You might well, sooner or later, end up in possession of sensitive papers or other portable assets of great value that should be kept in a safe place – like an offshore safety deposit facility.

What kind of things are we talking about? Any valuable papers. Things like automobiletTitles, Coins (rare), Passports, Bearer Shares, Citizenship Records, Bills of Sale, Pension records, school transcripts, trust documents, immigration papers, rare stamps, mortgage documents and so on. You may also wish to store data such as USB memory sticks or backup DVDs securely off-site.

A safety deposit box is also recommended by many experts for estate planning purposes. To pass the contents of a safe deposit box to your heirs without any formalities, all that is necessary is that another person have access and a key. This is accomplished by having the inheritor be a signer on the box. If you don’t want them to have access during your lifetime, you keep the key and arrange for it to be delivered to them in a sealed envelope with instructions, upon your death or disablement.

Should you Use a Bank or an Independent Safe Deposit Box Company?

Generally the best solution is to rent a safety deposit box in a reliable major, first class bank – not just a box company. Many banks will require that you also have an account with them and that withdrawals to pay the box rent be authorized in advance.

Why should you use a bank rather than an independent safe deposit company? Because independent companies seem to fold or get robbed with great regularity. Like public storage facilities, they are also frequently used by less desirable characters.

On the other hand, a private storage outfit may not require any identification to open a box. They may accept any nom de plume you care to give them. Customers may be admitted on the basis of a plastic card without any need to sign in. As such a box is not linked to any account or payment facility, it behooves the user to pay several years in advance. This will avoid the box being opened and the contents sold for non-payment of rent.

One client told me the sad story of how after a long hospital stay due to cancer, he discovered that his box in a public self-storage unit had been opened after a year for non-payment of rent. The contents were sold at auction. He had a collection of old stock certificates that were worthless as stocks, but of great value to collectors. One had a rare original signature of inventor Thomas Edison. They were disposed of as scrap paper.

The Best Countries for Offshore Safe Deposit Boxes

Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg are traditional safe havens that are perfect for safe deposit boxes. A good country for a box is one where there is no need to show a passport or go through any formal border controls. This is not the case with Switzerland – unless you take your chances on one of the very few unmanned border crossings!

Vienna and Zurich airports are also convenient national airline hubs. You can conveniently pass through these countries when travelling between other cities. Just arrange a stop over long enough to visit your stash; putting in or taking out what you need. For a safety deposit box locale you don’t need to seek out a tax haven. Any peaceful, stable country where property rights are respected is just fine.

Almost all banks offer safety deposit boxes. If yours is located in a country where you have no problems, it doesn’t matter much which one you use. But you should have at least one person you trust who knows about the box and is able to access it. If you have an accident it is important that your box not be forgotten or abandoned.

Keep the Key Safe!

When you have opened the box, consider depositing the key in a sealed envelope with the bank’s safekeeping office or your personal private banker. By doing this you ensure that the key won’t be discovered on your person or among your possessions by anyone with dubious intentions, like your soon-to-be ex-wife.

Many bank safety deposit boxes have two keys – one is held by you. The second (a general pass key) is kept by the bank. Only with both can the box be opened.

In the very latest high-tech safe deposit boxes, there is no key. These safe-deposit boxes can be opened only with fingerprint scans. Another solution is to use boxes in places where they have combination locks. Experienced safe-crackers are good at opening combo-locks. They are less secure than complex keys – in our experience. We are likewise not keen on secret memorized numbers. Why? Because we have more than once forgotten an important combination or password.

Be sure that you can access the box without showing ID, in case you lose it and need to get at your backup copies that you thoughtfully secured within the box! Some banks, particularly those in Zurich, want to see and photocopy ID every time you access your box – even if you are well known. Where ever your box may be, be sure you are introduced to several of the staff who can help you access your box without ID should you need to. Tell them to take a good look and remember you personally so you can always access your box or the money in the account without any identification. Tell them your favorite stupid joke or story and tell them to remember it so that you can tell it again many years later. Then they will remember you!

