In the modern world, It won’t be strange anymore if you buy new computers from electronic websites. From my perspective, it looks old fashioned if you go to a computer store and review each product there. If you really need a new PC or mobile computing, try to find the information first in the internet. There are plenty of full reviews that you can find from internet so I think you’ll know much more than if you go to a computer shop or electronic dealers in real world. Another positive thing is, you must not to go out from your home sweet home. You could read about different products and different brands in front of your computer.
I always went to electronic malls when I had time to check new releases. I checked their prices and displays but I realized I was just wasting my precious time. Start from early 2006, I always buy everything online, start from new video games to new PCs. Even if you think you do not need new electronic products online, you can minimally try to discover what electronic item do you want with your Opera.
If five years ago new PCs or other gadgets are designed for children and nerds, now it is quite easy to find new products for your need. Many companies like Toshiba or Sony produced their own business laptops. With not-so expensive price tags, you could get the best performance from new laptops. It is the same with PCs. You do not need to search for old computers if you have a tight budget, you can expect PCs which specially designed for your kind.
Computer companies know everyone has different missions. There are people who buy new computers for games but the others buy new PCs for their jobs. Nevertheless, there are too many new computers released every day so I think the best option for you is to search in the internet what is the best product for you. It will be pretty hard and very time consuming for you if you insist on “traditional way” Searching for new gadgets online is the most effective way at the present time.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Hot Tub selecting - what to look for
What should you be looking for when buying a Jacuzzi Hot Tub?
Should you simply be looking for the cheapest product that one can buy?
Or should you be looking for the compromise something that is a very well built product at a reasonable price and at the same time is economic to run and simple to use and maintain.
When it comes to purchasing real estate or property all the experts say that are only three points that one has to consider and it is that very saying that we have all heard before so many times LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION.
I take the same view with a Hot Tub Jacuzzi but then the three words are QUALITY QUALITY QUALITY.
I would simply say that you should not waste your time buying cheap inferior made junk no matter how well it appears to be packaged.
One of the common problems you hear with cheaper less well designed and engineered spas is that they cannot run on say 16 amp electricity. Another is that they are much more expensive to run as they vent cold air into the Tub as opposed to re-using the heat of the motors and pumps.
If one does not go for quality and purchases a cheaper produced product then you will not be surprised if it becomes in-operative or as kids on the block would say - brown bread, or should I say dead, and thereby expired before its time.
With a Jacuzzi style Hot Tub as with most things in life it is often a case of pay up now or in the future and in some ways that reminds me of when I first started working more years ago than I care to remember. One of the partners for whom I enjoyed working and learnt a great deal used to say that one can usually gain experience in one or two ways it simply either takes a very long time or vast sums of money. I have to say, with hindsight, that he knew very well what he was talking about.
There is also the well known phrase that buying cheap usually means that one ends up buying twice.
In some ways this could be compared with a motor car.
One can buy an older car for relatively cheap money but then incur a lot of expense continually repairing it and keeping it safe on the road.
Alternatively one could buy a more expensive car for considerable more money but of course then you would then not have to repair it so often. But probably overall it would cost more or less the same in terms of monetary cost.
But more often than not the very cheap alternative would actually cost a lot more in true terms as there would be many times when the car was off the road waiting for spare parts or what ever.
This is very similar, in many ways. to purchasing a Hot Tub as there is very little point is there in buying a cheap false bargain if it then packs up and it then can not be used for some time. That is why you should always buy a Hot Tub with controls that are made by leading manufacturers such as Balboa (American) or Gecko (Canadian) that way you know that one can always get spare parts for them.
But you have to remember that when it comes to purchasing a Hot Tub it is of course nothing as simple as buying a new motor car, simply as modern motor cars have advanced so much that all one has to do is that simple regular check on the coolant and oil. More often than not that can be done from the drivers seat when you insert the key. All that is often required in terms of service for many miles is to simply change the filter and oil.
But you must remember that a Hot Tub is much more complicated.
Whilst a hot tub and a spa have many moving parts and electronics the crucial difference of course is that a Hot Tub is laden full of water and that water is being pumped around the pipes and plumbing under great pressure from the motors and pumps.
Whilst a well made Hot Tub will require minimal maintenance one has to maintain the water quality.
If one does not take care of the quality of the water the sensors may become clogged with calcium or calcified and then problems may occur.
