How to erase a hard disk the right way!

If you ask yourself how you can erase a hard disk, in order to start all over again and correctly install the programs back, then there are certain recommendations that we would suggest you keep in mind before proceeding, so that you prevent destroying your hard disk, destroy your data or make it unusable.Before you start to delete data on your hard drive it is important to make sure you have backed up and secured all information existing on your hard drive. There are various ways how to do that, including uploading it to the Internet. Another thing you need to verify before erasing all the data from your hard disk is that you have all the installation CDs and diskettes to make everything functional again. Keep in mind that in case you PC operates with Windows 98 or a version even lower than that you have to have a boot disk to have it format and to reinstall it properly. Although you have the boot disk or the installation CD, sometimes there are cases in which the data can’t be reinstalled properly. Therefore you might want to make sure everything is ok, before you proceed to erase your hard drive. Also, if you are running software that is licensed, make sure you have all the necessary OEM numbers and registration codes necessary so that you are able to register the programs once again, before you completely delete it.

There are various manners in which a hard disk can be erased. You might want to use specialized software for this operation, or you might use the traditional method. There are many new releases on the software market for managing and erasing any hard drive information which can assist the computer users so as to remove any trace of Internet activity on their PCs, to erase history files or cookies as they surf the net. Even when they have surfed anonymously in real time.

Are you wondering why you should use specialized software in order to remove the data from your computer that you either don’t need anymore or you simply don’t want others to have access to? Well, there are really good reason for you not to proceed in the traditional way. You have to be aware that although you have deleted your files and folders by using the delete utility function and by so doing erasing all the relevant information from your hard disk, that it is still be possible for other persons to access sensitive data if they have the right software tools. This is because the delete operation in Windows does only remove the special reference of the file or folder from the file system’s table, not the data itself. Thus, the particular piece of information actually still remains on the disk until another file is saved over it. By carefully studying the magnetic fields on the disk platter surface other people can actually find, recover and use deleted data later, while you may believed that previous data were secure from prying eyes.

In other words if you intend to wipe out the data on the hard disk in order to totally destroy or block access to specific data, then you definitely need the assistance of a software which permanently perform this erasing operation.

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Guide to Current computer hard drives

This page contains a basic yet comprehensive guide to selecting a hard disk drive to build your own cheap computer.The hard disk drive is where you install and store all of your programs and files. When you turn your computer off anything not stored on the hard disk will be lost.

Hard disk sizes are measured in gigabytes and when your hard drive is full no new software can be installed without uninstalling some old software first. This is why getting a a hard drive that suits your needs is important.

I've found some good deals on some big fast drives, check out TigerDirect to browse hard drive prices.

What to Consider When Choosing A Hard Drive

You will need a big drive if you plan on using a large range of software.

Games especially take up a great deal of space. If you plan on installing a few of the latest games then get a hard disk of at least 15 gigabytes.

The speed of your hard disk is also important. A slow hard drive takes a long time to load Windows on start up.

In fact the loading time of every program you use will be slow. You can generally get a good idea of a drives speed by simply looking at two specifications:

1. Ultra DMA 33/66/100/133

This is the transfer speed of your drive. Ultra DMA 33 drives are the slowest and oldest while Ultra DMA 133 drives are newer and faster.

It is important to note that your motherboard must support the Ultra DMA level of your drive in order for you to get the speed boost. However, you can connect an Ultra DMA 133 drive to a Ultra DMA 66 only motherboard but you will only get Ultra DMA 66 speed.

In my opinion this specification is a bit misleading.

Newer drives are faster even if they are run at the same transfer speed. This is the most important rule.

2. RPM 5400/7200/10,000/15,000 (platter rotation speed)

This is the speed at which the metal disks inside the hard drive rotate. Faster rotation speeds make for much faster drives. 5400 RPM is the most common speed at this writing but the numbers of 7200 RPM drives are slowly increasing.

Get a 7200 RPM (or faster) drive if you will be working with big files or if you don't like waiting for things to load. The drive above would be great for heavy duty picture editing, music production or audio and video encoding.

Games will not get any speed boost from a faster drive.

10,000 and 15,000 RPM drives use a different (SCSI) interface and thus require a SCSI controller card to be installed in your computer. These drives are made for heavy duty server work and are expensive. However if you got one of them installed in your home computer it would kick a$$.

Hard drive brands:

I used to think that IBM, Seagate and Western Digital made the best hard disk drives. However IBM has had some embarrassing recalls on a couple of it's 7200 RPM models.

Basically it is pot luck when you select a drive. Makes sure you get one with a good warranty or one that is very cheap.

If you're interested, here are some good deals on some big, fast drives visit TigerDirect to browse hard drive prices.

Selecting a hard drive that is right for you is not rocket science. One piece of advice is to always overestimate the size you will need.

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Apple MacBook Pro (2011) MC721LL/A 15.4 Inch Laptop

Editor's Preview

The MacBook is all nice and fine, and can handle all the productivity tasks that most people need from a computer. But the MacBook Pro holds the real power of the Mac system. Even some of the more basic MacBook Pro configurations can handle the media editing tasks for which this line has become famous; the more decked-out versions are the machines that pros use for nimble photo, video, and music editing. What’s more, people love them for their designs and user friendliness -- most folks who switch to Mac never go back, and those who do usually don’t have a choice. There are PCs that can handle the same tasks, but MacBook Pros are the industry standard for a reason.