Shhh… Can You Keep a Secret?

Don’t just take a safe deposit box key and keep it on a gold chain around your neck at all times. This is something that movie villains do.

If you want something secret, always think ahead. Don’t tell anyone about it. Leave the key and instructions with your personal banker or someone you trust implicitly. Also think ahead! Leave death instructions in your box – just in case something happens to you. These can be written, or can be on a CD in video form. Your box will be opened after about a year or two of inactivity – if and when the annual fees don’t get paid.

Sometimes a safe deposit box is forgotten for decades. About seventy years after the criminal mastermind and reputed billionaire Al Capone died in prison, a closed bank that he once owned in Chicago was found to have a long forgotten, secret locked underground vault registered in his name. His money had never been found. A national television network bought rights to show the drilling and re-opening of this vault ‘live on TV.’ Many people, myself included, tuned in for the grand opening. We thought it would be an event to equal the discovery of King Tut’s fabulous tomb in Egypt. What happened? It was a good show with a let-down for an ending. Apparently, someone with a spare key to Al Capone’s safe deposit facility had arrived there first. Nothing of the slightest interest was in the vault.

Will Your Secrets Die With You?

Most offshore banks will require that you have a bank account with them and that they be authorized to withdraw your annual safety deposit box rent payments from that account. With such instructions and automated payment you could be dead for many years before you are presumed dead and your box is drilled. Thus your banker should perhaps be instructed to open your instructions (not your box) in case he doesn’t hear from you for a certain period of time, like say three years. Better yet, your banker should be instructed “after 3 years of no contact, please contact my attorney, XYZ, or your kids, wife, best friend.” Someone you trust should have instructions on what to do with your assets in the event of your death, disappearance or disability. Your banker should be told what to do or how and when he is to contact those persons who will surely know where you are.

Perhaps someone you trust, who has nothing to gain from suing you, should be given a sealed power of attorney or an assignment plus a valid will so that all loose ends are tied up. Without this, in Switzerland for instance, the bank just keeps your assets! Simple as that. In English speaking countries there is usually an escheat law covering dormant accounts and abandoned safe deposit box contents. In England, unclaimed money and assets go to ‘The Crown.’ In California, box contents and accounts dormant for over seven years go to the Teachers’ Pension Fund.

In such cases, the heirs have only a very limited time to make claim. Most never do because they never learn of the assets.

Your Anonymous Safe in an Austrian Palace

The Swiss and the Austrians generally excel at running discreet safe deposit facilities. In nearly all countries, ID is required to rent a safe box. But in Austria, at the time of writing, there is one safe deposit company offering anonymous safes. It has been around for years and was highly recommended by a reader. It’s a good place to store second passports, bank cards and other PT paraphernalia that you may not want to keep in your home country.

This company has its facilities in the basement of a beautiful Viennese palace. It’s name is Das Safe and its website is http://www.dassafe.com If you are in Vienna, you can visit them at Auerspergstrasse 1. We predict they will stay in business for a long time to come, but for how long they will be allowed to take anonymous business is open to question.

Other recommended safe deposit facilities in Austria are at the Schoellerbank branches (where no key is required – access is regulated by an electronic fingerprint scan) and at the Raiffeisenbank in the ‘secret’ enclave of Jungholz.

A Reliable Safe Deposit Company in Prague

Another service we know of is Prague Safe Deposit in the Czech Republic. They require valid ID to open a box. The service from then on is highly professional and discreet with no ID required for later access. You can pay up to five years in advance. Entry to the main vault is self-service with a swipe card system at the main door. You can give the door card and key to anyone. They can then gain access to your safe-box without the need to meet any staff or identify themselves in any way.