Obviously a cheap poorly constructed hot tub is a sure fire recipe for a disaster. You can usually tell the poorly constructed ones quite easily. They often have a steel frame as the construction of the shell is unable to take the weight of people and water with out reinforcement, this is very much an outdated from of construction. The use of a non branded acrylic such as Lucite of Aristech both leading makers of Acrylic.
If they do not use a quality acrylic like Lucite or Aristech you need to ask yourself the question why they do not? The answer is dead simple as these branded materials costs 4 times as much as inferior materials.
As the worlds leading spas are made using these branded materials so if it does not have a shell made from these materials then I think one needs to question how well the is the spa constructed internally.
Just because it may be nicely packaged or have nice wrapping paper it does not mean that the contents which are out of sight are any good.
A car has been designed and engineered for many years since Henry Ford introduced the model T and in many ways has advanced to a certain state of perfection and it is probably true that car could run for many years with, more or less, minimal maintenance except the odd oil filter, a change of oil and a battery every so often.
The same is true if you buy a Hot Tub from a major manufacturer who has been designing them for many years as you will get a first class product which will require little maintenance.
So, my firm advice, is that one should only purchase a product that is well made by an American or European internationally recognized producer of Hot Tubs and then there is every chance that the product will last and last and give years of faultless performance.
Do not buy one simply because it appears to be American or European please check it out and go underneath the wrapping and packaging.
The reasoning is simple in that an internationally recognized producer does back his products with a real guarantee so in the unlikely event that there is a fault it rests with the manufacturer not the consumer.
These manufacturers have had many decades of experience and they build them, from the ground up, with the proper parts and components so it will not break down and so for that simple reason and that reason alone that they are prepared to provide a proper guarantee.
About the Author
The author Jacuzzi John (JJ) supplies premium quality American & European Hot Tubs from Estepona & Sotogrande on the Costa Del Sol in Spain and his web site is at http://www.spas4you.com email info@spas4you.com
Should you simply be looking for the cheapest product that one can buy?
Or should you be looking for the compromise something that is a very well built product at a reasonable price and at the same time is economic to run and simple to use and maintain.
When it comes to purchasing real estate or property all the experts say that are only three points that one has to consider and it is that very saying that we have all heard before so many times LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION.
I take the same view with a Hot Tub Jacuzzi but then the three words are QUALITY QUALITY QUALITY.
I would simply say that you should not waste your time buying cheap inferior made junk no matter how well it appears to be packaged.
One of the common problems you hear with cheaper less well designed and engineered spas is that they cannot run on say 16 amp electricity. Another is that they are much more expensive to run as they vent cold air into the Tub as opposed to re-using the heat of the motors and pumps.
If one does not go for quality and purchases a cheaper produced product then you will not be surprised if it becomes in-operative or as kids on the block would say - brown bread, or should I say dead, and thereby expired before its time.
With a Jacuzzi style Hot Tub as with most things in life it is often a case of pay up now or in the future and in some ways that reminds me of when I first started working more years ago than I care to remember. One of the partners for whom I enjoyed working and learnt a great deal used to say that one can usually gain experience in one or two ways it simply either takes a very long time or vast sums of money. I have to say, with hindsight, that he knew very well what he was talking about.
There is also the well known phrase that buying cheap usually means that one ends up buying twice.
In some ways this could be compared with a motor car.
One can buy an older car for relatively cheap money but then incur a lot of expense continually repairing it and keeping it safe on the road.
Alternatively one could buy a more expensive car for considerable more money but of course then you would then not have to repair it so often. But probably overall it would cost more or less the same in terms of monetary cost.
But more often than not the very cheap alternative would actually cost a lot more in true terms as there would be many times when the car was off the road waiting for spare parts or what ever.
This is very similar, in many ways. to purchasing a Hot Tub as there is very little point is there in buying a cheap false bargain if it then packs up and it then can not be used for some time. That is why you should always buy a Hot Tub with controls that are made by leading manufacturers such as Balboa (American) or Gecko (Canadian) that way you know that one can always get spare parts for them.
But you have to remember that when it comes to purchasing a Hot Tub it is of course nothing as simple as buying a new motor car, simply as modern motor cars have advanced so much that all one has to do is that simple regular check on the coolant and oil. More often than not that can be done from the drivers seat when you insert the key. All that is often required in terms of service for many miles is to simply change the filter and oil.
But you must remember that a Hot Tub is much more complicated.
Whilst a hot tub and a spa have many moving parts and electronics the crucial difference of course is that a Hot Tub is laden full of water and that water is being pumped around the pipes and plumbing under great pressure from the motors and pumps.
