foolish old man"– might not have been as smart as Zhi Sou (meaning "intelligent gentlemen"). But perhaps because of this, he was not constrained by the preconceptions of smarter people.
The two values are very much evident in Kim himself. He admits that he "works very hard", waking up at 5.30 sharp each morning to exercise and prepare for the day. "When I think about how my judgment and actions as a CEO will determine the lives of tens of thousands of people, I cannot stop working, even for a moment," he writes on his personal Web page.
He is also well-known for declaring that a 5 percent productivity gain is difficult, but a 30 percent target is, ironically, achievable.
The reason? A seemingly impossible problem forces executives to think outside the box for a solution.
In the story of Yu Gong, the Heavenly King himself eventually heard about the incident. He was so moved by Yu Gong's will that he dispatched two deities to carry the mountains away.
advertisement
In his career at LG which spans 35 years, S.S. Kim has outgrown his rural beginnings to become the CEO of a top global enterprise.
Some might say that, in the business world, he has moved mountains himself.
Q: Which Asian values do you firmly believe in? How do you apply these values to your business?
Q: In Korea, where Confucian ideas are prevalent, family ties, priority of community/group over individual, enthusiasm for education and diligence are prioritized. I firmly believe in the priority of the whole over individuals, which lays emphasis on "We, not I".
What is the biggest challenge when expanding overseas? Our goal is to be among the top three in electronics, information and communications by 2010. In order to be one of the global top three companies, we should not only be so in outward appearance but also in all areas of management. Therefore, our branding will become especially important in realizing our vision and goal.
Since I became CEO of LG Electronics, I have always emphasized making our brand a premium brand.
For a while, LG Electronics was relatively unknown in the global markets. Now, however, LG Electronics has become one of the most favored brands in many countries and, in some countries, LG has been selected as one of the national brands. We still have more work ahead in securing a premium brand position.
How would you describe your management style?
My management style focuses on three areas: early innovation, stretch goals and field management.
Early innovation means that we should innovate in advance and put it into action earlier, thereby maximizing our performance. One such early innovation process is TDR (Tear-down & Redesign).
We occasionally repeat the same inefficient and unproductive processes, due to limited resources and time. TDR enables us to solve existing problems on a different level while finding innovative solutions, thus maximizing the creation of value and minimizing losses.
Stretch goals are an essential part to LGE's global success. I like to tell my people that 5 percent is impossible but 30 percent is possible. Using past methods, we barely achieved even a 5 percent improvement.
However, if we change the approach to induce innovative ideas, a 30 percent innovation can be achieved. If we set a 30 percent stretch goal, we can take a fundamentally different approach; since we have to change the very idea and methods for innovation. We should take a creative approach in order to gain results that are greater than expected.
I am also a firm believer in field management. Reports submitted by LGE managers are what I refer to as taped recordings of what happened from someone else's perspective.
Being actively involved in the field allows me to witness the action live and make a decision right there on the spot.
What is your definition of "right" people and what qualities do you look for?
An ancient Chinese proverb says, "A foolish old man (Yu Gong) can move mountains". This implies that if one steadily strives in his work, he will eventually achieve something great. I refer to people like Yu Gong as the "right people".
The "right people" are the very people who delve into what they are assigned to do and move forward persistently to accomplish their goals.
Also, the "right people" will become "great people", when they grow mature and come up with substantial achievements, and are armed with unrivalled abilities.
I also believe that the "right people" should be assigned to the right place at the right time to realize fast growth and fast innovation as well as substantial achievement. This also means that the company needs the "right people" who share the company's values, challenge themselves persistently and boldly with lofty goals, and have the passion to work.
What do you hope to be remembered for when you leave your company?
I have been with LG Electronics for the last 35 years. I first entered LG Electronics as a mechanical engineer and have spent most of my career in the field. I watched our company grow from a small Korean company to a global company that it is now, and I feel proud that I took part in it. Because I have been with LG for so long and because I feel very much at home with LG, I truly enjoy my work and being at the forefront in the field work.
When I leave my company, I want to be remembered as a global CEO who brought LG Electronics further into the stratosphere of global brands. My agenda remains in making LG Electronics into a global top three company.
There is a saying that goes: when a tiger dies, it leaves its skin. A man leaves his name. I want to go down in LG history.
How do you motivate yourself and your employees?
I motivate myself and employees by setting high goals such as Global Top 3 by 2010.
In order to produce a winning organization I motivate myself and employees by creating a corporate culture that continuously challenges higher goals and the word "no" is not an option.
Who do you look to for inspiration?
I admire Jack Welch as a CEO and Toyota as a company. When we had a strategic alliance with GE, I had a chance to meet with Jack Welch and I was very impressed with him.
When we met, most of our discussion involved business. He was very businessoriented, just as a CEO of a global company should be. And we both shared a passion for working and making decisions in the field, and stretching goals.
I want my company to be more like Toyota. We want to be a great, strong company that does not stop in generating growth and one that is not susceptible to external factors. There has not been a labor strife at Toyota for the past fifteen years and we have not had one in the last thirteen years. I found that we have many similarities in innovation and production strategies.
Doing IT the right way
Doing IT the right way
By Aloysius Choong, CNETAsia
26/11/2004
Dell, HP, IBM, Oracle and SAP--these are just some of the big names making a splash in the small and medium-size market in 2004.
HP launched line after line of products and solutions as part of its Smart Office initiative, touting a complete package that includes low-end servers, portable computers and flexible payment schemes. IBM expanded its Express push with new notebooks and printers, while SAP broadened its product portfolio, and Oracle cut prices of its 10g database. Elsewhere, Dell and EMC collaborated on a storage device for the mid-market.
Why the interest in the SMB market? The answer is simple: It's a growing market that multinational giants cannot afford to ignore. In March, Forrester Research predicted that SMB IT spending in 2004 would increase by 6.6 percent from 2003. This was much higher than the 1.7 percent that was projected for larger companies.
In October, HP revealed that SMB sales are expected to yield a whopping US$24 billion during its fiscal 2004--representing almost one-third of its total income. IBM's revenues from SMBs have also been rising every quarter.
What does this mean for SMBs? The vendors will continue to target this segment by offering more options, cheaper solutions, and SMB-friendly sales models.
Yet it's not all a bed of roses. In a survey of 279 small and medium-size businesses conducted by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI), it was found that companies had only moderate levels of satisfaction from IT investments.
Expectedly, accounting packages and office automation were rated the most useful investments, with approval rates of over 55 percent. However, over 20 percent of respondents indicated that the usefulness of investments in security, e-business, as well as mobile and wireless either "could be better" or were "bad experiences".
What's going wrong? In the same survey, companies provided a few answers, such as disputes with vendors, lack of technology awareness, and the lack of training.
Throughout the course of the year, CNETAsia has spoken to several business owners with varying successes with IT implementations. Here are some of the key lessons they've provided.
1. Business over technology.
Business owners have consistently emphasized technology has to take a backseat to business. IT can help to increase revenues, like in the case of Accord Express Holdings, where the use of an in-house supply-chain management system catapulted it from the ranks of an SMB.
It can, at the same time, reduce costs and increase efficiency--both important benefits for smaller businesses. For instance, for FarEastFlora.com's Ryan Chioh, the firm's ERP and CRM systems have dramatically increased productivity, especially for mundane tasks such as record keeping.
2. A good grasp of IT is always helpful.
Echoing a common complaint of SMBs, Straits Partners' Ben Bleicken told us earlier this year that vendors often spoke "a language that we couldn't understand".
From the SMB's perspective, getting past the technical jargon is important, as a lack of common understanding can quickly give rise to disputes. PlentyRooms.com's Samson Goh talks about how his programming background helps him to understand vendor-speak, but few business owners are as savvy.
Even if a business owner is not naturally inclined towards technology, he or she should be interested in the business of making money--and technology is essential to that.
The point here is, even if a business owner is not naturally inclined towards technology, he or she should be interested in the business of making money--and technology is essential to that. Look at hiring an IT manager who can evaluate the pros and cons of each solution, but at the end of the day, for most SMBs, the final decisions rest on the business owner.
3. Know what you want, and be assertive.
Vendors may talk about how difficult it is to implement this feature or that, but it is up to the business owner to push for the features that are needed.
This was also something that Foodbex's Shahrin Bin Surif learnt. The IT process has to suit your business, he told CNETAsia, you should not be changing your business process to match your IT implementation.
Matex's Doris Lek revealed how she insisted that the implementation timeline of her new IT system be shortened. She implemented a system of incentives to encourage the vendor to work overtime. In the end, she successfully minimized the hassle of dealing with two systems during the changeover period.
4. It's about the people.
Many good companies view their staff as their most important asset, and rightfully so. However, IT implementations, especially for non-tech industries, can meet with stiff resistance.
For instance, restaurant chain IndoChine found it hard to gain acceptance for PDAs in the workplace, while PestBusters had five resignations after rolling out its own handheld solution.
Therefore, setting up the solution isn't the end of implementation. Business owners constantly have to pay attention to staff training and morale.
By Aloysius Choong, CNETAsia
26/11/2004
Dell, HP, IBM, Oracle and SAP--these are just some of the big names making a splash in the small and medium-size market in 2004.
HP launched line after line of products and solutions as part of its Smart Office initiative, touting a complete package that includes low-end servers, portable computers and flexible payment schemes. IBM expanded its Express push with new notebooks and printers, while SAP broadened its product portfolio, and Oracle cut prices of its 10g database. Elsewhere, Dell and EMC collaborated on a storage device for the mid-market.
Why the interest in the SMB market? The answer is simple: It's a growing market that multinational giants cannot afford to ignore. In March, Forrester Research predicted that SMB IT spending in 2004 would increase by 6.6 percent from 2003. This was much higher than the 1.7 percent that was projected for larger companies.
In October, HP revealed that SMB sales are expected to yield a whopping US$24 billion during its fiscal 2004--representing almost one-third of its total income. IBM's revenues from SMBs have also been rising every quarter.
What does this mean for SMBs? The vendors will continue to target this segment by offering more options, cheaper solutions, and SMB-friendly sales models.
Yet it's not all a bed of roses. In a survey of 279 small and medium-size businesses conducted by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI), it was found that companies had only moderate levels of satisfaction from IT investments.
Expectedly, accounting packages and office automation were rated the most useful investments, with approval rates of over 55 percent. However, over 20 percent of respondents indicated that the usefulness of investments in security, e-business, as well as mobile and wireless either "could be better" or were "bad experiences".
What's going wrong? In the same survey, companies provided a few answers, such as disputes with vendors, lack of technology awareness, and the lack of training.
Throughout the course of the year, CNETAsia has spoken to several business owners with varying successes with IT implementations. Here are some of the key lessons they've provided.
1. Business over technology.
Business owners have consistently emphasized technology has to take a backseat to business. IT can help to increase revenues, like in the case of Accord Express Holdings, where the use of an in-house supply-chain management system catapulted it from the ranks of an SMB.
It can, at the same time, reduce costs and increase efficiency--both important benefits for smaller businesses. For instance, for FarEastFlora.com's Ryan Chioh, the firm's ERP and CRM systems have dramatically increased productivity, especially for mundane tasks such as record keeping.
2. A good grasp of IT is always helpful.
Echoing a common complaint of SMBs, Straits Partners' Ben Bleicken told us earlier this year that vendors often spoke "a language that we couldn't understand".
From the SMB's perspective, getting past the technical jargon is important, as a lack of common understanding can quickly give rise to disputes. PlentyRooms.com's Samson Goh talks about how his programming background helps him to understand vendor-speak, but few business owners are as savvy.
Even if a business owner is not naturally inclined towards technology, he or she should be interested in the business of making money--and technology is essential to that.
The point here is, even if a business owner is not naturally inclined towards technology, he or she should be interested in the business of making money--and technology is essential to that. Look at hiring an IT manager who can evaluate the pros and cons of each solution, but at the end of the day, for most SMBs, the final decisions rest on the business owner.
3. Know what you want, and be assertive.
Vendors may talk about how difficult it is to implement this feature or that, but it is up to the business owner to push for the features that are needed.
This was also something that Foodbex's Shahrin Bin Surif learnt. The IT process has to suit your business, he told CNETAsia, you should not be changing your business process to match your IT implementation.
Matex's Doris Lek revealed how she insisted that the implementation timeline of her new IT system be shortened. She implemented a system of incentives to encourage the vendor to work overtime. In the end, she successfully minimized the hassle of dealing with two systems during the changeover period.
4. It's about the people.
Many good companies view their staff as their most important asset, and rightfully so. However, IT implementations, especially for non-tech industries, can meet with stiff resistance.
For instance, restaurant chain IndoChine found it hard to gain acceptance for PDAs in the workplace, while PestBusters had five resignations after rolling out its own handheld solution.
Therefore, setting up the solution isn't the end of implementation. Business owners constantly have to pay attention to staff training and morale.
Why archive e-mail?
Why archive e-mail?
By Isabelle Chan, CNETAsia
26/11/2004
E-mail is one of the most important platforms for business communications today.
E-mail messages no longer contain just casual comments but important business information, such as sales contracts, project proposals and supplier instructions, as well.
With e-mail messages serving as business records, too, companies should take the necessary steps to properly archive the messages so as to ensure they can be easily retrieved when required.
Proper e-mail archiving is important for several reasons.
Firstly, it is to ensure corporate compliance with laws and regulations mandating records retention.
"In the absence of government regulations, corporate record-keeping is a must as the important corporate knowledge base is stored within these systems."
"In the absence of government regulations, corporate record-keeping is a must as the important corporate knowledge base is stored within these systems," said Simon Piff, Microsoft's regional solutions marketing manager, Asia-Pacific and Greater China.
Storing these electronic records in their original message formats can be a critical and important requirement as well, especially for litigation purposes. Companies should be able to easily search and retrieve past records.
Do they know?