This particular enterprise is a joint venture between one of the Czech banks and the Chequepoint chain of money changers. It has been around since 1992. They are located in the basement of an old bank building just off the famous Wenceslas Square. They welcome visitors to stop by and inspect the facilities. The street address is 28 Ijna 13. The website is not currently available in English, but if you do visit them you will find they speak English.

Understanding External Backup devices

There are quite a few backup devices available and we get a lot of questions about which ones to use. A recent case which crossed our bench reminded us how important it is that you the user knows what some of the terms mean when you’re buying these devices.

In this recent case a customer submitted a device with the word RAID on the outside that had failed, he was a bit confused and thought the device had redundancy built in to protect his files because it said RAID. The fact is there are several kinds of RAID drives and the kind he had was a simple stripe set. Although it provides large size and good performance it is the worst for reliability as any failure on either drive will cause all data on both drives to be lost.

When buying a RAID device for your data be aware that:

RAID 0:

• Gives best performance for the dollar
• Gives best drive size for the dollar
• Has no redundancy
• Splits data between two physical drives
• Data will be lost and unusable if either drive fails
• Requires 2 or more drives
• Can be implemented with a hardware controller or through most operating systems built in drive management

RAID 1:

• Provides cheapest form of Real Time Backup
• Makes an exact copy of each byte of data from one drive to another
• Allows for quick recovery
• Requires 2 or more drives
• Can be implemented with a hardware controller or through most operating systems built in drive management

RAID 5:

• Provides best performance of redundant drives
• Uses algorithyms to store redundancy data across all drives for the array
• Allows data to survive any single drive failure and be rebuilt after the failed drive is replaced
• Requires 3 or more drives
• Requires a special controller or server software to manage the splitting of data

When buying an external backup device, most do not include RAID and should be used only as a backup, never trust a single form of storage. For RAID 0, these drives should only ever be used for short term storage and should not be relied on as a backup device due to their tendency to fail. RAID 1 or 5 should be used for redundant storage, if your data space and performance needs are minimal a RAID 1 NAS box or external device should suffice, if you deal with a great amount of data or require both large sized drives and redunancy then RAID 5 becomes the better choice despite the additional costs.

As always feel free to submit your questions and we will answer as many as we can between our FAQ and this blog.

The most ubiquitous packaging materials are of course bubble wrap and peanuts. The pros and cons of both are well documented, but the most important thing to know is they are typically made from plastics (as in oil) and are not bio-degradable. With the amount of bubble wrap and peanuts used around the world each day the problem is pretty self evident.

These products are made from some pretty nasty stuff Polyethylene, Polystyrene and Polyurethane (which consists of all sorts of harsh chemicals including acetone, methylene chloride and fluorocarbons).

Aside from the toxic chemicals used with most plastic based packing materials and the huge energy resources that going into creating them; the amount of landfill taken up after they are discarded is significant.

Here are some ideas for alternative packaging options to consider using when preparing your customer orders for shipment.

Soy based expandable foam products are a more eco-friendly option. Derived from soy, and therefore renewable and biodegradable, this product conforms precisely to the shape of your products. This maximizes protection by minimizing movement on the inside of the carton. The product is also very light weight, reducing the additional shipping expense of heavier materials. Realistically expandable foam is best for larger operations due to the space the specialized equipment and process will require.

Consider using old newspapers as they can also be a good option as well. Shredded or balled up newspaper has decent cushioning ability. My opinion is that shredded paper has a neat look in the box and adds some “eco-cred” to your products. Aesthetically the balled up news print leave a little to be desired, and there is no efficient way to “ball up” enough paper to keep up with a high volume fulfillment operation. Shredded paper, although requiring an extra step (to shred) does led itself to a higher volume set up.

Again, it’s not as pretty, but old cardboard boxes can be cut into strips and then rolled tightly. Place the rolls vertically into the packing box around the item in the box, the rolls will then expand providing a cushion. Similar to newsprint, if some care is taken up front to cut or prepare the boxes neatly the end product could work in a way that looks good to your customers.

