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Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Impact of Junk Emails on Corporates

Unsolicited email was first considered a bit of joke earning the jocular name of spam. However, as the spam volumes rose to epidemic proportions what was a minor crisis in the life of an IT professional soon snowballed into a major crisis. Factual figures estimate that spam amounts to nearly 95 percent of all emails. According to reports from Jupiter Research the active email consumer received an astonishing 3253 pieces of spam in 2005.

This matter has to be taken up seriously these days. The daily flood of junk email has an adverse effect on the corporations by clogging their networks and filling up mail server bandwidth. It can also act as a gateway for serious network related threats such as Trojans, viruses, worms, and phishing scams that penetrate corporate networks. The cost of spam not just involves the cost of providing the extra bandwidth but also encompasses all the IT Departments protecting their organizations from the various threats as just seen.

Spam is a driving force behind the increasing number of data breaches in the corporate world. The impact of international awareness and the enforcement of anti-spam laws in countries like USA have forced the spammers to shift their operations to countries where the law is less regulated. According to the IT security firm Sophos, the spam operators are working hand in glove with hackers and virus' writers with 60 percent of all spam coming from computers infected with malware. According to Webroot Software's State of Spyware report 2005 was considered as the biggest year yet for spyware.

Apart from just the security threats the firms face from spam, there are concerns that are even more serious the firms face. In today's world where corporate ethics matter a lot, firms are increasingly accountable for the actions of their employees. Any offensive message from a disgruntled employee can tarnish the name of the organization. Since there can be no definitive solution, the only way to reduce the threats of the email related threats is to deploy ever more sophisticated server side filtering to filter out spam and malicious emails from reaching the network.

A survey of Bank of Scotland (BoS) has found that about 37 percent of UK small firms were badly hit due to unsolicited spam, viruses, and faxes. The study has found that though the cost of minor data losses and firewalls is less than 1000 Pounds a year for two-thirds of small firms a full-scale virus attack can be terminal on entrepreneurs on tight budgets. For over fifty firms polled, it was found that there was one firm approximately, for which the cost of the viruses exceeded 10,000 Pounds a year. A further 40 percent of the managers claimed that junk email significantly added to their costs, while one in ten lost an estimated 10,000 Pounds a year through lost productivity and purchasing email filtering systems. Though laws have come up which state that individuals are not allowed to send emails or any other means of communication without prior permission, these are valid only in the UK and did not provide any help in reducing the flood of spam in the USA.

According to Eddie Morrison of BoS computer viruses are clearly one of the scourges of our business age. He observes that it has become increasingly easy for small firms to be bombarded with multiple unsolicited emails and faxes for advertising and other purposes.

Small firms are even more vulnerable to spam with a junk of them still without a junk email policy. The research conducted by Clearswift has found that 34 percent of small companies do not have measures in place to combat spam, while a further 57 percent of firms with a policy of not communicating about it to the staff.

UK businesses seem to be doing little in their efforts to prevent and bring down spam with just a quarter reporting spam to their IT personnel. A significant proportion of the employees around 22 percent had responded to spam offers with only 7 percent of employers taking action against them.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

History Of Asian Printing

It traditionally is believed that Johannes Gutenberg, of the German city of Mainz, developed the technology of European impression around 1439 and inside just above one decade, the traditional age of the impression started, but new research can indicate that it was evolutionary more complex multiple places broken down by process. Moreover, Johann Fust and Peter Schaffer tested with Guttenberg in Mainz. Genealogically, all the mobile type modern impression can be traced again with a simple source, the press of Gutenberg which it derived from the design of long known agricultural pressures. Mobile type of Asian model is printing, which was based on the hard manual friction and which had been hardly employed, practically extinct after the introduction of the European model printing to the 15th century.