Industry observers say the awareness level for good e-mail management is low among small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) in Asia.
"We don't have actual data, but I would estimate it to be less than 5 percent in our region," said Boey Yoke Khew, regional marketing manager for StorageTek.
Piff believes that most SMBs are generally aware of this need, but "like their bigger counterparts, small companies often underestimate how much important information that is worth backing up, is stored in, say, Microsoft Outlook".
Although there is no available market research indicating the amount Asian SMBs spend on e-mail-related storage, Piff said research shows that developing a strategy to manage e-mail records better could save them money.
IDC's research reveals that 40 percent to 45 percent of an enterprise's storage is allocated to storing e-mail.
"Some industry experts say that archival of e-mail records represent the third largest costs associated with managing e-mail records," said Piff.
On average, most organizations find that 1 TB of archived e-mail messages result in a US$100,000 expense annually, he added.
The analysts at the Radicati Group estimate that the average corporate e-mail user sends and receives a total of 84 messages per day. The average message size of a message without an attachment is about 22KB.
By 2008, the research firm estimates that an average corporate e-mail user will process up to 15.8 MB of data per day. For a company with 1,000 users, that is an average of 10 GB per day, 50 GB per week, or 200 GB per month.
"With the deluge of e-mail messages and the increase in corporate mailboxes, IT administrators have to deal with rising costs of e-mail management," said Piff.
Piff estimates that IT administrators can spend as much as 25 percent of their time managing e-mail data. They also spend eight to 12 hours a week performing e-mail backup and archiving, and about five hours a week recovering archived messages and attachments for users.
Should you archive everything?
"Many organizations don't think about data loss until it happens. Whether customer records, accounting data, billing information, or documents and e-mail, data loss can be devastating," said Yeong Chee Wai, the technical consultant manager for Veritas Software Singapore.
One of the biggest challenges is knowing what to archive and for how long.
However, one of the biggest challenges is knowing what to archive and for how long. Should you back up junk e-mail and non-business-related interoffice e-mail? What are the security implications of having a large, detailed e-mail archive for an entire organization? How can you find the data quickly when you need it?
Archiving is a key factor in good e-mail management, and it is important to implement the right business policy that is supported by a good archiving system.
Yeong says the ideal solution must back up more data with less hardware, in less time, and with fewer resources.
According to the storage expert, archiving using predefined business rules and policies enable IT to archive and store data on the most appropriate media while retaining on-demand access. "The policy-based nature of the combined solutions is ideal for addressing a range of database growth and storage issues," explained Yeong.
Different strokes for different folks
Every company has a different approach to managing e-mail.
According to StorageTek's Boey, most companies manage e-mail at the server (post-office) level by limiting the size of storage available to each user. "And a lot of users overcome that problem by downloading their e-mails into their personal computers or notebooks," he said.
SMBs also commonly set a maximum size limit for an e-mail, which provides some storage management but is "generally not an effective method", he added.
E-mail archiving is a standard feature in many commercial e-mail server systems, such as Microsoft Exchange. However, are they optimal for long-term management?
"By itself, Exchange has limited archiving and records management functionality, but Microsoft works with supporting partners to provide services and applications that back up, restore, archive and manage Exchange Server data."
"By itself, Exchange has limited ARM (archiving and records management) functionality, but Microsoft works with supporting partners, such as CA, EMC, HP, Legato Software and Veritas, to provide services and applications that back up, restore, archive and manage Exchange Server data," said Piff.
According to Piff, ARM products and services share three core features: centralized administration, selective retention and real-time search and retrieval.
In centralized administration, organizations can define policy-based retention rules and schedules to capture and store e-mail records.
Selective retention allows organizations to specific the criteria to filter out unnecessary or redundant e-mail. For example, filters can identify and ignore spam and duplicate messages so only important business e-mail is archived, Piff explained.
The third feature enables users to run full-text searches on any stored data, as well as retrieve the data in real-time with no temporal delay.
Another challenge is in the cost-effective management of e-mail server performance and reliability as the e-mail database grows, and an SMB has to decide what is the acceptable backup and restore time. Several storage management vendors offer technologies placing e-mail messages in a separate repository and on less-expensive storage media.
According to Yeong, most SMBs use standalone backup-to-tape systems to protect the data in the e-mail server. Some users centralize the e-mail data in a few e-mail servers. Others store most of their e-mail data on the client desktop or laptop machines, using the e-mail servers as transfer agents only.
Ajit Nair, EMC's technology solutions director for South Asia, said more education is needed for SMBs to understand the limitations of tape for backup and recovery.
He pointed out that the traditional backup method using tape uses significant server cycles and impacts the production server. "While the backup is being performed, the production server performance is degraded and the users will see a difference in how responsive their e-mail system is," he explained.
"With tape, recovering backed up data takes significantly longer," he added.
Nair recommends online backup and restore capabilities to reduce the time needed. "By creating replicas of the production data on the storage array, organizations can recover from server failures or database corruptions in a matter of minutes rather than hours," he noted. Storage array refers to a linked group of one or more independent hard disk drives generally used to replace larger, single disk drive systems.
EMC has a product targeted at SMBs that use Microsoft Exchange. Priced from US$43,000, the EMC Express solution for e-mail is designed and tested for up to 5,000 seats storing years of e-mail volume consolidated on a single storage array, Nair claims.
The product is said to reduce Microsoft Exchange total cost of ownership by up to 30 percent and reduce Exchange storage requirements by up to 70 percent.
Beyond e-mail
Wally Tung, an executive with IBM Asia-Pacific's Storage Networking, Systems and Technology Group, pointed out that data management and retention should not be limited to just one type of data e-mail but to other kinds of data that are important to the business. These include instant messages, voice mails, digitized photos and video, presentation slides, transaction logs, which IBM refers to as "retention managed data".
"The important requirement from our customers is that they need a way to retain and protect any kind of data for a variety of reasons. Hence, the more appropriate management term, retention managed data is used to represent the management characteristic rather than some data characteristic," explained Tung.
He also urged SMBs to start defining a strategy, as information management becomes a critical part of every businesses process.
"In compliance and data retention, the customer’s problems (pain) cannot simply be solved by a storage solution," noted Tung. "Compliance is not about buying a box or deploying software or engaging professional services. Compliance is a mandatory strategy that combines technology and services and includes both a data retention strategy as well as an internal philosophy."
By Isabelle Chan, CNETAsia
26/11/2004
E-mail is one of the most important platforms for business communications today.
E-mail messages no longer contain just casual comments but important business information, such as sales contracts, project proposals and supplier instructions, as well.
With e-mail messages serving as business records, too, companies should take the necessary steps to properly archive the messages so as to ensure they can be easily retrieved when required.
Proper e-mail archiving is important for several reasons.
Firstly, it is to ensure corporate compliance with laws and regulations mandating records retention.
"In the absence of government regulations, corporate record-keeping is a must as the important corporate knowledge base is stored within these systems."
"In the absence of government regulations, corporate record-keeping is a must as the important corporate knowledge base is stored within these systems," said Simon Piff, Microsoft's regional solutions marketing manager, Asia-Pacific and Greater China.
Storing these electronic records in their original message formats can be a critical and important requirement as well, especially for litigation purposes. Companies should be able to easily search and retrieve past records.
Do they know?
Industry observers say the awareness level for good e-mail management is low among small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) in Asia.
"We don't have actual data, but I would estimate it to be less than 5 percent in our region," said Boey Yoke Khew, regional marketing manager for StorageTek.
Piff believes that most SMBs are generally aware of this need, but "like their bigger counterparts, small companies often underestimate how much important information that is worth backing up, is stored in, say, Microsoft Outlook".
Although there is no available market research indicating the amount Asian SMBs spend on e-mail-related storage, Piff said research shows that developing a strategy to manage e-mail records better could save them money.
IDC's research reveals that 40 percent to 45 percent of an enterprise's storage is allocated to storing e-mail.
"Some industry experts say that archival of e-mail records represent the third largest costs associated with managing e-mail records," said Piff.
On average, most organizations find that 1 TB of archived e-mail messages result in a US$100,000 expense annually, he added.
The analysts at the Radicati Group estimate that the average corporate e-mail user sends and receives a total of 84 messages per day. The average message size of a message without an attachment is about 22KB.
By 2008, the research firm estimates that an average corporate e-mail user will process up to 15.8 MB of data per day. For a company with 1,000 users, that is an average of 10 GB per day, 50 GB per week, or 200 GB per month.
"With the deluge of e-mail messages and the increase in corporate mailboxes, IT administrators have to deal with rising costs of e-mail management," said Piff.
Piff estimates that IT administrators can spend as much as 25 percent of their time managing e-mail data. They also spend eight to 12 hours a week performing e-mail backup and archiving, and about five hours a week recovering archived messages and attachments for users.
Should you archive everything?
"Many organizations don't think about data loss until it happens. Whether customer records, accounting data, billing information, or documents and e-mail, data loss can be devastating," said Yeong Chee Wai, the technical consultant manager for Veritas Software Singapore.
One of the biggest challenges is knowing what to archive and for how long.
However, one of the biggest challenges is knowing what to archive and for how long. Should you back up junk e-mail and non-business-related interoffice e-mail? What are the security implications of having a large, detailed e-mail archive for an entire organization? How can you find the data quickly when you need it?
Archiving is a key factor in good e-mail management, and it is important to implement the right business policy that is supported by a good archiving system.
Yeong says the ideal solution must back up more data with less hardware, in less time, and with fewer resources.
According to the storage expert, archiving using predefined business rules and policies enable IT to archive and store data on the most appropriate media while retaining on-demand access. "The policy-based nature of the combined solutions is ideal for addressing a range of database growth and storage issues," explained Yeong.
Different strokes for different folks
Every company has a different approach to managing e-mail.
According to StorageTek's Boey, most companies manage e-mail at the server (post-office) level by limiting the size of storage available to each user. "And a lot of users overcome that problem by downloading their e-mails into their personal computers or notebooks," he said.
SMBs also commonly set a maximum size limit for an e-mail, which provides some storage management but is "generally not an effective method", he added.
E-mail archiving is a standard feature in many commercial e-mail server systems, such as Microsoft Exchange. However, are they optimal for long-term management?
"By itself, Exchange has limited archiving and records management functionality, but Microsoft works with supporting partners to provide services and applications that back up, restore, archive and manage Exchange Server data."
"By itself, Exchange has limited ARM (archiving and records management) functionality, but Microsoft works with supporting partners, such as CA, EMC, HP, Legato Software and Veritas, to provide services and applications that back up, restore, archive and manage Exchange Server data," said Piff.
According to Piff, ARM products and services share three core features: centralized administration, selective retention and real-time search and retrieval.
In centralized administration, organizations can define policy-based retention rules and schedules to capture and store e-mail records.
Selective retention allows organizations to specific the criteria to filter out unnecessary or redundant e-mail. For example, filters can identify and ignore spam and duplicate messages so only important business e-mail is archived, Piff explained.
The third feature enables users to run full-text searches on any stored data, as well as retrieve the data in real-time with no temporal delay.
Another challenge is in the cost-effective management of e-mail server performance and reliability as the e-mail database grows, and an SMB has to decide what is the acceptable backup and restore time. Several storage management vendors offer technologies placing e-mail messages in a separate repository and on less-expensive storage media.
According to Yeong, most SMBs use standalone backup-to-tape systems to protect the data in the e-mail server. Some users centralize the e-mail data in a few e-mail servers. Others store most of their e-mail data on the client desktop or laptop machines, using the e-mail servers as transfer agents only.
Ajit Nair, EMC's technology solutions director for South Asia, said more education is needed for SMBs to understand the limitations of tape for backup and recovery.
He pointed out that the traditional backup method using tape uses significant server cycles and impacts the production server. "While the backup is being performed, the production server performance is degraded and the users will see a difference in how responsive their e-mail system is," he explained.
"With tape, recovering backed up data takes significantly longer," he added.
Nair recommends online backup and restore capabilities to reduce the time needed. "By creating replicas of the production data on the storage array, organizations can recover from server failures or database corruptions in a matter of minutes rather than hours," he noted. Storage array refers to a linked group of one or more independent hard disk drives generally used to replace larger, single disk drive systems.
EMC has a product targeted at SMBs that use Microsoft Exchange. Priced from US$43,000, the EMC Express solution for e-mail is designed and tested for up to 5,000 seats storing years of e-mail volume consolidated on a single storage array, Nair claims.
The product is said to reduce Microsoft Exchange total cost of ownership by up to 30 percent and reduce Exchange storage requirements by up to 70 percent.
Beyond e-mail
Wally Tung, an executive with IBM Asia-Pacific's Storage Networking, Systems and Technology Group, pointed out that data management and retention should not be limited to just one type of data e-mail but to other kinds of data that are important to the business. These include instant messages, voice mails, digitized photos and video, presentation slides, transaction logs, which IBM refers to as "retention managed data".
"The important requirement from our customers is that they need a way to retain and protect any kind of data for a variety of reasons. Hence, the more appropriate management term, retention managed data is used to represent the management characteristic rather than some data characteristic," explained Tung.
He also urged SMBs to start defining a strategy, as information management becomes a critical part of every businesses process.
"In compliance and data retention, the customer’s problems (pain) cannot simply be solved by a storage solution," noted Tung. "Compliance is not about buying a box or deploying software or engaging professional services. Compliance is a mandatory strategy that combines technology and services and includes both a data retention strategy as well as an internal philosophy."
[Security]Search for rootkits with Rootkit Hunter
Search for rootkits with Rootkit Hunter
Until fairly recently, the tool to use for detecting malware on Linux systems was the chkrootkit tool. However, a newer tool with several more available tests and a friendlier interface is now available: Rootkit Hunter (rkhunter).
This tool is available for download from the rootkit Web site. Installation is extremely straight-forward; rkhunter only consists of Perl and shell scripts. After you've downloaded and unpacked the latest version, simply run the installer.sh script to install the program.