Reusing something like paper or cardboard for packaging is always preferable to recycling, and of course, MUCH better than throwing those items away. Cushion packaging is sold that is made from one hundred percent post consumer waste paper – give that a try if you don’t like the look of used newspapers.

Biodegradable packing peanuts are available, made from grain sorghum and corn starch. For environmentally friendly soft foam in rolls, starch-based products such as GreenCell have the added bonus of being anti-static which is great for cushioning computer parts and electronic equipment.

For wrapping and packaging inside the box, use or reuse something. And the same goes for the cartons you are using – go for boxes made from recycled cardboard. The options these days for recycled corrugated boxes are very diverse and any place selling boxes will likely provide these product options as well.

Introduction

Quantum dots are nano-meter-scale “boxes” for selectively holding or releasing electrons. Over the past 14 years they have been transformed from laboratory curiosities to the building blocks for a future computer industry. Quantum dots are small metal or semiconductor boxes that hold a well-defined number of electrons. The number of electrons in a dot may be adjusted by changing the dot’s electrostatic environment. Dots have been made ranging from 30nm to 1 micron in size, and holding from zero to hundreds of electrons.

Brief History

During the1980’s ideas concerning the Quantum Dot surfaced when researchers in the field of computing were trying to construct something close to “nano-scale” in the field of computing.

The Mechanism of Quantum Dot

By using an external light (e.g. Ultraviolet) on nano-crystals (e.g. made from semiconductor materials such as zinc sulphide, cadmium selenide, indium phosphide or lead sulphide), the nano-crystal will absorb the light and then, as a result of the crystal being stimulated by the absorbed light, it will re-emit the light, usually of a certain colour, depending on the size of the quantum dot.

It has been observed in experiments and shown theoretically that reducing the dimensions of a quantum dot raises the effective operating temperature of the electron confinement device. Present day quantum dots are large enough (approximately 1-10 microns long and wide) that they require cooling with liquid helium or, at least, liquid nitrogen, to cryogenic temperatures. However, for a practical technology with widespread applications based upon such quantum-effect devices, it will be necessary to achieve room temperature operation. This requirement implies that it is necessary to invent and manufacture molecular-scale quantum dots that are only approximately 1 to 10 nanometers in linear dimension. Such a quantum dot would probably be constructed as a single molecule i.e. a molecular quantum dot. Molecular quantum dots are one example of the next-generation technology known as Molecular-scale electronics.

Professor James Tour of the University of South Carolina and Professor Mark Reed of Rale University are collaborating on the chemical synthesis and testing of molecular wires. These operate by allowing electrons to move nearly ballistically along the length of a chain of ring-like chemical structures with conjugated pi-orbitals.

It has been suggested by Tour and by others, that it may be possible to insert chemical groups of lower conductance into such a molecular wire, creating paired barriers to electron migration through the chain. Such barriers might create a molecular quantum-effect device that would function in a fashion similar to solid-state resonance tunnelling devices that already have been fabricated, tested, and applied in prototype quantum-effect logic.

Work in the area of quantum-based devices for nano-scale metrology will be directed to fabricating an ultra-small SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) for applications in single-particle detection. The fabrication of such a device will be a significant achievement, and should prove important in areas such as future nano-scale frequency standards, emerging quantum computer and single-particle sensor technologies and in the study of adatom-surface interactions.

Many researchers in nano-electronics are talking of a possible architecture for computer logic based on quantum dots. As mentioned previously, a quantum dot is a box that holds a discrete number of electrons. Adjusting electric fields in the neighbourhood of the dot, for example by applying a voltage to a nearby metal gate, can change this number. Of course, since quantum dots are fabricated in solids, not in vacuum, there are many electrons in them. However, almost all of these are tightly bound to atoms in the solid. The few electrons spoken of are extra ones beyond those that are tightly bound. These extra electrons could roam free in a solid were they are not confined in a quantum dot.