Specifications

• 2.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor
• 500 GB Hard Drive, 8x DVD/CD SuperDrive, 4 GB DDR3 RAM
• 15.4 inch LED-backlit display, 1440-by-900 resolution
• AMD Radeon HD 6490M graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR5 memory
• High Speed Thunderbolt Port, FaceTime HD Camera, Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard
• Part Number: MC721LL/A
• UPC: 885909431618
• Release Date: Feb 23, 2011

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Build Your Own Computer From Scratch

(This Build Your Own Computer page is a January 2008 update to our previous "build your own" tutorial page, and it reflects current technology. In fact, the links on this page make a virtual kit!)

If you've eyed the computers at Wal-Mart and Best Buy, and then suffered from sticker shock, or, if what they're offering is well beyond what you'll actually need, do it old school, and build your own computer.  Building your own computer is how computers were first sold – indeed, one of the jokes among real old timers is that when they got into computers, they were sold as plastic bags full of parts, and you needed a soldering iron to put them together. 

To build your own computer, you'll need the following computer components: 


1)    A motherboard --  This is the part of the computer that everything else plugs into.

2)   A CPU, or "chip" -- This is what does the computation, and is what all those television ads are about.  Right now, the best price/performance ratio in CPUs are Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs for decently powerful machines, and Celeron 1.33 Core Duos for low budget machines good for email, the web and writing term papers, but not gaming.

3)   RAM, or the memory of the computer -- You'll be getting what's called DDR SDRAM, with a speed (usually something like DDR 667 SDRAM).  This is where your data gets stored when it's being manipulated.  More is always better, and faster (provided it matches the specifications on your motherboard) is always better.  It's hard to find anything smaller than 512 MB these days.

4)   Video card  -- There are two flavors of video card –- older ones use what's called Accelerated Graphics Port, often times with a multiplier after it –- 4x, 8x.  Newer ones (and the ones you'll have the easiest time finding) use what's called PCI Express.  If you're building your own computer for gaming, you want a video card with a high end chipset, either from NVIDIA or ATI, and a lot of memory on it.  Like RAM, it's hard to find a video card with anything smaller than 512MB. (You won't want to go smaller anyway!) It's also important that your video card accepts DVI, for hooking up the newer monitors - this one has two.

5)    Sound card -- The motherboard in our kit already has onboard sound, but if you choose another motherboard,you'll want to get a sound card. Or, add this sound card if you want to upgrade your sound.





6)    Ethernet network card -- Some motherboards come with a network card built it.  You may want to upgrade to a wireless one for convenience sake.

7)    Hard drive   -- Bigger is better.  Make sure that you get a hard drive that works with your mother board.  The two types you'll find on the market are SATA (more modern, faster data transfer rate) and IDE (older standard, and older, smaller, harder to find drives).

8)    Mouse, Keyboard and Monitor.  Get the cheapest mouse and keyboard you can stand to use – they'll probably cost about $25, total, combined (unless you have repetative stress injuries, then go all out and go ergonomic). The place to splurge when building your own computer is on the monitor.  High end 19" and 22" wide screen monitors have plummeted in price, and will be the one component you're likely to carry over from computer to computer as you upgrade.

9)    Lastly, you'll need a computer case , some cooling fans (included in the suggested case), and a screwdriver.  A well lit place is also a good thing, and a magnifying glass can be a life saver.  Nearly every case sold these days has a power supply. And if you're going to build your own computer you're going to want this repair tool kit .

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Email Marketing Campaigns for Local Radio Stations

By Dan Forootan

The 21st century hasn’t been an easy one for traditional radio. Those traveling by car used to have no choice but to listen to the radio while driving, but today’s 30-somethings have never known a car without a tape deck or compact disc player and drivers of all ages can now plug their iPod into a jack and drive as far as they want without ever listening to the radio. Those who want to listen to the radio, meanwhile, often do so via satellite radio, which carries with it a fairly ample subscription fee but offers hundreds of channels and a minimal amount of commercials in exchange. And how about the pre-teen crowd? When they’re watching movies in the back seat, how can they ever develop a fondness for listening to the radio—and experience the surge of adrenaline when a favorite song randomly pops up?

Somewhat ironically, the best way for radio to remain relevant today is by connecting personally with listeners during in-person appearances by DJs at festive occasions such as grand openings and baseball games. It’s possible to further cement the relationship with listeners by embarking upon an email marketing campaign for local radio stations during these events.

The idea of pairing local radio stations and email marketing campaigns is a particularly savvy one because the people most likely to listen to the radio are the ones who still use email regularly. Younger people communicate via text messaging and social media, but those who remember listening to AM/FM radio and are still fond of the medium will be the perfect target of an email campaign for local radio stations.
The best part of a local radio station’s email marketing campaign is how easy and inexpensive it is to set up and operate. A staffer from the radio station can stand near the booth during promotional appearances and collect email addresses from listeners as they mill about. Have someone collecting emails near the giveaway table—that’s a great way to make sure your local radio station’s email marketing campaign gets off to a rollicking start! Let listeners know that joining the email marketing campaign list is the best way for them to remain informed about giveaways and promotions as well as station news and music news in general.

Once the email addresses are collected, the next step is inputting them into a database so that the email campaign for local radio stations can begin. These campaigns can often be handled by anyone in the office with a modicum of computer experience. Email marketing software provides a fast, easy and affordable way to gather and maintain contact information, as well as send out tailored email blasts periodically.

There are many industries and businesses than can profit from email marketing. Local radio stations are right at the top of that list and can stay in constant communication with their most loyal listeners with an email marketing campaign. Find out how to get started today and enjoy immediate results with an email campaign for local radio stations!

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Anno 2070: Official Debut Trailer

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Lenovo ideaPad Tablet K1 Hands on Review

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Lenovo IdeaPad K1 Tablet: Product Tour

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