Satellite Radio: XM Radio or Sirius?

Satellite radio is the hottest trend in radio entertainment for your car, home, and office. The freedom from commercials and static is an exhilarating experience. No longer do you have listen to obnoxious jingles and hot air. No longer are you condemned to choose between dead air and Country & Western when traveling in rural areas.

Commercial-Free, Digital-Quality Sound

All of these problems are solved with satellite radio. And there is nothing else in the radio world that can compete with its digital quality sound. Satellite can provide uninterrupted listening pleasure anywhere in the world.

The only problem is deciding upon which satellite radio provider to choose. The top 2 contenders are Sirius and XM Radio. If you want satellite radio, you are immediately faced with the issue of how to choose between them.

XM Radio, First In The Sky

XM Radio established its presence first, and has a market share of 2 million listeners. XM has had the time to establish an excellent system of 68 commercial-free music channels with an incredible array of music. It also adds 33 channels of news, sports, talk shows, and entertainment to its programming mix. To top it off, XM has revolutionized the satellite radio world by providing 21 channels of up-to-date weather and traffic for most of the major metropolitan areas in the United States.

Sirius, Radio Innovator On Satellite TV

Sirius may be the comparative upstart, but it offers some advantages of its own. New contacts with DISH Network satellite television have given Sirius access to more than 10 million subscribers. It provides more than 120 channels if you add up all of the music, sports, information and entertainment.

For sports, Sirius is hard to beat. It broadcasts live games for professional football and hockey leagues, as well as many other sporting events. Sirius will also be the home of Howard Stern in 2006.

New Technology, New Listening Experience

So, whether you choose XM Radio for experience and staying power, or cast your vote for the innovations of Sirius, there's no reason to wait. Satellite radio is to broadcast radio as the VCR was to television. You can have it all -- without commercials! So what are you waiting for -- pick one.

About The Author
Ron King
Visit http://www.sat-radio-now.com to learn more. Copyright 2005 Ron King. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact.

Why Is Digital TV Better Than Analog TV?

To believe this one should watch both of them and feel the difference on their own. The quality of picture and sound are of high quality which gives you ultimate excitement and satisfaction while watching your favorite programs. Digital TV compresses images which help to broadcast multiple channels at a same band width. Whereas Analog which is generally called as SDTV uses magnetic waves to transmit and display pictures and sound which has been traditionally used. The special features available in Digital TV is surround sound, crystal clear pictures, sharper pictures which is all requires for the latest evolution of television the High Definition Television.

Compared to the analog the SDTV is significant as it provides more channels from the same station. If you observe the analog broad casting you will find that it is a hassle the capacity to accommodate only a few stations. Where as with digital it contains more information than the analog.

If you already have an analog set and wish to upgrade it to a digital one its possible by using digital tuner decoder though it will display the high quality pictures as provided by the original digital sets. In today's market you find digital quality sets are available and the best news is that their prices have decreased.

The cable providers always do not supply with digital cables which digital signals. As such cables do not meet the standards when a digital cable is connected to a digital TV it will receive only analog signal, thus eliminating the advantages of a digital television. A solution for this is the digital quality pictures provided by satellite service providers.

Digital TV is used for the latest innovation in entertainment the HDTV. Here you get to watch pictures in a wider screen with more clarity than in analog sets. The picture quality and the audio clarity are far better as compared with the analog.

If this revolution from analog to digital continues what about consumers who have analog system is a question which ponders the minds of many.For this a transition period has been set up and that is through the year 2006. If necessity requires then that can be extended too.

About The Author
Mitchell Medford is an author and product development consultant for several consumer electronics manufacturers. Visit his websites for more information on HDTV and satellite TV:
http://www.newtechnologytv.com
http://www.1stboard.com

Satellite TV Systems -- Which One is Best?

Satellite TV System

A satellite TV system consists of a dish that captures the TV signal broadcast from a satellite, and a receiver that amplifies the signal and sends it to a television.

Less than 10 years ago, satellite TV systems consisted of a huge satellite dish, about the size of a flying saucer, and an array of black boxes that required an electronic technician to set up. Not only that, they were expensive, costing anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000.

We've come a long way since then. Now, satellite dishes are the size of a large Frizbee, the receiver is the size of a notebook, and using the system is as easy as operating a microwave.

And the best news of all is that today's systems won't cost you a penny. Thanks to the ongoing competition between satellite TV dealers, they'll give you a complete satellite TV system for free when you subscribe to their satellite TV service.