In its most basic form, rkhunter scans your system for any signs of malware. In addition, it performs other scans on your system, such as checking for differences between a cached copy of the passwd and group files, checking the sshd_config file to see if root logins are permissible, and so forth.
Every version adds checks for new malware, so keeping up with rkhunter releases is important. Be sure to regularly check the rootkit Web site.
To perform an interactive report, run rkhunter as shown below:
# rkhunter -c
This displays each test that rkhunter performs, pausing occasionally for you to press [Enter]. This ensures that you can see the entire report without scrolling back too far.
You can also perform a simple summary report that allows for viewing the results of rkhunter's work. Here's an example:
# rkhunter -c --report-mode
If you're only interested in the summary, you can place this code in a cron job. If you prefer to have a full report, execute the following:
# rkhunter -c --cronjob
This prevents the display of colors, which may cause the e-mails sent via cron to look a little off. All in all, rkhunter is easy to use and a definite must for anyone running Linux.
Until fairly recently, the tool to use for detecting malware on Linux systems was the chkrootkit tool. However, a newer tool with several more available tests and a friendlier interface is now available: Rootkit Hunter (rkhunter).
This tool is available for download from the rootkit Web site. Installation is extremely straight-forward; rkhunter only consists of Perl and shell scripts. After you've downloaded and unpacked the latest version, simply run the installer.sh script to install the program.
In its most basic form, rkhunter scans your system for any signs of malware. In addition, it performs other scans on your system, such as checking for differences between a cached copy of the passwd and group files, checking the sshd_config file to see if root logins are permissible, and so forth.
Every version adds checks for new malware, so keeping up with rkhunter releases is important. Be sure to regularly check the rootkit Web site.
To perform an interactive report, run rkhunter as shown below:
# rkhunter -c
This displays each test that rkhunter performs, pausing occasionally for you to press [Enter]. This ensures that you can see the entire report without scrolling back too far.
You can also perform a simple summary report that allows for viewing the results of rkhunter's work. Here's an example:
# rkhunter -c --report-mode
If you're only interested in the summary, you can place this code in a cron job. If you prefer to have a full report, execute the following:
# rkhunter -c --cronjob
This prevents the display of colors, which may cause the e-mails sent via cron to look a little off. All in all, rkhunter is easy to use and a definite must for anyone running Linux.
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Enable WebDAV in Apache 2.0
Enable WebDAV in Apache 2.0
WebDAV technology allows people to read and/or write files to a remote Web server without having to use FTP. Using the HTTPS protocol, you can wrap the WebDAV transactions with SSL, which can be particularly useful.
If you're using Apache 2.0, enabling mod_dav support (the module used to provide WebDAV functionality) is as simple as compiling Apache 2.0 with the --enable-dav configure switch. You also need to create a place for the apache user (or the user the Web server runs as) to store the WebDAV locking database.
Here's an example:
# mkdir /var/davlock
# chgrp apache /var/davlock
# chmod g+w /var/davlock
Then, add the following lines to the httpd.conf file:
DAVLockDB /var/davlock/DAVlock
DAV On
Next, create the /var/www/davtest directory, which will be your initial testing ground for WebDAV. Note that we're assuming that /var/www is the top-level directory of your Web site. To ensure that http://localhost/davtest/ corresponds to the directory, choose a directory name accordingly.
After you restart the server, you should be able to use any DAV-enabled client to read and write files to http://localhost/davtest/. One command-line client that's useful for testing and debugging is the cadaver tool.
Be aware that the above example directives are suitable only for testing; if you're using WebDAV in production, or anywhere else that's publicly accessible, be sure to use appropriate access controls.
WebDAV technology allows people to read and/or write files to a remote Web server without having to use FTP. Using the HTTPS protocol, you can wrap the WebDAV transactions with SSL, which can be particularly useful.
If you're using Apache 2.0, enabling mod_dav support (the module used to provide WebDAV functionality) is as simple as compiling Apache 2.0 with the --enable-dav configure switch. You also need to create a place for the apache user (or the user the Web server runs as) to store the WebDAV locking database.
Here's an example:
# mkdir /var/davlock
# chgrp apache /var/davlock
# chmod g+w /var/davlock
Then, add the following lines to the httpd.conf file:
DAVLockDB /var/davlock/DAVlock
DAV On
Next, create the /var/www/davtest directory, which will be your initial testing ground for WebDAV. Note that we're assuming that /var/www is the top-level directory of your Web site. To ensure that http://localhost/davtest/ corresponds to the directory, choose a directory name accordingly.
After you restart the server, you should be able to use any DAV-enabled client to read and write files to http://localhost/davtest/. One command-line client that's useful for testing and debugging is the cadaver tool.
Be aware that the above example directives are suitable only for testing; if you're using WebDAV in production, or anywhere else that's publicly accessible, be sure to use appropriate access controls.
Monday, November 22, 2004
[PM]When to kill a development project
When to kill a development project
By Scott Withrow, Special to CNETAsia | Thursday, November 18 2004 6:29 PM
A widely accepted actuality in project management circles is that up to 50 percent of application development projects fail. Numerous industry surveys and a wealth of media attention, which support this statistic, all too often highlight the negative aspects of large and costly project terminations. In extreme cases, project failures can have a substantial impact on an organization's bottom line. Therefore, all application development managers should be able to recognize and react to troubled projects.
Warning signs
It's often difficult to perceive when an application project is in trouble. Project managers, whose primary objective is a successful project delivery, are frequently reluctant to report project issues as "show stoppers."
Project managers are often too close to project issues to see the bigger picture, namely the impact issues may have on the organization as a whole. Sometimes it's not one large issue, but rather the culmination of several small issues, that will derail a project. Other times, it may not be the project at all, but rather a priority change in the business environment, that will lead to a project's termination.
The application development manager routinely follows up with project leads to ensure that they're meeting project timelines and deliverables. However, application development managers should also periodically revisit a project's scope to ensure project goals remain inline with the business strategy and vision. This periodic review is often a good time to rectify any misconceptions or invalid assumptions that your team might make early in the project planning stages.
Other warning signs that may indicate a project is in trouble include: poor team morale, reduction in productivity, resource "disengagement," excessive planned costs or resources, customer or management apathy, and loss of critical personnel.
Making the call
Once you determine that the project is no longer a priority, termination planning and execution should proceed without hesitation. Any shutdown decision should include input and agreement among business and IT sponsors, the steering committee, and perhaps executive management.
Shutdown planning should include a quick legal and/or compliance review, especially if there are external vendors to consider. Planning should also review project deliverables to see what the organization can salvage or utilize.
Another consideration is how to explain the reason for a project's termination in a way that is sensitive to the staff's morale. You may want to refer to the organization's corporate communications area.
Planning should also include resource reassignments and, if necessary, force reductions. This is an area for which you'll want to call upon the HR department to provide expertise and assistance. Finally, perform a project post mortem to extract thorough information about what went wrong. Treat this as an opportunity to learn valuable lessons.
Scott Withrow has more than 20 years of IT experience, including IT management, Web development management, and internal consulting application analysis.
By Scott Withrow, Special to CNETAsia | Thursday, November 18 2004 6:29 PM
A widely accepted actuality in project management circles is that up to 50 percent of application development projects fail. Numerous industry surveys and a wealth of media attention, which support this statistic, all too often highlight the negative aspects of large and costly project terminations. In extreme cases, project failures can have a substantial impact on an organization's bottom line. Therefore, all application development managers should be able to recognize and react to troubled projects.
Warning signs
It's often difficult to perceive when an application project is in trouble. Project managers, whose primary objective is a successful project delivery, are frequently reluctant to report project issues as "show stoppers."
Project managers are often too close to project issues to see the bigger picture, namely the impact issues may have on the organization as a whole. Sometimes it's not one large issue, but rather the culmination of several small issues, that will derail a project. Other times, it may not be the project at all, but rather a priority change in the business environment, that will lead to a project's termination.
The application development manager routinely follows up with project leads to ensure that they're meeting project timelines and deliverables. However, application development managers should also periodically revisit a project's scope to ensure project goals remain inline with the business strategy and vision. This periodic review is often a good time to rectify any misconceptions or invalid assumptions that your team might make early in the project planning stages.
Other warning signs that may indicate a project is in trouble include: poor team morale, reduction in productivity, resource "disengagement," excessive planned costs or resources, customer or management apathy, and loss of critical personnel.
Making the call
Once you determine that the project is no longer a priority, termination planning and execution should proceed without hesitation. Any shutdown decision should include input and agreement among business and IT sponsors, the steering committee, and perhaps executive management.
Shutdown planning should include a quick legal and/or compliance review, especially if there are external vendors to consider. Planning should also review project deliverables to see what the organization can salvage or utilize.
Another consideration is how to explain the reason for a project's termination in a way that is sensitive to the staff's morale. You may want to refer to the organization's corporate communications area.
Planning should also include resource reassignments and, if necessary, force reductions. This is an area for which you'll want to call upon the HR department to provide expertise and assistance. Finally, perform a project post mortem to extract thorough information about what went wrong. Treat this as an opportunity to learn valuable lessons.
Scott Withrow has more than 20 years of IT experience, including IT management, Web development management, and internal consulting application analysis.
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Beware self-serving consultants
Beware self-serving consultants
By Scott Withrow, Builder.com | Wednesday, November 10 2004 6:05 PM
A number of years ago, a colleague and I were discussing a growing trend in larger organisations to hire external consultants at a massive fee to investigate and describe the organisation's woes and propose a new business agenda.
These consultants seemed to appear overnight and, in a surreal whirlwind of confusion, they would identify key business processes and underlying IT support systems that needed to change or be replaced.
My colleague and I noticed that the recommended solutions were often suspiciously in favour of the expert's consultancy. For example, one Big Eight consulting team recommended replacing a functional system with one supplied by a different vendor. We found it odd that the new system had all the same functional components as the one that was replaced--until we learned that the consulting group had a partnership with the new vendor.
On another occasion, a consultant recommended a thorough analysis of the organisation's business processes, with the goal of identifying candidates for reengineering. The recommendation identified many core systems that could benefit from redesign; this extensive effort could be led by a team of SMEs from the expert's consulting group.
No wonder many IT managers view management consulting groups as a parasite on corporate information systems. Many companies enter into such consulting engagements to get an honest evaluation. Unfortunately, there are a growing number of engagements that are little more than a pretext for the consultancy's own fortunes.
Judging consultants
The trick is being able to distinguish between the two kinds of consultancies. For starters, if you witness the following actions from a consultant, then you may want to rethink the business relationship:
* The consulting group is selling the most recent technology hype without informing you of the downsides.
* The consulting group quotes industry analysts but offers little or no examples of practical implementations.
* The consulting group presents recommendations that directly or indirectly benefits the consultancy's bottom line.
This means that it's imperative for you to do your research, particularly determining whether the consulting group has industry experience and, if so, finding out if their clients were pleased with the consultant's recommendations; also, be sure to do a background evaluation of key SMEs.
As an application development manager, it's your responsibility to ensure that your system(s) support the business and that business processes meet or exceed requirements. You should inform senior management if a consulting arrangement appears to be only minimally beneficial to your organisation or even contrary to its goals. After all, it's money that should be used for the benefit of the organisation (or, as my team would say, for good not for evil).
A word of caution: In many cases, alerting management about questions you have about the consultants is deemed a political action. Many bright, hard-working application development managers have been reassigned for pushing the no-consultant button without the proper support. The best way to approach this topic with management is to identify, document, and communicate your thoughts about the consultants. Then, it's up to senior management to decide what course of action to take.
Scott Withrow has more than 20 years of IT experience, including IT management, Web development management, and internal consulting application analysis.
By Scott Withrow, Builder.com | Wednesday, November 10 2004 6:05 PM
A number of years ago, a colleague and I were discussing a growing trend in larger organisations to hire external consultants at a massive fee to investigate and describe the organisation's woes and propose a new business agenda.
These consultants seemed to appear overnight and, in a surreal whirlwind of confusion, they would identify key business processes and underlying IT support systems that needed to change or be replaced.
My colleague and I noticed that the recommended solutions were often suspiciously in favour of the expert's consultancy. For example, one Big Eight consulting team recommended replacing a functional system with one supplied by a different vendor. We found it odd that the new system had all the same functional components as the one that was replaced--until we learned that the consulting group had a partnership with the new vendor.
On another occasion, a consultant recommended a thorough analysis of the organisation's business processes, with the goal of identifying candidates for reengineering. The recommendation identified many core systems that could benefit from redesign; this extensive effort could be led by a team of SMEs from the expert's consulting group.
No wonder many IT managers view management consulting groups as a parasite on corporate information systems. Many companies enter into such consulting engagements to get an honest evaluation. Unfortunately, there are a growing number of engagements that are little more than a pretext for the consultancy's own fortunes.
Judging consultants
The trick is being able to distinguish between the two kinds of consultancies. For starters, if you witness the following actions from a consultant, then you may want to rethink the business relationship:
* The consulting group is selling the most recent technology hype without informing you of the downsides.
* The consulting group quotes industry analysts but offers little or no examples of practical implementations.
* The consulting group presents recommendations that directly or indirectly benefits the consultancy's bottom line.
This means that it's imperative for you to do your research, particularly determining whether the consulting group has industry experience and, if so, finding out if their clients were pleased with the consultant's recommendations; also, be sure to do a background evaluation of key SMEs.
As an application development manager, it's your responsibility to ensure that your system(s) support the business and that business processes meet or exceed requirements. You should inform senior management if a consulting arrangement appears to be only minimally beneficial to your organisation or even contrary to its goals. After all, it's money that should be used for the benefit of the organisation (or, as my team would say, for good not for evil).