Whilst a well made Hot Tub will require minimal maintenance one has to maintain the water quality.
If one does not take care of the quality of the water the sensors may become clogged with calcium or calcified and then problems may occur.
Obviously a cheap poorly constructed hot tub is a sure fire recipe for a disaster. You can usually tell the poorly constructed ones quite easily. They often have a steel frame as the construction of the shell is unable to take the weight of people and water with out reinforcement, this is very much an outdated from of construction. The use of a non branded acrylic such as Lucite of Aristech both leading makers of Acrylic.
If they do not use a quality acrylic like Lucite or Aristech you need to ask yourself the question why they do not? The answer is dead simple as these branded materials costs 4 times as much as inferior materials.
As the worlds leading spas are made using these branded materials so if it does not have a shell made from these materials then I think one needs to question how well the is the spa constructed internally.
Just because it may be nicely packaged or have nice wrapping paper it does not mean that the contents which are out of sight are any good.
A car has been designed and engineered for many years since Henry Ford introduced the model T and in many ways has advanced to a certain state of perfection and it is probably true that car could run for many years with, more or less, minimal maintenance except the odd oil filter, a change of oil and a battery every so often.
The same is true if you buy a Hot Tub from a major manufacturer who has been designing them for many years as you will get a first class product which will require little maintenance.
So, my firm advice, is that one should only purchase a product that is well made by an American or European internationally recognized producer of Hot Tubs and then there is every chance that the product will last and last and give years of faultless performance.
Do not buy one simply because it appears to be American or European please check it out and go underneath the wrapping and packaging.
The reasoning is simple in that an internationally recognized producer does back his products with a real guarantee so in the unlikely event that there is a fault it rests with the manufacturer not the consumer.
These manufacturers have had many decades of experience and they build them, from the ground up, with the proper parts and components so it will not break down and so for that simple reason and that reason alone that they are prepared to provide a proper guarantee.
About the Author
The author Jacuzzi John (JJ) supplies premium quality American & European Hot Tubs from Estepona & Sotogrande on the Costa Del Sol in Spain and his web site is at http://www.spas4you.com email info@spas4you.com
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
What type of Electronic Whiteboard do you need?
Electronic whiteboards are becoming the new standard in classrooms and meeting rooms, in the 21st century. They take presenting, teaching and learning to new levels of interactivity.
What is an Electronic Whiteboard?
An electronic whiteboard allows material to be presented or displayed from a computer. Images, slides, text and even video can be displayed on an electronic whiteboard. Electronic whiteboard technology then allows for the teacher or presenter to interact with that image. For example, notes can be written on the electronic whiteboard adding information to the image presented. Electronic whiteboard technology can then capture that information and store it. Electronic whiteboards provide many useful applications in both business and classroom settings.
Thermal Electronic Whiteboard
Thermal electronic whiteboards allow the user to write, and print in black and white only. Each thermal electronic whiteboard comes with a printer attached and the images captured on this electronic whiteboard are then printed on thermal paper. This provides ease of use, but presentations on thermal electronic whiteboards often lack flair as they can only be seen in black and white. The PLUS BF-041S Electronic Whiteboard is a good example of a thermal electronic whiteboard. It is a freestanding electronic whiteboard unit with the ability to be mounted and contains a printer.
Color Electronic Whiteboard
Color electronic whiteboards can add pizzazz to presentations by introducing color. These electronic whiteboards can also be called copy boards. Using this technology, images are captured on the electronic whiteboard in color. These images can then be stored and either printed or distributed electronically. The PLUS M11s Electronic Whiteboard is a good choice for a color electronic whiteboard. It can be connected directly to a PC and images can be stored there or printed and distributed. Images stored on the computer from the electronic whiteboard can be further edited.
Portable Electronic Whiteboards
A portable electronic whiteboard is an alternative solution to a standard electronic whiteboard. Using a system such as eBeam, it is possible to turn any whiteboard into an electronic whiteboard. Simply attach the eBeam receiver to the whiteboard and connect the receiver with a USB cable to your computer. This system is quick and easy to set up on any whiteboard and it is easy to transport. The Quarter IdeaShare Q8000 Portable Whiteboard Capture System includes a receiver, mounting systems, electronic pens, dry-erasure markers, software and USB cable. These come with a carry bag for ease in portability. Portable electronic whiteboard systems are an economical alternative to standard electronic whiteboard systems.