Benefits of a Satellite TV System

Here are the benefits of having a satellite TV system:

* You have the option of viewing up to 256 channels of programming.
* Satellite TV is broadcast in an all-digital format for the clearest picture and sound available.
* Satellite TV systems include DVR (digital video recording) so you can record your favorite shows.
* You can get HD (high definition) receivers that allow you to watch your shows in HD format.
* Satellite TV is the more reliable than cable or over-the-air TV, with less blackouts and fewer picture problems.
* Customer service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

DISH Network Satellite TV System

Here's what you get when you order DISH Network satellite TV service:

* A free satellite TV dish with mounting hardware.
* Up to four free receivers plus universal remotes.
* Free DVR (digital video recording) receivers.
* Free HD satellite TV receivers (optional).
* Free professional installation in up to four rooms of your home.
* A one-year warranty on your satellite TV system.

DIRECTV Satellite TV System

Here's what you get when you order DIRECTV satellite TV service:

* A free satellite TV dish with mounting hardware.
* Up to four free receivers plus universal remotes.
* Free professional installation in up to four rooms of your home.
* DVR receivers -- free after a $99 rebate.
* HDTV satellite TV receivers (optional), $199 per receiver.
* A one-year warranty on your satellite TV system.

Visit http://www.TheSatelliteTVGuide.com for more details on free satellite TV systems and service, ordering information, plus the latest special offers and free bonuses from DISH Network and DIRECTV satellite TV.

Satellite TV Service

In order to get a free satellite TV system you have to subscribe to a satellite TV service:

DISH Network offers four program packages. Prices start at $31.99 per month for their basic package which has 60 channels, and go up to $86.99 for their top-of-the-line package which has 230 channels.

DIRECTV offers three program packages. Prices start at $41.99 per month for their basic package which has 135 channels, including 31 music channels, and go up to $93.99 for their top-of-the-line package which has 185 channels.

Both services also have movie channels, sports packages, foreign language programming, adult programming, HDTV packages, and pay-per-view channels.

Bottom Line

When it comes to which satellite TV system is the best, it's six-of-one, a half-dozen-of the other. Both systems are state-of-the-art and have enough features to please even the most fanatical electronics buff.

But when it comes to additional features such as DVR and HD receivers, or different dishes to accommodate HD receivers and specialized TV channels, price differences can be significant.

Before you order satellite TV service, I recommend clicking on the links below to check out current satellite TV system options and prices.

About The Author
Brian Stevens is a professional freelance writer and webmaster who has written extensively on satellite tv systems.
Visit http://www.TheSatelliteTVGuide.com for more details on free satellite TV systems and service, ordering information, plus the latest special offers and free bonuses from DISH Network and DIRECTV satellite TV.

Introducing VoIP

Are you tired of the high fees you pay your telephone company? VoIP, or Voice Over Internet Protocol, offers an inexpensive alternative to traditional telephones. By using your broad band internet connection, VoIP helps you save money, especially for long distance calls.

As VoIP gets more popular, more companies are beginning to offer this service to its customers. Some think that VoIP will replace the traditional telephone system. To help you make the switch, here is a list of VoIP service providers and some general information about what they have to offer.

Verizon VoiceWing. Their plans start at $19.95 a month for 500 calling minutes to the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. If you already have Verizon DSL, they offer a discount on their unlimited plan ($29.95 instead of $34.95). (https://www22.verizon.com/ForYourhome/voip/voiphome.aspx)

Comcast Di gital Voice. They have both national and international calling options. If you use Comcast for any other services, you are eligible for their discounted rates. If you have Comcast Cable and High Speed Internet, Digital Voice is an extra $39.95. (http://www.comcast.com/Benefits/VoiceBenefits.ashx)

Lingo. This seems to be one of the best services. They offer your first month for free. Plans start at $19.95 for both national and international calling. Their basic service starts at $7.95 a month. (http://www.lingo.com)

Vonage. Prices start at $14.99 for their basic service and $24.99 for their unlimited service. Long distance calling rates are listed on their site, as they change depending on the country. (http://www.vonage.com)

Earthlink. Even Earthlink has begun offering VoIP service. TrueVoice offers home internet phone for rates starting at $14.95 a month. If you also use Earthlink for your DSL connection, yo u are eligible for their package deal. Also check out Vling- a free software download called Vling which allows you to talk with other Vling users for free. (http://www.earthlink.net/voice/dslhomephone/)

About The Author

Mike Bell is the webmaster of http://www.VoIP-Journal.com, a site devoted to providing users with VoIP news and information.

Ionized Invisible Aircrafts

Plasma technology is something that we are starting to see all over the place. Plasma screens have taken a huge place in the entertainment market majoring in tv screens, but showing up in all other places in the market.

Plasma stealth although not directly related to the technology that we see in consumer products still uses plasma technology, hence the name "plasma" stelath. Plasma stealth is the process of using ionized gas to reduce the radar cross section of an aircraft, which would then give it less visibility on enemy rader making it hard to detect. This process and the relationship between Em radiation and ionized gas has been studied in depth for various purposes in the past, including this possibility of making planes undecteable to normal radar.