In nano-structures, the electrical properties can be markedly different from their macroscopic equivalents thereby revealing many novel effects. “Progress in the field has been hampered by two problems,” said Arizona State University Chemistry Professor Devens Gust. “The first has been in making robust, reproducible electrical connections to both ends of molecules. After this has been achieved, the next problem is knowing how many molecules there actually are between the electrical contacts.”

Applications

The uses or possible future uses of Quantum Dots can cover various applications with impressive futuristic results.

The following are just few examples:

1. Quantum computers.

2. Domestic and office lighting applications.

3. Medical Applications.

4. Television screens and monitors.

5. Silicon Photovoltaic cells

Conclusion

Generally speaking, atoms are quantum dots, however, adding a number of molecules together in small space, produce the quantum dots effects.

Addition or removal of an electron changes the properties of a quantum dot, resulting in a “benefit” in one way or another.

Quantum Dots and their applications are the next step in the field of nanotechnology, which in the future will bring applications in commercial and non-commercial fields. Quantum Dots may be still in the research stage at the present time, however, their applications and the benefits which they will bring along has already encouraged companies and governmental organisations to invest heavily in this field.

References

1. A. F. van Driel, G. Allan, C. Delerue, P. Lodahl,W. L. Vos and D. Vanmaekelbergh, Frequency-dependent spontaneous emission rate from CdSe and CdTe nanocrystals: Influence of dark states, Physical Review Letters, 95, 236804 (2005).
2. Reed MA, Randall JN, Aggarwal RJ, Matyi RJ, Moore TM, Wetsel AE (1988). “Observation of discrete electronic states in a zero-dimensional semiconductor nanostructure”. Phys Rev Lett 60 (6): 535-537. PMID 10038575. (1988).
3. Reed MA (1993). “Quantum Dots” (PDF). Scientific American 268 (1): 118.

E74 Error Cause

The Xbox 360 E74 error is a very prominent problem associated with the Xbox 360 systems. Many owners encounter this problem every day.

When your console obtains the E74 error, it will display an error screen which displays “E74”. Also, one LED light around the power button with flash. Similar to most common Xbox 360 problems, the E74 occurs due to overheating.

There are a countless number of elements that contribute to the overheating of your Xbox 360. These could possibly include: setting your console in a confined space, placing your Xbox 360 on shaggy carpet, failing to dust your console routinely, and anything that prevents your console from attaining proper ventilation. Another massive contributor is playing your console for hours upon end without giving it a break. The Xbox 360 was just not designed to withstand countless hours of game-play in one setting.

Like I mentioned earlier, the E74 error is strikingly similar to many of the common Xbox 360 problems, like the RROD. Both, the RROD and E74 error, are caused by overheating of the Xbox 360 console. That being said, the difference between the two is the module on the motherboard that has become faulty. For the E74 error, the display chip on the motherboard has lost contact. As for the RROD, it occurs when the CPU or the GPU looses contact with the motherboard. The RROD can possibly be caused by another computer chip on the motherboard, but almost every time it will be associated with the CPU or GPU.

If your console has contracted the E74 error, you are probably looking for a way to fix it. Luckily for you, the E74 error can be easily fixed in a timely manner that is also easy on your checkbook. No, I am not talking about sending your console to Microsoft. The fix I am talking about is a professional repair guide. With a professional repair guide, you won’t have to wait 6 weeks and pay Microsoft $100 to fix your console.

Guidelines on How to Avoid Common Xbox 360 Complications

– Periodically dust your console in order to prevent significant dust build-up around air vents.

– Limit the number of continuous hours of play on your Xbox 360 console. A little break between gaming sessions can go a long way.

– Try to avoid placing your console near other electronics, which produce heat, for example, a DVD player or cable box.

– Place your console on a smooth surface, and try to avoid carpets at all cost.