A word of caution: In many cases, alerting management about questions you have about the consultants is deemed a political action. Many bright, hard-working application development managers have been reassigned for pushing the no-consultant button without the proper support. The best way to approach this topic with management is to identify, document, and communicate your thoughts about the consultants. Then, it's up to senior management to decide what course of action to take.
Scott Withrow has more than 20 years of IT experience, including IT management, Web development management, and internal consulting application analysis.
Flexi-work time in vogue?
Brad Short comes up with key design ideas for Hewlett-Packard printers from a lounge chair in his backyard.
Troubleshoot drive failures in seven steps
When a hard disk fails and the computer doesn’t boot, the frenzy to save important company data ensues. When faced with such a problem, don’t panic. Just remember these simple hard drive troubleshooting tips.
Here’s a quick and proven hard disk troubleshooting process. With each point, ask yourself the question(s) that follow.
* Physical connectivity--Is the drive receiving power? Is it plugged into the PC by a correctly connected ribbon cable? For an IDE drive, are its jumpers set correctly? With a SCSI drive, are its SCSI termination and ID set correctly?
* BIOS setup--Does the BIOS see the drive?
* Viruses--Does the drive contain any boot sector viruses that need to be removed before continuing?
* Partitioning--Does FDISK find a valid partition on the drive? Is it active?
* Formatting--Is the drive formatted using a file system that the OS can recognize?
* Drive errors--Is a physical or logical drive error causing read/write problems on the drive?
* Operating system--Does your OS have a feature that checks the status of each drive on your system? If so, what is that status?
Here’s a quick and proven hard disk troubleshooting process. With each point, ask yourself the question(s) that follow.
* Physical connectivity--Is the drive receiving power? Is it plugged into the PC by a correctly connected ribbon cable? For an IDE drive, are its jumpers set correctly? With a SCSI drive, are its SCSI termination and ID set correctly?
* BIOS setup--Does the BIOS see the drive?
* Viruses--Does the drive contain any boot sector viruses that need to be removed before continuing?
* Partitioning--Does FDISK find a valid partition on the drive? Is it active?
* Formatting--Is the drive formatted using a file system that the OS can recognize?
* Drive errors--Is a physical or logical drive error causing read/write problems on the drive?
* Operating system--Does your OS have a feature that checks the status of each drive on your system? If so, what is that status?
Priming for patch management
New concept to me!
Bllinkx Take control of your desktop chaos
A good desktop&network search engine.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
3G standards
W-CDMA, cdma2000 and TD-SCDMA (Chinese standard)
Sunday, November 14, 2004
How to smash a home computer
How to smash a home computer
Woman with mobile phone, coffe and computer
It's a bad idea to leave your laptop on top of your car
An executive who froze his broken hard disk thinking it would be fixed has topped a list of the weirdest computer mishaps.
Although computer malfunctions remain the most common cause of file loss, data recovery experts say human behaviour still is to blame in many cases.
They say that no matter how effective technology is at rescuing files, users should take more time to back-up and protect important files.
The list of the top 10 global data disasters was compiled by recovery company Ontrack.
Click 'Yes' for catastrophe
Adrian Palmer, managing director, Ontrack Data Recovery
Human error, including 'computer rage', seems to be a growing problem
Adrian Palmer, Ontrack Data Recovery
Careless - and preventable - mistakes that result in data loss range from reckless file maintenance practices to episodes of pure rage towards a computer.
This last category includes the case of a man who became so mad with his malfunctioning laptop that he threw it in the lavatory and flushed a couple of times.
"Data can disappear as a result of natural disaster, system fault or computer virus, but human error, including 'computer rage', seems to be a growing problem," said Adrian Palmer, managing director of Ontrack Data Recovery.
OH NO, MY FILES!
One user put his hard drive in a freezer, after reading on the internet that this can fix malfunctioning hardware
When tidying up his computer folders, one user inadvertently deleted the ones he meant to keep. He only realised he'd made the mistake after emptying the recycle bin and defragging the hard drive
While a large office was being constructed, a steel beam fell on a laptop that contained the plans for the building.
A female user placed her laptop on top of her car while getting in. Forgetting about the laptop, it slid off the roof and she then reversed straight over it as she set off
Source: Ontrack Data Recovery
"Nevertheless, victims soon calm down when they realise the damage they've done and come to us with pleas for help to retrieve their valuable information."
A far more common situation is when a computer virus strikes and leads to precious files being corrupted or deleted entirely.
Mr Palmer recalled the case of a couple who had hundreds of pictures of their baby's first three months on their computer, but managed to reformat the hard drive and erase all the precious memories.
"Data can be recovered from computers, servers and even memory cards used in digital devices in most cases," said Mr Palmer.
"However, individuals and companies can avoid the hassle and stress this can cause by backing up data on a regular basis."
Woman with mobile phone, coffe and computer
It's a bad idea to leave your laptop on top of your car
An executive who froze his broken hard disk thinking it would be fixed has topped a list of the weirdest computer mishaps.
Although computer malfunctions remain the most common cause of file loss, data recovery experts say human behaviour still is to blame in many cases.
They say that no matter how effective technology is at rescuing files, users should take more time to back-up and protect important files.
The list of the top 10 global data disasters was compiled by recovery company Ontrack.
Click 'Yes' for catastrophe
Adrian Palmer, managing director, Ontrack Data Recovery
Human error, including 'computer rage', seems to be a growing problem
Adrian Palmer, Ontrack Data Recovery
Careless - and preventable - mistakes that result in data loss range from reckless file maintenance practices to episodes of pure rage towards a computer.
This last category includes the case of a man who became so mad with his malfunctioning laptop that he threw it in the lavatory and flushed a couple of times.
"Data can disappear as a result of natural disaster, system fault or computer virus, but human error, including 'computer rage', seems to be a growing problem," said Adrian Palmer, managing director of Ontrack Data Recovery.
OH NO, MY FILES!
One user put his hard drive in a freezer, after reading on the internet that this can fix malfunctioning hardware
When tidying up his computer folders, one user inadvertently deleted the ones he meant to keep. He only realised he'd made the mistake after emptying the recycle bin and defragging the hard drive
While a large office was being constructed, a steel beam fell on a laptop that contained the plans for the building.
A female user placed her laptop on top of her car while getting in. Forgetting about the laptop, it slid off the roof and she then reversed straight over it as she set off
Source: Ontrack Data Recovery
"Nevertheless, victims soon calm down when they realise the damage they've done and come to us with pleas for help to retrieve their valuable information."
A far more common situation is when a computer virus strikes and leads to precious files being corrupted or deleted entirely.
Mr Palmer recalled the case of a couple who had hundreds of pictures of their baby's first three months on their computer, but managed to reformat the hard drive and erase all the precious memories.
"Data can be recovered from computers, servers and even memory cards used in digital devices in most cases," said Mr Palmer.
"However, individuals and companies can avoid the hassle and stress this can cause by backing up data on a regular basis."
Saturday, November 13, 2004
IBM announces an SME package
IBM announces an SME package
The solution for employees to collaborate over networks is part of broader worldwide launch of Workplace solutions for companies, reports AMIT ROY CHOUDHURY
Business Times
13 Nov 2004
COMPUTER giant IBM Corp on Wednesday showed it means business with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) when it announced a new offering that helps employees in smaller organisations collaborate more effectively over networks.
The offering, called IBM Workplace Services Express (WSE), is 'a new team collaboration solution with an integrated portal, which makes it easy for users to work together by providing easy-to-use and easy-to-customise work spaces to create, edit and share documents,' C J Martin, IBM's Asia Pacific solutions executive for portals and workplace, told BizIT.
WSE is part of a broader worldwide announcement of an array of new software solutions and products targeted at both SMEs as well as large enterprises.
Mr Martin said WSE, designed for small to mid-sized organisations with up to 1,000 employees, would help companies seeking broad gains in productivity, simpler access to documents and business applications as well as easier deployment and management of their Information Technology infrastructure.
The system installs and deploys in a matter of hours, a factor that Mr Martin said was attractive to SMEs because these tend to have fewer system administration experts at their disposal. 'SMEs need to have something installed and up and running very quickly.'
WSE also integrates with a variety of applications and productivity tools that mid-market employees need but which they previously could not get without a significant amount of customisation, he said.
He added that WSE can integrate with general ledger and inventory management applications and also with Windows Explorer views, productivity documents like spreadsheet, word processing tools as well as graphics presentation packages.
'Besides it also integrates with typical collaboration sort of features you need like mail, calender and instant messaging,' Mr Martin said.
According to IBM, the SME market worldwide is worth around US$300 billion. IBM classifies companies as SMEs if they have fewer than 1,000 employees.
An IDC spokeswoman told BizIT that its latest forecast, updated in August, sees Singapore's SME sector spending US$1.2 billion on IT this year. During this same period, SMEs in Asia Pacific (minus Japan) are expected to spend US$29 billion. The research agency classifies SMEs as having less than 500 employees.
Speaking to BizIT, IDC Asia Pacific research manager Alan Tong said WSE is an integrated solution which allows extensive employee collaboration.
'It is a network-delivered workplace and this means users can access data, information or messaging through a Web browser,' Mr Tong said. 'The WSE allows team collaboration which means that within the organisation users can exchange information or documents through the workplace and also manage documents.'
Stating that it is a very strong solution package for SMEs, the IDC analyst said: 'Looking at what is available in the market at the moment, there are a lot of standalone pieces of solutions out there. What IBM is offerring to the customers is an integrated solution which is delivered through a portal infrastructure.'
According to him, this would hit a sweet spot for organisations looking to improve their collaboration infrastructure - especially those organisations which have several branch offices or remote workers.
'The offering is moving towards a Web base rather than a client server type, which means you don't have to be on the premise, you can be anywhere to access the information,' he said.
Mr Martin said WSE would be available in Singapore within 30 days. While pricing details would be known only then, IBM will have two pricing models. One will be on a per user basis and another on a per CPU basis.
Mr Martin said that apart from the new WSE version announced, which is an expansion of the company's Express product line, IBM also announced the WebSphere Portal 5.1. The new version of WebSphere Portal is an upgrade of the company's portal infrastructure software.
IBM also announced the availability of a variety of domain specific industry implementation of infrastructure and collaboration software.
The solution for employees to collaborate over networks is part of broader worldwide launch of Workplace solutions for companies, reports AMIT ROY CHOUDHURY
Business Times
13 Nov 2004
COMPUTER giant IBM Corp on Wednesday showed it means business with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) when it announced a new offering that helps employees in smaller organisations collaborate more effectively over networks.
The offering, called IBM Workplace Services Express (WSE), is 'a new team collaboration solution with an integrated portal, which makes it easy for users to work together by providing easy-to-use and easy-to-customise work spaces to create, edit and share documents,' C J Martin, IBM's Asia Pacific solutions executive for portals and workplace, told BizIT.
WSE is part of a broader worldwide announcement of an array of new software solutions and products targeted at both SMEs as well as large enterprises.
Mr Martin said WSE, designed for small to mid-sized organisations with up to 1,000 employees, would help companies seeking broad gains in productivity, simpler access to documents and business applications as well as easier deployment and management of their Information Technology infrastructure.
The system installs and deploys in a matter of hours, a factor that Mr Martin said was attractive to SMEs because these tend to have fewer system administration experts at their disposal. 'SMEs need to have something installed and up and running very quickly.'
WSE also integrates with a variety of applications and productivity tools that mid-market employees need but which they previously could not get without a significant amount of customisation, he said.
He added that WSE can integrate with general ledger and inventory management applications and also with Windows Explorer views, productivity documents like spreadsheet, word processing tools as well as graphics presentation packages.
'Besides it also integrates with typical collaboration sort of features you need like mail, calender and instant messaging,' Mr Martin said.
According to IBM, the SME market worldwide is worth around US$300 billion. IBM classifies companies as SMEs if they have fewer than 1,000 employees.
An IDC spokeswoman told BizIT that its latest forecast, updated in August, sees Singapore's SME sector spending US$1.2 billion on IT this year. During this same period, SMEs in Asia Pacific (minus Japan) are expected to spend US$29 billion. The research agency classifies SMEs as having less than 500 employees.
Speaking to BizIT, IDC Asia Pacific research manager Alan Tong said WSE is an integrated solution which allows extensive employee collaboration.
'It is a network-delivered workplace and this means users can access data, information or messaging through a Web browser,' Mr Tong said. 'The WSE allows team collaboration which means that within the organisation users can exchange information or documents through the workplace and also manage documents.'
Stating that it is a very strong solution package for SMEs, the IDC analyst said: 'Looking at what is available in the market at the moment, there are a lot of standalone pieces of solutions out there. What IBM is offerring to the customers is an integrated solution which is delivered through a portal infrastructure.'
According to him, this would hit a sweet spot for organisations looking to improve their collaboration infrastructure - especially those organisations which have several branch offices or remote workers.
'The offering is moving towards a Web base rather than a client server type, which means you don't have to be on the premise, you can be anywhere to access the information,' he said.
Mr Martin said WSE would be available in Singapore within 30 days. While pricing details would be known only then, IBM will have two pricing models. One will be on a per user basis and another on a per CPU basis.
Mr Martin said that apart from the new WSE version announced, which is an expansion of the company's Express product line, IBM also announced the WebSphere Portal 5.1. The new version of WebSphere Portal is an upgrade of the company's portal infrastructure software.
IBM also announced the availability of a variety of domain specific industry implementation of infrastructure and collaboration software.
Friday, November 12, 2004
Hiring your first support tech
Hiring your first support tech
By Peter Woolford, TechRepublic
Monday, November 8 2004 4:35 PM
Are you put in charge of hiring your first IT tech staff? Do you know what to look out for to ensure a happy hire--for both your organization and your candidate?
Peter Woolford, who has spent more than a decade advising candidates on IT and engineering careers, answers a hiring question from a TechRepublic reader.