In theory the use the chances of reducing an aircraft's visibility by wrapping ionized gas glow around the aircraft is not a question. While the theoretical possibility of reducing an aircraft's RCS by wrapping the airframe in ionized gas flow is not in question, it is the technological aspects of actually putting this method into practice that imposes considerable problems.

Presently aircraft's such as the stealth bomber, use other methods to eliminate their presence on radar. All of these methods are costly, but the importance placed on hidden aircraft technology can me lives and planes saved. In the next years we are going to see huge improvements of all aspects of war technology, as are technology is advancing at a rate faster than ever.

About The Author

Ryan Fyfe is the owner and operator of Ionized Air Water - http://www.ionized-air-water.com which is the best site on the internet for all Ionized related information.

Feel free to reprint this article as long as you keep the article, this caption and author biography in tact with all hyperlinks.

Mobile Content Download Failure, Mobile Scams, SMS Competition Costs – Customer or Network Responsibility?

Mobile content consists of ring tones, logos, pictures, wallpapers and other content offered on web sites for download. Just surf the web and you will find many web sites offering services – some topic specific, other country specific. Frequenting forums recently, I found disgruntled clients in South Africa that wanted to download mobile content, but the ring tone or logo failed to download. As a result the "networks" and Mobile phone companies are blamed for this failure of delivery.

The actual post I refer to started off with a warning about a scam where people received "Please call me" SMS. In response to the "please call me", the customer was kept online having to answer senseless surveys with the call charges running up on their phone bills. The South African networks issued a warning against this scam that was doing the rounds.

Reading the posts I was quite astounded with the level of ignorance from the public side. Immediately legitimate SMS competitions (premium rated SMS) were drawn into the conversation with clear customer dissatisfaction being expressed. The following accusations were made in the particular post:

1. Networks were blamed for delivering the 072 "Please call me" SMS and supporting such practice.

2. Companies offering SMS competitions were blamed of not stating the cost per SMS clearly.

3. Mobile content companies were blamed for false advertising and clear anger was evident where customers submitted and paid for a download, but did not receive it.

Let's take a look at this situation:

1. Networks being blamed for delivering "please call me" SMS:

For those that are not familiar with the "Please call me SMS" system here is a simple explanation. The system works on the old land line "collect call" basis where the mobile phone user send a SMS to someone they know to phone them. The person responding to the "Please call me" returns the call and foots the bill for the call.

I think the initial intention for the service was to render assistance to people that could not afford the call or run into trouble without prepaid airtime to phone for help in a crises situation. It was not long, however before the opportunity was grabbed by abusers of the system.

What the scammers do, is to send out "Please call me" SMS to random mobile phone numbers. The recipient unknowingly returns the call as they do think that it is from someone they know and requires assistance. The bad thing about the "Please call me" SMS is that the recipient has no way of knowing who sent the SMS as it does not support sender ID.

Upon answering the call, it turns out to be a call center doing a survey. The caller is kept online for as long as possible as each minute is charged to his/her phone bill at ridiculous rates – as much as ZAR 50-00 per minute. 10 Minutes online, results in ZAR 500-00 mobile phone bill of which the scammer in question get revenue share from the networks.

Issues at stake that we should question:

SHOULD THE NETWORKS BE BLAMED FOR THIS PRACTISE?

1. Working with the networks myself, I find it hard to believe that they will support such practice. Normally with any promotion the client has to state the nature of the promotion, as the Networks have to check whether or not the promotion is anti-sp@m policy compliant. Should the networks not investigate complaints like these and send out a Press release stating their position towards these sort of scams? Where are the network public relations officers?

2. Isn't it the mobile phone user's responsibility to NOT return any suspicious calls or SMS they receive?

3. Where does supplier responsibility end and customer responsibility start?

About The Author

Marinda Stuiver

SMS warehouse is a division of E-SPECTATIONS.COM and has been involved with mobile technology since 2000.

smswarehouse.com

Hidden Camera Sex

It is true that many people find themselves victims of hidden camera sex. The real shame here is that some unscrupulous person is making money off of someone else's most private experiences. Sometimes hidden camera sex is the result of one of the parties planting a camera and then selling access to the images on the Internet for money, and sometimes it is the result of someone else entirely planting the camera in a place where it should not be in the first place.

You can protect yourself from hidden camera sex by making sure of a few things before you engage in the activity. First of all, if you are in a place where you do not normally have sex, it is a good idea to search for hidden cameras. It may seem silly to you that you should bust out your counter surveillance device, like the ORION, to hunt down electronic devices before you engage in sex, but you could avoid a potentially embarrassing and costly experience if you take the time to ensure that the area is secure.

Also, you should make sure of your partner. If you do not know your partner, you should be aware that she or he might have small body cams in a hat or pager that can result in you unknowingly engaging in hidden camera sex. You should make sure that everything that he or she has is properly covered. You could casually kick all of it under the bed or into a closet. And do not go back to an untrustworthy person's place. Likely, she or he has cameras set up just for that purpose.