Electronic whiteboards are setting the standard in presenting in both business and classroom settings. New schools being built include electronic whiteboards in each classroom. Electronic whiteboard sales have reached nearly $1 billion dollars. Teachers are developing new teaching strategies utilizing interactive whiteboards and are finding excellent results in student learning. Electronic whiteboards have a positive effect on the motivation and attention learners have toward their subject. While electronic whiteboards might once have been the wave of the future in classrooms and business settings, this is a technology that is here to stay.
What is an Electronic Whiteboard?
An electronic whiteboard allows material to be presented or displayed from a computer. Images, slides, text and even video can be displayed on an electronic whiteboard. Electronic whiteboard technology then allows for the teacher or presenter to interact with that image. For example, notes can be written on the electronic whiteboard adding information to the image presented. Electronic whiteboard technology can then capture that information and store it. Electronic whiteboards provide many useful applications in both business and classroom settings.
Thermal Electronic Whiteboard
Thermal electronic whiteboards allow the user to write, and print in black and white only. Each thermal electronic whiteboard comes with a printer attached and the images captured on this electronic whiteboard are then printed on thermal paper. This provides ease of use, but presentations on thermal electronic whiteboards often lack flair as they can only be seen in black and white. The PLUS BF-041S Electronic Whiteboard is a good example of a thermal electronic whiteboard. It is a freestanding electronic whiteboard unit with the ability to be mounted and contains a printer.
Color Electronic Whiteboard
Color electronic whiteboards can add pizzazz to presentations by introducing color. These electronic whiteboards can also be called copy boards. Using this technology, images are captured on the electronic whiteboard in color. These images can then be stored and either printed or distributed electronically. The PLUS M11s Electronic Whiteboard is a good choice for a color electronic whiteboard. It can be connected directly to a PC and images can be stored there or printed and distributed. Images stored on the computer from the electronic whiteboard can be further edited.
Portable Electronic Whiteboards
A portable electronic whiteboard is an alternative solution to a standard electronic whiteboard. Using a system such as eBeam, it is possible to turn any whiteboard into an electronic whiteboard. Simply attach the eBeam receiver to the whiteboard and connect the receiver with a USB cable to your computer. This system is quick and easy to set up on any whiteboard and it is easy to transport. The Quarter IdeaShare Q8000 Portable Whiteboard Capture System includes a receiver, mounting systems, electronic pens, dry-erasure markers, software and USB cable. These come with a carry bag for ease in portability. Portable electronic whiteboard systems are an economical alternative to standard electronic whiteboard systems.
Electronic whiteboards are setting the standard in presenting in both business and classroom settings. New schools being built include electronic whiteboards in each classroom. Electronic whiteboard sales have reached nearly $1 billion dollars. Teachers are developing new teaching strategies utilizing interactive whiteboards and are finding excellent results in student learning. Electronic whiteboards have a positive effect on the motivation and attention learners have toward their subject. While electronic whiteboards might once have been the wave of the future in classrooms and business settings, this is a technology that is here to stay.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
When You Change To Digital Samsung Televisions From Your Old Analog Set by Samsung Televisions
When You Change To Digital Samsung Televisions From Your Old Analog Set, Recycle and Add To Energy Savings
Friday June 12, 2009
Broadcasting digital only signals today, analog receiving sets can no longer get free programming from television stations that they use to catch via rabbit ears or larger roof top antennas. If you haven't replaced your old tv with a new Samsung Televisions LCD or another popular Model you are left with 3 basic options: subscribe to a cable service or one of the satellite providers, hook up to a set top digital converter box, or take the plunge and purchase a new Samsung LCD or other model that receives digital signals. The EPA is very interested in this transition and in keeping with making sure that the environment is top of mind wants you to recycle that old analog set or if you are not replacing your old set in favor of using a digital box, counsels you to make sure it is Energy Star Compliant. If your choice is a new set, ensure that is has an Energy Star Label. When you recycle that old set it allows recovery of valuable resources from circuit boards, wiring, glass and plastics. During 2008 alone, over 20 million televisions were trashed by Americans without being recycled, as reported by the EPA. This was a costly lost opportunity in the effort to reclaim and conserve resources like copper and iron. Recycling electronics is a worthwhile cause and doesn't take much effort to do your part in being a good steward. To learn more about how to do this check with a local hazardous waste collection and recycling provider. A lot of them get together regularly and hold meeting and events to motivate folks to get involved with recycling their old appliances and devices. Samsung Televisions, Toshiba, Sony. Panasonic and Sharp manufacturers, sponsor hundreds of recycling collection points and national events in an honest effort to spur an energy conscious smooth transition from old style analog to the new digital televisions to make it simple and convenient to recycle. The EPA website provides more detailed information about the digital TV transition and where you can recycle your old TV.