In this modern age of technology communication has become an important part of our life. Today there are numerous means of communication, such as: letters, telegram, telephone, telex, fax, email, etc. Before email, letters were the most typical means of communication. But now, email has replaced it and became the first choice of most of the people. The main reason behind its popularity is that it is free and faster than other means of communication.

“An email or electronic mail is a message, which is electronically generated by using an email program (AKA email client) and sent to a recipient or a group of recipients in very quick time. An email platform is a program that enables us to send emails to other users as well receive emails from them.”

MS Outlook, a computer program designed by Microsoft, is one of the most common and popular emails programs of all time. It offers a variety of services like: user-friendly messaging platform, email management, contact management, notebook, web browser and calendar. MS Outlook stores our mail messages and other data items in a file, which is called PST or personal storage table. The MS Outlook data file has two formats: ANSI and Unicode. The main difference between them is the size limitation. An ANSI file has a size limit of 2GB (maximum) while a Unicode file has no size limit (up to 20GB and up to 50GB in MS Outlook 2010). The earlier versions of MS Outlook like: MS Outlook 2002, 2000, 98 and 97, ANSI PST is used, whereas Unicode PST is used in the later versions of MS Outlook like: MS Outlook 2003, 2007 and 2010. The file size of MS Outlook file gets increased by receiving a large number of emails and the size gets more increased if an email contains an attachment. The increasing size of a file may result file corruption or it may affect the performance MS Outlook application. There is one more demerit point of a large-sized PST file that it becomes difficult to manage or handle.

In such a situation there is only one solution: split a large-sized file into multiple smaller files. By splitting a large-sized PST file we will get multiple smaller files, which will be easily opened with MS Outlook and will not be corrupted or damaged. We can split a large-sized PST file by two ways: manually and by using third-party PST split software.

To split a PST file manually we have two options. We can either use ‘Archive’ feature or ‘Move to Folder’ feature to move data items to a new file.

Split PST file by using “Archive” feature of MS Outlook:

1. We need to open the MS Outlook program and select a PST file, which we like to split.
2. Click on File menu > Archive.
3. The Archive dialog box will be appearing, click on Archive this folder and subfolders.
4. Now we need to select a folder from the list shown in the dialog box.
5. In Archive items older than box, select a date.
6. Now click on Browse button, select a location and type a name for the new PST file.
7. Now click on OK button.

Split PST file by using “Move to Folder” feature of MS Outlook:

1. Open MS Outlook program, select PST file.
2. Click on File menu, point to New and click on Outlook Data File (at the bottom).
3. The New Outlook Data File dialog box will be appearing, click on Office Outlook Personal Folders File (.pst), and then click on OK button.
4. Select a location and type a new name for new a PST file. Click on OK button.
5. The Create Microsoft Personal Folders dialog box will be appearing, we need to type the display name of the file in the Name box.
6. Now we need to select the folder which we want to move to a new file.
7. Click on Edit menu > Move to Folder (Ctrl+Shift+V).
8. The Move Items dialog box will be appearing, click on New tab.
9. Enter a name for the new folder in the Create New Folder dialog box.
10. Under “Select where to place the folder”, click the new file and then click on OK.
11. The Move Items dialog box will be appearing. Make sure the new folder in the new file is selected, click on OK.

These above are the most easiest and reliable solutions (manual) to split a large-sized PST file into multiple smaller files. But sometimes this could be little difficult for a non-technical user or this may take enough time. If we are having trouble while splitting a PST file by using these methods, we must consider a “third-party PST splitter” in such a situation. In the market there are many software development companies which offer such software tools to split MS Outlook PST files. We can use any one of them.They are affordable and reliable. But we must check their demo version before buying the full version of the software. Usually demo version is a freeware (freely available) of a software that helps us examine the performance of the software.