Question I am a sole proprietor working with a business coach, and we both feel very confident it’s time to move forward with our growth strategy. Part of that growth is hiring my first “technical support rep” to start servicing my clients, so that I can focus more on sales and growing the business. My business focuses on servicing businesses with 10-50 desktops primarily.
What experience/certifications should I require? Should I INSIST on real-world experience or is it better to train? Where do you usually find your best candidates?
Response
Good luck with your business. Many of my business contacts have started similar businesses over the last few years, and done quite well with them. There is a sweet spot for businesses with a handful of employees that specialize in servicing other small businesses. You can be more responsive than the big guys, provide better service, and undercut their prices; all while making good money yourself.
Here are my thoughts on the options you face relative to hiring entry level or experienced talent, and how to find them. Firstly, you'll have to decide if you need an entry-level hire, or an experienced one.
1. Entry level
When hiring at an entry level, you will be able to pay a lower salary, but possibly with significant tradeoffs. These people should come to you with good school training, possibly a certification, but will have little or no experience actually doing the work. They will be eager to learn and grateful for the experience. However, on the technical issues, they won’t have seen the myriad real-world technical problems your clients need you to fix. They won’t have the problem identification and problem resolution skills. In addition to technology, they probably will also lack business acumen. Will they be able to handle customer problems and customer complaints? Will they instill customer confidence in your business?
If you hire entry-level staff, expect them to shadow you as you work for at least the first few weeks, or even months. After that, expect to invest considerable effort supporting them as they progress toward independence. By the time you get them up to speed and fully functioning, expect your competition to try to lure them away. Your vulnerability to your competition will be at its highest when they have nearly become fully independent, but you haven’t yet adjusted their salary accordingly.
To find talent at all levels, your best alternative is to get a personal referral. Find someone you know and trust who can recommend someone. To find entry-level talent outside of a personal connection, you would be best served by approaching the schools that train the appropriate people. Your options are colleges, community colleges, and the various for-profit certificate training schools. All of these offer career placement assistance to their graduates and would be happy to help you. Start by deciding which level of training/education you need for your work and that will lead you to the appropriate training school or college.
2. Experienced
Your other option is to hire experienced talent. Obviously, you can hire at many different levels. Experienced talent will carry with it higher salary expectations. Mostly, you get what you pay for at increasing salary levels.
An experienced hire will be productive much more quickly, if not immediately. Technically, they will have the problem identification and problem resolution experience. Business issues won’t be foreign to them. You will need to do much less hand-holding. If you hire the right person, you should be able to assign a task and pretty well forget about it.
To find experienced talent, you have a number of options. Again, start with your personal network. This will be your best way to find a reliable person, and it has the additional advantage of being free. The downside of the personal referral is: If you don’t like the candidate, did you insult a friend? Also, you can’t predict the timing of personal referrals. You may get lucky quickly, or you may wait months before your personal contacts come through for you.
Other options for finding experienced talent include agencies, the newspaper, job board postings, and job board resume searches. There are advantages and disadvantages to each:
Agencies: A good agency will be able to produce good talent in a short period of time. This is your best bet if the timing is critical, or if you don’t have the time to invest in the various options that follow. This is also your most expensive option.
Newspaper ad: An old standby for years, newspaper ads are getting less and less common. Also, running a decent-sized ad several times can be quite pricey.
Certification schools: The same schools that train entry-level talent may offer advanced certification courses. Try them to see if they can connect you with experienced talent.
Job board, posting the position: There is a cost here with the bigger boards charging more money. You definitely get what you pay for in the way of exposure. You also get what you pay for in the number of responses. Expect to spend considerable time sifting through the responses. They will come in from all over the planet!
Job board, searching resumes: Rather than posting a position and waiting for replies, you can search the resumes people have posted. There is a wide array of talent posted on these boards. Expect to see more resumes on the more expensive boards. You should also expect to invest a lot of time reading resumes, so you should ask yourself how good a screener you are, how well you evaluate talent, and whether you have the time to give to this.
Certifications
Here, the adage, “You get what you pay for,” holds true. You need to decide what certification is relevant for your work. If A+ is enough, that is a certification that is easy to find. MCSE, CCNA, MCP, and CISSP are much more extensive certifications, and people with those are harder to find. The decision you’ll have to make is do you need experience, certification, or both? You pay more for both, but your business risk is lower.
Compensation
If you hire at an entry level, you may want to consider a compensation plan that ramps up over time to reflect the increase in your employee’s value as they come up to speed. You may also want to offer a commission or bonus for bringing in new business. Whichever level you hire, one option to consider is that of hiring someone on a temporary/hourly or contract basis to try them out.
In the end, you are the only one who can decide which of the tradeoffs make the most sense for you and your business, whether it’s the level staff you hire or how you choose to recruit. As a sole proprietor, you don’t have a lot of time to give to recruitment or to training, but your financial situation may be a determining factor as well.
Remember, too, that you need to look beyond the obvious technical aptitude and business acumen to determine a candidate’s work ethic as well. You can’t afford to hire someone who will spend the day at the Dog Track while you're running all over town trying to drum up business.
Interviewing for technical knowledge is a relatively straightforward process. Interviewing for work ethic is much more difficult and requires a lot of thought. It’s well worth your time to read up on interviewing techniques, so you can ask the types of questions that will allow you to make the most informed decision.
Then, you can proceed to your next challenge—that of supervising your first technical employee.
By Peter Woolford, TechRepublic
Monday, November 8 2004 4:35 PM
Are you put in charge of hiring your first IT tech staff? Do you know what to look out for to ensure a happy hire--for both your organization and your candidate?
Peter Woolford, who has spent more than a decade advising candidates on IT and engineering careers, answers a hiring question from a TechRepublic reader.
Question I am a sole proprietor working with a business coach, and we both feel very confident it’s time to move forward with our growth strategy. Part of that growth is hiring my first “technical support rep” to start servicing my clients, so that I can focus more on sales and growing the business. My business focuses on servicing businesses with 10-50 desktops primarily.
What experience/certifications should I require? Should I INSIST on real-world experience or is it better to train? Where do you usually find your best candidates?
Response
Good luck with your business. Many of my business contacts have started similar businesses over the last few years, and done quite well with them. There is a sweet spot for businesses with a handful of employees that specialize in servicing other small businesses. You can be more responsive than the big guys, provide better service, and undercut their prices; all while making good money yourself.
Here are my thoughts on the options you face relative to hiring entry level or experienced talent, and how to find them. Firstly, you'll have to decide if you need an entry-level hire, or an experienced one.
1. Entry level
When hiring at an entry level, you will be able to pay a lower salary, but possibly with significant tradeoffs. These people should come to you with good school training, possibly a certification, but will have little or no experience actually doing the work. They will be eager to learn and grateful for the experience. However, on the technical issues, they won’t have seen the myriad real-world technical problems your clients need you to fix. They won’t have the problem identification and problem resolution skills. In addition to technology, they probably will also lack business acumen. Will they be able to handle customer problems and customer complaints? Will they instill customer confidence in your business?
If you hire entry-level staff, expect them to shadow you as you work for at least the first few weeks, or even months. After that, expect to invest considerable effort supporting them as they progress toward independence. By the time you get them up to speed and fully functioning, expect your competition to try to lure them away. Your vulnerability to your competition will be at its highest when they have nearly become fully independent, but you haven’t yet adjusted their salary accordingly.
To find talent at all levels, your best alternative is to get a personal referral. Find someone you know and trust who can recommend someone. To find entry-level talent outside of a personal connection, you would be best served by approaching the schools that train the appropriate people. Your options are colleges, community colleges, and the various for-profit certificate training schools. All of these offer career placement assistance to their graduates and would be happy to help you. Start by deciding which level of training/education you need for your work and that will lead you to the appropriate training school or college.
2. Experienced
Your other option is to hire experienced talent. Obviously, you can hire at many different levels. Experienced talent will carry with it higher salary expectations. Mostly, you get what you pay for at increasing salary levels.
An experienced hire will be productive much more quickly, if not immediately. Technically, they will have the problem identification and problem resolution experience. Business issues won’t be foreign to them. You will need to do much less hand-holding. If you hire the right person, you should be able to assign a task and pretty well forget about it.
To find experienced talent, you have a number of options. Again, start with your personal network. This will be your best way to find a reliable person, and it has the additional advantage of being free. The downside of the personal referral is: If you don’t like the candidate, did you insult a friend? Also, you can’t predict the timing of personal referrals. You may get lucky quickly, or you may wait months before your personal contacts come through for you.
Other options for finding experienced talent include agencies, the newspaper, job board postings, and job board resume searches. There are advantages and disadvantages to each:
Agencies: A good agency will be able to produce good talent in a short period of time. This is your best bet if the timing is critical, or if you don’t have the time to invest in the various options that follow. This is also your most expensive option.
Newspaper ad: An old standby for years, newspaper ads are getting less and less common. Also, running a decent-sized ad several times can be quite pricey.
Certification schools: The same schools that train entry-level talent may offer advanced certification courses. Try them to see if they can connect you with experienced talent.
Job board, posting the position: There is a cost here with the bigger boards charging more money. You definitely get what you pay for in the way of exposure. You also get what you pay for in the number of responses. Expect to spend considerable time sifting through the responses. They will come in from all over the planet!
Job board, searching resumes: Rather than posting a position and waiting for replies, you can search the resumes people have posted. There is a wide array of talent posted on these boards. Expect to see more resumes on the more expensive boards. You should also expect to invest a lot of time reading resumes, so you should ask yourself how good a screener you are, how well you evaluate talent, and whether you have the time to give to this.
Certifications
Here, the adage, “You get what you pay for,” holds true. You need to decide what certification is relevant for your work. If A+ is enough, that is a certification that is easy to find. MCSE, CCNA, MCP, and CISSP are much more extensive certifications, and people with those are harder to find. The decision you’ll have to make is do you need experience, certification, or both? You pay more for both, but your business risk is lower.
Compensation
If you hire at an entry level, you may want to consider a compensation plan that ramps up over time to reflect the increase in your employee’s value as they come up to speed. You may also want to offer a commission or bonus for bringing in new business. Whichever level you hire, one option to consider is that of hiring someone on a temporary/hourly or contract basis to try them out.
In the end, you are the only one who can decide which of the tradeoffs make the most sense for you and your business, whether it’s the level staff you hire or how you choose to recruit. As a sole proprietor, you don’t have a lot of time to give to recruitment or to training, but your financial situation may be a determining factor as well.
Remember, too, that you need to look beyond the obvious technical aptitude and business acumen to determine a candidate’s work ethic as well. You can’t afford to hire someone who will spend the day at the Dog Track while you're running all over town trying to drum up business.
Interviewing for technical knowledge is a relatively straightforward process. Interviewing for work ethic is much more difficult and requires a lot of thought. It’s well worth your time to read up on interviewing techniques, so you can ask the types of questions that will allow you to make the most informed decision.
Then, you can proceed to your next challenge—that of supervising your first technical employee.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Study: Outsourcing mostly domestic
Study: Outsourcing mostly domestic
By Ed Frauenheim, CNET News.com
Monday, November 8 2004 10:07 AM
Most companies that are outsourcing information technology work are not sending their jobs offshore, according to a new study. The report, released Wednesday from industry news organization Enterprise Systems, said more than 70 percent of companies that outsource choose a domestic provider. In addition, 33.4 percent of companies surveyed are currently outsourcing projects, 42.8 percent are evaluating outsourcing providers, and 23.9 percent lack solid plans to outsource.
The study, which surveyed professionals from 744 organizations from a broad range of industries, also found that application development was the top recently outsourced IT project among respondents (26 percent). Web site Development/Management came in a distant second (12 percent). Outsourcing refers to the farming out of tasks such as data center management to a third party. So-called offshore outsourcing, the sending of work abroad, has become a controversial issue in the United States.
By Ed Frauenheim, CNET News.com
Monday, November 8 2004 10:07 AM
Most companies that are outsourcing information technology work are not sending their jobs offshore, according to a new study. The report, released Wednesday from industry news organization Enterprise Systems, said more than 70 percent of companies that outsource choose a domestic provider. In addition, 33.4 percent of companies surveyed are currently outsourcing projects, 42.8 percent are evaluating outsourcing providers, and 23.9 percent lack solid plans to outsource.
The study, which surveyed professionals from 744 organizations from a broad range of industries, also found that application development was the top recently outsourced IT project among respondents (26 percent). Web site Development/Management came in a distant second (12 percent). Outsourcing refers to the farming out of tasks such as data center management to a third party. So-called offshore outsourcing, the sending of work abroad, has become a controversial issue in the United States.
Monday, November 08, 2004
Manage multiple jobs on a single terminal
Manage multiple jobs on a single terminal
As a multiuser system, Linux affords users the abilities to log in more than once as well as run multiple commands at the same time. While you can easily accomplish this on the desktop using multiple terminal windows, you can also do it on a single terminal, either one that's physically in front of you or via ssh.
The bash shell allows users to run commands, suspend them, place them into the background, and bring background jobs to the foreground.
To suspend a currently running job, press [Ctrl]Z, which opens a shell prompt. To resume running the job in the foreground, enter fg. To place the job in the background, type bg.
To see what jobs are currently running, use the jobs command, which returns output similar to the following:
$ jobs
[1]- Stopped top
[2]+ Stopped man info
This shows that both the top and man commands are running in the background. The top command has a job ID of 1, and the man command has a job ID of 2.
To bring the top command to the foreground, execute the following:
$ fg %1
This tells the fg command to bring job ID 1 to the foreground. You can represent the second job (which has an ID of 2) as %2.
To kill the man command without first bringing it to the foreground, execute the following:
kill %2
Being able to run multiple commands, all controlled through one terminal, is exceptionally useful. For example, this can come in handy when you're compiling something and wish to background it in order to read some documentation or a man page--or even just execute another command.