Friday June 12, 2009
Broadcasting digital only signals today, analog receiving sets can no longer get free programming from television stations that they use to catch via rabbit ears or larger roof top antennas. If you haven't replaced your old tv with a new Samsung Televisions LCD or another popular Model you are left with 3 basic options: subscribe to a cable service or one of the satellite providers, hook up to a set top digital converter box, or take the plunge and purchase a new Samsung LCD or other model that receives digital signals. The EPA is very interested in this transition and in keeping with making sure that the environment is top of mind wants you to recycle that old analog set or if you are not replacing your old set in favor of using a digital box, counsels you to make sure it is Energy Star Compliant. If your choice is a new set, ensure that is has an Energy Star Label. When you recycle that old set it allows recovery of valuable resources from circuit boards, wiring, glass and plastics. During 2008 alone, over 20 million televisions were trashed by Americans without being recycled, as reported by the EPA. This was a costly lost opportunity in the effort to reclaim and conserve resources like copper and iron. Recycling electronics is a worthwhile cause and doesn't take much effort to do your part in being a good steward. To learn more about how to do this check with a local hazardous waste collection and recycling provider. A lot of them get together regularly and hold meeting and events to motivate folks to get involved with recycling their old appliances and devices. Samsung Televisions, Toshiba, Sony. Panasonic and Sharp manufacturers, sponsor hundreds of recycling collection points and national events in an honest effort to spur an energy conscious smooth transition from old style analog to the new digital televisions to make it simple and convenient to recycle. The EPA website provides more detailed information about the digital TV transition and where you can recycle your old TV.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Optical Computing-recent Trend in it
Optical computing means performing computations, operations, storage and transmission of data using light instead of electricity. Instead of silicon chips optical computer uses organic polymers like phthalocyanine and polydiacetylene.Optical technology promises massive upgrades in the efficiency and speed of computers, as well as significant shrinkage in their size and cost. An optical desktop computer is capable of processing data up to 1, 00,000 times faster than current models.
Advantages
Optical computing is cheaper or more powerful than conventional computers.
Within one data path several data sets can be transmitted parallel at the same time using different wavelengths or polarizations. Data paths are able to cross each other without interference.
The superior velocity of light allows extreme processing speeds.
Optical computers are said to run much faster than electronic
computers
Disadvantages
The development of its price is still expensive
Optical components can be build small and compact but not really miniaturized
Optical computers may use a different architecture. So these programs cannot use the full optical computers
High-tech factory costs several millions up to billions of dollars to be built
Difference between Optical computing and conventional computing
Optical computing
Data paths are able to cross each other without interference
Based on two dimensions
High performance
Bottleneck could disappear
Less heat is released
Less noise
Change the shape and layout
The distance of communication does not matter
Long-range communication is possible. the data rate is very high and there is no crosstalk
conventional computing
Crossed data paths are not possible
Based on three dimensions
Performance lesser than optical computing
Bottleneck could appear
Produce heat to a greater or lesser extent
A lot of noise. developed fans to reduce noise
Built as a rectangular box (desktop) or as a laptop
Communication depends on the distance
Longer distances decrease of the practical transfer rate
Features
Wireless Optical Mouse
The ultimate speed is the speed of light.
Massaging your hand by infrared ray
Quick and stable temperature (at 45+/-1) for warming your hand
Safety material for avoiding damaging the component of mouse
High precision option
Plug and play, no-driver required
Scroll without scrollbars
Optical tracking engine
Comfortable shape
low-consumption devicesThe mouse is designed to be used by younger children and features a smaller form factor that allows for an easier grip. It also features a colorful design that will make your child more interested in using a computer.
The mouse itself is rated for up to 1 million clicks.The mouse features an 800 dpi optical tracking interface. Optical tracking is much more precise than a mechanical ball mouse, and is also less prone to mechanical failure.
Past research
Existing silicon technology would represent a potentially less expensive and more feasible way to mass-produce future-generation devices that would use both electrons and photons to process information, rather than just electrons as has been the case in the past.
Less than one year ago, created laser light from electrical current on silicon by placing a layer of the silicon.