How many people would rather use a paid lookup directory over a free reverse email address lookup directory? Did you know that a free e-mail address lookup is possible if you want to avoid spending a dime just to find a sender? Though, websites like Google and Facebook are not specifically into offering reverse lookup services; they can be of great help. There is no need going into details of the kinds of services Google and Facebook offer; our concerns should rather be the quality of information they both provide in terms of looking up e-mail addresses.

There is no question about the capacity of search engines to help users or visitors index information from various websites. It is so amazing the extent of information a site like Google is able to crawl within a very short time. That is why the potentials are always there for people who want to find unknown email senders. Once you insert the e-mail id of the sender into the search box, you can be sure something related to your search is going to be presented. You are certainly going to get something from your search, but this may lead to confusion. The reports are normally presented in ways that may stretch you beyond your ability to separate what should be and what should not be. Sometimes, the reports are so obsolete that one may easily get discouraged.

Social networking sites have become one of the most popular destinations on the internet. Thousands join some of these sites every day, and they have become places where people meet to make new friends, and find old ones too. Once you sign up to become a member, you can take advantage of the search box to find any unidentified e-mail sender.

Of course you can go ahead to use a free reverse email address lookup service if you want a specialized service. Many top-notch free reverse directories are springing up these days; and they are offering better services than they used to. Actually, free directories are nothing compared to the kinds of data and reports being presented by paid reverse email address lookup directories; yet, they are worth trying after all. All you need to do is type in the electronic mail id of the sender into the search box and click the search button. Only if you are lucky will you be able to find accurate reports containing name, age, sex, and location of sender.

I was once a big fan of some of these free reverse email address lookup sites in the past; but I hate to compromise on quality. That is why I prefer using a paid reverse email address lookup service any time I want to check an unknown e-mail sender.

You can check out other options or websites where you can trace anonymous e-mail senders when you read reviews, and use search engines. As a matter of fact, there are quite a number of other methods; however, you must be cautious as you use a free directory. However, it is preferable to opt for a paid reverse email address lookup directory than a free one.

Have you ever noticed that most car repair shops tend to specialize in oil changes, tune-ups and other simple maintenance jobs? And only a few do “heavy-duty technical” repairs like engine rebuilds or transmission work? The reason is simple: maintenance is where the money is.

Ever wonder why computer repairs so expensive?

Did you know that eighty percent of all automotive repairs are considered “routine”? And any beginner “gear-head” with a strong back and a willing mind can be taught how to fix most of them.

While computers are more reliable than then they used to be, they can still fail when you least can afford it…

Like an automobile, computers have a tendency to “breakdown” in specific problem areas and often require simple, routine “tune-ups”. Computer repair shops make their money on the sheer “volume” of customers with simple repairs. It’s the law of large numbers; that’s what makes computer repair services very profitable and your bill so very expensive.

What the “Computer Repair Guy” doesn’t want you to know…

When it comes to getting your computer repaired, most people think they only have a few options open to them…

A technical support center…

Pro: Technical support either online or by phone can very affordable, especially if your warranties are still valid.

Con: But there is only so much that can be done remotely. These hard working folks may answer hundreds of call a night using just a headset and a canned, one-size-fits-all set of scripted answers. If your problem isn’t in their solution sets then it isn’t going to be easily fixed.

A local repair shop or the repairs counter at a “big box” electronics store…

Pro: Retail electronics stores usually have “computer repair departments” with trained and certified technicians onboard.

Con: These in-house repair shops are just sidelines. Their “real” job is to sell people new machines, hardware and software, so they are NOT really interested in saving you any money!

A tech savvy friend, family member or just that geek kid from across the street…

Pro: Friends and family are great in a crisis. Plus they’re very cost effective (they will work for beer and hot wings).

Con: But even your best pals will eventually get tired of you calling them for help everyday. Any good relationship is based on “give and take”. And too much “take” can ruin things.

Solving Computer Problems can be Simple

Sometimes we all need outside expert help (even me) but the first person at the “scene of the crime” is always YOU.