Gutenberg is also credited with the introduction of an ink based on oil which was more durable than inks based on water previously used. To have worked as a professional goldsmith, Gutenberg made the skilful use of the knowledge of metals which it had learned as a craftsman. Gutenberg was also first to make its type from alloy of wire, of tin, and of antimony, which was critical to produce the durable type which produced the books printed of high quality, and proven more adapted with the impression than the types of clay, out of wood or bronze used in Asia of the East. To create these types of wire, Gutenberg employed what some considered its more clever invention, a special wherewith of matrix that the frame of new mobile types with a precision without precedent shortly became feasible. In one year after its B42, Gutenberg also published the initially colored copies.

The invention of Gutenberg of the press revolutionized the communication and the production of driving book to the dissemination of the information. It was quickly isolated impression of Germany by the German printers of emigration, but also by the foreign apprentices turning over to the house. A press was built in Venice in 1469, and per 1500 the city had 417 printers. In Johann 1470 Heynlin installed an impression insert Paris. In Kasper 1473 Straube published the annum 1474 of advertisement of cracoviense of Almanac in Krakow. The martens of Dirk installed an impression insert Aalst (Flanders) in 1473. It printed a book concerning the two in love ones with Enea Piccolomini which became Pope Pius II.In 1476 when a press was installed in England by William Caxton. Belarusian Francysk Skaryna printed the first book in Slavic language August 6, 1517. Italian Juan Pablos installed imported insert Mexico City in 1539. The first impression insert the Southeast Asia was installed in the Philippines by the Spaniard in 1593. The day of Stephen was the first to establish an impression insert North America with the compartment of Massachusetts in 1638, and helped to establish the pressure of Cambridge.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Benefits Of Market Research

Market research is a systematic, objective collection and analysis of data about your target market, competition, and/or environment with the goal being increased understanding of them. Market Research gives a variety of data, related and non-related, which is useful in many decision-making processes. You can get some interesting facts and figures from Market Research Process. Market research is not an activity that should go on continuously. It is not a one-time activity. The Market Research in Internet for the same or different purpose is called as Internet Marketing Research. This is also equally important for the businesses.

The information gained through these researches is information that can guide your most important strategic business decisions. Market research is effective when the findings or conclusions you reach have a value that exceeds the cost of the research itself. For example, if you spend $500 on market research that yields information leading to a revenue increase of $5,000, the research was well worth it. Suppose you spend $500 on a customer survey that uncovers an unmet customer need. You will have the opportunity to offer a new product or service (or alter your existing product or service) to meet the need and gain new revenues. Some of the benefits of market research are:

  • Guides your communication with current and potential customers.
  • Helps you identify opportunities in the marketplace.
  • Minimizes the risk of doing business.
  • Uncovers and identifies potential problems.
  • Creates benchmarks and helps you track your progress.
  • Helps you evaluate your success.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Free Apartment Finder Services Make Finding Your Next Apartment Easy

May be you’ve seen advertisements about apartment finder services, or else called apartment locators. Some apartment renters are uncertain about using apartment finder services because they think there will be a cost involved. Actually the most of apartment finder services are absolutely free to the apartment hunter. Since it’s a free service, there’s no reason not to use an apartment finder.

Generally in large cities such as Chicago, Atlanta, San Diego and Houston there are hundreds of apartment complexes spread out over a very large metro area. When there are so many properties the apartment hunter can become overwhelmed with the vast number of choices available. The advantage of using these services is they have the large database of apartment and the rentals are on the market. This way you don't waste time trying to track down apartments with availability. Many apartment finder services can also narrow down choices by geographic area and sometime even neighborhood. Many apartment finder services like Orlando apartments have online databases of available apartments so you can search and learn more about the complex before visiting in person. You will be able to see photos of the apartment, floor plans, facilities and other apartment details. Try using an apartment finder the next time when you decide to move to a new apartment and see for yourself how much time and effort you will save on your next move. It makes the whole apartment hunting experience simple and hassle free.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Computer Virus - Awareness and Preparedness

Computer virus, rogue computer program, typically a short program designed to disperse copies of itself to other computers and disrupt those computers' normal operations. A computer virus usually attaches or inserts itself to or in an executable file or the boot sector of a disk; those that infect both files and boot records are called bimodal viruses. Although some viruses are merely disruptive, others can destroy or corrupt data or cause an operating system or applications program to malfunction. Computer viruses are spread via floppy disks, networks, or on-line services. Several thousand computer viruses are known, and on average three to five new strains are discovered every day. Virus programs can also infect advanced cellular telephones.

