Sunday, November 9, 2008

Xbox 360 4 Red Lights - Cause and Repair

The Xbox 360 4 red lights problem is quite a complicated one as it can mean more than one thing- you could be lucky, and your console is just suffering from a very minor problem that can be fixed by plugging the AV cable back in. However, if this does not fix the problem, then your Xbox 360 is suffering from a much worse problem- those 4 red lights are coding for the red ring of death, which means that something quite serious has gone wrong with your console, due to overheating and hardware error. This problem can be quite expensive to repair unless you choose to fix it yourself- today you will learn the basic steps to doing so.

A loose AV cable can cause the Xbox 360 4 red lights problem. What you need to do now is leave this article open, go to your Xbox 360 console, unplug the AV cable from the back, and then re-insert it so that a click is heard. Turn your console back on- if the lights are gone then the problem has been fixed and you have been very lucky. If not, then you will need to continue reading to find out more about the red ring of death problem and what it means for your console.

This worrying 4 red lights error on the Xbox 360 is caused by excessive heat in the console due to a lack of cooling devices such as fans and heat sinks, as well as powerful components which put out large amounts of heat as a waste product. This overheating issue then wreaks havoc with the components, and forces the console to shut itself down to prevent further damage from occurring.

There are a number of fixes that are often recommended for the red lights error. One such fix is the "towel wrap trick", which involves wrapping your console in a bath towel and turning it on and off. All I can say is do not try this- the extra insulation produced by the towel will serve to only worsen the overheating problem and cause even more damage to your Xbox 360,

The only way you can fix the 4 red lights error on your Xbox 360 is to invest in a repair guide. This is a collection of video files that will show you how to determine the exact fault in the hardware of your console, then fix it in such a way that it will never come back again. Xbox 360 repair guides have got much better in recent months- many of the best ones now feature true HD video files, free updates, 24/7 customer service centres and far easier repair methods that will have you gaming far quicker.

Click here to learn more about an easy step-by-step Xbox 360 repair guide at Xbox 360 Central that will allow you to repair your Xbox 360 in under two hours in the comfort of your own home. This repair guide features the most competitive price on the market, full HD videos, 24/7 customer support, a 60-day money back guarantee and the same repair method that professionals use and recommend. You can learn how to fix Xbox 360 4 red light errors quickly and easily, and repair your Xbox 360 in the time that it takes to watch a movie.

James Philipson has been involved in the electronics industry for over 10 years and has repaired more than 30 Xbox 360 consoles since the platform's release over two years ago.

Police Chief Roy Melnick is photographed at the St. Johns Police station in St. Johns. Ariz. Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008. Police in this small eastern Arizona community are looking into the possibility that an 8-year-old boy who is charged with killing his father and another man with a rifle had been abused, the police chief said Saturday. The boy, who faces two counts of premeditated murder, did not act on the spur of the moment, Melnick said. 'I'm not accusing anybody of anything at this point,' he said. 'But we're certainly going to look at the abuse part of this. He's 8 years old. He just doesn't decide one day that he's going to shoot his father and shoot his father's friend for no reason. Something led up to this.' (AP Photo/Dana Felthauser)AP - People in this small, tight-knit community are reeling from the killing of a well-liked man police say was shot by his own 8-year-old son, and they will likely turn out in droves for his funeral.

Mass Spectrometer and Its Uses

The mass spectrometer is an instrument that can measure the masses and relative concentrations of atoms and molecules and Mass Spectrometry is an analytical technique that identifies the chemical composition of a compound or sample based on the mass-to-charge ratio of charged particles. The design of a mass spectrometer has three essential modules, an ion source-which transforms the molecules in a sample into ionized fragments, a mass analyzer-which sorts the ions by their masses by applying electric, and magnetic fields and a detector-which measures the value of some indicator quantity and thus provides data for calculating the abundances each ion fragment present.

The mass spectrometer technique has both qualitative and quantitative uses, such as-
1. Identification of unknown compounds
2. Determining the isotopic composition of elements in a compound
3. Determining the structure of a compound by observing its fragmentation
4. Quantifying the amount of a compound in a sample using carefully designed methods
5. Studying the fundamentals of gas phase in ion chemistry
6. Determining other physical, chemical or biological properties or compounds.