Hidden camera sex has become one of the most lucrative businesses on the Internet. With the right spy equipment, nearly anyone can make a killing off of having sex with various people and then broadcasting it over the Internet. You can ensure that you are not one of these victims who are shamed and humiliated publicly with what should be most private when you take appropriate steps to avoid being an unwitting participant in the sordid tale of hidden camera sex.

About The Author
Shawn Davis
To learn more about Spy and Surveillance Products visit http://www.spyassociates.com . Read other related articles at http://spyassociates.blogspot.com/.

5 Reasons To Get ESPN Game Plan through Dish Network

Going to a college football game is an exciting time to be among a crowd of fans rooting for your team. However, not all games will be graced with the perfect weather for football. Not all games will be nationally televised. And not all times will you be down to go to a football game. For those reasons, you might opt to stay at home and watch the game on television.

That is when ESPN Game Plan comes to the rescue. With ESPN Game Plan, you will get access to games all over the country. Here are five reasons to get ESPN Game Plan for your home entertainment.

1. You live in North Dakota and your alma mater, UCLA is playing the University of Washington. Hundreds of college football teams play every Saturday and the odds of your former school playing on national television are slim. In-state rivals and top-ranked match-ups are the likely candidates for national airtime. With ESPN Game Plan, you are guaranteed 100 games that aren't offered locally and chances are, your alma mater is one of them.

2. Traveling can be costly. If you live miles away from your favorite college football team, it may not be reasonable to travel every Saturday to be at the game. Transportation, food and hotel accommodations can add up quickly. Watching your favorite team through ESPN Game Plan will be the better alternative when it comes to saving your money.

3. Game preparations are time consuming. You are among the thousands of fans who will rush to get to the game and among a hoard of people hurrying home to avoid the congestion. Traffic to and from the game can add stress that you could do without. You'll find your time valuable once you realize how much you could put toward other things like doing chores around the house or taking a much-needed nap.

4. Inclement weather? No worries for you! You remember those days when you stood through it all, in the rain, or in the snow while watching your team play. Now watching from home, you just observe the bundled up coaches on the sidelines or the crowd of umbrellas in the stands. You are grateful that you don't have to endure the inclement weather and take comfort of watching the game indoors.

5. You can lounge on Saturday. Are there days when you just feel like being inside, staying in your pajamas and just lounging? If there were any day to do this, it would be Saturday, the day dedicated to college football. If you don't want to watch alone, invite your close family and friends for a game party with food, fun and laughter. Take advantage of this downtime to relax inside and enjoy the game from home!

About The Author

Stephanie Tuia

Dish Network also offers several packages similar to the ESPN Game Plan focusing on different exclusive sports.

For more information, visit http://www.dishnetworkproducts.com/articles/espn-game-plan.php

Weather Vanes - Brief History And Different Types

Weather Vanes - brief history and different types

Since the dawn of time, weather has had an impact on humans and how they live, what they do and when. Today, there is an unbelievable array of land-based and satellite-based equipment to help monitor, track and predict the weather, but one primitive tool still used widely is the weather vane.

Weather vanes are common fixtures on the tops of buildings large and small. The earliest known weather vane was constructed atop Athens' Tower of the Winds by an astronomer in 48 B.C., but you've probably seen them topping everything from a historical government building to your neighbour's barn. For official purposes, wind is usually measured at a height of 10 metres or 33 feet, making such edifices the perfect location to install a weather vane.

Now often relegated to uses no more pressing than decoration or folk art, weather vanes were once key indicators of wind direction, which affected decisions from farming to flying. Sophisticated, modern weather vanes use wind data loggers (or computers) to create a history of wind direction. Direction, which is reported in terms of which direction the wind is coming from, not going to, is a key indicator for surface weather analysis and prediction, and therefore, very useful information.

Sometimes called 'wind vanes', traditional weather vanes are generally comprised of several parts, including a rod, a large lower globe, directionals, and a smaller upper globe, all of which are fixed, and a rotating ornament on top. To accurately indicate wind direction, the ornament must have unequal area and unequal mass on either side of centre. This oddity allows for lovely freeform ornaments, or more traditional arrows, scrolls, banners, or silhouetted roosters, airplanes and other common shapes. Another popular ornament style is the swell-bodied kind: three-dimensional forms a few inches thick, often made of hammered sheet copper. Similarly, full-bodied ornaments are also three-dimensional, but are more realistic in their proportions that swell-bodied ornaments. Rooster ornaments are particularly popular atop church steeples thanks to a reported ninth century papal decree calling for a cock to be installed on every European church steeple or dome as a reminder of a prophecy made my Jesus and recorded in Luke 22:34, that the morning cock would not crow the morning after the Last Supper until Peter had denounced Him three times.