Ongoing research
This research builds upon the development of the silicon laser. Computer technology now depends on silicon electronics for data transmission. Researchers have used this platform to demonstrate electrically-pumped lasers emitting 40 billion pulses of light per second. because light can move thousands of times faster through solid materials than electrons and can carry more information at once, while requiring less energy. This is the first ever achievement of such a rate in silicon.
Creating optical components in silicon will lead to optoelectronic devices that can increase the amount and speed of data transmission in computer chips while using existing silicon technology.
Optical chips based on silicon photonic crystals would include their reduced risk of overheating due to lower power needs.
Source:
Sangeetha Priya.K lecturer,
Dept of MCA, Tamilnadu College of Engineering, Karumathampatti, Coimbatore
Advantages
Optical computing is cheaper or more powerful than conventional computers.
Within one data path several data sets can be transmitted parallel at the same time using different wavelengths or polarizations. Data paths are able to cross each other without interference.
The superior velocity of light allows extreme processing speeds.
Optical computers are said to run much faster than electronic
computers
Disadvantages
The development of its price is still expensive
Optical components can be build small and compact but not really miniaturized
Optical computers may use a different architecture. So these programs cannot use the full optical computers
High-tech factory costs several millions up to billions of dollars to be built
Difference between Optical computing and conventional computing
Optical computing
Data paths are able to cross each other without interference
Based on two dimensions
High performance
Bottleneck could disappear
Less heat is released
Less noise
Change the shape and layout
The distance of communication does not matter
Long-range communication is possible. the data rate is very high and there is no crosstalk
conventional computing
Crossed data paths are not possible
Based on three dimensions
Performance lesser than optical computing
Bottleneck could appear
Produce heat to a greater or lesser extent
A lot of noise. developed fans to reduce noise
Built as a rectangular box (desktop) or as a laptop
Communication depends on the distance
Longer distances decrease of the practical transfer rate
Features
Wireless Optical Mouse
The ultimate speed is the speed of light.
Massaging your hand by infrared ray
Quick and stable temperature (at 45+/-1) for warming your hand
Safety material for avoiding damaging the component of mouse
High precision option
Plug and play, no-driver required
Scroll without scrollbars
Optical tracking engine
Comfortable shape
low-consumption devicesThe mouse is designed to be used by younger children and features a smaller form factor that allows for an easier grip. It also features a colorful design that will make your child more interested in using a computer.
The mouse itself is rated for up to 1 million clicks.The mouse features an 800 dpi optical tracking interface. Optical tracking is much more precise than a mechanical ball mouse, and is also less prone to mechanical failure.
Past research
Existing silicon technology would represent a potentially less expensive and more feasible way to mass-produce future-generation devices that would use both electrons and photons to process information, rather than just electrons as has been the case in the past.
Less than one year ago, created laser light from electrical current on silicon by placing a layer of the silicon.
Ongoing research
This research builds upon the development of the silicon laser. Computer technology now depends on silicon electronics for data transmission. Researchers have used this platform to demonstrate electrically-pumped lasers emitting 40 billion pulses of light per second. because light can move thousands of times faster through solid materials than electrons and can carry more information at once, while requiring less energy. This is the first ever achievement of such a rate in silicon.
Creating optical components in silicon will lead to optoelectronic devices that can increase the amount and speed of data transmission in computer chips while using existing silicon technology.
Optical chips based on silicon photonic crystals would include their reduced risk of overheating due to lower power needs.