As a multiuser system, Linux affords users the abilities to log in more than once as well as run multiple commands at the same time. While you can easily accomplish this on the desktop using multiple terminal windows, you can also do it on a single terminal, either one that's physically in front of you or via ssh.
The bash shell allows users to run commands, suspend them, place them into the background, and bring background jobs to the foreground.
To suspend a currently running job, press [Ctrl]Z, which opens a shell prompt. To resume running the job in the foreground, enter fg. To place the job in the background, type bg.
To see what jobs are currently running, use the jobs command, which returns output similar to the following:
$ jobs
[1]- Stopped top
[2]+ Stopped man info
This shows that both the top and man commands are running in the background. The top command has a job ID of 1, and the man command has a job ID of 2.
To bring the top command to the foreground, execute the following:
$ fg %1
This tells the fg command to bring job ID 1 to the foreground. You can represent the second job (which has an ID of 2) as %2.
To kill the man command without first bringing it to the foreground, execute the following:
kill %2
Being able to run multiple commands, all controlled through one terminal, is exceptionally useful. For example, this can come in handy when you're compiling something and wish to background it in order to read some documentation or a man page--or even just execute another command.
Friday, November 05, 2004
[Serendipity]Install Serendipity under Windows
Since Serendipity v0.7rc only provide upgarder upgrade.sh , which is special for Linux platform. To upgrade under Windows system , become a problem.
Luckly we can do this with the assitance of cygwin if you already installed it, which also can be downloaded from www.cygwin.com.
1. Open cygwin shell.
2. Backup database tables and current version of serendipity is advisable.
3. Store new version of serendipity in new direcotry
4. Modify upgade.sh accordingly, modify path of the current dir and new dir with cygwin phisical path. The following is the sample of cygwin path.
/cygwin/d/new_serendipity
5. run upgrade.sh under cygwin shell.
You got it!
Luckly we can do this with the assitance of cygwin if you already installed it, which also can be downloaded from www.cygwin.com.
1. Open cygwin shell.
2. Backup database tables and current version of serendipity is advisable.
3. Store new version of serendipity in new direcotry
4. Modify upgade.sh accordingly, modify path of the current dir and new dir with cygwin phisical path. The following is the sample of cygwin path.
/cygwin/d/new_serendipity
5. run upgrade.sh under cygwin shell.
You got it!
[XOOPS] Blank page after installation
A: To turn on debugging try the following things:
=
1. If you can get to admininstration menu, go to Preferences, select 'Main', and find the section on debugging options. Choose "PHP Debugging"
2. If you can't get to the administration page, but have access to mysql, try the query "UPDATE xoops_config SET conf_value=1 WHERE conf_name = 'debug_mode'". Be sure to make sure "xoops_config" matches the name of the config table in your installation.
3. If you can't get to the administration page, and don't want to mess with mysql, but don't mind messing with PHP, then edit the file "include/common.php". Near line 83, change "error_reporting(0);" to "error_reporting(E_ALL);".
4. If this still doesn't work, your server or hoster may have turned off debugging in "/etc/php.ini" (linux) or "WIN_DIRECTORY/php.ini" (windows). Make sure there is a line in there "display_errors On".
5. If you don't have access to change this file (e.g. on shared hosting), then if the server uses the "apache" webserver, you can create a file called ".htaccess" to override the settings locally. This file should contain the line: "php_flag display_errors on". The tricky part is WHERE to put this file. Look at the URL you are having problems with. Put the file in the corresponding directory. e.g. If it is "someplace.com/xoops/" or "someplace.com/xoops/index.php" then you need to put the file in the main xoops directory. If it is something like "someplace.com/xoops/modules/system/admin.php" then put it in "modules/system" subdirectory of your xoops installation. etc.
Followed few of above instructions, I got the message something like "can't create file in /var/www/html/xoops/html/template_c/xxxxx.xxx", which is caused by access mode 666. After change to 777 for directories:cache, upload, template_c, I see the fist page. Cheers and go to sleep now!
=
1. If you can get to admininstration menu, go to Preferences, select 'Main', and find the section on debugging options. Choose "PHP Debugging"
2. If you can't get to the administration page, but have access to mysql, try the query "UPDATE xoops_config SET conf_value=1 WHERE conf_name = 'debug_mode'". Be sure to make sure "xoops_config" matches the name of the config table in your installation.
3. If you can't get to the administration page, and don't want to mess with mysql, but don't mind messing with PHP, then edit the file "include/common.php". Near line 83, change "error_reporting(0);" to "error_reporting(E_ALL);".
4. If this still doesn't work, your server or hoster may have turned off debugging in "/etc/php.ini" (linux) or "WIN_DIRECTORY/php.ini" (windows). Make sure there is a line in there "display_errors On".
5. If you don't have access to change this file (e.g. on shared hosting), then if the server uses the "apache" webserver, you can create a file called ".htaccess" to override the settings locally. This file should contain the line: "php_flag display_errors on". The tricky part is WHERE to put this file. Look at the URL you are having problems with. Put the file in the corresponding directory. e.g. If it is "someplace.com/xoops/" or "someplace.com/xoops/index.php" then you need to put the file in the main xoops directory. If it is something like "someplace.com/xoops/modules/system/admin.php" then put it in "modules/system" subdirectory of your xoops installation. etc.
Followed few of above instructions, I got the message something like "can't create file in /var/www/html/xoops/html/template_c/xxxxx.xxx", which is caused by access mode 666. After change to 777 for directories:cache, upload, template_c, I see the fist page. Cheers and go to sleep now!
Thursday, November 04, 2004
[MYSQL] Client does not support authentication protocol error
This will solve mysql upgrade problem version earlier than v4.0.12 to higher version.
Client does not support authentication protocol error
MySQL 4.1 uses an authentication protocal based on a password hashing algorithm that is incompatible with that used by older clients. If you upgrade the server to 4.1, attempts to connect to a it with an older client may fail with the following message:
shell> mysql
Client does not support authentication protocol requested
by server; consider upgrading MySQL client
To solve this problem you should do one of the following:
* Upgrade all client programs to use the 4.1.1 or newer client library.
* Use a user account with an old password when connecting from a pre 4.1 client.
* Reset the user that needs a pre-4.1 client to use an old password:
mysql> UPDATE user SET Password = OLD_PASSWORD('mypass')
-> WHERE Host = 'some_host' AND User = 'some_user';
mysql> FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
* Tell the server to use the older password hashing algorithm:
1. Start mysqld with --old-passwords.
2. Set the password for all users that has a long password. You can find these users with:
SELECT * FROM mysql.user WHERE LEN(password) > 16;
For background on password hashing and authentication, see section 4.3.11 Password Hashing in MySQL 4.1.
Client does not support authentication protocol error
MySQL 4.1 uses an authentication protocal based on a password hashing algorithm that is incompatible with that used by older clients. If you upgrade the server to 4.1, attempts to connect to a it with an older client may fail with the following message:
shell> mysql
Client does not support authentication protocol requested
by server; consider upgrading MySQL client
To solve this problem you should do one of the following:
* Upgrade all client programs to use the 4.1.1 or newer client library.
* Use a user account with an old password when connecting from a pre 4.1 client.
* Reset the user that needs a pre-4.1 client to use an old password:
mysql> UPDATE user SET Password = OLD_PASSWORD('mypass')
-> WHERE Host = 'some_host' AND User = 'some_user';
mysql> FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
* Tell the server to use the older password hashing algorithm:
1. Start mysqld with --old-passwords.
2. Set the password for all users that has a long password. You can find these users with:
SELECT * FROM mysql.user WHERE LEN(password) > 16;
For background on password hashing and authentication, see section 4.3.11 Password Hashing in MySQL 4.1.
十个关于女人的经典故事
1、晚宴上，火箭专家向大家透露：“最近，我们要把几只老鼠送到火星上去。”
话音未落，一个美女插嘴说：“这样灭鼠，成本太高啦！”
女人凭直觉办事，觉得事情是什么样就是什么样，不调查研究，不进行理性思考。
毛主席说过，没有调查研究，就没有发言权。没有发言权，女人照样发言。她们
自我感觉良好，根本不把别人的意见当回事，漂亮女人尤其如此。
2、女教师在黑板上画了一个苹果，然后提问：“孩子们，这是什么呀？”孩子们
异口同声地回答：“屁股！”女教师哭着跑出教室，找校长告状：“孩子们嘲笑人
。”校长走进教室，表情严肃地说：“你们怎么把老师气哭了？啊！还在黑板上画
了个屁股！”
把苹果画成了屁股，还好意思哭，还好意思告状，了不起。一事当前，女人喜
欢从别人身上找毛病，总是越想越委屈。常言说，人非圣贤，孰能无过？圣贤会有
过错，女人不会有。她们永远正确，即使错了，也是一副对的姿态。
3、女儿告诉妈妈，因为妈妈反对她和男朋友恋爱，她的男朋友服安眠药自杀了。
母亲一惊：“自杀啦？”女儿说：“还好，他吃错了药，没死。”母亲说：“我早
就说过，他这个人马马虎虎，大大咧咧，成不了大事。你看，连这点小事都搞错，
怎么能托付终身呢？”
不要指望女人认错，她们没有认错的习惯。错一千回，她们就有一千个理由为
自己开脱。人命关天又怎样？正确的依然是她。
4、一个女人走进邮局，要了一张电报纸，写完后扔了。又要第二张，写完后又扔
了。第三张写好后，她递给报务员，并嘱咐尽快发出。女人走后，报务员对这三份
电报发生了兴趣。第一份上写着：一切都结束了，再也不想见到你。第二份上写着
：别再打电话，休想再见到我。第三份的内容是：乘最近的一班火车速来，我等你
。
如果前两封电报发出去，一切都结束了。可发出去的是第三封，终点又成了起
点。邱吉尔说，世上有两件事最难对付，一是倒向这边的墙，一是倒向另一边的女
人。假如女人真地倒向了另一边，干脆放手就是了。可有时候，她们摇摆不定。她
说恨你时，也许心里已经有了你；她说不恨你时，也许已经不把你放在心上了。你
没法把她的话当真。因为反复无常，跟她们打交道得凭运气。
5、一个金发碧眼的女人上了飞机，在头等舱坐下。空姐过来检票，告诉她：“您
的机票是普通舱的，不能坐在这里。”女人说：“我是白种人，是美女，我要坐头
等舱去洛杉矶。”空姐无可奈何，只
好报告组长。组长对美女解释说：“很抱歉！您买的不是头等舱的票，所以只能坐
到普通舱去。”“我是白种人，是美女，我要坐头等舱去洛杉矶。”美女仍然重复
着那句话。组长没办法，又找来了机长。机长俯身对美女耳语了几句，美女立马站
起身，大步向普通舱走去。空姐惊讶不已，忙问机长跟美女说了些什么。机长回答
：“我告诉她头等舱不到洛杉矶。”
这样的智商还想坐头等舱，真是岂有此理！有人说，漂亮女人不读书。不读书
，靠什么混呢？靠脸蛋。白种人、美女，凭这两条，就敢往头等舱里混，而且理直
气壮。
6、一个漂亮的女推销员上门推销洗涤用品，获得巨大成功。有人向她讨教推销技
巧，她眼里闪着亮光说：“很简单。我专捡夫妇两人都在家时去拜访，对那位丈夫
说明来意，详细介绍产品的性能和特点。最后告诉他，不必马上买，可以等下次来
时再说。这时，旁边的女主人往往表现出积极的态度，赶忙买下我的东西。”
也许你能找到不吃饭的女人，但绝对找不到不吃醋的女人。醋的滋养，使女人
成精。也许她们没有太高的智慧，但有的是花招儿和心眼儿。
7、两个女人在街上相遇。甲说：“我收到一张法院的传票，说有件重要的案子要
我明天出庭作证。”乙问：“你觉得紧张吗？”甲说：“非常紧张，我不知道穿什
么衣服好。”
女人善于把大事变小，小到只剩下穿衣、化妆、男欢女爱之类的细节。男人读
伟人传记，看的是政治斗争；女人读伟人传记，看的是后宫私情。男人把事业当生
活，女人把生活当事业。时尚而体面的衣着是女人永恒的话题，她们从那里找到自
信、满足和快乐。
8、女人有一儿一女，但她只给女儿买新衣，让儿子穿旧的。有人笑她偏心，她解
释说：“外销的，要特别讲究包装。”
此人若从商，一定发财。婚姻交易也需要商业头脑，所以她的智慧并非没有用
武之地。那天看电视，一个漂亮女人以一种玩世不恭的口吻对她的女伴儿说：“我
们女人不就是男人的一件衣裳吗？”话说得不太好听，却也不无道理。其一，女人
藏在衣裳里，她们离不开这种包装。其二，女人追求衣裳，男人追求女人。
9、一个女人把她的结婚证书装进档案袋里，然后不无幽默地写上四个字：长期饭
票。
有一种流行的说法，叫做干得好不如嫁得好。嫁好是一条捷径，一切想要的东
西“得来全不费工夫”。当然，你得有嫁好的资本。通常的情况是，女人用自己的
青春和美貌去交换男人的财富和权力。仅仅交换到一张“长期饭票”的女人，一定
不是美女。否则，她可以交换到一部自动提款机。
10、一个球迷兴致勃勃地对女朋友说：“踢足球就和搞对象一样，得有缠的功夫。
假如一双脚能像牛皮糖一样粘在足球上，就成功了。”女朋友说：“然后呢，一脚
踢开！”
女人没有安全感，总是担心被抛弃。为什么男人没有这种忧虑呢？因为男人的
人格和生活是独立的。那么，女人为什么不能独立呢？
话音未落，一个美女插嘴说：“这样灭鼠，成本太高啦！”
女人凭直觉办事，觉得事情是什么样就是什么样，不调查研究，不进行理性思考。