Medieval towers in Europe often flew fabric pennants so that archers would be able to see wind direction. The cloth pennants were later replaced by metal flags, the precursor of today's modern weather vanes.for more information on weather vanes please go to our site at http://www.weathervanesite.com

About The Author

Ashley Barnard

Over the past few years I have noticed an interest in weather vanes so the thought past my mind as to where they came from and when they were first used so I decided to a little research and write an article about them. http://www.weathervanesite.com.

Features To Look For In A Camcorder

If you're on the look out for a new digital camcorder then you need to know what type of features to look for. It's easy to get confused and hard to make sense of all the specifications. Looking for the right features is the key in finding the best camcorder for your needs. While you compare digital camcorder reviews and ratings, there are some items to consider.

You should have a general idea of what you need the mini dv camcorder for. Do you need a video camera for home movies? Or are you looking for a professional camcorder, for your next feature film? Think about what you are looking for so your camcorder comparison shopping won't take as long.

Zoom

All digital camcorders have a zoom feature. Older analog camcorders only had optical zoom, but new digital video cameras have both optical and digital zoom. There is a difference between these two types of zoom. Optical zoom physically lengthens the lens,and will still give your videos high image quality. However digital zoom basically blows up the scene in a digital format. The problem with digital zoom is that when you zoom in on a subject the video becomes pixilated and blocky with little squares giving the video a blurred and distorted look.

If you're wondering which zoom is better and more important, optical zoom. The more distance that your optical zoom can do, the more flexibility that you have when focusing in on a subject. I suggest a minimum of 10x optical zoom for most consumers.

CCD Sensors and Resolution

The video quality in a dv camcorder is dependant on the CCD, which is an abbreviation for charged-coupled device. The CCD is an image sensor that converts light into pixels to produce images; your digital camera works in the same way. You can find camcorders with one CCD or three CCDs. One CCD camcorders are less costly however you will compromise the color quality in the video. 3 CCD camcorders on the other hand provide the best color quality. The reason being is that there are 3 CCDs. Digital camcorder models with three CCDs (one each for red, green and blue) give your video the most vivid colors possible, but the price is more than 1 CCD video cameras.

Viewfinders & LCD Screens

It's important to find the best possible viewfinder when comparing camcorders. The viewfinder is the heart of the camcorder without it you can't see what you are filming. Viewfinders cam in black and white, if you buy a cheap camcorder you will be stuck with a black and white screen. Personally I like my color screen, you can see the exact color and video quality as it will appear in the video. Sizes for LCD screen range from 2 to 4 inches across.

Digital Video Editing & Still images

Almost all newer digital video camcorders have FireWire (IEEE 1394). This feature enables you to transfer digital video footage from your camcorder to your computer system in the fastest possible way. The newest models even have the ability to take digital still images and video and transfer them to your computer for emailing to friends and family.

About The Author

Richard Gazzo offers info on where to find the best digital camcorders. You can read camcorder ratings as well as camcorder reviews (http://www.digital-camcorders-reviews.net/camcorder-reviews.html), on Sony camcorders , Canon camcorders, & Samsung camcorders and more. Reprint permission will all hyper links intact. © http://www.digital-camcorders-reviews.net/

Can An Ink Cartridge & The Machines That Use Them Actually Be Cool ?

First a little history lesson.....

There was a time, long ago that printers had ribbons and used dot matrix printing to create tiny dots that, when looked at, were readable. Sometimes they were BARELY readable, however. Changing ribbons and printing wheels to change type face was a chore.

Then, in 1984, the first laser printer that used toner cartridges came into being. Quickly, no one wanted a dot matrix printer anymore. The laser printer caused ink powder from the toner cartridge to fuse onto the paper where the program told the printer to leave ink. The output was much clearer and much more professional in appearance. Very soon, dot matrix printers became known as "door stops".

By 1990, inkjet printers that used drop-in ink cartridges became readily available and very reasonable prices. These inkjet cartridges were very easy to change without any fuss. The cost to the user, compared to the laser toner cartridge, was significantly reduced.

So now it starts getting pretty cool....

Today, inkjet printers using ink cartridges are so affordable that every computer owner can afford to own their own printer that is capable of using photo quality inkjet cartridges or for less expensive printing, ink cartridges that are remanufactured or "generic" or non-original manufacture. These inkjet cartridges can even be refilled in many cases to save even more money.

The price of the machines themselves has dropped by buckets and what they can do is way cooler than ever before. Not only can you print but also scan, fax (many do PC-Fax which I'll get to later), copy, make your morning coffee, take out the garbage (ok not those last 2). Combining this many tasks obviously reduces the number of different machines in your home/office but in addition there's only one manual you have to completely ignore instead of many (for the guys reading this). The PC-Fax thingy I mentioned Id actually like to discuss a little more about because I personally find this a fantastic feature. Basically it means that your printer/fax/everything else talks directly to your computer allowing you to send and receive faxes without any visible signs of paper involved. For example if anyone was crazy enough to want a copy of this article faxed to them I could do it directly from my computer without having to actually print anything out.