Think about it…

When something goes wrong with your home or office computer, you are by default will become its “first responder”. And like a real paramedic, when your computer “crashes” you can learn what to do during an “emergency”; how to perform “computer first aid”.

It’s not difficult to learn how to quickly “repair and treat” the “patient” so that your computer makes a full recovery. Or know when to turn your problems over to a trained technician.

The Most Affordable Technical Assistance is to…”Do It Yourself”

That’s right. Most common computer issues you can fix yourself. Hey, basic computer maintenance and repair isn’t rocket science. Anyone with a few hand tools, some technical know-how (which you will pick up if you keep reading) and a spare hour or two…can learn the basics of repairing most any PC.

As computers become more vital to our everyday lives, you should take the time to learn some basic computer repair tips and quick fixes. Visit your local bookstore, browse your public library and search online for beginner repair books and resources. Learn to do it yourself and save yourself a bundle of cash.

Do you ever wonder how to sing high notes like famous singers can do? Have you ever wanted to sing like them? Keep reading and you will discover some important facts about singing high notes.

The good news is that everyone can learn to sing high notes. Actually, singing high notes is a learned skill. So you need to put some hours into acquiring this skill. There is no way around it. The goal is to find a healthy technique to produce high notes with ease and power. Inexperienced singers tend to push and squeeze resulting in a weak sound. To produce a high note, you need to learn to activate vocal cords without the help of compensatory muscles, which surround the larynx (voice box) and interfere with the free movement and action of the vocal cords.

Be realistic! Our bodies have certain limitations and we have to be aware of them. Not everyone is Aretha Franklin or Elton John. If you are a bass singer, do not aim for the highest notes in the tenor range. Avoid frustration by knowing your limitations.

Figure out the widest range you can sing comfortably. Then, locate the note or notes where your voice quality changes from your chest register to the head register. Your most comfortable range will change as you develop your vocal technique. Now, when you know the highest note you can sing, start working on the next note (a semitone higher). To increase your singing range successfully, you need to work on it progressively.

Many beginner singers make the mistake of ignoring or not knowing the vocal mechanism used when singing high notes. If you know what should happen in your voice box when singing high notes, you can make appropriate adjustments and changes. If you are serious about learning to sing high notes, invest some time in learning about vocal mechanism. In order to change pitch you need to change the length, elasticity and thickness of vocal folds. The trick is to learn to isolate the action of the deep muscles of the larynx. This can be a challenge because the compensatory muscles are used to working all day long – when we swallow or yawn.

Some people say that you need more air, some advice less air for high notes. The truth is that you need the same amount of air for both low and high notes but you need the right amount of air pressure underneath the vocal cords to set them into a vibration. High pitches require increased air pressure underneath the vocal cords because the cords are tense, long and thin. Only practice will teach you how much is the right amount.

As I mentioned previously, there is no quick fix or instant magic that will extend your range without work. Singing high notes is a learned skill. It is better to practice every day for a short period of time than once a week for a long time.

There are two main registers – chest and head registers. Your speaking voice is usually produced in the chest register. The produced sound is heavy and strong. Put a hand on your chest and sing a low note. You should feel vibrations in your chest.

Now, when you sing a high note, suddenly those vibrations in your chest diminish and you should feel vibrations mostly at the back of your head (some schools also teach vibrations in your nose). The head register is not as “comfortable” because we don’t use it in our everyday speech.

To develop a mixed voice or a smooth transition between the chest and head registers, you need to practice the notes around your vocal break. Work through the notes progressively and as you move higher, focus on using less of the chest voice and more of the head voice. You recognize the mixed voice by feeling the vibrations – less in the chest and throat and more in the head and back of the mouth.

There are many resources available that explain how to sing high notes. However, some information is not helpful and can even weaken your vocal range. So choose wisely and reflect on your feelings when you follow a particular technique. Ask yourself: Does this feel right? Is this technique working for me? Experiment with ideas and find what suits you best.