Source:
Sangeetha Priya.K lecturer,
Dept of MCA, Tamilnadu College of Engineering, Karumathampatti, Coimbatore
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Essential GCSE Study Skills
Essential GCSE Study Skills Study skills are simply the various skills you need to be able to study effectively. Many students have surprisingly poor study skills. This study guide is designed to help anybody who is studying for their GCSE exams and wishes to improve such study skills. This study guide is packed full of useful advice which will help you develop all the skills that you need to effectively prepare for your GCSE exams. The guide starts off by showing you how to set up a suitable study environment. Then the guide goes onto to show you how to design and implement your study skills, planning your revision and dealing with stressful situations. Feeding yourself good food helps to keep your body in good shape. Your brain works in a similar way so it is important to feed yourself positive thoughts. Changing your study environment will also improve your ability to revise and will help with your self confidence. Negative thoughts on the other hand will undermine your self confidence and will destroy your-self image. Nearly everybody has more potential than they realise. Plenty of people prevent themselves from learning just because they don't believe in their own abilities. Believing in yourself can be a source of enormous strength. Essentially it is a matter of attitude; a calm quiet approach will lead to confidence and success. Be careful not to be over confident. This is often just an excuse for doing nothing. You fool yourself that the course is easy and requires little effort. So you do nothing until a month before the exam and then suddenly become anxious and nervous about the prospect of doing the exam. A good way to boost your self confidence is to keep a record of what you have achieved and reward yourself from time to time when you have achieved goals that you have set yourself. Constructing a SWOT analysis is an excellent way to help prepare for exams. SWOT stands for: • Strengths • Weaknesses • Opportunities • Threats Your strengths could lie in knowledge of certain areas of the syllabus; your weaknesses could be your motivation and organisation. Opportunities could be the free time that you have or the environment that you are studying within. Threats could be distractions in your life such as the TV, concentration levels and events that occur in your personal life. The environment that you are studying in can have a vital influence on your ability to revise effectively. Radio, TV, Computers and DVDs may be great inventions but they can invade people's privacy just as much as other people can. Finding a quiet place to study such as a library or your bedroom away from disruption is vital. If you study at home ensure that you notify family members so that they are aware that you are revising and can keep noise levels to a minimum. Remember not to study too much as this can be counterproductive. Ensure that you get plenty of sleep (typically between 8-12 hours per day). Working on the computer before you go to bed is not recommended as this can inhibit your ability to get a good night's sleep. Ensure that you have regular meals and have time to relax and be with your friends. Doing plenty of physical exercise is also a good idea and when you construct a revision timetable ensures that you include some kind of physical activity within your schedule. There are two types of study skills that you need to be aware of they are receptive study skills and productive study skills. Receptive skills deal with acquiring and processing new information, where as productive skills deal with how you plan and present your own ideas based on information that you have already worked through. Examples of receptive skills: • Skimming • Scanning • Using abbreviations • Making notes • Summarising
Examples of productive skills: • Brainstorming • Solving problems • Improving your memory • Making inferences • Empathising • Assessing your own progress Different subjects will of course use different types of skill. For example Mathematics will use more productive skills when revising such as practising Maths questions, whereas History will require more receptive skills such as note taking.
Remember when doing a task that may seem daunting it is often best to break it up into more manageable tasks, to tackle the problem one bit at a time. Spread the units of work over a period of hours, days or weeks, depending upon the time scale. Build these sessions into your regular study plan. This skill is useful if you have to write a long assignment for your coursework, or if you need to reschedule a project over several weeks or months. Don't bore yourself to death with endless repetition. There are better ways of remembering one section of your studies when you proceed to the next. Build into your study plan regular opportunities to review your work. The aim is to renew your interest and clarify your understanding.
Problem solving skills are essential irrespective of the subject that you are studying and even if you are not studying at all. The most efficient problem solvers use techniques such as brainstorming and lateral thinking to tackle situations. These approaches give us freedom to take a new idea and see where it goes.
There are various ways to help improve your memory whilst revising; these include mnemonics, visualisation and narratisation. A mnemonic is a way of making information memorable by turning initials into a kind of story. For example to remember the colours of the rainbow 'Richard of York gave battle in vain' Visualisation involves placing information spatially in your imagination. Let's suppose that you are studying Chemistry. You want to memorise the periodic table. You could take different sections of the table and, in your imagination; 'place' each section in a different room of your home. Or if you are studying English, you could take the plot of the novel and think of it as a journey along the street in which you live. Using a cassette recorder or recording information digitally onto a computer can be a great way to record your notes that can be played back when you are ready to revise. This is more useful for subjects like English literature where a large amount of information has to be retained about a particular novel relating to the plot, characterisation, view point etc.
Diagrams, pictures and flow charts can be good ways of remembering information, especially if you assign colours to particular sections, i.e. implement a system of colour coding. As the exams begin to loom so the pressure will begin to mount. The more you study the more there is to remember! Sticking to your study plan may involve sacrifices. You may feel frustrated, angry and irritated at times.
Remember that our ability to think, study and remember information depends on the efficient running of our body. Exercise is a great way to combat stress. Having said that too much of anything is a bad thing and no matter how well we look after ourselves by eating the correct food and exercising regularly we cannot avoid stressful situations entirely. When we become stressed and anxious are bodies release a hormone called adrenalin. Adrenalin causes the heart to beat faster and increase the blood pressure in our bodies. At the same time we may experience dryness in the mouth, more rapid breathing and heightened alertness.