When using inkjet cartridges that are photo quality, it is sensible to use photo quality paper for your printing. This ensures the best quality print out resulting from your inkjet photo quality cartridge. While these inkjet cartridges will print on regular paper, it is a waste to place the more expensive ink cartridge into your printer and then print on plain non-glossy paper.

For every day printing in black and white or even in color, remanufactured or non-original inkjet cartridges work great and save money for you in the long run. As a general rule of thumb, you need to purchase twice as many black inkjet cartridges because there is, on average, more black printing needs for the average person.

Nowadays manufacturers are including more and more technology into their cartridges and trying to convince you that their ink has that extra special something. Epson uses DURABrite ink, HP uses Vivera ink and the list goes on. If you ever get bored and feel the need to work yourself into a frenzy just try surfing some of the major sites to compare exactly what one manufacturers ink does compared to the next. If you come away from this sane you'll definitely know a lot more techie sounds words than you need to know now or in your next lifetime.

Many of the latest ink cartridges have cool gizmos in them like small chips designed to monitor the ink levels and tell you when its time to reorder and even little LEDs for those of you who want their printer to light up like a disco. The idea of the chip sounds great but there are cases where the chip is telling the printer to stop working too soon or even to not work at all if the cartridges inside are not original (there's been at least one of the major players recently sued over exactly this). To try and counter this a 'chip resetter' can be purchased which basically tells the chip to do as its told and keep on printing regardless of how much ink it thought was left in the tank. As far as the issue with these chips and non original cartridges is concerned its actually illegal for a chip to stop your machine working on this basis but apparently this hasn't deterred a few of the big boys. Whether a chip resetter will fix this problem is uncertain.

No one knows what will come next in the world of printing. Just as the dot matrix printer long ago became a door stop (mostly that is), it is possible that within the next decade a new, less expensive, more user-friendly printing method that is even more cost effective than inkjet printers using drop-in ink cartridges will become archaic. For today, inkjet cartridges in low-priced printer provide the average household with all the affordable printing from their inkjet printer they need.

Whether you want to print graphics, brochures, or just letters, there is a printer that uses inkjet cartridges for you. Choose inkjet cartridges that meet your printing needs at affordable prices.

Bottom line is yep your ink cartridges are getting more high tech and cooler (heck in the old days theres no way your cartridge would actually light up with pretty colours for you and tell you when its about to run dry). The future is certainly going to be interesting seeing what comes next.....

About The Author

Andrew James runs an online business based in Melbourne, Australia with clients nationwide. As well as running a successful internet business selling printing consumables and general office supplies Andrew spends much of his time writing articles about different aspects of the industry to help educate his clients and others.

The Cartridge Specialists
www.cartridgespecialists.com.au
info@cartridgespecialists.com.au

Canon Digital Camera Guide

Canon digital camera innovations have always been at the forefront of photographic innovations and their compact digital cameras package a variety of functions into a deceptively small Canon digital camera body. These are particularly attractive to a wide range of users because of their light weight, ease of use, high image quality and high functionality. Canon digital camera experts are highly experienced in camera manufacturer, leading-edge optical technology, ultra high-precision mounting technology, electronic device technology and color management technology amongst others. All of this experience and expertise is combined to produce the Canon digital camera PowerShot series and the PowerShot DIGITAL ELPH/DIGITAL IXUS series.

Throughout their continuing research, the Canon digital camera development team has collected a large amount of photographic data and also made broad statistical analyses of the frequency involved in taking photographs. This data led to the creation of the Canon digital camera Photographic Space which is a graphical database of information relating to the relationship between surrounding brightness and distance between a Canon digital camera and the subject relative to the focal length and position of the zoom lens when pictures are taken.

The Canon digital camera Photographic Space led to the development of a new scene-recognition technology called "iSAPS" (intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) Technology. Canon digital camera iSAPS Technology analyses the scene to be photographed and makes optimal adjustments of a number of key functions, including auto-focus, before the shutter is pressed.

The Canon digital camera iSAPS Technology closely estimates the camera-to-subject distance based on the lens focal length, zoom position and surrounding brightness which guarantees the most accurate exposure and white balance settings for the overall conditions.

At the high end of the Canon digital camera range are their single-lens reflex, or SLR, cameras. The Canon digital camera company has created ultra-high-precision imaging elements and high-performance digital imaging engines so that their digital SLR cameras possess the same ease of operation as their 35mm film counterparts but produce exceptionally high-quality images.