毛主席说过，没有调查研究，就没有发言权。没有发言权，女人照样发言。她们
自我感觉良好，根本不把别人的意见当回事，漂亮女人尤其如此。
2、女教师在黑板上画了一个苹果，然后提问：“孩子们，这是什么呀？”孩子们
异口同声地回答：“屁股！”女教师哭着跑出教室，找校长告状：“孩子们嘲笑人
。”校长走进教室，表情严肃地说：“你们怎么把老师气哭了？啊！还在黑板上画
了个屁股！”
把苹果画成了屁股，还好意思哭，还好意思告状，了不起。一事当前，女人喜
欢从别人身上找毛病，总是越想越委屈。常言说，人非圣贤，孰能无过？圣贤会有
过错，女人不会有。她们永远正确，即使错了，也是一副对的姿态。
3、女儿告诉妈妈，因为妈妈反对她和男朋友恋爱，她的男朋友服安眠药自杀了。
母亲一惊：“自杀啦？”女儿说：“还好，他吃错了药，没死。”母亲说：“我早
就说过，他这个人马马虎虎，大大咧咧，成不了大事。你看，连这点小事都搞错，
怎么能托付终身呢？”
不要指望女人认错，她们没有认错的习惯。错一千回，她们就有一千个理由为
自己开脱。人命关天又怎样？正确的依然是她。
4、一个女人走进邮局，要了一张电报纸，写完后扔了。又要第二张，写完后又扔
了。第三张写好后，她递给报务员，并嘱咐尽快发出。女人走后，报务员对这三份
电报发生了兴趣。第一份上写着：一切都结束了，再也不想见到你。第二份上写着
：别再打电话，休想再见到我。第三份的内容是：乘最近的一班火车速来，我等你
。
如果前两封电报发出去，一切都结束了。可发出去的是第三封，终点又成了起
点。邱吉尔说，世上有两件事最难对付，一是倒向这边的墙，一是倒向另一边的女
人。假如女人真地倒向了另一边，干脆放手就是了。可有时候，她们摇摆不定。她
说恨你时，也许心里已经有了你；她说不恨你时，也许已经不把你放在心上了。你
没法把她的话当真。因为反复无常，跟她们打交道得凭运气。
5、一个金发碧眼的女人上了飞机，在头等舱坐下。空姐过来检票，告诉她：“您
的机票是普通舱的，不能坐在这里。”女人说：“我是白种人，是美女，我要坐头
等舱去洛杉矶。”空姐无可奈何，只
好报告组长。组长对美女解释说：“很抱歉！您买的不是头等舱的票，所以只能坐
到普通舱去。”“我是白种人，是美女，我要坐头等舱去洛杉矶。”美女仍然重复
着那句话。组长没办法，又找来了机长。机长俯身对美女耳语了几句，美女立马站
起身，大步向普通舱走去。空姐惊讶不已，忙问机长跟美女说了些什么。机长回答
：“我告诉她头等舱不到洛杉矶。”
这样的智商还想坐头等舱，真是岂有此理！有人说，漂亮女人不读书。不读书
，靠什么混呢？靠脸蛋。白种人、美女，凭这两条，就敢往头等舱里混，而且理直
气壮。
6、一个漂亮的女推销员上门推销洗涤用品，获得巨大成功。有人向她讨教推销技
巧，她眼里闪着亮光说：“很简单。我专捡夫妇两人都在家时去拜访，对那位丈夫
说明来意，详细介绍产品的性能和特点。最后告诉他，不必马上买，可以等下次来
时再说。这时，旁边的女主人往往表现出积极的态度，赶忙买下我的东西。”
也许你能找到不吃饭的女人，但绝对找不到不吃醋的女人。醋的滋养，使女人
成精。也许她们没有太高的智慧，但有的是花招儿和心眼儿。
7、两个女人在街上相遇。甲说：“我收到一张法院的传票，说有件重要的案子要
我明天出庭作证。”乙问：“你觉得紧张吗？”甲说：“非常紧张，我不知道穿什
么衣服好。”
女人善于把大事变小，小到只剩下穿衣、化妆、男欢女爱之类的细节。男人读
伟人传记，看的是政治斗争；女人读伟人传记，看的是后宫私情。男人把事业当生
活，女人把生活当事业。时尚而体面的衣着是女人永恒的话题，她们从那里找到自
信、满足和快乐。
8、女人有一儿一女，但她只给女儿买新衣，让儿子穿旧的。有人笑她偏心，她解
释说：“外销的，要特别讲究包装。”
此人若从商，一定发财。婚姻交易也需要商业头脑，所以她的智慧并非没有用
武之地。那天看电视，一个漂亮女人以一种玩世不恭的口吻对她的女伴儿说：“我
们女人不就是男人的一件衣裳吗？”话说得不太好听，却也不无道理。其一，女人
藏在衣裳里，她们离不开这种包装。其二，女人追求衣裳，男人追求女人。
9、一个女人把她的结婚证书装进档案袋里，然后不无幽默地写上四个字：长期饭
票。
有一种流行的说法，叫做干得好不如嫁得好。嫁好是一条捷径，一切想要的东
西“得来全不费工夫”。当然，你得有嫁好的资本。通常的情况是，女人用自己的
青春和美貌去交换男人的财富和权力。仅仅交换到一张“长期饭票”的女人，一定
不是美女。否则，她可以交换到一部自动提款机。
10、一个球迷兴致勃勃地对女朋友说：“踢足球就和搞对象一样，得有缠的功夫。
假如一双脚能像牛皮糖一样粘在足球上，就成功了。”女朋友说：“然后呢，一脚
踢开！”
女人没有安全感，总是担心被抛弃。为什么男人没有这种忧虑呢？因为男人的
人格和生活是独立的。那么，女人为什么不能独立呢？
IBM公司面试的三道IQ题，你会吗?
第一道题：在房里有三盏灯，房外有三个开关，在房外看不见房内的情况，你只能进门一次，你用什么方法来区分那个开关控制那一盏灯？
第二道题：有两根均匀分布的香，每根香烧完的时间是一个小时，你能用什么方法来确定一段45分钟的时间？
第三道题：一个经理有三个女儿，三个女儿的年龄加起来等于13，三个女儿的年龄乘起来等于经理自己的年龄，有一个下属已知道经理的年龄，但仍不能确定经理三个女儿的年龄，这时经理说只有一个女儿的头发是黑的，然后这个下属就知道了经理三个女儿的年龄。请问三个女儿的年龄分别是多少？为什么
第二道题：有两根均匀分布的香，每根香烧完的时间是一个小时，你能用什么方法来确定一段45分钟的时间？
第三道题：一个经理有三个女儿，三个女儿的年龄加起来等于13，三个女儿的年龄乘起来等于经理自己的年龄，有一个下属已知道经理的年龄，但仍不能确定经理三个女儿的年龄，这时经理说只有一个女儿的头发是黑的，然后这个下属就知道了经理三个女儿的年龄。请问三个女儿的年龄分别是多少？为什么
10 tips on buying a new TV
10 tips on buying a new TV
By David Katzmaier, David Carnoy, and John P. Falcone
12/10/2004
Nothing's black and white about today's TVs, which come in all different shapes, sizes, and technologies. So whether you're shopping at your local electronics store or buying online, we've put together a short list of things to think about before you make your buying decision.
Want a deeper explanation of the ins and outs of shopping for a TV? Check out CNET's TV buying guide.
1. Forget everything you know about TV.
You've probably heard a lot of scuttlebutt about new TVs (HDTVs in particular)--such as, "You need an extra, expensive box to watch HDTV" or "The FCC is mandating that all programming be in high-definition." Or older rumors, such as "You need to sit dead center to watch rear-projection TVs" and "LCD screens are better than plasma." All these points are correct. And incorrect. Or partially true. Or they were right at one point but not any longer. The point is this: forget everything you think you know about TV technology. If it hasn't changed in the past three years--or three months--chances are it will in the next three years.
Sony KV-34XBR910
Sony KV-34XBR910:
high-definition ready TV
2. Take the HDTV plunge.
Previously, HDTVs were pricey luxury items that required a significant investment in time, effort, and additional expense--just to watch a few measly hours of actual high-def programming. Now, the situation has improved dramatically: entry-level HDTVs can be purchased for less than US$600, and HDTV programming is easier than ever to get from all three national satellite companies and most cable operators around the country. So even if you're eyeing a small (less than 27 inches), old-fashioned analog-only TV, you should seriously consider spending the few hundred extra dollars for HDTV compatibility. You'll be kicking yourself next year if you don't.
3. But don't expect the world in HD.
After you take our advice and spend the extra scratch for a high-def model, you may not be so happy when you discover that the majority of the TV you watch doesn't look as good as it once did. Unfortunately, now that you have a better TV, it's able to display all the flaws in the TV signal you're receiving. So non-HD channels, even digitally transmitted ones, can look worse than before. On the flip side, high-def channels look great. And there are more of those high-def channels popping up every few months.
Pioneer_PDP-4340HD
Pioneer_PDP-4340HD:
high-flying plasma panel
4. Go wide-screen for the future.
With most of today's programming still displayed in the standard-definition, non-wide-screen format, you may be tempted to purchase an HDTV with a standard, 4:3 aspect-ratio screen--especially if you're considering a smaller model. Sure, you like the idea of playing DVDs in their native wide-screen format, but if you've plugged the numbers into our screen calculator, you know that, for example, the 4:3 image on a 30-inch wide-screen (16:9) model is really the equivalent to that of a 24-inch standard TV. Using that math, it seems to make a lot of sense to just get a 32-inch 4:3 HDTV, which is cheaper than a 30-inch wide-screen model. But just keep in mind that the trend is toward more wide-screen-formatted programming, and TVs last a long time.
5. Go as big as you can afford.
From a home-theater perspective, you want the most immersive picture you can get, so bigger is usually better--as long as you have the room. For wide-screen HDTVs, a good rule of thumb is to sit between 1.5 and 3 times the screen's diagonal measurement away. For example, a 42-inch wide-screen set should be placed at least 1.6m from the couch. When watching non-wide-screen TVs, you'll want to sit farther away: no closer than three times the width of the screen, or you'll begin to notice major flaws in the picture. Conversely, a TV that's too small can cause eyestrain since you have to squint to make out the details. Also: while the difference between a 42-inch wide-screen TV and a 50-inch model may seem like "only" 8 inches, the 50-inch model actually offers 39 percent more screen real estate--a big jump.
Philips 50PF9966
Philips 50PF9966 :
adjusts ambient lighting around the TV to match the color on screen
6. Know your technologies.
The good news is that HDTVs are now available in all shapes, sizes, and price ranges, thanks to a growing variety of television technologies. The bad news is that with so many choices and acronyms (CRT, DLP, LCD, LCoS, and so on), you feel like you need to take a class to make an informed purchase. In lieu of that, we suggest you bone up with our four styles of HDTV feature. Keep in mind that the technical details of the varying technologies aren't really important. Instead, you'll want to make an informed choice based on how their relative strengths and weaknesses dovetail with your personal preferences.
7. Check the back panel.
People tend to consider TVs for their price, size, overall aesthetic, and picture. But don't forget to take a quick look behind the set to see what inputs you get (along with the ones on the side or front). If you have a large number of video sources--say, two game consoles, a DVD recorder, a VCR, and a satellite or cable tuner--making sure your prospective TV has the correct number and type of A/V inputs is another important factor to consider. Even with a well-appointed A/V receiver, it never hurts to have as many inputs on your TV as possible.
BenQ DV2680
BenQ DV2680 :
HDTV-compatible flat panel below S$3,000 (US$1,774.99)
8. Flat-panel sticker shock is curable.
Ultrathin plasma and LCD sets are the ultimate in tomorrow's TV tech. You can hang these beauties on the wall or even the ceiling, and their pixel-driven panels are perfect for use as computer screens. The problem is price. Especially among larger plasmas and LCDs, prices are still extremely high compared to same-size projection TVs. That's why LCD, DLP, and LCoS projection models, which continue to slim down with each passing year, are becoming so popular.
9. Don't forget the extras.
Before you spend anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars on your new TV, don't forget that it's only one of several new devices and accessories you'll need for a complete home-theater experience. If you've taken our advice and purchased an HD-ready TV, you'll want an HD cable or satellite box (or an antenna and a tuner) so that you can actually receive high-definition programming. A TiVo-style DVR or DVI-enabled DVD player that can scale up your movie collection to HD-friendly resolutions may also be in order. Oh, and be prepared to invest in a bevy of cables so that you can connect all these products together in optimal fashion. Just don't buy anything without checking with your cable or satellite provider first: most companies have set-top boxes with built-in HD tuners and/or DVRs, available for cheap (and even free).
10. Learn to live with buyer's remorse.
Yes, prices on high-definition and flat-panel TVs are dropping. Yes, whatever you're eyeing today will be cheaper in six months. And yes, those giant flat-screen TVs may even be priced at less than US$1,000--someday. But the fact is, your 9-year-old, 20-inch CRT TV just died, and you need to replace it with something. So take the tips above to heart, make a choice, whip out your credit card, and close the deal. And if you want some consolation--instead of kicking yourself when you see what you could have gotten for your money next year--talk to the guy who spent twice as much as you 24 months ago. Then turn on DiscoveryHD, sit back, and enjoy.
By David Katzmaier, David Carnoy, and John P. Falcone
12/10/2004
Nothing's black and white about today's TVs, which come in all different shapes, sizes, and technologies. So whether you're shopping at your local electronics store or buying online, we've put together a short list of things to think about before you make your buying decision.
Want a deeper explanation of the ins and outs of shopping for a TV? Check out CNET's TV buying guide.
1. Forget everything you know about TV.
You've probably heard a lot of scuttlebutt about new TVs (HDTVs in particular)--such as, "You need an extra, expensive box to watch HDTV" or "The FCC is mandating that all programming be in high-definition." Or older rumors, such as "You need to sit dead center to watch rear-projection TVs" and "LCD screens are better than plasma." All these points are correct. And incorrect. Or partially true. Or they were right at one point but not any longer. The point is this: forget everything you think you know about TV technology. If it hasn't changed in the past three years--or three months--chances are it will in the next three years.