Mass spectrometers are sensitive detectors of isotopes based on their masses. They are used in carbon dating and other radioactive dating processes. The combination of a mass spectrometer and a gas chromatograph makes a powerful tool for the detection of trace quantities of contaminants or toxins. A number of satellites and spacecraft have mass spectrometers for the identification of the small numbers of particles intercepted in space.

Mass spectrometers are also widely used in space missions to measure the composition of plasmas. Foe example, the cassini spacecraft carries the Cassini Plasma spectrometer (CAPS), which measures the mass of ions in Saturn's magnetosphere.

Mass spectrometry is an important method for the characterization of proteins. Pharmacokinetics is often studied using mass spectrometry because of the complex nature of the matrix (often blood or urine).

Mass spectrometers are used for the analysis of residual gases in high vacuum systems.

An atom probe is an instrument that combines time-of-flight mass spectrometry and field ion microscopy to map the location of individual atoms.

This article is issue in public interest by Applied Instrument Technologies (AIT) is the process analytical technology business within Hamilton Sundstrand, a United Technologies company. AIT delivers process analytical technology solutions to the leading companies of the world. We design and manufacture robust process development and on-line analyzers for quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, talks to media after she arrived at her office in Anchorage, Alaska on Friday, Nov. 7, 2008 for the first time since she began campaigning as Sen. John McCain's vice presidential running mate. (AP Photo/Al Grillo)AP - Gov. Sarah Palin hadn't been back home in Alaska for a full day and her staff had begun fielding requests Thursday for postelection interviews, including from Barbara Walters, Oprah Winfrey, Larry King and others.

What on Earth is a MMORPG?

It's a strange word, and one you may have only come across either within gaming community forums or in game publications, but what exactly is a MMORPG? To break this acronym down into meaningful words, a MMORPG is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game. To the uninitiated, that means about as much as the acronym, so let's break it down further to try to understand exactly what this is.

There are many different types and variations of computer games and video games available today, many of which have inherited their categories and genres from some of the earliest computer games first developed in the 70s and 80s. Some of these computer games involved playing a sports game against the computer, or completing certain puzzles or challenges, but some of the games make you take on the role of a character within the game, often with your character depicted on the screen.

Usually this involves you maneuvering your character about, interacting with the environment and with other characters in the game. These types of games have become extremely popular as they allow the player to be fully immersed within the game making it seem as though they are someone else. These games have been referred to as RPG, or Role Playing Games, simply because the player takes on a role within the game.

With the growing developments in internet and network technology, and with greater bandwidth and speed being available to a greater number of players, many computer games have allowed players to play against other people using the internet. In this way, one player in the UK can quite happily play against someone sitting in New Zealand, with no delay between their movements and actions - everything happens immediately for both players.

This adds a whole new dimension to game play, as humans provide two aspects that a computer can't really provide effectively. The first is unpredictability. Although computers can try to replicate this, it is never genuinely unpredictable. A computer is programmed to be unpredictable, but the level and nature of the unpredictability is, naturally, pre-programmed, meaning that eventually the unpredictability is predictable. Humans can not only be very random and unpredictable, but they can also be both very clever and original in tactics, and very stupid, making mistakes which may, or may not, turn out to be successful.

The other aspect is of course the interaction and conversation which goes on between players. When playing against a computer, you don't tend to talk to it, except occasionally to shout at it in anger. When playing against a human, the social interaction can become part of the fun and appeal of the game itself.

As games have developed, technology has improved, and games companies are able to expand the borders of what they can provide. A number of games are now available which combine the idea of RPG capability with the online element, but go one further and allow not just two or three players to compete against each other, but many thousands or even millions. It is these games, which involve vast numbers of people playing against each other online in a role playing game that has spawned the descriptive acronym MMORPG. The most popular MMORPG at present is World of Warcraft, with over 8 million players online.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about kids toys, dolls, and video games. You will find the best marketplace for kids toys, dolls, and used video games at these sites for toys, Online Games and dolls.