The Canon digital camera imaging engine, or DIGIC II, creates image data from signals output from a CMOS, or complementary metal oxide semiconductor, sensor. The CMOS sensor is really the brain of any digital camera. Canon developed the Canon digital camera DIGIC II high-performance imaging engine directly due to the increasingly high resolution CMOS sensors. With the help of a high-capacity DDRS DRAM (double data rate SDRAM) as the buffer memory, the Canon digital camera DIGIC II processes high-resolution images at ultra-high speeds.

About The Author

Steve Gargin is the administrator of http://digital-camera-reviews.helper-guru.com/camera-digital-finepix-fuji-review/index.html which is a great website dedicated to giving free advice on Digital Cameras.

Nintendo DS Review

The Nintendo DS was a long anticipated handheld console, and no one knew what to expect. Nintendo has controlled the handheld market for a long time, but had been slimming in the general console section. And with news of the Sony PSP, could Nintendo still stay on top?

Holding the Dual Screen may be a little awkward at first, just like the GameCube controller is at first, but once you play for a bit it gets very comfortable, though people with bigger hands may have trouble pressing the R and L buttons, as I have had multiple times. The free demo you get with a Nintendo DS may be fairly short, but it's easily worth the price tag ($0.00). There are three training challenges you can do (Regulator, Survivor, Morph Ball). Out of the box you can do wireless multiplayer, which is very fun, but does get slightly repetitive with the choice of only 3 maps, all of which are fairly small. Remember the Nintendo 64? Well, the graphical capabilities seem to be around that, if not slightly better. The textures can seem a little dodgy at times, but the characters, effects, and objects are nice enough not to want to gouge your eyes out.

The DS launch brought a lot of debating. Games were lacking, Sony fanboys were bagging it out, and generally, as I said before, no one knew what to expect. The Nintendo DS is a solid handheld system and has a bright future.

About The Author

David Turnbull. Owner of http://www.vgaccess.com

Five Tips For Buying a Home Entertainment System

Looking for a new home entertainment system? Here are five tips for choosing the best model for your home environment.

1. Choose a system that can be expanded. Most of your music collection may be on CDs, but with the growing popularity of DVD audio you don't want to be left behind. Even if you are only interested in stereo sound make sure you buy a system that can be adapted to new technologies. This includes video as well as audio mediums. Buy a stereo system for now, but make sure it has surround sound capabilities.

Also consider whether you want your home entertainment system accessible in different parts of the house. An expandable system allows you to place speaker systems and playback modules in different rooms so that you can enjoy home entertainment throughout the house.

2. Buy a system with enough power. This goes hand-in-hand with the previous tip. Don't buy a unit which has just enough power for your current needs, but rather, think about how you will be expand it in the future. Surround sound speaker systems require more power than stereo, and satellite speakers systems installed in other rooms also require extra power.

Dedicated power amps for different parts of your home entertainment system can make a vast difference in the quality of sound. For example, a subwoofer amp can take the load off the rest of your system will providing massively deep bass sounds.

3. Choose a system that matches your entertainment preferences. If you are mainly interested in DVD video a surround sound speaker system can add amazing authenticity to your viewing experience. On the other hand, if you mostly listen to classical music, divide your budget so that you can get a good set of stereo speakers. If you like rap or hip-hop you should choose speakers designed for bass heavy music -- a subwoofer is a necessity.

4. Make it backwards compatible. Many people still have a sizable collection of VHS tapes and vinyl records. Rather than throwing out these valuable sources of entertainment, make sure your new entertainment system can handle them.

5. Buy the best you can afford. It's a waste of money to buy inferior components for your home entertainment system. You will quickly become dissatisfied with them and end up ditching them. If you have a limited budget, divide it up wisely. Rather than starting with a full-featured audio and video home entertainment system, concentrate on a few components. As long as your system is expandable, you can continue adding new features as your budget allows.

About The Author

Ross MacIver is an audio enthusiast and author of the Audio How To Section of the http://www.selected-audio-reviews.com/

Home Theater's 3 UGLY Secrets!

Secret #1: WHAT YOU BUY TODAY WILL BE OBSOLETE TOMORROW, IF IT ISN'T ALREADY.

What you should do about it:

Don't sweat it. Just read what you can before you buy to educate yourself so you don't make a terrible mistake. If you shop wisely, you can get a tremendous leap over what you have come to know as television. The good news is the better stuff coming down the pipe is knocking prices down on the stuff out now.

Plus, consumer surveys SCREAM to the electronics companies that people WANT these new, slim, high resolution Home Theater setups. There are billions of dollars to be made. Those surveys snapped the head of every exec in the biz. They geared up to make more. "Make more" equals "economies of scale" equals "make MORE money," even at lower price points! The first one costs a bazillion dollars: research, tooling up, marketing. Then, with volume, the cost per unit plummets. The guys who want to have very latest get to pay the most. Why be that person?