Sony KV-34XBR910
Sony KV-34XBR910:
high-definition ready TV
2. Take the HDTV plunge.
Previously, HDTVs were pricey luxury items that required a significant investment in time, effort, and additional expense--just to watch a few measly hours of actual high-def programming. Now, the situation has improved dramatically: entry-level HDTVs can be purchased for less than US$600, and HDTV programming is easier than ever to get from all three national satellite companies and most cable operators around the country. So even if you're eyeing a small (less than 27 inches), old-fashioned analog-only TV, you should seriously consider spending the few hundred extra dollars for HDTV compatibility. You'll be kicking yourself next year if you don't.
3. But don't expect the world in HD.
After you take our advice and spend the extra scratch for a high-def model, you may not be so happy when you discover that the majority of the TV you watch doesn't look as good as it once did. Unfortunately, now that you have a better TV, it's able to display all the flaws in the TV signal you're receiving. So non-HD channels, even digitally transmitted ones, can look worse than before. On the flip side, high-def channels look great. And there are more of those high-def channels popping up every few months.
Pioneer_PDP-4340HD
Pioneer_PDP-4340HD:
high-flying plasma panel
4. Go wide-screen for the future.
With most of today's programming still displayed in the standard-definition, non-wide-screen format, you may be tempted to purchase an HDTV with a standard, 4:3 aspect-ratio screen--especially if you're considering a smaller model. Sure, you like the idea of playing DVDs in their native wide-screen format, but if you've plugged the numbers into our screen calculator, you know that, for example, the 4:3 image on a 30-inch wide-screen (16:9) model is really the equivalent to that of a 24-inch standard TV. Using that math, it seems to make a lot of sense to just get a 32-inch 4:3 HDTV, which is cheaper than a 30-inch wide-screen model. But just keep in mind that the trend is toward more wide-screen-formatted programming, and TVs last a long time.
5. Go as big as you can afford.
From a home-theater perspective, you want the most immersive picture you can get, so bigger is usually better--as long as you have the room. For wide-screen HDTVs, a good rule of thumb is to sit between 1.5 and 3 times the screen's diagonal measurement away. For example, a 42-inch wide-screen set should be placed at least 1.6m from the couch. When watching non-wide-screen TVs, you'll want to sit farther away: no closer than three times the width of the screen, or you'll begin to notice major flaws in the picture. Conversely, a TV that's too small can cause eyestrain since you have to squint to make out the details. Also: while the difference between a 42-inch wide-screen TV and a 50-inch model may seem like "only" 8 inches, the 50-inch model actually offers 39 percent more screen real estate--a big jump.
Philips 50PF9966
Philips 50PF9966 :
adjusts ambient lighting around the TV to match the color on screen
6. Know your technologies.
The good news is that HDTVs are now available in all shapes, sizes, and price ranges, thanks to a growing variety of television technologies. The bad news is that with so many choices and acronyms (CRT, DLP, LCD, LCoS, and so on), you feel like you need to take a class to make an informed purchase. In lieu of that, we suggest you bone up with our four styles of HDTV feature. Keep in mind that the technical details of the varying technologies aren't really important. Instead, you'll want to make an informed choice based on how their relative strengths and weaknesses dovetail with your personal preferences.
7. Check the back panel.
People tend to consider TVs for their price, size, overall aesthetic, and picture. But don't forget to take a quick look behind the set to see what inputs you get (along with the ones on the side or front). If you have a large number of video sources--say, two game consoles, a DVD recorder, a VCR, and a satellite or cable tuner--making sure your prospective TV has the correct number and type of A/V inputs is another important factor to consider. Even with a well-appointed A/V receiver, it never hurts to have as many inputs on your TV as possible.
BenQ DV2680
BenQ DV2680 :
HDTV-compatible flat panel below S$3,000 (US$1,774.99)
8. Flat-panel sticker shock is curable.
Ultrathin plasma and LCD sets are the ultimate in tomorrow's TV tech. You can hang these beauties on the wall or even the ceiling, and their pixel-driven panels are perfect for use as computer screens. The problem is price. Especially among larger plasmas and LCDs, prices are still extremely high compared to same-size projection TVs. That's why LCD, DLP, and LCoS projection models, which continue to slim down with each passing year, are becoming so popular.
9. Don't forget the extras.
Before you spend anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars on your new TV, don't forget that it's only one of several new devices and accessories you'll need for a complete home-theater experience. If you've taken our advice and purchased an HD-ready TV, you'll want an HD cable or satellite box (or an antenna and a tuner) so that you can actually receive high-definition programming. A TiVo-style DVR or DVI-enabled DVD player that can scale up your movie collection to HD-friendly resolutions may also be in order. Oh, and be prepared to invest in a bevy of cables so that you can connect all these products together in optimal fashion. Just don't buy anything without checking with your cable or satellite provider first: most companies have set-top boxes with built-in HD tuners and/or DVRs, available for cheap (and even free).
10. Learn to live with buyer's remorse.
Yes, prices on high-definition and flat-panel TVs are dropping. Yes, whatever you're eyeing today will be cheaper in six months. And yes, those giant flat-screen TVs may even be priced at less than US$1,000--someday. But the fact is, your 9-year-old, 20-inch CRT TV just died, and you need to replace it with something. So take the tips above to heart, make a choice, whip out your credit card, and close the deal. And if you want some consolation--instead of kicking yourself when you see what you could have gotten for your money next year--talk to the guy who spent twice as much as you 24 months ago. Then turn on DiscoveryHD, sit back, and enjoy.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Remove windows startup item
http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml
http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/autoruns.shtml
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php#startup_manager
http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/autoruns.shtml
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_content.php#startup_manager
Remove Items from Add/ Remove Programs
Remove Items from Add/ Remove Programs
08.03.04
Remove Items from Add/Remove Programs
Total posts: 10
By Neil J. Rubenking
I share a computer with others in my family. At times, people have used the Add/Remove Programs applet to delete whatever they don't recognize. This is a major hassle for me because I lose all of the preferences and data associated with the program. Is there any way to take a program off the Add/Remove Programs list without actually uninstalling the program? I am running Windows XP Home with Service Pack 1. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Andrew Brady
It's not hard to remove the uninstall information. The real trick is keeping it available in case you actually want to uninstall the program at some point. Launch Regedit from the Start menu's Run dialog and navigate to this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MicrosoftWindows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
Each subkey of this key represents an Add/Remove Programs item. Some have sensible names, like AvantGo Client. Others have GUIDs for names—strings of letters and numbers in curly braces, like "{D6DE02C7-1F47-11D4-9515-00105AE4B89A}."
First check the legible names. If you don't find the desired item, select the GUID-names one at a time and scan the values in the right-hand pane for information that would link this entry to the program you're seeking.
Highlight the subkey below Uninstall that contains the item you want removed. Select Export from the File menu and export it to a .REG file. Then just delete the subkey. It will no longer appear in Add/Remove Programs. If at some future time you wish to uninstall the program, double-click on the .REG file to restore the uninstall data and then launch Add/Remove Programs.
If you happen to have the passwords that will allow you to log on as each user of the system, you can take a different approach and disable Add/Remove Programs entirely for those users. Log on as your daughter, for example, and launch REGEDIT. Navigate to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\MicrosoftWindows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Uninstall
If the Uninstall subkey below Policies does not exist, create it. In the right-hand pane, find or create a DWORD value named NoAddRemovePrograms. Double-click on it and set its data to 1. Now this user will not have access to Add/Remove Programs. Repeat for the other users. On an XP Pro system, a user with full administrator rights can lock other users out of Add/Remove Programs by using the Group Policy Editor. This tool is not present in Windows XP Home.
08.03.04
Remove Items from Add/Remove Programs
Total posts: 10
By Neil J. Rubenking
I share a computer with others in my family. At times, people have used the Add/Remove Programs applet to delete whatever they don't recognize. This is a major hassle for me because I lose all of the preferences and data associated with the program. Is there any way to take a program off the Add/Remove Programs list without actually uninstalling the program? I am running Windows XP Home with Service Pack 1. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Andrew Brady
It's not hard to remove the uninstall information. The real trick is keeping it available in case you actually want to uninstall the program at some point. Launch Regedit from the Start menu's Run dialog and navigate to this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MicrosoftWindows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
Each subkey of this key represents an Add/Remove Programs item. Some have sensible names, like AvantGo Client. Others have GUIDs for names—strings of letters and numbers in curly braces, like "{D6DE02C7-1F47-11D4-9515-00105AE4B89A}."
First check the legible names. If you don't find the desired item, select the GUID-names one at a time and scan the values in the right-hand pane for information that would link this entry to the program you're seeking.
Highlight the subkey below Uninstall that contains the item you want removed. Select Export from the File menu and export it to a .REG file. Then just delete the subkey. It will no longer appear in Add/Remove Programs. If at some future time you wish to uninstall the program, double-click on the .REG file to restore the uninstall data and then launch Add/Remove Programs.
If you happen to have the passwords that will allow you to log on as each user of the system, you can take a different approach and disable Add/Remove Programs entirely for those users. Log on as your daughter, for example, and launch REGEDIT. Navigate to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\MicrosoftWindows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Uninstall
If the Uninstall subkey below Policies does not exist, create it. In the right-hand pane, find or create a DWORD value named NoAddRemovePrograms. Double-click on it and set its data to 1. Now this user will not have access to Add/Remove Programs. Repeat for the other users. On an XP Pro system, a user with full administrator rights can lock other users out of Add/Remove Programs by using the Group Policy Editor. This tool is not present in Windows XP Home.
Delete a Service
Normally it should not be necessary to manually delete a service. Uninstalling an application should remove its associated service (if any).
However, should it be necessary to manually remove a service:
1.
Run Regedit or regedt32.
2.
Find the registry entry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Services
3. Find the service there and delete it.
You may wish to look at the keys and see what files the service was using and perhaps delete them also.
Note: You will have to reboot before the list gets updated in server manager.
These notes have been tested with Windows NT 4, Windows 2000 and Windows X
However, should it be necessary to manually remove a service:
1.
Run Regedit or regedt32.
2.
Find the registry entry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Services
3. Find the service there and delete it.
You may wish to look at the keys and see what files the service was using and perhaps delete them also.
Note: You will have to reboot before the list gets updated in server manager.
These notes have been tested with Windows NT 4, Windows 2000 and Windows X
Find system holes with chkrootkit
November 1, 2004 powered by
Find system holes with chkrootkit
While the majority of viruses on the Internet usually target the Win32 platform, Linux is not free of security holes--despite some claims to the contrary. Staying on top of security updates from your vendor is the number one way to protect your system from security holes that pop up in various applications you've installed on your system.
However, simply staying up to date on vulnerabilities may not be sufficient if you don't update frequently or quickly. For instance, if a vulnerability exists in Apache and someone manages to break into your system and leave a backdoor, it doesn't matter if you update Apache the next day--you've already incurred the damage.
A useful utility to help detect sniffers, Trojans, worms, and other backdoor programs is chkrootkit. It examines system logs and files to see if a malicious program has infected them and looks for known signatures associated with different malicious programs.
Using chkrootkit is extremely simple. To compile the program, untar the tar.gz file, and execute the following:
# make sense
After completing this process, you will have one program: chkrootkit. Install this program in a location such as /usr/local/sbin, and run it periodically to ensure no one has installed malware on your computer.
To obtain chkrootkit, visit the chkrootkit Web page.
Find system holes with chkrootkit
While the majority of viruses on the Internet usually target the Win32 platform, Linux is not free of security holes--despite some claims to the contrary. Staying on top of security updates from your vendor is the number one way to protect your system from security holes that pop up in various applications you've installed on your system.
However, simply staying up to date on vulnerabilities may not be sufficient if you don't update frequently or quickly. For instance, if a vulnerability exists in Apache and someone manages to break into your system and leave a backdoor, it doesn't matter if you update Apache the next day--you've already incurred the damage.
A useful utility to help detect sniffers, Trojans, worms, and other backdoor programs is chkrootkit. It examines system logs and files to see if a malicious program has infected them and looks for known signatures associated with different malicious programs.
Using chkrootkit is extremely simple. To compile the program, untar the tar.gz file, and execute the following:
# make sense
After completing this process, you will have one program: chkrootkit. Install this program in a location such as /usr/local/sbin, and run it periodically to ensure no one has installed malware on your computer.
To obtain chkrootkit, visit the chkrootkit Web page.
Monday, November 01, 2004
phpnuke7.5中文化解决方案
phpnuke7.5中文化解决方案
官方资料往事随风 写道 "下载本站点的phpnuke7.5中文版。
2004年9月17日15：00之前本站提供phpnuke7.5版本的汉化没有彻底，存在很多英文和繁体的页面，请如下解决：
1、下载：
http://phpnuke.com.cn/downloads/xizang/lang-chinese1.rar，解压缩后覆盖：/admin/language/lang-chinese.php；
2、下载：
http://phpnuke.com.cn/downloads/xizang/lang-chinese2.rar，解压缩后覆盖：/modules/Reviews/admin/language/lang-chinese.php
即可。
官方资料往事随风 写道 "下载本站点的phpnuke7.5中文版。
2004年9月17日15：00之前本站提供phpnuke7.5版本的汉化没有彻底，存在很多英文和繁体的页面，请如下解决：
1、下载：
http://phpnuke.com.cn/downloads/xizang/lang-chinese1.rar，解压缩后覆盖：/admin/language/lang-chinese.php；
2、下载：
http://phpnuke.com.cn/downloads/xizang/lang-chinese2.rar，解压缩后覆盖：/modules/Reviews/admin/language/lang-chinese.php
即可。
Using cdrecord the easy way
Basic on using TAR