Police Chief Roy Melnick is photographed at the St. Johns Police station in St. Johns. Ariz. Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008. Police in this small eastern Arizona community are looking into the possibility that an 8-year-old boy who is charged with killing his father and another man with a rifle had been abused, the police chief said Saturday. The boy, who faces two counts of premeditated murder, did not act on the spur of the moment, Melnick said. 'I'm not accusing anybody of anything at this point,' he said. 'But we're certainly going to look at the abuse part of this. He's 8 years old. He just doesn't decide one day that he's going to shoot his father and shoot his father's friend for no reason. Something led up to this.' (AP Photo/Dana Felthauser)AP - People in this small, tight-knit community are reeling from the killing of a well-liked man police say was shot by his own 8-year-old son, and they will likely turn out in droves for his funeral.

IT Training Starts With Need Assessment

It is more than apparent that information technology is needed in any business or company. In accordance with this realization, IT training is then deemed as equally necessary as the IT application itself.

IT training basically refers to the workshops and seminars that aim to equip individuals with knowledge and skills in using IT applications. IT training varies in specialization and focus. It also has various levels and categories of IT skills. As such, before availing of any specific IT training, the company should first conduct a training needs analysis or TNA.

Conducting a TNA before arranging for any IT training will make sure that the company gets the right teaching that is necessary for the business operations. It will also make sure that the training provided will answer the current problems or situations of the employees when it comes to business processes. Moreover, a TNA will ensure that the training to be conducted will be cost-effective.

The goals of a TNA

A typical training needs assessment aims to analyze whether the IT training is really necessary for the advancement of the company. It will also determine the reasons why such type of training is required for which specific group of personnel. The assessment will also identify what should be the content and scope of the training, particularly the level and types of IT skills that are necessary for the business operations. Finally, the analysis will define what should be the expectations and the outcomes of the training.

The various stages of the TNA

Identification of the problem:

The first stage of the TNA requires the HR and the administration to determine what business issues should be addressed. It aims to identify what are the pressing difficulties that the current IT set-up of the company is facing.

Assessment of the needs:

This is the part where the results of the data gathering are reviewed and analyzed in order to fulfill the goals of the TNA. This is where the identification of the scope of the training, the people to be trained, and the expectations from the training will be made.

Development of the training plan:

This is the last stage of the TNA. This is where you will devise the IT training plan in accordance to the results of your assessment. Included in this stage is the formation of a training outline- from the timeline to the various stages and steps.

Construction of the TNA Plan:

This next stage requires the HR and the administration to devise the clear steps on assessing the needs of the employees when it comes to IT. This plan will basically include almost every employee in the company. It includes the identification of the timeline for the TNA, the participants for the TNA, and the processes by which the TNA can be completed.

Implementation of the TNA plan:

This stage signifies the part where you gather information. Most of the time, this involves a review of the performance and productivity of the staff in relation to their present skills in IT and the equipment that they are using. This also includes interviews with the administration personnel, as well as staff meetings where the employees can voice out their views about the IT training.

New Horizons Northern Ireland is a class leading IT training company specialising in Microsoft and Adobe training such as Excel, Word, Access, Dreamweaver and Photoshop training. Comm-Store.co.uk is a leading supplier of IT equipment including Data Cabinets and Cat5e Cable.

In this Oct. 30, 2008 file photo, Ford lineworker Carey Earl works on the 2009 Ford F150 truck at the Dearborn Truck Assembly in Dearborn, Mich.  Ford Motor Co. on Friday, Nov. 7 said it lost $129 million in the third quarter as the struggling automaker burned through $7.7 billion in cash and set plans for more job cuts.  Ford said it will eliminate about 2,260 more white-collar employees in North America as it battles continued weak demand, the credit crisis and the worst economic downturn in decades. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, file)AP - At Ford Motor Co. they called it "Blue," a team set up around the year 2000 to design an array of small, fuel-efficient cars to compete with the Japanese. It didn't get far because no one could figure out how to make money on low-priced compacts with Ford's high labor costs.

How You Can Take Advantage Of New Technology And Print Postage Online

If going to the post office is a chore you would love to take off your list, the time has come to look into the ability to print postage online. Even if your computer skills are strained when you move beyond sending an email, you will find that being able to print online postage is easy and will benefit you in several different ways. Here are some reasons being able to do so is a great advantage for both home and business.