If you've already purchased a particular technology – Plasma, DLP, LCD, front or rear projector, whatever, ENJOY it. It IS important to realize that wide screen aspect ratio does not equal high-definition TV, though. Some think if the picture is wide, they're there. That might be FAR from there. I hate to say this because I'm a guy and guys hate this – you might want to read the instructions.

Secret #2. And this is really, really big: YOU CAN'T TELL WHAT THE PICTURE LOOKS LIKE FROM WHAT YOU SEE IN THE STORE.

What you should do about it:

What you are doing now. Research. The hard part is cutting through the opinions of weenies who want to see a feather clearly, blowing in the wind at 50 yards. I'll help you there. Read on.

There are three reasons why Home Theater Ugly Secret #2 is true.

1- The sets aren't adjusted right. They are turned way up to dazzle you. The dazzle will bother you when you get home. Worse, it drives the set to what you'd call distortion. The better picture happens when the picture is turned down in brightness, sharpness, contrast, and whatever else has been goosed. Why do they let this happen? It's like a conspiracy that everyone is in on - except you. Because when they are all lined up, 40 sets in a row, the manufacturers know you might think theirs is different and better. But they ALL do it, so it's a wipe. And if a store is a little bit shady, with some hi-def sets to move at a higher profit margin, well, now, those might have been "optimized" to look better than the others.

Yes, most of the hi-def sets CAN be adjusted correctly for you in your home. MAYBE by you.

Did I mention that Bubba the shopper-doofus was there, just before you browsed in, that he found the remote control and screwed up all the settings anyway?

So, you can't trust what you see in most stores. But wait, there's more.

2- Many of the sets are being fed video poorly. A distribution amp or humungous splitter shares the picture among the displays. That hurts the picture. A store might have 40 sets on one distribution, but the ones they really want to move on a purer source, showing a better picture. You'll never know.

3- What you see may or may not be high definition or even good quality. Just as bad, it might be super fidelity you won't likely ever see again. Because, what you watch at home might not be broadcast or cablecast with a good picture. So, you can see misaligned sets fed bad pictures that bear little resemblance to anything you'd see at home. Ready to drop several THOUSAND on that? Didn't think so. But tens of thousands of people do. Probably WILL this weekend. Eager commissioned salespeople will confide that THIS unit is the superior one. No hidden agenda there, do you think, huh?!

Secret #3. THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH EVERYTHING.

What you should do about it:

Relax. Don't obsess. It's more a matter of things being done different ways by different designers. For example, on this set, the colors are spot on, but the resolution is a little off. On that set over there, the resolution is incredible, but the red... You are still going to love the setup you buy - and remember - you just might have it for 10 years or MORE! You'll look at it more than you look at your wife, husband or kids. I'm talking face time. Relax. We'll get you through this.

A personal note to THE OBSESSIVES:

If you haven't already left this article, I want you to think about the fact that there are millions of screen dots to go wrong. Not that they will, but the 317th one from the left and 119th from the bottom IS a little shaky, don't you think? Time to take a deep breath. One, two, three. Exhale. Even though there's something wrong with everything, if you embrace that thought and LET IT GO you'll be able to enjoy the - uh - big picture. The state of the Home Theater art - even if it IS yesterday's art, is very very nice.

Relax.

Why a Home Theater? And what's it MEAN anyway? Good questions. A Home Theater is simply the natural; evolution of the TV experience. Now that we can, we do. It's how it goes. Basically, you get a shorter, wider picture (more like a movie in a... theater) and the picture is much clearer than the TV you sat too close to as a kid – remember Mom yelling? And you can have better sound too. It can be all around you, or just in the front. You choose. You can have a box that plays the deep notes - fun things like car crashes, earthquakes, whale farts, cannons. You get to experience them like never before. It's not essential, but it's there if you want it.

A Home Theater is just like going to the movies. Except the screen isn't that big, but you can get a good seat. You don't have to endure advertisements in the 'pre-show entertainment' if you don't want to. You can go to the bathroom and touch the door handle on the way out. No paying $5.75 for a bag of stale popcorn. No popcorn bagging zomboid teenagers. No lines. No sticky floors (unless that's the way you live, not that there's anything wrong with that.)

There. Now you know the top 3 Ugly Home Theater secrets.

But, it isn't quite that simple. At http://www.GreatHomeTheater.com/ there are 9 more secrets revealed. I promise you won't get neurotic or your hands dirty, and I won't talk you out of what can be a tremendous and highly enjoyable leap forward in home entertainment.

About The Author

Bob Wood, for over 30 years, served in front of, and behind the microphone, at popular radio stations across the United States and Canada. Throughout that journey he developed a passion for great sound and was an early adopter of many of the video toys and tools that have evolved into today's state of the art.

Bob also became known as a voice-actor at that time, leading him to literally hundreds of recording studios where again he would work with top equipment. In the mid 80s, he was able to examine and demo the early high definition broadcast quality equipment out of Japan.

Copyright 2005, Bob Wood