To combat this try a simple breathing exercise. This exercise will lower your heart rate and will enrich the supply of oxygen to the brain. To do this breathe in deeply. Silently count '1', '2' as you do so. Hold your breath as you silently count from 1 to 8. Don't 'lock' the muscles of your throat or chest. Hold your breath as gently as possible. Release your breath slowly as you count from 1 to 4. Count '1' while your lungs remain empty. Repeat the steps again a few more times until you feel more relaxed.
Attending Tai Chi classes and meditation groups are a great way of relieving stress. Often these classes are on a weekend or evening so will not class with your study commitments. If you are unable to attend any of these classes then there are also plenty of products available to purchase to help with sleep and relaxation. For more information on essential GCSE Study skills please visit
Top Grade Maths Tuition
About the Author
Steven Britton is the senior tutor at private Mathematics tuition agency Top Grade Tutoring. www.topgradetutoring.co.uk
Examples of productive skills: • Brainstorming • Solving problems • Improving your memory • Making inferences • Empathising • Assessing your own progress Different subjects will of course use different types of skill. For example Mathematics will use more productive skills when revising such as practising Maths questions, whereas History will require more receptive skills such as note taking.
Remember when doing a task that may seem daunting it is often best to break it up into more manageable tasks, to tackle the problem one bit at a time. Spread the units of work over a period of hours, days or weeks, depending upon the time scale. Build these sessions into your regular study plan. This skill is useful if you have to write a long assignment for your coursework, or if you need to reschedule a project over several weeks or months. Don't bore yourself to death with endless repetition. There are better ways of remembering one section of your studies when you proceed to the next. Build into your study plan regular opportunities to review your work. The aim is to renew your interest and clarify your understanding.
Problem solving skills are essential irrespective of the subject that you are studying and even if you are not studying at all. The most efficient problem solvers use techniques such as brainstorming and lateral thinking to tackle situations. These approaches give us freedom to take a new idea and see where it goes.
There are various ways to help improve your memory whilst revising; these include mnemonics, visualisation and narratisation. A mnemonic is a way of making information memorable by turning initials into a kind of story. For example to remember the colours of the rainbow 'Richard of York gave battle in vain' Visualisation involves placing information spatially in your imagination. Let's suppose that you are studying Chemistry. You want to memorise the periodic table. You could take different sections of the table and, in your imagination; 'place' each section in a different room of your home. Or if you are studying English, you could take the plot of the novel and think of it as a journey along the street in which you live. Using a cassette recorder or recording information digitally onto a computer can be a great way to record your notes that can be played back when you are ready to revise. This is more useful for subjects like English literature where a large amount of information has to be retained about a particular novel relating to the plot, characterisation, view point etc.
Diagrams, pictures and flow charts can be good ways of remembering information, especially if you assign colours to particular sections, i.e. implement a system of colour coding. As the exams begin to loom so the pressure will begin to mount. The more you study the more there is to remember! Sticking to your study plan may involve sacrifices. You may feel frustrated, angry and irritated at times.
Remember that our ability to think, study and remember information depends on the efficient running of our body. Exercise is a great way to combat stress. Having said that too much of anything is a bad thing and no matter how well we look after ourselves by eating the correct food and exercising regularly we cannot avoid stressful situations entirely. When we become stressed and anxious are bodies release a hormone called adrenalin. Adrenalin causes the heart to beat faster and increase the blood pressure in our bodies. At the same time we may experience dryness in the mouth, more rapid breathing and heightened alertness.
To combat this try a simple breathing exercise. This exercise will lower your heart rate and will enrich the supply of oxygen to the brain. To do this breathe in deeply. Silently count '1', '2' as you do so. Hold your breath as you silently count from 1 to 8. Don't 'lock' the muscles of your throat or chest. Hold your breath as gently as possible. Release your breath slowly as you count from 1 to 4. Count '1' while your lungs remain empty. Repeat the steps again a few more times until you feel more relaxed.
Attending Tai Chi classes and meditation groups are a great way of relieving stress. Often these classes are on a weekend or evening so will not class with your study commitments. If you are unable to attend any of these classes then there are also plenty of products available to purchase to help with sleep and relaxation. For more information on essential GCSE Study skills please visit
Top Grade Maths Tuition
About the Author
Steven Britton is the senior tutor at private Mathematics tuition agency Top Grade Tutoring. www.topgradetutoring.co.uk
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