One of the most obvious advantages is that you can completely eliminate the need to stand in line at the post office. It doesn't matter whether you are mailing letters, postcards, or packages. The USPS approved online postage services are set up so that you can print online for just about any situation. From there, you simply drop the letters of package into any USPS mail receptacle at your leisure.

Along with the ability to print post online, you also can have the system automatically print your return address on the envelope, as well as enter the mailing address for the recipient. Being able to fill out the entire face of the envelope can be a wonderful time saver, allowing you to cover all three steps at one time.

Another advantage is that you are able to build a useful address book as you go, or incorporate an existing electronic address book into your account. This means that once you have an address saved in the system, you will never have to enter the data a second time. The next time you need to send a letter to a relative across the country, simple select the right name and address, select the postage and then print postage online along with the recipient's name.

A great feature of online postal services is that the system will check the accuracy of your recipient address before it will allow you to print stamps online. As an example, you will not be able to transpose digits in the zip code: the system will catch that and flag it for correction before proceeding. This feature alone can make it worthwhile, as it means you do not have to worry about mail being returned because you failed to write the address correctly.

Have you ever been left with a large number of stamps when the USPS would implement a rate increase? That is not a problem. Because you only print what you need, there is never any leftover. An additional perk is that all the approved vendors for online postage automatically update the rates at the appropriate time. This means that if you use the ability to print your stamps on the internet for your business, you do not have to be concerned about resetting anything before you can print the correct amount of postage.

There are many other advantages. For more information, check out some of the authorized vendors on the Internet. You can establish an account very easily, and be printing postage in no time.

Craig Thornburrow is an acknowledged expert in his field. You can get more free advice on printing postage and a digital postal scale at http://www.printingpostage.com

No Juice in Simpson Retrial(E! Online)E! Online - O.J.'s last squeeze came up empty.

Board Games That Require Drawing

Board games often cover a variety of bases on what it actually entails to play them. Some are focused on strategic movements and the chance element that dice rolling brings. Others focus on the trivia that is known by a player and sometimes on how quickly they can recall that trivia. There are a few board games out there, however, who focus more on the creative aspects that a player might have. In particular, there are a few games that test a player's skill at drawing. This does sound daunting to some players who may feel that their artistic skills are not up to par. However, these games often make allotments for this handicap and it's rare that a game will test the technical prowess of an artist. Usually, one of these games is more interested in how well a player can get their message across.

One of these games is Cranium, which actually tests players in a variety of areas. Cranium has the standard trivia and verbal questions that many games rely on, but it can also test not only the performance skills of a player, but also the artistic ones. With a typical game of Cranium, players will sometimes have to sketch out a certain word or phrase for teammates to guess. Sometimes, there are even restrictions on how they do this, such as drawing with one's eyes closed, or having to draw the picture without ever picking the pencil up from the paper. This can present quite an obstacle, but the better a player knows how to convey a message, the more successful they will be.

Another incredibly popular drawing board game would be Pictionary. This game is devised around two teams moving around a board which is marked with different symbols, standing for different categories. The teams must draw certain phrases for their teammates to guess and the better the teams do with the drawing and guessing, the faster they proceed along the board. If the correct phrase is guessed before the specified time limit is up, that team gets to continue along the path. If the phrase is not guessed, the team must remain at the spot they are currently at and the game play passes to the next team.

Each time that something needs to be drawn, the pad and pencil is shuffled to the next player in the group. Everyone gets a chance to draw and this also helps the teams be a little more fair, as some players will be naturally more talented at drawing than others. The players all rotate drawing in between the teams and by making their way along the game board, one team will eventually reach the finish line and win the game. The game is considered to be a very popular choice for parties, with unlimited possibilities presenting themselves for the game, as every player will draw something differently than another.

Games which test the creativity of the players often experience a high popularity, as the players like to be challenged in ways that don't necessarily test their random trivia knowledge. These games which want players to try things in a new way are highly accepted among groups and can be quite popular with parties. Drawing games, in particular, are often highly enjoyed even by people who do not feel that they have any special talent with sketching. Because of this, these games have had a long standing popularity.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for board games, chess boards, and dungeons and dragons miniatures. You will find all these things and more if you visit drawing board games, chess boards

No Juice in Simpson Retrial(E! Online)E! Online - O.J.'s last squeeze came up empty.