Antivirus programs and hardware have been developed to combat viruses. These search for evidence of a virus program isolate infected files, and remove viruses from a computer's software. Researchers are working to sidestep the tedious process of manually analyzing viruses and creating protections against each by developing an automated immune system for computers patterned after biological processes. In 1995 Israel became the first country to legislate penalties both for those who write virus programs and those who spread the programs. A distinction should be made between a virus—which must attach itself of another program to be transmitted—and a bomb, a worm, and a Trojan horse. A bomb is a program that resides silently in a computer's memory until it is triggered by a specific condition, such as a date. A worm is a destructive program that propagates itself over a network, reproducing as it goes. A Trojan horse is a malicious program that passes itself off as a benign application; it cannot reproduce itself and, like a virus, must be distributed by diskette or electronic mail.
  • Don't open email from strangers or attachments you weren't expecting—especially attachments with .exe extensions
  • Back up important files on floppy disks, Zip drives, or other storage devices on a regular basis, so that they can easily be replaced if a virus wipes out your hard drive
  • Install the newest anti virus software on your computer, such as Norton Anti-Virus 2000 or McAfee Virus Scan for Windows, or Virex for Macs
  • Check your software vendor's website regularly for updates that will protect against viruses and worms—like the Love Bug—released since your antiviral software was written

Monday, September 7, 2009

Training for Pigeon Racing

Pigeon racing is a sport involving the racing of specially trained Racing pigeons, a breed of domestic pigeon. In the United States flights of up to 1800 Kilometers have been recorded. Racing pigeons are housed together in a specially designed dovecote or loft. From about five weeks of age until the end of its racing career, the racing loft is the pigeon’s home and this is where it returns to on race day.

Young pigeons are trained progressively for at least six months before being allowed to compete in a race event. A racing pigeon's initial training involves familiarizing it with the loft and its surroundings and training it to use the various features of its home. It is also this critical time that the birds learn commands, such as entering the loft when the trainer whistles.


After a few weeks of initial training and 'homing in', the young birds are allowed outside for the first time. This is usually before they can fly strongly so as to prevent an overzealous pigeon from flying away before it can find its way back home. As the birds grow older, they become stronger and smarter and are therefore allowed to fly further and further away from their home loft. When a few trainers fly their pigeons in the same area, these loft flying kits (as flocks of pigeons are called) can number in the thousands. This 'loft flying' familiarizes the birds with their home area and builds fitness. It does not, however, help them much in relation to finding their home from long distances away, a fundamental of pigeon racing. As confident flyers, the young pigeons are taken on progressively longer 'training tosses', driven a distance away from their home and released. This is like the format of a real race, however on a much smaller scale and it is usually not timed in the same way as a race. This practice of loft flying and tossing continues throughout a pigeon's career.


Training methods are as varied as the pigeons themselves. Lots of fanciers believe their system is the secret to their success and guard these hard learned lessons closely; most will tell you of their basic strategy but few will share the details of their success. One of the most popular systems is widowhood. This system uses motivation to try to give the bird a sense of urgency on race day. The use of widowhood is usually begun by first allowing the racer to raise a baby in their nest box. After the baby is weaned the hen is removed and often the nest box is closed off, from then on the only time these birds are allowed to see their mate or enter the nest box is upon returning from training or a race. This conditioning is one of the key elements in a lot of racing programs.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Consumer Behavior and Problem recognition

Consumer behavior
Consumer behavior is the study of how people buy, what they buy, when they buy and why they buy. It blends elements from psychology, sociology, socio-psychology, anthropology and economics. It attempts to understand the buyer decision-making process, both individually and in groups. It studies characteristics of individual consumers such as demographics, psychographics, and behavioral variables in an attempt to understand people's wants. It also tries to assess influences on the consumer from groups such as family, friends, reference groups, and society in general.

Belch and Belch define consumer behavior as 'the process and activities people engage in when searching for, selecting, purchasing, using, evaluating, and disposing of products and services so as to satisfy their needs and desires'.


Problem recognition

Problem recognition results when there is a difference between one's desired state and one's actual state. Consumers are motivated to address this discrepancy and therefore they commence the buying process.

Sources of Problem Recognition

Sources of problem recognition include:

  • An item is out of stock
  • Dissatisfaction with a current product or service
  • Consumer needs and wants
  • Related products/purchases
  • Marketer-induced
  • New products
The relevant internal psychological process that is associated with problem recognition is motivation. A motive is a factor that compels action. Belch and Belch (2007) provide an explanation of motivation based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Freud's psychoanalytic theory.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Are You Affected By Heat Illness?

Scientists don’t yet know why some people become seriously ill while exercising in hot weather, and others don’t. It is believed that exercise-related heat illness is caused by the sizzling rays of the sun beating onto an athlete’s skin, causing overheating from the outside in, and contributing to dehydration, which is the basic cause of heat problems.

This tells us about becoming sick directly from thwe hot whether but does not explain why athletes develop heat illness on overcast days, when sunlight isn’t directly reaching them. They’ve also been known to become ill on relatively cool days, when temperatures are below 80 degrees. And many collapse despite being fully hydrated.

Scientists have a pretty clear picture of what happens inside these athletes as they exert themselves. They bake. Muscles in motion generate enormous amounts of energy, only about 25 percent of which is used in contractions. The other 75 percent or so becomes body heat.

According to a 2007 position paper from the American College of Sports Medicine about heat illness, exercising can raise core body temperature by almost 2 degrees every five minutes, “if no heat is removed from the body.” Meanwhile, sunlight and high air temperatures do contribute to the problem, although not to the extent once believed, by increasing skin temperatures. Humidity also plays a villainous role, slowing or preventing the evaporation of sweat, one of the human body’s main mechanisms for removing heat.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Pizza - Violate Fair Wage Laws

Delivery drivers working for Pizza Hut, Kansas City filed a lawsuit against the national pizza chain alleging unfair wage practices. The Pizza Hut delivery drivers say that they received income below the required federal minimum wage.

The lawsuit, which was filed in Kansas City in May, says that delivery drivers are paid, the income that doesn’t include the cost of gas, employee’s vehicle to perform hourly wages deliveries. The hourly wage does not cover work-related cell phone usage and buying and cleaning of worker’s uniforms Pizza Hut requires. The cost to employees to work at the Pizza Hut is too high that the employee wages does not meet the minimum wage. Pizza Hut has tried to seek the dismissal of the lawsuit by stating that the company was operating within the laws and guidelines of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, which permits a reasonable approximation of expenses.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Beauty Tips For Older Women

Beauty is for all, everybody wants to look beautiful. There is no age limit for beauty. Whether you are 19 or 90, you can look beautiful by following the steps given below.

Cover the dark circles under the eyes. They are very common in older people. At young age, they are generally caused due to lack of sleep or due to stress. Get good, tight sleep and use tightening eye creams at night.

Eyelashes and brows:
As the age increases, both the eyelashes and brows get thinner. Skin gets slacks and wrinkles. Use liquid eyeliner to run through the wrinkles, use a pencil to define the eyebrows and a good volume of mascara for eyelashes.

Hair care:
Generally, women face the problems like hair becoming duller thinner and breakage with increase in their age. Use a volumizing shampoo and avoid hairstyles that strain hair and chemicals. Stress and unhealthy diet are some of the reasons for hair fall. So lower the levels of stress and maintain a healthy diet.